The Sun.
London, England, 1846-06-15 00:00:00

PLATE,

AB.•
B. SAVORY and -SONS, Manufacturing
• Silversmiths, 14, Cornhill, London, opposite the Bank of
England—The best wrought SILVER SPOONS and FORKS, Fiddle
Pattern, 7s. 2d. per ounce ; Queen's Pattern, 74. 4d. per ounce. The
following are the weights recommended, but the articles may be had
lighter or heavier, at the same price per ounce :
Fiddle Pattern. Queen's Pattern.
ez. s. d. s. d. oz. s. d. s. d.
12 Table Spoons 30 at 7 2 ..10 lb 0 12 Table spoons 40 at 7 4..14 13 4
12 Dessert ditto 20 at 72. • 7 3 4 12 Dessert ditto 26 at 74 .. 9 10 8
12 Table Forks 30 at 7 2.• 10 15 0 12 Table Forks 40 at 7 4..14 13 4
12 Dessert ditto 20 at 7 2.• 7 34 12 Dessert ditto 26 at 7 4. • 9 10 8
2 Gravy Spoons 10 at 72 .• 3 11 8 2 Gravy Spoons 12 at 7 4. • 4 5 o
1 Soup Ladle 10 at 72. • 311 8 1 Soup Ladle 12 at 7 4.. 4 8 0
4 Sauce ditto 10 at 7 8.• 316 8 4 Sauce ditto 12 at 716 . • 414 0
4 Salt Spoons (gilt strong) 1 -0 0 4 Salt Spoons (strong gilt) 2 2 0
1 Fish Slice ..... ....... 2 18 0 1 Fish Slice ••••• • • • • • • 3 5 0
12 Tea Spoons 10 at 78• • 3168 12 Tea Spoons 14 at 7 10.• 5 9 8
1 Pair Sugar Tongs .... 015 0 1 Pair Sugar Tongs •• • • 1 5 0
N. B. A Price Current, stamped as a Newspaper, illustrated by
drawings, and containing information relative to the purchase of
Silver or Sheffield Plate, may be had on application, or will be sent
into the country free of postage, in answer to a paid letter.

HALLETTE'S ATMOSPHUIC
SYSTEM.

