The Sun.
London, England, 1840-11-07 00:00:00

THE SVN, i ONIION, SATURDAY. NOVEMBER 7 'RA

IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM

NAVIGATION.

At the sitting of the French Academy of Sciences
on the 26th October, the attention of the meeting was
devoted to the discussion of a maritime and military
question of great importance. The sound of war seemed
to have penetrated the hall of Minerva ; and though
the lerrned academicians appeared to treat the question
as one belonging to science, it was evident their thoughts
were bent on war. The subject of discussion was a
new mode of propelling steam-ships proposed by M.
Jouffroi, the son of the man for whom the French claim

the honour of being the original inventor of steam navi-
gation. Long before the American engineer Fulton
made his first experiments in propelling vessels by steam,
it is asserted that M. Jouffroi the elder had successfully
attempted to move a large vessel, by the application of
the same power, on the river Saone. We translate
from the report of the proceding of the Academy the
following account of the claims of the elder Jouffro',
and of the invention of his son :

In 1775 the waters of a river in France were first
ploughed by means of that powerful agent whose appli.
cation to steam navigation was destined to become first
known across the Atlantic. Judging from the report
presented to the Academy, the priority of JoulTroi, with
respect to that invention previously, appears incontes-
tibly established. It was, then, by a Frenchman, that

the first steam-vessel was constructed ; it was also
another Frenchman who prepared the first engine for
raising the water that was put in motion by this irre-
sistible agent.
The fame of Jouffroi reflects even more honour on
France than that of Denis Papin. It is in fact a diffi-
cult question to determine what kind of compensation
can be made by the French nation to that illustrious
philosopher whose whole family was banished from
France by the revocation of the edict of Nantes, and
who himself died at a distance from his country, in con-
sequence of the measures of the implacable Jesuits,
who directed the conscience of Louis XIV.
The son of the first inventor of steam-vessels has
wished to continue and extend the glorious work of his
father, and he has endeavoured to effect a total rcvolu-
t:on in the existing state of steam propulsion of ships,
both in those of armed vessels as well as merchantmen.
Such is the undertaking which was on the 26th October
discussed before the Academy of Science.
M. A_ do Jouffroi, while endeavouring to establish the
claims of his father in the memoir presented to the
Institution, advanced opinions of his own which were
quite at variance with the usual method of building
steam-vessels. He announced that he was quite pre-
pared to afford practical and demonstrative trials before
a Commissiou of the Academy. The trials have been
made and examined, and M. Cauchy read the report
of there.
M. Cauchy commenced by briefly stating the nature
of the imiirovement proposed by M. Jouffroi. It prin-
cipally consis's in a new disposition of the moving power.
The paddle-wheels of steam-vessels have been attend.
ed with inconveniences, that from their commencement
have been perceived by all able engineers. Their posi-
tion is still subject to many objections, and they are
now placed in the middle only as a pis alter for want of
a better place. Besides, these wheels would usually be
exposed to the fire of the enemy in case of a naval
engagement ; they are also subject to a yet more serious
objection founded on a total disregard of all the laws
of mechanics. M. Cauchy stated that the most serious
inconvenience arising from the paddle-wheels of steam-
ships generally employed arose from the impossibility of
giving them a surface proportionate to the repulsive
force desired to be obtained. Hitherto in the largest
steam-ships they have been unable to allow the surface
of a paddle to exceed two square metres. Besides, the
plunging paddle does not produce its total effect until
-it is entire:y raised from the water, and in many posi-
tions a great part of the power is wasted in raising the
water and not in propelling.
The object of the mechanism employed by M. de
Jouffroi is to obviate this inconvenience. Two immense
paddles are placed at the stern of the vessel, in the shape
of swans feet, which close when the vessel is impelled,
and open when the impulse is to be given ; this method
admits the power of increasing the surface of these im-
pelling paddles to an almost unlimited degree.
The Committee have made actual experiments of the
apparatus on the water of the Seine.
M. Cauchy first spoke of the model of afrigate as
having been employed ; this excited general astonish-
ment ; but the experiments on the Seine became imme-
diately intelligible when it was understood that this
frigate was little more than a metre and a half long. This
pretty model was in fact propelled, and to the approbation
of the Committee, sometimes with paddle-wheels or ac-
cording to the usual system, sometimes by means of the
enlarged surfaces. The Committee have done every
thing that could be done with this miniature frigate ;
they examined and compared in succession the effect
of wheels and the new plan, and the general conclusion
arrived at with respect to this small model, was, that
though the impelling power in the two plans was
nearly equal, there was, notwithstanding, a very con-
siderable advantage in favour of the new one, because
after the propellers were stopped, they imparted con-
siderable motion to the little model. Thus in one of
the experiments the usual paddle wheels and the swans'
feet apparatus, in performing a hundred and eighty-
two revolutions, drew the small frigate in eight minutes
4 over a space of filty-two metres and sixty metres, at
the end of which the paddle-wheels had exhausted
their efforts, but the swans' feet apparatus, besides
gaining eight metres, carried the little vessel sixty
metres farther in sixteen minutes. This power so ac-
tively displayed should be doubtless attributed to the
new propellers. We will not continue these compa-
risons farther than is necessary to arrive at the
delicate part of our task, which consists in stating
that all these experiments, to which M. Cauchy has
so earnestly devoted himself, prove absolutely nothing.
This was the impression produced also on the Academy.
It will scarcely be imagined that a Committee, formed
of a majority of practical engineers, having considered
the question philosophically, could for a moment ima-
gine that anything could be judged of from experi-
ments made by a model not larger than a metre and a
half. The uncertainty is too flagrant, and the judgment
of the Committee must have been strangely perverted.
—lnventors' Advocate.

