The Sun.
London, England, 1846-10-03 00:00:00

continuation of the Newcastle and North Shields—fell
in, about the centre, on Wednesday morning. As the
circumstance (says our correspondent) has given rise to
many exaggerated rumours, it is satisfactory to bo able
to state that neither loss of life nor injury to limb has
been sustained, and that the occurrence is not likely to
postpone the completion of the line much beyond the
anticipated period.
AUSTRALIAN LINES.—By the last mail from Sydney
we learn that a deputation comprising several members
of the Legislative Council and the Mayor of that colony,
waited upon his Excellency the Governor, with the view,
principally, of ascertaining how far he would ba dis-
posed to recommend her Majesty's Government to intro-
duce or sanction a Bill for authorising free grants of
whatever Crown lands might be required for railway
purposes. We understand his Excellency expressed his
readiness to make such a recommendation, so far, at
least, as relates to the actual lines, and a reasonable ex-
tent of land on either side.

GREAT SOUTHERN AND WESTERN LINE (SYDNEY).--
A public meeting has been held at Sydney, for the pur-
pose of adopting measures for the formation of a line
from that port to Goulburn and Windsor, to be called
the Great Southern and Western. The Mayor was
called to the chair. Mr. Bradley, in moNif,g the
first resolution, proceeded at some length to explain the
great advantage the colony would derive from the in-
tended line, and that the outlay would not exceed
1,000,000/. Mr. H. G. Smith said that amount would
be the capital of the company, to be held in 50,000
shares of 201. each, of which three-fourths would be re-
served for British capitalists. They were not going to
make railways on the scale they were formed in Great
Britain. Probably they would not lay down more than
a single line ; this might be laid on wooden sleepers.
Resolutions were then approved of in respect to the for-
mation of the company, and the provisional committee-
men, who were chosen by the melting, were erep,,wered,
on 9,000 shares being subscribed for, to apply to the
Colonial Legislature for an Act of incorporation.
BATHURST AND SIDNEY.--A meeting has also taken
place at Bathurst, to promote the construction of a line
from that town to Sydney. Major-General Stewart pre-
sided. It was resolved, that the growing importance of
this and the surrounding districts, and their increase in
trade and commerce, coupled with the great advantages
they possess for the growth of grain of all kinds, and
for pastoral pursuits, render it highly desirable that a
railway communication should be established with
Sydney. A committee was appointed for the establish-
ment of a company.

ACADEMY OF SCIENCES.
SITTING OF SEPT. 21.—A communication was re-
ceived from M. Walchner, an engineer of mines in the
Grand Duchy of Baden, having for title " Observations
on copper and arsenic, proving that these two metals are
to be found everywhere." M. Walchner's facts do not
establish the universal presence of copper and arsenic,
but they have an extensive range. He has found them,
he says, in all the iron mines he has visited, and in the
ferruginated waters of Griesbach, Rippoldsdau, Wis-
baden, Ems, Pyrmont, &c. This must not, however,
alarm the drinkers of such waters, for the quwatity of
arsenic contained in them is so very small, that it re-
quires the nicest analysis to detect it at all. The re-
sult of M. Walchner's paper is, that copper and arsenic
are also to be found in iron. If he had merely declared
this in the title of his paper, he would have done well.
Another communication was received from M. Boussin-
gault on the process and character of digestion. Accord-
ing to M. Dumas, digestion consists of two orders of
phenomena; it resupplies the materials of the blood in
cessantly destroyed by respiration, at the same time that
it restores or adds new principles to the organs. Thus,
therefore, digestion must supply on one hand the respi-
ratory combustion, the source of animal heat, and on
the other effect the assimilation of our food. Of the two
phenomena, M. Boussingault regards the respiration as
the most indispensable, inasmuch as the assimilation of
food would be useless without the addition of the animal
heat. The author proceeds at great length, to detail
the experiments that he has made on albumen, fibrine,
caseum, &c., to establish his opinion, but the thing itself
appears to us to be so self-evident that we cannot under-
stand why so much time should have been bestowed in
the way of exemplification. Theoretical disquisitions of
th;s kind are very useful when they lead to any result
or to the knowledge of any useful fact, but we would
prefer one practical proposition, by which real advantage
may be derived, to volumes of discussion on the mode of
operation in phenomena, the general nature of which is
already so well known.
A paper was read on the means of ascertaining, with
more certainty than hitherto, the action and intensity of
electrical currents. The author, M. Marie Daay, ap-
pears to have taken great pains to arrive at some useful
i
knowledge on this subject, and as electricity s now
made an important agent in many of the useful arts, he
is entitled to the thanks of men of science and of the
public at large for the labour that he has bestowed.
M. Arago gave an account to the Academy of some
of the effects of lightning upon electrical telegraphs in
the United States of America, observing that the facts
had been communicated to him by M. Eben Mariam, of
Brookly, and entitled to entire confidence. On the 29th
April of the present year, the lightning fell on the wire
of the electric telegraph at Lancaster, without melting or
breaking it. In the room, however, where the electric
battery, by which the line is worked, is placed, a noise
was heard like that of the discharge of a pistol, and se-
veral sparks were seen. On the 18th of May a telegra-
phic wire was broken by lightning, and several of the
posts supporting the line were split. In this case there
was a report equal to the discharge of two or three
muskets. On June 3 the wire telegraph from Washington
to Baltimore was so broken that the communication b.t-
tween the towns was suspended for several hours.
On the following day, during another thunder-storm,
the wire was not snapped, but at every stroke of thunder
the hands of the telegraphic instrument moved as if the
battery was at work.
M. Pelouze presented to the Academy, in the name of
M. Barreswill, a paper on the liquid blue obtained by
condensing, by means of frigorific mixture, a compound
of hypoazotic acid and bioxyde acid.
M. Arago addressed some questions to the members
composing the section of chemistry respecting the new
discovery of means for preparing a fulminating cotton,
more potent than gunpowder, of which so much has been
said in the journals. M. Scheenbein, the inventor, as
serts that this cotton, although more powerful than gun-
powder, does not explode with noise, and has the advan-
tage of not soiling the tube through which it is dis-
charged. M. Arago said, before he would give credit to
these assertions, he wished to know what was thought of
them by the gentlemen of the section of chemistry ?
M. Thenard observed, that if the preparation spoken
of has the force of propulsion stated by the inventor,
it is utterly impossible that the discharge can take place
without detonation.
M. Dumas said M. Scheenbein had given him several
samples of his preparation. He bad, said M. Dumas,
succeeded in making from cotton a paper clear and
transparent as glass, and flexible as ordinary paper.
The friction of this paper excites electricity in a very
high degree. When a portion of it is placed in the
dark it becomes luminous, and if it be rubbed against
common paper or cloth it adheres to it with such force
that it cannot be removed. This fact, added M. Dumas,
was beyond contestation, for he had frequently made
the experiment himself, but he knew nothing of the ful-
minating substance spoken of by the journals, and now
alluded to by M. Arago. There might, for aught he
knew to the contrary, be something of the kind, but the
statements which had been made on that subject were
irobably much exaggerated.

