The Sun.
London, England, 1853-04-07 00:00:00

THE BOOMERANG PROPELLER.

LIVERPOOL, WEDNESDAY.—Yesterday afternoonZ
trial was made in the waters of the Mersey 0f
Thomas Mitchell's new mode of propelling ships by .:
boomerang, in lieu of the common screw. The trial n
was made in the Genova, one of Messrs. M'Kean
M'Klarty's Mediterranean steamships, the distance bea
ing from the Rock Light to the Crosby Lightship 3,111" e
back. The boomerang is used in a similar way to Do
ordinary screw, but its design and construction 14
widely different. The original idea was borrowed
00
the inventor from the peculiar gyrations of the ive3P,ll
used by the natives of Australia in its flight Oro%
the air. That instrument is crescent shaped, but,„lo
stead of an arc, it has an elbow in the middle. -`",t
about 2 feet long, and about 2 inches broad, a c 1112;;
of an inch thick, and is made of heavy wood.
thrown in the air by the natives it describes two reOter
tions, one direct and the other rotatory. By the 13t
motion it revolves round its own centre of gravitf.'t
enabled to survive the direct impetus with which' 0
sent up, and is made to screw back to the spot When
it was thrown,
This peculiarity suggested what is called "the wine
rang propeller," which, in the course of the day' „eri.
described by Sir Thomas Mitchell. After mail exl'llo
ments made for the purpose of discovering the best me,li.
of attaching a centre, so as to make the principle fiPirol
cable to the propulsion of vessels, the various pracv
difficulties in the way were removed.
The elbow-shaped weapon of the savage
the air shows how the difficulty of the centre may !co'
avoided; the cusps illustrate the mode by which engino of
may regulate the circumference, while the general forw,„
gliding throug_li
the missile, in acting obliquely on the radius of the 04,
tory motion, teaches how it is possible to embrace v 74
columns of water at once with the least possible suit's
and the least obstruction to the rotatory motion, but,'
the same time, with the greatest effect as a screw.
The great difficulty of testing the true value ofbn
invention has hitherto lain, and still continues to lie/ I;
the fact that screw-vessels are built with apertures Wo
narrow for its applieltion in its entire and comP,le'of
form. It requires a space equal to at least one-thiru, be
the height of the aperture. .The only opportuoiti
inventor has at present had for testing it--.and tb!g
very severe test--is.by applying only mutilated porno
of it, relying on the more harmonious nature of it'S
face compared with the screw now in use, and lon
perfect freedom at the centre, which prevents it fot
choking, and, consequently, gives it greater facilitys,ry
rotatory motion. So great is the mutilation neli;;s,
to admit of a trial at all with ordinary steamers,
whereas the chief advantage of the boomerang prq oe
is in its embracing two-thirds of the helix at ellee',lo
two blades of the one used in the Genova were net -les4
than one-seventh each of the complete spiral, or
than one-third on the whole. the
Another advantage in the boomerang is, that fronlther,
convexity of one blade and the concavity of the
the water is prevented from being driven to the cefreel
and thus choking it, as in the common screw, and dl
steering is thus materially facilitated.
The severest test that could be applied was sulo,oo
to yesterday. The pitch of the two mutilated p°l."
was nearly double the diameter—i. e., the pitch 'o',
60
feet 2 inches, and the diameter 12 feet 3 inches, se the
the working surface was five feet less than that 0' „d
common screw, against which it has been tried ;
whereas the common screw weighed 62 cwt., the be°
rang was only 26 cwt. the
Notwithstanding these adverse circumstancet,
average speed obtained in slack water was from 9 r",bi,
to
to 91 knots, under a pressure of steam of from 6' et,
91b. ; a speed which several scientific gentlenlen to
board. asserted was one knot faster than calla ';o'
been made by the common screw under the same r
sure of steam.
In the course of the afternoon the visitors wer-oli
tertained to dinner in the first-class cabin, Mr. 1,3°
~jog
of the firm of Messrs. M'Kean and M'Klarty, ecetlP'oir
the chair. That gentleman, in the course of sooleof
servations made after the cloth had been withdr`„o,
regretted that complete justice had not been done t."„
boomerang on the occasion, owing to the inabilm ol
the engineer to keep the steam up to a fair pressnl;
jeer
101 b. He and the company he represented were, 'oor
ever, so convinced of the great superiority of the 11°, of
era,ng over the screw, that they were having 011110 f
their vessels prepared for the trial of the new propevie
in its integrity. Mr. Lamont also referred to the •,(1
of English anthracite, in lieu of coals. They had irlbe
it with complete success in the last voyage of t
Livorno, having found that it was more serviceable, i'die
took up much less space. In her previous voyagesolf
consumedLtorno r required
tonsired 5
17
cwt.ton of s of
anthracite. coal, whereas
Hshe 11;4e
this would create as great'

