The Sun.
London, England, 1847-04-06 00:00:00

GREAT REVOLUTION IN STEAM
PROPULSION.
This heading will startle many of our readers. In-
genuity has been expended in devising an improvement
on the present mode of propelling ships by steam.
Against the old paddle-wheels strong objections as to
the loss of power, and other drawbacks upon a steamer's
progress, have been urged, which it would he useless to
repeat here, for they are well known to practical en-
gineers and seamen ; and a remedy was sought for in
the screw. The screw has been only partially success-
ful, as its limited adaptation proves. The only vessel of
note to which it has been applied is the Great Britain,
and the unfortunate termination of her career hardly
gave that invention a fair trial on a large scale. But a
discovery has now been perfected by Mr. S. R. Park-
hurst, a gentleman of great mechanical ingenuity, a hich
must supersede the existing modes of steam propulsion,
and revolutionise the traffic by sea. This invention is
secured by patent in Great Britain and. all her colonies,
the United States, France, and all other parts of the
world.
It is not merely original, but like most useful inven-
tions, remarkably, nay, beautifully simple. The advan-
tages are threefold—a greatly increased rate of speed, a
vastly increased power of stowage, by the reduction of
the present cumbrous machinery in the holdsof steamers,
and reduced expenditure iu the cost of the engine power.
It is difficult to make ourselves clear on these points
without the aid of a diagram. But we may state, briefly,
that a number of submerged vertical propeller: are to be
fixed on each side of the vessel; these revolve in unison,
and by the force with which they take hold of the water,
and the power which this combined action gives them,
mast send forward the ship at a speed altogether unat-
tainable by the present or any known system. It is
asserted, by practical men, that a vessel so propelled
would cross the Atlantic in nearly half the tune of the
beat steamers now employed in ocean navigation.
This invention has undergone the scrutiny of eminent
and practical men in England, by whom the most favour-
able opinions have been expressed of its practical cha-
racter. During the past week experiments have been
tried by the application of steam power to those pro-
pellers, one of which, six feet high, thirty inches dia-
meter, was driven by a six-horse power engine 294 revo-
lutions per minute, which a practical gentleman pros, nt
stated would drive a vessel twenty-fire miles per hour.
This test has removed all doubts on the minds of those
who were previously the most sceptical.. We cannot
dilate on the importance of this greatest of modcrn in-
ventions with regard to steam navigation but this we
may say, that since the days of Arkwright nothing equa
in importance to it has appeared, and we expect it will
remain a brilliant proof of the genius and the judgment
of the inventor.
We understand that Mr. Parkhurst leaves by the
Sarah Sands, on a temporary visit to America; the ob-
ject, we believe, is to lay his important invention before
the Government of the United States, whose navy and
cammerce, wo fet confident, will be greatly enhanced
by the application of an invention which promises to
revolutionise the whole system of navigation.— Widmer
and Smith's European Times.

ANECDOTE OF THE LIFE AND DEATH OF I MISER
—One of those extraordinary personages, whose parsi-
monious habits and amor nu:nmi, producing eccentrici-
ties, such as makes the merry to laugh and even the
grave to) smile, departed this life at Caledon, on Tkurs-
day, the 18th inst. Tice following are a few of the mis-
haps and traits in the story of this notorious miser, who
was called Michael Braga, alias li'Kenna. The first
misfortune that befel him after his coming to this neigh-
bourhood a good many years ago, was, he had scraped
together five pounds in bank notes, hese he stealthily
stuffed into the thatch at the eve of his master's house,

but, the night ho did so king dark, he could not after-
wards find the spot, nor was it discovered until the
house next underwent thatching, when they
were got all melted into pulp. He would not
after allow the god of his idolatry to assume
such a fragile shape as piper, so his next savings were
made in that more substantial metal called silver. his
next hoarding was hid in the ditch of a field, and his fre-
quent visits to the spot attracted the notice of a servant
girl of the place where he then lived, who discovered the
hidden treasure to the amount of 251., all in half-crowns,
except one sovereign ; the girl decamped with the booty,
which, when lost to the worshipper, produced from him
wailing and lamentation the most piteous. These savings
were made, it may be easily conjectured, by privations
and self-denial the most rigid, hits food for many years
did not amount to more than l d. per day, although he
enjoyed good health, and was constantly employed. He
at ene time bought a pair of shoes, and to mike them

last long be put them by, and went barefoot until the
moulded and were good for nothing. A few hours be
fore his death he requested to be brought to a neigh
bouring grove to get his money ; a donkey and cart was
accordingly prccursd, when noaring the place, unable to
open his eyes, he asked his brother to lift his eyelid, that
he might poiet out the spot. The money being secured
he seemed a little at ease as he was drawn home, his
guides most inhumanely allowing his head to bump
about the cart like a dead carr:on. Half an hour before
dying, he ordered bread and tea to be got, of which h
took a heavy meal, saying the while that had he done s
before he would not have been so sick. His relations
teasing him about the disposal of his last savings,
amounting to 101. Ils., he swore d—n him, if they vexed
him more, that be would not leave one of them a
far-
thing.—Ulster Gazette.
GLASGOW PIG IRON TEADS.—Transactions this

seek have been very similar as to prices with these of
last week. For some time past the principal founderies
of Scotland have been at a stand from strikes among the
workmen, but this decrease of consumpiiim has been
made up by shipments to the United States, which have
of late been considerable. The numerous vessels arriv-
ing in the Clyde from that quarter with grain and
cotton fill up with pig iron, at the rate, in many instances,
of 18s. per ton; and altogether the prospects of trade
with America are very cheering. We quote the price
at 71s. 6d. per ton, and with little offering at that rate.
—National Advertise?.
THE LATE MURDERS IN KILKENNY.—Thomas Roe,
;he men who was found wounded, and was carried to the
Kells Police-station, on the day Mr. Prim, the pay-
cloth, and the police-constable were murdered, died on
Wednesday morning. The same day an inquest was
held on his body. One of the police deposed to
deceased having confessed to him, shortly before his
death On the previous night, that he (deceased) was one
of the murderers, and that he received his wound from a
pistol fired by Mr. Prim. On this evidence the jury
found a verdict of " Justifiable homicide."—Kilkenny

