The Sun.
London, England, 1846-01-31 00:00:00

STEAM STATISTICS OF THE

BENGAL PRESIDENCY.
The Friend of India, of Nov. 27, has an elaborate
article on the Steam :statistics of the Bengal Presidency.
The progress which has been made in the introduction
of steam power at this presidency, cannot fail to be an
object of interest to all those who are desirous of seeing
the application of European skill, enterprise, and capital
to the development of the natural reources of the
country. The above journal, therefore, offers no apo-
logy for the publication of the following statement of
the numbers of steam-engines now employed in the
various departments of industry, and their aggregate
horse power. It has been drawn up with considerable
labour, and though, in particular cases, it may be some-
what deficient in accuracy, from the difficulty of procur-
ing information regarding private establishments, yet it
is presented with a feeling of perfect confidence in its
substantial correctness. According to the figures thus
furnished, there are 15 engines, working at the rate of
168-horse power, in sugar factories; 14 engines, with
123-horse power, in sugar refineries; 8 engines, with
111-horse power, employed in the traffic of the docks;
8 engines, with 80-horse power, in the collieries; 6 en-
gines, with 158-horse power, in the flour and rice mills;
4 engines, with 46-horse power, in the paper manufac-
tories; and 15 engines, with 238-horse power, in miscel-
laneous establishments. The steamers carrying on the
trade of the presidency, including the Hindoostan, Ben-
tinck, and Precursor, number 73 engines, with 4,894-
horse power. In the Government departments 8 engines,
with 168-horse power, were employed. The steamers
building would increase the number of engines by eight,
with 37u-horse power; and the sugar factories in pro-
gress would further augment the amount by 4 engines,
with 70 horse power. The summary of this statement
is as follows :

Engines. H.P.
Sugar works and refineries
Docks
Collieries
Flour and rice mills
Paper manufactories
Miscellaneous l5 238

--
Government departments
Sea steamers
Inland steamers
Packets , lO 1980
Tugs and pleasure boats 2l 1114

From this account it seems that there are in active em-
ployment in the Bengal Presidency no fewer than 151
steam-engines, of nearly 6,000-horse power. It is gene-
rally supposed that the first steam-engine set to work
in the Presidency was introduced by the Serampore
missionaries in the year 1820, for the manufacture of
paper, which then sold at 150 per cent. beyond the
price now realised in the market. Before that event, it
is said a Mr. W. Smith emplo) ed a small engine of
2-horse power in his dock-yards, but the statement
is regarded as not altogether authentic. Between the
years 1820 and 1837, 65 engines of 1,800-horse power
were introduced, 35 engines of 574-horse power being
contributed by the enterprise of private individuals, and
30 engines of 1,258-horse power by the Govern.
ment. It is, however, during the last seven years,
since the liberty granted to Europeans to hold lands in
India has effectually come into operation, that the extra-
ordinary increase of steam power, as applied to agricul-
tural improvements, has taken place. During this period
the number of steam-engines introduced into the country
by private individuals and public associations, as well as
by the Government, amounted to 97, and their aggregate
horse power to 4,700. Neither has the increase of steam
machinery reached its height. The introduction of new
engines continues without diminution. Every year, and
almost every month, new factories are established, and
attempts are constantly in progress to apply steam power
to fresh branches of labour. It is considered that the 1
presidency of Bengal is only in its infancy as regards tha
employment of steam power, and the statistics of another
seven years, it is believed, will create much greater sur-
prise than those now published.
With respect to the subject of fuel the Friend of
China observes, " that the quantity of coal brought
do 4. n from what are erroneously called the Berwan col-
lieries, during the present season, has amounted to
72,000 tons, or about twenty lakhs of maunds ; and
that such is the rapid increase of steam-engines, that
even this supply is by no means adequate to the demand.
Then, it must be remembered, that the numerous sugar
works with which British enterprise is now studding the
upper provinces, are rapidly consuming the supply of
wood which is now available ; that the country must, at
no very distant period, become as bare of trees as ever
Scotland was in the days of Johnson, and that the con-
tinuance of manufactures in the Agra Presidency must
soon come to depend on the chance of obtaining coal
from the lower provinces by means of the rail, unless
beds of coal in accessible localities ba intermediately
discovered in the more immediate neighbourhood of
these sugar factories."

S TEAM VESSELS"OF THE BENGAL PRESI-
DENCY.

The following is a detail of the number of engines
and amount of horse power of the Bengal Presidency.
The first four belong to the Peninsular and Oriental
Steam Navigation Company.
Hindostan, Bentinck, and Precursor 6
India 2
Fire Queen
Inland Steam Navigation, Govern-
ment 9O
Sea steamers, Government
Tugs, Tug Company
Hoogly Company
Bates, Fielden, and Co.
Banean
.. Satellite
... Coal Company
~. Assam Company
Pleasure boats

1.560
249
180

670
1030
520
200
220
50
90

73 4894

STEAMERS BUILDING.
Captain Hyde's vessels
Union Company's vessels

- -
S 370

FREEN
very gratifying I FREEMASONRY.—AMERICA. W
intelligence from the
Grand Lodge of Massachusetts has e have received the
United States, that the
pafid an expressive but
distinguished
justly earned tribute to the merits
brethren of our Grand Lodge, the Rev.o those
Crucefix, by unanimously conferring
the rank
on
then
former
and Dr.
of Vast Deputy Grand 11faster, and onotihmeoernimteetrenrmothat. of
Past Senior Grand Warden. This coin
greater force from the circumstance of its being the first twdh
oc-
currence of the sort on the part of the Grand Lodge re-
ferred to ; and affords very conclusive evidence of the
great moral effects which these eminent and exalted
brethren exercise, even in a distant hemisphere. Their
names run parallel in Masonic history, the one as the un-
rivalled expounder of doctrine and illustration, the other as
the most accomplished proficient in discipline and practice,
4s Freemasons we cordially concur in the propriety of this
art! by the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts, and very sincerely
711" that our estimable brethren y wear their well-earned
honours, ~`lrouidi man s ipar f utility and happiness.—
South London News: •