CAPTAIN REYNOLDS.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.
SlR—Permit rri.! to inquire, on behalf of sime Liver-
Pool subscribers to the fund for the purpose of show-
ing their sympathy for what was conceived the oppres-
sion of Captain Reynolds by his Lieutenant-Colonel,
what disposition of the fund has been contemplated
by the good folk of the metropolis, seeing that the
original intention has been frustrated by the party
concerned?

And while on the subject,
allow me the use of a few
words to Express on behalf of myself and friends, more
than our surprise, and scarce;}' less than our contempt,
for the most spiritless and unworthy letter it was ever
our misfortune to peruse. Truly, to use Shakspeare's
phrase, " It is a dishonourable and vile submission"
"La stoccata" carries it away. How is it, Sir, that
Captain Reynolds, having the audacity (Anglice
courage) to oppose an unwonted and arbitrary stretch
of authority on the part of his conimandine' officer,
should only be awake to a sense of his insubordination
at this late stage of the matter? Surely if rebellion to
military authority be a crime, and he has all along been
as sensible of it as he appears now to be, and yet be..
fore a constituted tribunal of men who were cunning
in the law, he persisted in defence of himself and
repudiation of his commanding officer, he was
guilty of an additional violation of his duty
as a soldier and junior in rank, if not in
service. No syllogism can be plainer. All
his whining about his Royal mistress, and her conde-
scension, her conditional relaxation of severity, and all
that, is very suppliant, but pure maudlin ; and as a man
of common sense he must know, what is current to the
merest military tyro, that an appeal to Lord Hill is the
one thing needful, the Queen knowing as little, and per-
haps carkg as much, for his duration of service and
standard of merit, as that of Tippoo Saib, or any other
' Oriental belligerent. I cannot help refLeting with pain
upon a man, who from circumstances has been made the
subject of public sympathy, and whose heroism seems of
such an equivocal kind as to impress us with the idea
of its being merely the result of passion uncontrolled,
and not that grave and moral courage capable of sus-
taining the possessor in vicissitudes of the darkest cha-
racter, and would suggest to Capt. Reynolds that if he
considers himself the babe of military subjugation, how-
ever rigorous and undeserved, to submit himself at once
to the salutary_ Me_cannot
help thinking, in conclusion, that Eurl Cardigan is a
somewhat abused man—one thing for certa n, he knew
pretty well the materials he had to work upon.
I ay, Sir, yours respectfully,
Liverpool, Nov. 5, 1640. A LAWYER.
[As far as we can learn, the subscribers both here
and in the country, are atiloss box to dispose of the
subscriptions. They seem to be agreed, however, on
one point, that they shall not -go into the pockets of
Mr. Reyno'ds.]

OPENING OF THE FRENCH

CHAMBERS.