THE NEMESIS IN CHINA.--A third and cheaper
edition of this work, which comprises the most complete
History of the gate War in China, is just published,
complete in one volume, with maps and plates, price 12s.
bound, and may be had of all booksellers. At a time
(says the prospectus) when the comparative efficiency
of iron and wood as the material for constructing steam
vessels is engaging the most serious attention of the
seaman, the shipbuilder, and the engineer,it has been
thought useful to place this work, combining an extra-
ordinary variety of interest, in a cheaper and more ac-
cessible form, before the junior members of all the pro-
fessions which it concerns. The Nemesis was the first
iron steamer that doubled the Cape ; she bore a conspi-
cuous part in the Chinese war ; and the merits of this
full, clear, and instructive narrative of her experiences
and operations, were fully appreciated by the public in
general, on its first appearance. But a more special in-
terest must attach to this work for the professed seaman
and the engineer, on account of the details of the diffi-
culties, emergencies, and imminent dangers to which
the Nemesis was repeatedly exposed from accidents and
weather, and for the mechanical skill, ingenuity, re-
sources, and perseverance, so eminently displayed by
Captain Hall, his officers, and crew. The book holds
forth an impressive lesson to the young navigator, and
amply deserves a place on his shelf beside the classic
voyages of an Anson or a Cook, or any of the cele-
brated maritime worthies of other days. Need we add
that, for a youth destined for the naval profession, or
just embarking in it, a more appropriate present could
scarcely be found.
FLAX.—IHELAND.—If only one-half of the lands
in Ireland, suitable for flax culture, were under that
crop, employment, and that in the poorest districts,
would be afforded to upwards of four millions—about
half the population. Independently of its claims, on
the ground of profit to the farmer and employment to
the labourer, flax culture adds the very important one,
of mainly contributing to uphold and increase a manu-
facture which already employs thousands of hands
in
its prosecution ; it has distributed wealth wherever it
has settled, and is in fact the most flourishing and im-
portant of the industrial resources of Ireland. We are
led into these remarks by observing that flax culturer
has progressed so rapidly under the auspices.of " The
Flax Improvement Society for Ireland," that a deputa-
tion, headed by the Marquis of Downshire, attended on
Wednesday, at Windsor, and that
and cambrics were presented and graciously received by
her Majesty." These specimens were made from. purely
"specimens ?f. linen
Irish grown flax ; the webs of linen and cambric both
bore the seal of " The Golden Flax," to the spirited.
proprietors of which too much
.praise. cannot .be given
for their indefatigable zeal in stimulating this industry.
POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTION...7OH We inesday last
we had the gratification of hearing a most admirable
lecture at this establishment, on the electro-needle tele-
graph, by the Professor of Natural Philosophy, Doctor
Bachhoffner. The learned gentleman proceeded to
point out to his auditors the great advantage that sci-
entific application was likely to be to all classes of so-
ciety. He exhibited varioas illustrations to prove the
theory was good in all its bearings, and he particularly
delighted his audience by the clear, simple, and un-
affected style throughout his lecture, and the evident
pains he took to render plain and intelligible that which
at first appeared intricate, and at the same time without
losing sight of its importance in a scientific point of
view. -The lecture was well attended, and at the con-
clusion the professor was greeted with loud and continued
applause.