Roa
. a revolution as the booltpi°r,
because, if they could save a quarter of the coos' h' Pte{
of fuel, much inconvenience and delay would %a °'
vented. If the Great Britain, for instance, WO Atisi:
consumino• 1,500 tons of coal on her passage ton v 1
tralia, onry required 1,000 tons, she could ace fe'
the whole distance without touching at St. Helen34l,
coals. The gain by anthracite instead of coal Iv tibd
in his opinion, be about 35 per cent., besides
gratifying fact that anthracite was not I
taneous combustion. iabhleav to ile.

DEATH OF LORD SKELMERSDALE.--WO have t°,llo'o
cord the demise of this venerable nobleman, at k3bi,
House, in his 83d year. His lordship sat in the nil 0
of Commons from 1795 to 1828, when he was raise oil
the peerage. He is succedeed by his grandson Bairi
eldest son of the late Hon. Richard Wilbraham, tU
now in his 14th year. The Countess of DerbY "
youngest daughter.
C
pe
CINCINNATI AND ST. LOUIS RAILWAY.—The pr°flt
s
tus of an issue of first mortgage bonds on the inwercin'
railway line in the course of construction between,
cinnati and St. Louis was published yestercl9. tl)°
Messrs. George Peabody and Co. The length
road is 335 miles, and it is under contract to he -1-5 P
pleted for 9,000,000 dollars by the Ist of July, A" to',°
Much of the undertaking already finished, a?",,A;
divisions of it are to be opened on the Ist of 3-t e 0 v
next. The capital subscribed in the United Sti-
about 6,000,000 dollars, and the bonds now Octffervtii
for 2,050,000 dollars, or 410,0001. sterling. Their
rity is that of a complete lien on the entire wer"lile
they are to be redeemable in 1872, bearing mean's to
per cent. interest, the holders also having the rico
convert them into stock any time before the io.!`i
January, 1857. A deposit of 10 per cent. is to belie' d'
immediately, and the remaining instalments on t
May and Ist of September.
SUICIDE BY OXALIC AClD.—Yesterday naorn?isfntiv
_ _ _

formation was forwarded to Mr. Langha-m, the
Coroner for Westminster, of the death of Ann °Dort;
son, aged 28 years, who resided at Old Boswell- 01,c
Carey-street, Lincoln's-inn-fields, who • committv,
destruction by swallowing a large quantity °f oocctl;
acid. It appears that the deceased had formerlin ttij
pied a respectable position in society, having bli-o01::
daughter of persons who earned an honest livel1140;1
P Some time since she quitted her home in a fit of u 4;
and finally became the paramour of a eabmsn'oftc;
Monday night the deceased obtained a quantitY et"
alie acid of the neighbouring chemists, and on ');t,teli,
turn took the poison. Her groans attracted th° 0/e,
tion of the inmates, who instantly raised an alar°3ClAlt;
Dr. Digby, surgeon, was promptly on the sP°ostei,
notwithstanding his exertionsi she expired in rpoi
cruciating agony: No cause at present has by
signed for the rash act.

EPSOM RACES.

Laseelles
Ephesus.

(THIS DAY.)
(BY ELECTRICTELEGR-4PH.)
EPSOM TRIAL STAKES.

CITY AND SUBURBAN HANDICAP,
Dead heat between Ethelbert and Pancake.
Twenty-five ran.

401" AL COLLEGE OF PHYSICIANS.-DEPUTA

TION TO LORD PALMERSTON.

