The Sun.
London, England, 1854-09-26 00:00:00

ROLLING ON TAPER IRON.

Mr. CLAY also read a paper upon "The Rolling ofTaper
Iron as carried on at the Mersey Iron Works," which
was only practised at the Mersey Iro❑ Works. Th•
chief use to which rolled taper iron was at present ap-
plied was for ships' knees and fastenings ; and 2,500 tons
had been made last year at the Mersey Works. These
knees were formerly made by the tedious process of
hammering, and while rolling was a cheaper mode of
production, the quality was improved by reason of the
greater uniformity of texture. The machinery was so
simple that it was a very rare thing for a single bar to
be spoiled ; in fact, the waste from bad bars was no more
than of ordinary merchant iron, and the quantity pro-
duced in the "turn," or "shift," was no less than of
bar iron. Twenty-one tons of this iron had been rolled
i❑ nine hours, and it would take a hammer to produce a
like quantity more than a fortnight, or, in other words,
the quantity that could be made in one mill would equal
the produce of about twenty-four forge hammers.
The concluding paper was by Mr. JAMES THOMPSON,
of Belfast, "A report of Experiments on the Friction of
Discs in Water, and on Experiments to be made on
Centrifugal Pumps."

THE CAMBRIAN ARCI32EOLOGICAL
ASSOCIATION AT BUTHIN.

We chronicled last autumn the proceedings of the
Cambrian Archaeological Association during its Brecon
meeting. The same body has just completed its meeting
for the present year at the little town of Ruthin, in Den-
bighshire. Owing, probably, to the somewhat out-of-
the-way position of the place selected, the attendance
of members and visitors has been less numerous than on
most previous occasions ; but the character of the papers,
discussions, and excursions has been fully equal to what
it has ever been. There have been quite as many con-
tributions of real value, aceompanied by a marked ab-
sence of the trashy and mystical productions, which can-
not invariably be excluded from a local society.
The meeting commenced on Wednesday, September
13, under the presidency of Mr. F. R. West, of Ruthin
Castle, ➢I.P. for the Denbighshire boroughs.
Thursday was chiefly devoted to an inspection of the
antiquities of the town of Ruthin itself, under the guid-
ance of the Rev. E. L. Barnwell, head master of Ruthin
school, to whose exertions as local secretary the meeting
was indebted for much of its success.

In the afternoon the association, by the invitation of
the president, visited the castle, where, somewhat ano-
malously for an arclimological gathering, the rank and
fashion of Denbighshire were assembled to meet them.
The excursion of Friday, after a survey of the little
church of Efenechtyd, chiefly remarkable for its antique
wooden font, consisted in exploring the numerous pri-
nsmval antiquities scattered over the mountains on the
eastern side of the Vale of Clwyd.
The expedition of Saturday substituted architectural
for primmval antiquities as the chief objects of research,
and Mr. Freeman, for Mr. Babington, as theirprincipal
expounder.

The final meeting on Tuesday evening was employed
in discussing the changes proposed by the special com-
mittee appointed at Brecon, which involved an altera-
tion in the name of the society, and the extension of its
subjects to geology and other branches of natural his-
tory. After an animated debate, these proposals were
rejected by a very large majority.
We have now only to mention that Mr. Basil Jones,
under whose efficient direction the association has
flourished for six years, has resigned the office of general
secretary in consequence of his increased academical
.
duties. The Rev. (I-. L. Barnwell has been elected as his
successor.
The annual meeting for 1855 is fixed for Llaudeilo•
fawn, in C aerrnartheno:lre.

A remarkable robbery wa;effected in London last
week. In the midst of One of the rnosttulr::lic thorough-
fares the flat iron railings before aho
lifted up—a burglar dropped into the are: s
—two were
were forced open, and admission thus obtained doors
shop itself, whence 600/. worth of cambric and to
other
the
articles were stolen. The general exclamation must be
—" What were the police about r' The scene of this
robbery was the shop of Mr. Harborrow, 15, Cockspur-
street, opposite the Haymarket—a spot almost under
the ehadow of Scotland-yard, the police head-quartere.

LAW INTELLIGENCE—Sept. 25.

COURT OF BANKRUPTCY.
(Before Mr. Commissioner Holroyd.)
IN HE SMITH AND ASHBY.

The bankrupts were linendrapers in Great Coram-
street. Their accounts, as prepared by Messrs. Young,
extend over a period of 4 years and three-quarters. They
commenced with a capital of 2,0001., and close with the
following items :—Creditors, 12,6111.; liabilities, 3,4351.;
good debtors and property, 4,3091. ; cash, 2261. ; pro-
fits, 10,8981. ; trade expenses, 6,6101. ; interest, 1,9081.;
repairs, 7371. ; drawings by Smith, 1,4171. ; by Ashby,
1,7771. ; losses, 4,8641., including 1,5001. paid for good-
will of business ; on sale of property by assignees,
2,458/. ; by bad debts, 908/.
This was the last examination meeting. Mr. Law-
rance supported ; Mr. Davidson, for the assignees, was
satisfied, and the bankrupts passed.