(From Galignani's Messenger)

The cortege left the Tuileries at one o'c'ock. The
King's departure was as usual announced by a salvo of
artillery from the Invafides. His Majesty was in a car-
ria,=e, surrounded by a numerous staff of general officers,
aides-dc-camp, &c. Both sides of the quay and the
Pent de la Concorde, by which the cortege passed,
were flanked by troops of the line and National Guards.
His Majesty was saluted by repeated shouts of " Vive
le Roi !" frxr. the troops, but any manifestation from
the public was impossible, by the distance at which they
were from the cortege.
At, one spot, indeed, an attempt was made by some
foolish or ill-disposed young men to insult the King by
setting up a loud laugh, and exclaiming," Chantens
la
Marseillaise I" but they met with no encouragement in
this demonstration of bad feeling, and they had suffi-
cient prudence to refrain from carrying their invitation
to each other into effect.
The doors of the Chamber of Deputies were opened
at ten o'clock for the admission of persons who had re-
ceived tickets. Before eleven nearly every place was
occupied. On this occasion, as on the last, the front
sea's were reserved for the ladies, and the space behind
the scats of the Deputies in the whole pourtour, as also
a portion of silace at each entrance, were appropriated
exclusively to their use.
tit twelve o'clock the doors were closed, as regarded
the admission of the public having tickets ; but at this
hour every seat was not only occupied, but the space
behind the benches filled wherever standing room could
be obtained.

The Chamber presented the same appearance as last
year : we did not notice any alteration.
Up to nearly half-past twelve there were very few
Peers and Deputies in the Chamber, but soon after-
wards the centre and left of the Chamber, which on
this occasion are appropriated to the Deputies, were
nearly half filled, and towards one o'clock there were
nearly 300 Deputies. We did not, however, perceive
more than about forty Peers on the right side of the
Chamber, which is the portion occupied by the Peers on
the occasion of the opening of the Session.
None of the Deputies, on arriving, teemed to excite
much interest, until M. Thiers made his appearance,
which was at about twenty minutes before one. Be
veal; wparinly greeted by a great number of Depu-
ties, but he appeared to be conversing with none be-
yond the ordinary salutations of the day, and in a few
minutes he left the Chamber, and did not return until
shortly previous to the arrival of the King.

At one o'clock, and whilst the noise of the conversa-
tion among the Deputies and in the galleries was at
its height, the arrival of the Queen was announced.
The whole of the public, and the Peers, and the De-
puties, rose immediately, and the rapid transition from
the tumult of conversation to the silence of respect was
very effective. In a second every voice was hushed,
and every eye was directed to the Queen's box with
more than ordinary affection, for fresh calls had been
made upon the sympathy of all well-constituted minds
since her Majesty and the representatives of the Couit
last met.

Shortly before one o'clock M. Guizot entered the
Chamber in his costume as a Minister, and proceeded
to the space before the throne, where he was warmly
welcomed by several Peers, Deputies, and Members of
the Coueseil d'Etat, who were standing or sitting there.
A great number of Deputies also left their seats, and
came down to M. Ge,:zot, with whom they shook hands
cordially, and conversed for a short time. The Ho-
nourable Minister seemed to be much pleased with the
reception which he had experienced, and looked ex-
ceedingly well.
Soon after the discharge of tho guns had announced
the departure of the King from the Tuileries, M. Guizot,
who had left the Chamber, returned with the other Mi-
nisters, and the whole of them took their scats on the
velvet-covered stools immediately under the throne.
Marshal Soult, who looked well, although evidently
broken a little since the last Session, took his seat on
the right ; M. Guizot sat next to him, and after them,
on the same side, were Admiral Duperre, M. Tcste,
and M. Cuni►t Gridaine. The other four Ministers sat
on the left of the Throne. Below the Ministers, under
the Throne, were the Members of the Council of State,
and in front, on the cross benches, were Generals and
grand Dignitaries of State.
At a quarter past one the usher stationed at the door
by which the King enters announced his Majesty's ap-
proach, and immediately afterwards the two deputations
who had received his Majesty on his arrival preceded
him on his way to the throne. Baron Pasquicr was, as
usual, at the head of the deputation of the Peers. The
generals and other great officers of the palace who ac-
companied his Majesty, ascended the stairs, and ranged
themselves behind the throne.

The King ascended the stairs of the platform on
which the throne is placed with a very firm step, hut
when he had reached it he appeared to be under con-
siderable emotion. Having taken his seat with the
Dakea d'Orleans and Nemours on his right hand,
and the Dukes de Montpensier and d'Aumale on the
left, a general shout of " Vive le Roi" was set up.
The King then rose, and, coming forward, bowed to
t'hc Chamber. In doing this, he betrayed more cmo-
-aim than on any former occasion, but the loud
hearty shouts -of •' Viva le Roi" which followed,
add itt which the ladies joined., ,restoseLd__lis _.Ma-.
jeaty to coofidenee. The -teeejition-Whieh-thi Majesty
met with appeared to Surprise as well as delight him.
There was something abeut it totally unlike the usual
demonstrations of courtly ceremony. To describe in
what visible points this reception differed from the
last would perhaps be difficult. Everybody present,
however, seemed to feel that on this occasion the ge-
neral demonstration was sincere ; all judged of the
sincerity of others by their own.

