The Sun.
London, England, 1853-01-26 00:00:00

CITY SEWERS COMMISSION.

Yesterday the gentlemen connected with the above-
named body met at their Chamber, at the Guildhall ;
Deputy Peacock presided.
After the minutes of the proceedings of the former
week had been read, and allowed to have been correctly
entered, the several reports of the inspectors of pave-
ments were received, and orders thereupon were made.
Mr. Deputy LOTT, the late Chairman of the Law
Bills' Committee, stated it to be the intention of the
committee, after having thus respectfully communicated
to the various committees their resolution, animadvert-
ing upon their large amount of fees, and the great num-
ber of counsel retained, of " disallowing such fees on
taxation in future."

This statement was received with an evident want of
confidence by several of the members present.
The inspectors' reports were received and approved
of, after which several applications for drains, &c., were
made and consented to, in compliance with the standing
orders of the Court.

THE SMOKE NUISANCE.
Mr. LEE STEVENS, the successful inventor of the fan
paddle wheel, referring to his models and drawings illus-
trating his invention, remarked that his proposition in
this respect represented facts and not theories. By a
peculiar arrangement at the far end of the furnace, he
opposed a column of air of the high temperature of from
800 to 1,000 degrees to the gases evolved from the coal,
which caused the entire combustion of the latter with-
out the formation of any smoke ; whilst by an equally pe-
culiar construction of revolving bars, with screw flanges
or worms on their surfaces, at the near end, he supplied
the furnace with fuel gradually and continuously, motion
being given thereto by the engine itself, without ex-
posing the stoker to the intense heat of the furnace.
To prove the utility of his invention, Mr. Stevens read
testimonials to the Court, chiefly from Mr. William
Batley, C.E., manufacturer of portable engines, Bridge-
street Works, Northampton, who, after many weeks use
of it, said, "That the saving of coal, compared with the
ordinary consumption, is twenty per cent., and that the
smoke nuisance is entirely removed, no smoke being
now visible from the top of the chimney in my factory ;
whilst in the adjoining corn and oil mills, using the same
description of coal in the ordinary furnaces, a large
quantity of dense smoke is produced ;" and who con-
cluded by observing that "by this practical experience
I have most satisfactorily proved the value of your
invention, more especially in ocean navigation, where
fuel becomes, from the cost of conveyance, so expensive.
And I beg to state that I shall continue the use of your
economising system for my own sake."
Several questions were then asked of Mr. Lee Stevens
by the Chairman (Mr. Deputy Peacock), Mr. Phillips,
Mr. H. L. Taylor, Mr. Deputy Holt, Mr. T. H. Hall,
Mr. Humphreys, and other members of the court, to
which

Mr. LEE STEVENS replied that he certainly could not
produce smoke and then cut it off, as, after the fire was
once fairly lighted, his system prevented the formation
of any smoke at all. The invention, he said, is appli-
cable to any description of boiler, land or marine, large
or small, and requires no more space than a common
furnace ; and, as compared with other self-feeding fur-
naces, it is infinitely cheaper, indeed, but little mere ex-
pensive than common furnaces. He added that the
draught produced by the perfect combustion of the fuel,
under his system, will render high funnels for steam
boats or lofty shafts for land furnaces wholly needless.
Deputy FIOLT then inquired if Mr. Stevens' apparatus
could be applied to the steamers plying above bridge,
and, if so, at what expense ? Also, whether he (Mr.
Stevens) thought such steamers would consume eighteen
twentieths of the smoke now evolved ?
Mr. STEVENS said such apparatus might be supplied
at a cost not exceeding 201. per vessel, and that more
than eighteen twentieths of the smoke evolved would be
consumed. (Hear.)
The MEDICAL OFFICER of HEALTH then inquired
whether the inventor did not consider that the smoke
from a single steamer in the river was equal to that of a
land furnace ?
Mr. LEE STEVENS replied he did.
Mr. HUMPHREYS asked, would the invention prevent
that nuisance as well as those on shore ?
To which the inventor answered it would ; and this
appeared to be the general impression.
Other questions were put to him, and answered seem-
ingly to the entire satisfaction of the Court, when
The CHAIRMAN expressed his approbation of the open
manner in which the inquiries of the members had been
met by Mr. Lee Stevens,
And that gentleman, after thanking the Court for his
favourable reception, retired.
Adjourned.

MAILS TO INDIA, CHINA, &C.—The following notice
has been issued from the General Post-office :—Her
Majesty's Government having concluded a new contract
with the Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation
Company for the conveyance of mails, by packet, vta
Southampton, to Malta, Egypt, Ceylon, India, and
China, twice in every month, instead of once, as here-
tofore, mails for the above-mentioned places, as
well
as for Gibraltar and the lonian Islands, will in
future be dispatched from London, by the route of
Southampton, on the morning of the 4th as well as
on the morning of the 20th of each month. Mails
for India, &c. (including China) will also be made up,
for transmission, via Marseilles, on the evenings of
the Bth and 24th of every month. When the 4th or
20th of the month falls on Sunday the mails via South-
ampton will be made up in London on the previous even-
ing ; and when the Bth or 25th of the month falls
on Sunday the mails via Marseilles will be made
up in London on the evening of the following day.
ELOPEMENT. Quite a sensation has been caused in
the county of Dorset by the elopement of the daughter
of a deceased baronet of that county, with a gentleman
of the medical profession, who is a married man, and
has a family.