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

WOJIY.ING OF STEAM BOILERS.

A paper by Mr. CHANTER. was next read, "On the
Economiel Working of Steam-boilers and Furnaces by
the saving of Fuel, with a more speedy command of Sceam
when Boilers" reqnire to be Forced." While admitting
the credit due to the fuynaces worked by machinery, he
considered that the simple reciprocating fire-bars for
general use iu stationary and marine furnaces would be
found more economical, and much less expensive, than
the complex systems et; machinery furnaces. The most
simple, economical, ; and at the same time inexpensive
furnace was one .of 'Chanter's three patented furnaces.
Tire first patent for .this description of furnace had all
moving bars, put in motion by several cranks, levers,
'&c., and though fonnd to be a great improvement upon
stationary bars, was liable to derangement in the hands
of not careful
.stokerS. The further improvements con-
sisted in the simple use of a toothed bar, with rocker, •
supported by bracketS in tubular, and by boxes in round,
waggon, And other; shaped boilers, pans, &c. On the
rocker a moving serrated bar was placed, to work alter-
nately between fixed serrated bars, so that by use of a hand
lever, the stoker easily effected a movement of the re-
ciprocating bars, and at once cleaned the entire surface
of the bars from dust and.small cinders, thereby prevent-
ing the formation of clinkers and the burning away of
the bars,
„while fresh air passed freely into the ftirnace,
caussing a.more perfect and brisk combustion of the fuel,
rendering, it possible to have a hotter fire with about half
the usual depth of fuel,_ aud to generate steam in about
one-sixth less time: Facts were at hand showing that the
bars often lasted 50 'to 100, and sometimes 150 per cent.
longer than stationary bars, while the economy in the
saving of coal was from 5, 10, to even 15 per cent. accord-
ing to varying'circumatances. These moveable fire-bars was
not only applicable to stationary furnaces, but especially
to marine boilers, where the saving of fuel and wear of bars
on long voyagei was -so important. No later than
Thursday, last.he had inspected eight of these furnaces
on board the Stork stea,rner, now trading between Live-
r; pool and Glasgow, whore the moving bars had been con-
stantly at work for two years, without renewal, except-
ing or three single. bars, and all those furnaces were,
yet in working order, whereas the old stationary bars
used to burn outin six or eight months ; and, further;
the saving in on the run to and fro was at least 24
ewts., with much less labour to the firemen.
In answer. to Mr. Oldham, Mr. DAY said that the
furnace, though not `intended for the consumption of
smoke, nevertheless !lessened the smoke considerably.
. • WORKS 'AT THE' MERSEY FORGE.

Mr. Mr. CLAY then.
,read a paper upon the "Large Fly-
wheel at the- Mersey Forge." In rolling boiler plates
there was a certain limit to the speed at which the roller
should travel i in other words, the number of revolutions
made by the,roller were very few when compared with
the roller of other descriptions of iron, and it was there-
fore necessary in a mill where direct action was required,
that a fly-wheel should be constructed of sufficient size
and weight to have, with a small number of revolutions,
sufficient momentum to overcome the ordinary shocks of
rolling large' plates of iron. lhis could only be done by,
increasing the diameter'of the wheel to such an extent"
that the rim 'should have the requisite momentum, off..
velocity, of so many feet per minute. With this view a
wheel had been made of 35 feet diameter, and weighing
about 60 tons, about 24 tons of which were disposed in
the rim, which was intended to run with a veloCity of
about 4,500 feet per minute, at about 33 revolutions.
Great care was necessary, in a wheel of such magnitude,
that the various parts should be well and securely fas-
tened together; and after finishing the drawing .of the
wheel it was submitted to the high authority of Mr.
Fairbairn, 'who prbnounced it as perfectly safe at a velo-
city of 14,000 feet per minute, number of revolutions
120. The wheel; which is the largest ever made, was
open for the inspection of the members of the association.
ROLLING OF TAPER IRON.

Mr. CLAY also read a paper upon "The Rolling of Taper
Iron as carried on at the Mersey Iron Works," which
was only practised at the Mersey Iron Works. The
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
he 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
in 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 TepOrt of Experiments on the Friction of
Discs in Water, and on Experiments to be made on
Centrifugal Pumps."

THE CAMBRIAN ARCH2EOLOGICAL
ASSOCIATION AT BUTHIN.

We chronicled last autumn the proceedings of the
Cambrian Xrchmological 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 valve, accompanied 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, M.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 archxological 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 numeroul pri-
nmval antiquities scattered over the mountains on the
,eastern side of the Vale of Clwyd.
The expedition of Saturday substituted architectural
for primaeval antiquities as the chief objects of research,
and Mr. Freeman, for Mr. Babington, as theirprineral-
expounder.
The final meeting on Tuesday evening was emplioy.
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. G. L. Barnwell has been elected as his
s..ccessor.
The annual meeting for 1855 is fixed for Llandeilo-
fawr, in Caermarthenbhire.

A remarkable 'robbery was effected in London last
week. In the inidit of one of the most public thorough-
fares the flat iron railings before a ho3ier's shop were
lifted up—a. burglar dropped into the area—two doors
were forced .open, and admission thus obtained to the
ehop itself,-whence. GOO/. worth of cambric and other
articles were stolen. The general exclamation must be
—" What were the police about ?" The scene of this
robbery was the shOp of Mr. Harborrow, 15, Cockspur-
street, opposite the iiaymarket—a spot almost under
the shadow ot4gotland-yard, the police head-quarters.

LEA W' INTELLIGENOE—Sept.2S.

COURT OF BANKRUPTCY.
(Before Mr. Commissioner Holroyd.)
IN Rl6 SMITH AND ASHBY.,

The bankrupts were linendrapers in Great Coram-
'street. Their accounts, as prepared by Messrs. Young,
e tend oyei a period of years and three-quarters. They
commenced with a capital of 2,0001., and, close with the
following items 12,6111.; liabilities, 3,4351.;
good debtors and'.property, 4,3091. ; cash, 226/. ; pro.
fits, 10,8981. ; •trade expenses, 6,610 ; interest, 1,9081.;
repairs, 73.71. ; drawings by Smith, 1,417/. ; by Ashby,
1,777/. ;;losses; 4,8641., including 1,500/, 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-
ranee supported ; Mr. Davidson, for the assignees, was
satisfied, and the bankrupts passed.