THE NEW MINISTRY.
(From Galignani's Messenger.)
The leading articles of our Paris Contemporaries of
this morning possess very little interest for the general
reader. They are chic-fly en the late change of Ministry,
and the observations of the London press on this change,
form a very prominent feature for comment. The journals
which supported the Cabinet of M. Thiers make it a sin
in its successor that it should receive so much praise from
from foreign journals. They forget, however, that when
M. Thiers came into office several of the London papers
hailed his accession as a favourable sign for the duration
of the alliance between the two countries, and were
not sparing in their eulogiums. The same outcry was
raised against M. Thiers on this account by his politi-
cal adversaries here as is now set up against the Soult
Cabinet. M. Thiers was called the Ministre de
retranger, as the Soult Cabinet is now called the
Cabinet de I'etranger. It would, therefore, be only
fair, now that M. Thiers has shown that he is not res-
ponsible for the praises of foreign writers, to assume
that his successors are equally independent. If amongst
the English journals there be some which, as our Con-
temporaries here say, bestow their eulogiums upon the
French Cabinet only because they think it will consent
to sacrifice the dignity of France to the exigencies of
foreign Powers, they will probably change their system
when they shall be convinced that their spe-
culations were ill-founded ; and if there be jour-
nals in England which, in an earnest desire for
an honourable alliance with France, are ready to
give encouragement to any Minister or set of Ministers
anxious to promote such an alliance, their praise ought
not to be considered offensive by any person in this
country who desires an alliance with England as the
best guarantee for the peace of Europe, whatever may
be his opinions as to the persons in office. Some of the
journals copy from the Presse a short letter, dated Oct.
10, from M. de Lamartine to a friend who was about to
quit France, in which he congratulates him on his in-
tended dPparturr, 31.8 aFranoo ie advanoing towards .1111
early 10th of August, and a possible dismemberment."
The Constitutionnel says this letter was evidently not
intended for publicity, and that probably M. de Lamar-
tine will be very mach surprised at seeing his reveries
in print. As the letter, however, first appeared in the
journal which is considered the organ of the DJ La-
martine party, no matter by what breach of coirfidenco
t found its way there, the Constitutionnel feels that it is
'ully justified in commenting upon it. This journal

says :-
44 Fortunately it is a poet who speaks, that is to say,
a man who holds realities in sovereign contempt, and
abandons himself' to all the delirium of his imagination.
We live in a period of effort and struggle,, but success
will crown the work. France will not be made the
prey of anarchy, end the constitutional throne will be
fixed on a solid foundation. As a guarantee for this,
we hare the experience which the country has gained,
and its firm determination to maintain its institutions.
Whatever may happen, whatever Ministry the vicissi-
tudes of politics may give to us, we have nothing to
fear for the integrity of France, and the form of govern-
ment which she has established. The national will, as in
1630, will always prevail against the efforts of faction."

Captain Reynolds is a descendant of a family
once intimately connected with Lincoln. One of his an-
cestors was Bishop of the diocese. Charles Reynolds, the
son of the Bishop, and great grandfather of Captain Rey-
nold, was Chancellor of the Cathedral, and his name is
the last that has been recorded in the list of Chancellors.
The Rev. Anthony Reynolds, one of the sons of the Chan-
cellor, and grandfather of the Captain, held clerical pre-
ferment in the vicinity of the city, and was Prebendary of
Lincoln. Lawrence Reynolds, the eldest son of the Pre-
bendary, settled at Paxton, in Huntingdonshire, inheriting
a very fair estate; he became a country, gentleman, and
was for many years a very active county magistrate.
lie
had a family of twelve children, of whom the Captain is
the eldest, and is row about thirty-one years of age. As
he chose the army for a profession, the best efforts of the
parent were exerted to secure his son's advancement, and
we believe it is not more than three rears since a small
estate near Lincoln was disposed of, and the proceeds
pended in the purchase of the last promotion. About
s twelve months ago the Captain's father died, leaving pro.
perty in the hands of trustees until the youngest chili, now
ten years old, should come of age. The Captain will then
take possession of a property of 3,0001. a year, and, in the
moan time, he receives 3001. a year.—.Lincobt Mercury.