Journal.
DzEr SEA. FISHERIES.—The fishing trade has been
at times of more advantage to the Dutch than their
trade with the East Indies, or that of the Spaniards
with the West Indies. The Dutch used to call their
herring trade their gold mine, and remember it in their
prayers. Philip 11. of Spain agreed to pay 1,000/. to
the Irish Treasury for leave to fish on the Irish coasts.
The Dutch, in the time of Charles 1., paid 30,0001.
sterling for a similar licence as to the British coasts ;
and, in 1650, as a great indulgence, Sweden was suffered
to employ only 1,000 vessels in the fishery on these
coasts. In the reign of James I. it appeared that the
Dutch fished in the English seas with 3,000 vessels and
50,600 men ; while 9,000 other vessels were employed
conveying provisions, salt, ea-lo' &c, to the fishermen,
and taking the fish to market. Upon the whole, it was
computed that the number of shits and other vessels
employed by the Dutch in these fisheries in the British
seas were about 12,000, and nearly. 200,000 men—a
Lumber almost passing belief. Why is not this energy
displayed by us at the present day ?—lnverness Courier.
SINGULAR CIRCUMSTANCE.—A few days ago, a hen
belonging to Mr. Richards, of the gas works, in this city,
and which he had lost for exactly three weeks, was found
in a deep inclosed space behind a large tank at the works.
It had probably descended there through a small orifice,
which was the only entrance to it, for the purpose of
laying, but found it impossible to return on account of
its wings being clipped, and the entrance being so high
up from the ground. The poer fowl had laid one egg,
the shell and the white of which she had demolished, but
although tempted by a hunger of three weeks duration,
she had refused to touch the yolk. There was no other
kind of food or water in the cell. When taken out, its
comb was blue, and it presented other symptoms of
emaciation, but is now fast recovering.— Worcestershire
Chronicle.
We have to record the.demise of his Excellency
Franceso Carboni, the Senior Diplomatist at the Court
of Sweden, who died at Stockholm at the close of last
month, in his 87th year. The deceased was Chargé
d'Affaires of the Duke of Lucca, and fulfilled that' office
thirty years at Stockholm. He was also Consul-General
for Naples, Sicily, Rome, and Sardinia. His Excellency
the Swedish Minister for Foreign Affairs, Baron Von
Ihre, and the entire corps diplomatique, attended the
funeral of the deceased.
SURPLUS GAME.—We are glad to be informed that
his Grace the Duke of Devonshire has ordered the sur-
plus game atChatsworth and neighbourhood to be killed,
and that that is new being done. Mr. Arkwright is
taking the same laudable course upon his Derbyshire
estates. Let others who possess excess of game pursue
the same judicious and desirable plan. Excessive game
preserving has been the very nursery for poaching, or,
in other words, _a premium for poaching.
NARROW Esc APE FROM SUFFOCATION IN A
Cnuacn.—On Sunday last, during the morning ser-
vice at Powick Church, a young lady was observed to
be in a fainting condition, and the same symptoms almost
immediately afterwards affected others of the congrega-
tion, to the number of about twenty..- They were con•
veyed into the open air and to the adjoining houses, and
after some time and trouble they all recovered, having
apparently suffered severely from incipient suffocation.
It was found on investigation, that the alarming occur-
rence was caused by the sulphureous vapour evolved in
the process of :combuta' ion from the coke used for the
purpose of warming the church.—Worcester Herald.
CartTEREMRT.—SOUIe surprise has been manifested
that the Judge of the Small Debts' Court for this dis-
trict has not appointed his circuit. But we hear that
Mr. Chilton has declined to accept the office, which has
occasioned the delay, and that Mr. C. Harivoed has
been appointed in his stead. Mr. G. Finley, solicitor,
of this city, has been appointed clerk. We have also
heard parties named as bailiff-and treasurer, though we
cannot mention them with certainty.—haver Chi onicte.
The Journal de Fecamp states that an immense
bank of oysters has been recently discovered between
the point of Barfleur and Cape de la Rave, being nine
leagues in length, two in width, and from 00 to 90 centi-
metres in thickness. This bank is three leagues distant
from Barfieur, and eight from Havre.
nlyts
forinpart e
nbeyond s
vessels
se
exclusively, limits assigned
La
Large
env rge,
itquantitiesis,
oyster dredging
ro: d
however
already been taken up.
manner at
tohfe ground grum.
le
A SITE AT LAST.—At length the Wellington Sta-
btaers. I
Rill be
thebe placed v
ery dm
onha
handsomest
siteao thates mustt
a satisfypt.eee
has been allotted to it in their own property by the pro-
prietors of the Thames Tunnel.—Punch.