Yesterday afternoon a deputation, consisting of the
President, fellows, and members of the Royal College of
Physicians, waited upon Lord Palmerston, at the Home
Office, for the purpose of entreating his lordship to take
such immediate steps as might appear necessary to ob-
tain a new charter for the college:
Dr. Pains, the president, stated to his lordship that
the college, the medical prefession, and the public gene-
rally, suffered severely from the present state of affairs,
and the evils of which they had to complain would be
seriously
aggravated unless measures were at once taken
to place the college upon a better footing. Great incon-
venience was at present felt with regard to licences which
were granted upon different conditions to persons prac-
tising in London and others practising in the country—
a circumstance which created much unpleasant feeling,
'randhe body was otherwise productive of bad consequences.
' over which he (Dr. Paris) presided earnestly
entreated his lordship to do what he could in removing
the difficulties of which they complained, and in bring-
ing about some practical improvement.
hil3r. P. IlawKnis, the registrar of the college, read to
s lordship a statement which had been
prepared for the
Purpose of presentation. It informed his lordship that the
Principal points of differ' ence between the present charter
avirsd a new charter which the members of the deputation
were desirous of obtaining, were as follows :—The present
charter_ gave to the college the exclusive power of ex-
,fluning and licensing physicians in London. A similar
Va:Wer ail to physicians in the country was given by the
eoll'eaflienrY VIII., confirming the charter, not to the
college but to a body chosen out of the college. Hence
aryndfsmonasnli,l.nsed for one district were not.so for another,
,Y uissensions and much inconvenience had arisen
from this distinction. The new charter to which they
now asked his lordshiP'B acquiescence would extend the
liatioedn*agiepower of the college to the whole of England
that of ths'e and would V
yali ICI do
nehgo-engoef the title of the college to
England, a
similar change having been ofrecentlysiemiaandgeby charter in
thee title of the Royal College of Surgeons. The new
arter would provide for the admission into the college
on terms universally considered extremely liberal, of
:21,1Y physicians now Practising throughout the country
measure
the licence of the college, and by whom such a
Zd.ttre as this had for many years been ardently de-
bater, ,The new charter made certain changes in the
.41 constitution of the college ; in particular, it
sl`4linerred to the college at large the power of choosing
epresident, Which was given by the old charter to a
It et b°dY, called the " Elects," who were self-elected.
fellgoave to
the college the power of expelling any future
heinNovu or member who should be convicted of certain
offences ; also that of conferring the title of
DoctorB
, of Medicine on persons who, being past the age
'*o years, were found worthy, from their general at-
fain l)
and long, experience in the practice of medi-
cine) to be licensed'as physicians. Under other circum-
stances the college was to be empowered to licensethose
"lY who should have graduated at some university. The
Oature of the enactments thus proposed, and the reasons
for them, had been explained more fully in a memorial
tw_hriich the president ofthe college had already had the uo our of submitting to Lord Palmerston. By referring
lalso to the preamble of the draft charter sent with that
einorial, his lordship would perceive that the Act of
Zll!? VIII., confirming the present charter, must be
effect thevar'iall repal, and a new but short act passed to
proposed alterations.
Dr. 13unuowa begged leave to impress upon his lord-
auiP one fact, which had not been adverted to in the
statement just read by the registrar. They had laid
certAin suggestions before his lordship, the result of
much deliberation ; and they could assure him that no
opposition to their adoption was to be anticipated from any
quarter. It was the general wish of the profession that
the college should be remodelled, and be made so effi-
cient as to enable it to meet the altered requirements of
the times. So far from any objection being made to the
Proposed reforms, the greatest anxiety prevailed that
they
should be. speedily carried out, and the members of
the college had actually been twitted with insincerity in
not having impressed the matter on the Government at
au earlier opportunity. He believed that it would be
for the benefit of the profession generally if his lordship
would take it into his favourable consideration.
r. TODD reminded his lordship that a deputation
Medialon him some time since from the Provincial,
ma the' and Surgical Association, and repesented to
f
those eeling of the country upon measures similar to
stated that to him, and he thought it was then
charter at 11°re
a bill would be introduced giving a new
D to the tollsge.
Preeed thought that some such measure might
professeioaninore general measure for the regulation of the
Lord p*
tent. nialEnsToN said he had listened with great at-
him, lon to the representations which had been made to
should
The subject one of great importance, and it
'mould have his beslvasconsideration.
The deputation then withdrew.