The Sun.
London, England, 1852-11-05 00:00:00

PROMOTION.

Lieutenant Sherard Osborn (1846), at present serving
in command of the screw-steamer Pioneer, one of the
vessels of Captain Sir Edward Belcher's squadron in the
Arctic regions, and formerly commanding tho eame
vessel during Captain Austin's visit to these regions, is
promoted to the rank of Commander.

NE W SYSTEM OF 'MANUFACTURING

SUGAR.

A few days rgo, we had an opportunity of witnessing
an improved process for ranking sugar, recently invented
and put in operation by Mr. IL Bessemer, civil engineer,
at his premises, Baxter-house, Old St. Pancras•road,
and, in common with several gentlemen practically con-
versant with the subject who were present, have to ex-
press the high gratification we experienced at the re-
sults brought under our notice. In the present condi-
tion of our West India colonies every improvement in
the manufacture of sugar, and everything that tends t
cheapen its production, cannot fail to excite interest, and
a brief description of this now process may not there-
fore be unacceptable to the reader. This we shall at-
tempt to do in language as free from technicalities as
the nature of the subject will admit of. In the manu-
facture of sugar from the cane the saccharine juice is by
the usual system expressed by a roller-mill, which, on an
average, obtains from 50 to 55 per cent. of juice; where-
as the cane, according to the most eminent writers, con-
tains 90 per cent., the remaining 35 per cent, being left
in the " cane trash." Mr. Bessemer, by a great im-
provement on his original invention of the cane-press, is
now enabled to obtain, by a principle of continuous
pressure, from 75 to 80 per cent. without any additional
cost. In order to produce granulated sugar from the
juice of the cane it is necessary to separate a large pro-
portion of the water in which the saccahrine matter is
held in solution. This has hitherto been effected by
boiling the water passing off in the form of steam. It
has, however, been discovered that the heat necessary to
produce ebullition effects a rapid chemical decomposi-
tion of a largo portion of the sugar under operation,
which assumes a dark brown or blackish colour, and is
perfectly uncrystallizable, in which condition sugar is
commonly known under the name of molasses or treacle,
and amounts to 40 per cent. of the entire quantity of
saccharine matter present in the juice. In the new pro-
cess just patented by Mr. Bessemer, this separation of
the aqueous portion of the fluid is no longer effected by
boiling, but is dependent on that beautiful law of nature
by which evaporation is carried on spontaneously, and
every
aotfm
orsapi
hn e
ra,g ain vaporizisd, and caused to
ascend .
To carry this into practice a
small pan only is required,in which is placed a screw of
a p, culiar construction, presenting about 6,000 superfi-
cial feet of surface, which is kept wetted by slowly revolve
Eihn" there
ing in the fluid to be evaporated; and in contact with
this wet surface some 10,000 cubic feet of warm atmos-
pheric air is forced per minute by a common blowing-
fan. Tho aqueous portions of the solution are thus
rapidly absorbed by the air, and pass oft as a perfectly
invisitsle vapour, while the temperature of the fluid is
only 110 degrees Fahrenheit. The most remediable
fact is that the evaporation at this low temperature is
equal to that of firepans of the same dimensions, with a
powerful fire beneath them. A vast amount of fuel is
thus saved, and a still snore important result obtained
from evaporating at this low temperature is, that none of
the saccharine matter is converted into molasses, nor is
there the least perceptible increase of colour. Hence,
not only is the quantity increased in this single process
40 per cent., but the superior quality of it would com-
mand, as we aro informed, 7s or 8s per cwt. in the mar-
ket over the ordinary colonial produce. In the usual
mode of manufacturing sugar, after the crystallization
has taken place, the "mother liquor," in which the
crystals aro formed, is separated b.y a very slow preceli
of drainage through holes made in the bottom of the
hogsheads ; but, as the whole of the dark viscid syrup
will not drain out by the mere action of gravity, a coat-
ing is left upon the crystals, which renders them brown
and of less value. By another most important invention
of Mr. Bessemer this drainage is effect©d with extraordi-
nary rapidity and perfection, by continuously passing a
very thin stratum of sugar over a fine wire gauze sur-
face, beneath which a partial vacuum is formed, and on
which a number of fine jets of water (like a syringe) are
allowed to flow ; the passage of the water through the
interstices between the crystals of sugar entirely removes
the syrup from their surface, and rend. ere them at once
sufficiently dry for shipment.
The time during which
tho sugar is exposed to the action of the water is one-
seventh of a second only, during which minute interval
the water is drawn into the vacuum chamber, without
being allowed sufficient time to dissolve any portion of
the crystals. This instantaneous conversion of brown
Sugar into white must however be witnessed to be appre-
ciated. These are the most striking, as they are the
most useful inventions, applyed by Mr. Bessemer to the
manufacture of swear, though there are a variety of other
important details' a description of which seems less
called for. We understand the improvements have re-
ceived the approbation of numerous scientific and prac-
tical men, several of whom have expressed the opinion
that this adoption will bo ono of the first steps towards
the restorrtion of that prosperity which has so long been
withheld from our sugar-growing colonies,