On Saturday a series of experiments were made at the
Rosemary Branch, Peckham, to illustrate the new at-
mospheric system discovered by Monsieur Hallette. The
experiments, it is right to remark, have been daily made
for some weeks past, but on Saturday a.peculiar interest
attached to them, in consequence of its being understood
that Mr. Stephenson and Mr. Vignoles, the celebrated
engineers, with other scientific gentlethen, would be pre-
sent to test the merits of the system. Mr. Vignoles
having before been known to be favourable to the atmos-
pheri, ,-,Arm approval of the system, as im-
proved by M. llallette, did not excite so much surprise.
Mr. Stephenson has always been an avowed opponent of
the atmospheric, as far as regards its practicability ;
and, therefore, the greatest anxiety was manifested by
the friends of Monsieur Halletts's ;system to learn his
opinions of it, after examining the portion of the model
line laid down at the Rosemary Branch. Before
referring to what Mr. Stephenson said of Monsieur
Hallette 's system, it may be proper to mention what its
great peculiarity is. It is the construction of the
horizontal valves, which are made ou the principle of the
human lips in their compressed state. The material of
the horizontal valves is India rubber, formed into air-
tight tubes, which, as soon as separated, by the train
running along, instantly expands by the force of the air
acting on so elastic a substance as India rubber. One
very great advantage of the employment of India rubber
is, that it remains entirely unaffected by the seasons. It
is equally available in the summer's heat and the winter's
cold. Mr. Stephenson having carefully examined the ap •
paratus, and put various questions to the inventor, for the
purpose of receiving information on particular points, ex-
pressed his very great admiration of the improvement
which M. Hallette had made in the atmospheric system.
" But," said Mr. Stephenson, " assuming the system to
be not only theoretically and scientifically good, but
even perfect. there are two important practical ques-
tions which I wish to ask its advocates. In the first
place what would be the cost of construction and of'
working a line on the atmospheric principle, as compared
with one laid down and worked on the locomotive prin-
ciple ? • Secondly, I wish to know whether the public
could rely on its being regularly worked ?"
In reference to the first question, Mr. Stephenson
said that the average cost of laying down a single line
of rails on the locomotive principle did not now exceed
6,0001. or 7,000/. per mile, while the mere expenses of
locomotive working had been still farther reduced.
Though the entire yearly expenses of the London and
Birmingham were 400,0001., the expenses of the locomo-
tive department were only 70,0001. Mons. Hallette said
he could not speak so positively about the expenses of
the construction of a line on his system, but he did not
think it would exceed 6,0001. per mile. In cases where
the trains ran frequently, the expenses of working would
be much less than on a line worked on the locomotive
principle.
With regard to the regularity of working the atmos-
pheric, Mr. Stephenson had doubts, because if an accident
happened at one of the engine-houses, it would take a
very considerable time to repair it. On the London and
Birmingham line ten accidents to the engines happened,
on an average, every day ; but, having seventy stationary
engines now en the line, and in a very short time there
would be 130 always available, these accidents did not
cause any sensible delay in the arrival of the trains. On
the atmospheric principle he thought that accidents at
the engine stations would put a -stop to the entire com-
munication from one end of the line to the other.. Mons.
Hallette and other gentlemen dissented from Mr.
Stephenson's opinion on this point, and maintained that
any accident to the machinery on an atmospheric
line could be repaired as promptly and easily
as on a locomotive line. Mr. Stephenson
futher referred to the inapplicability of the atmospheric
system to such a line as the London and Blackwall, in
consequence of the numerous intermediate stations. The
loss of time by five stoppages in a line less than four
miles in length, would be very great, and would prove
a fatal objection to the atmospheric system. Last week
107,000 persons had travelled on the London and Black-
wall line, and it is calculated that two-thirds of the en-
tire traffic are between the intermediate stations. These
stations, therefore, are necessary, and the required ac-
commodation could never be afforded by the at-
mospheric system. It was maintained on the
other side, that the London and Blackwall
was not a fair instance, because there was no other
line in which the intermediate stations were so nu-
merous. Mr. Stephenson admitted this, and also ad-
mitted that the time lost by stoppages on the atmospheric
system wpuld be in a great measure made up by the
superior velocity 'at which it proceeded when at full
speed. Mr. Stephenson remarked that the atmospheric
system had this advantage over the locomotive—that
there were no limits to its velocity, while the locomotive
had already attained its utmost speed, so far as scientific
men at present knew. He repeated that he waswilling to
assume that the atmospheric, as now improved, is per-
fect, and that on some lines it would be much superior
to the locomotive system ; but he still had his doubts as
to the commercial superiority of the atmospheric to the
locomotive system, and that was a very important ques-
tion in a commercial country like England.

[AD V ERTISEM ENT.j—The Gentleman's Real Head
of Hair, or Invisible Ventilating Peruke, is so close a resem-
blance to nature as to defy detection - and to enable any gen-
tleman to see the effect, a large assortment is always kept for
inspection, any one of which, if approved of, saves the purchaser
both time and trouble. These splendid specimens of the per-
ruquean art, superior to anything to be obtained elsewhere,
either in Paris or London, have only to be seen to be admired,
and are the sole invention of Ross and Sons, 119 and 120,
Bishopsgate-street, London. N.B. Splendid hair-cutting
apartments on the ground-floor, the whole of the walls being
lined with looking-glass a la mode de Path.
A extensive mine of Roman Cement has been disco-
vered by Mr. John Sand, in the county of Flint, the quality
of which upon chemical analysis is found to be superior
to any that has yet been used.—Shrewsbury Chronicle.
Door and window heads, cornices, pillars, and other
parts of buildings are now made of Welsh fire-clay, at half the cost
of 'tom