POISONING THROUGH EATING COCKLES —A most me-
lancholy sensation has been created in the neighbour-
hood of tbo Hotwells and Clifton, Bristol, in consequence
of the death under circumsstancos of a very remarkable
kind, of a fine little girl of six or seven years old, the
daughter of a respectable tradesman named Stokes, who
resides at the Mardyke.house, flotwell.road. The de-
ceased child was very fond of cockles, and she obtained
permission of her parent to purchase a pint for her
supper. No peculiar effect was observed immediately
to follow the meal, and the child retired to her bed at her
usual hour, and slept till early in the morning,
when she awoke complaining of a burning sen-
sation in her throat and stomach, 'accompanied by
excruciating. thirst. Soon after vomiting came on,
and I subsequently violent purging and the symp-
toms which usually accompany the administration of
irritant poisons. The symptoms continued, unchecked
to any material extent, and at about five o'clock in the
evening the little sufferer breathed her last. The death
is ascribed to the pretence in the cockles of a kind of
parasitic insect which is sometimes found contained in
lkem.
Nam- BANK. AND BREWElAT.—Application is made
to this rae.rket for a sum of 200,000/, for the " Financial
Union Bank of Paris," which will make the total capital
of that ostilblishment, including 600,0001. raised, or to be
raised, in. 'France, 800,0001. It appears that the institu-
tion was fi )unded in the French metropolis in AprilllBso,
and that tae extension of capital is proposed with a view
to form ing a branch in London, and auxiliary institu-
tions in the chief commercial towns of France. The
" Great Paris Brewery Company" is another French
undertal ;bag, a portion of the capital of which is to be
raised h. tre. The object of the association is apparent
in its tit le, including the production in France of the
various i rarioties of British beer.
THE ) gATIONA.L GALLERY AND GREAT EXHIBITION
SURPLUt t FUND.—The report of the Government having
purchase d the plot of ground near Kensington as a site
for a tie re National Gallery is incorrect. The property
has beet t purchased by the Royal Commissioners, with
the surpl u s funds of the Great Exhibition. It is in-
tended to present it to the nation, and to request the
Governme at to erect upon the land buildings suitable
for a new National Gallery, for a museum for the trades
collection, formed from the late Exhibition, which will
be considerably augmented when suitable accommoda-
tion is tiff Jrded ; also suitable premises for the School of
Design, at present temporarily located at Marlborough
- _ --- -
House; and for affording the means of carryingthe
estate u a
t
MR. MAcAttLAy AND THE RELIGIOUS EQUALITY system ,) f " industrial education " similar to that sag-
MovesieNT —air. Macaulay has written the following gested " in the first report of the Royal Commissioners.
letter to the seeretary of the Anti-State Church Asset- 'NCI JBLEBRED EteraTes.The first sale in the En-
elation, enclosing a copy of the resolutions anent Mr. cumber :ed Estates Court, after the long vacation, took
e the
Moore's scheme of religious equality in Ireland:— place yesterday, the propertyhseolwdabs
disappointed,ing
"Alb soy, London, Oct. 25, 1852. Sir,—Your letter to Samar a M'Clintock and others, in the county of Louth.
me was sent, by some mistake, to Mr. Cowan, and was This estate was sold in March last, when one of the
lenlot, look
kbut on as
a that
consequently several days on the road to me. I am puiso a creditors, hoping that the proceeds would reach
beile6gB/., 2751. a sad lw
the
moreall
much obliged to you for the paper which you trans- his d
,e)bt,,bioiodln,e4roB to be released,
and
hisappli 0/., hat, as
catiot.
mitted to me. It is very
minis
ably drawn up, and contains sum realised was not extending to him, he applied to
much in which I cordially agree. As you have done the ,
me the honour to ask my opinion of what is called the gray
..ti ed. The nett annual rent is about
movement for religious equality in Ireland, I must pre Kb ace of the sale to-day was 1,675/.,
frankly say that, not as a friend of tho Irish Church i th an the same land was knocked down for in the early
civil
i t extreme
su - 1:LIE IRISH MEMBERS AND RAILWAY ACCOM-
. 7
Pui)
ofT I tOhNe. —y year.
P. Roney, as agent
ferseteadbolimshns ,
picion, and should be sorry to ere the Protestant Dis- ! mot A
ren'ors of Englund and Scotland united in an unnatural Erg lish railways, has completed a most for the sow ral
ostadvantageous
coalition with men who defend those proceedings which a': rat 'gement for the Irish members, in respect to their
movementfriend o f
wh
have brought so much disgrace on the tribunals and on j ourneyiug to and from England during the approaching
the Government of Tuscany.—l have the honour to be, , session. The arrangement contemplates the issue of
Sir, your faithful servant, T. B. MAcAuLAY."—Glasgow Lossional tickets at the nominal price of 201., or the ex-
Constitutional. fusion of the return ticket system to a month.