The Sun.
London, England, 1848-08-22 00:00:00

STATISTICS.

Balfour, Edw., Assistant Surgeon Madras Army—
Observations on the Means of Maintaining the Health
of Troops in India.
Crawford, John, Esq.—Vital ;Statistics of a District
in Java; with Preliminary Notes, by Colonel Sykes,
V.P.R.S.

Hume, Joseph, Esq., M.P. (Communicated by)—On
;he Annual Increase of Property, and of Exports and
[mports in Canada.

MECHANICS.

Glyn, Mr. J.—Report on Hydraulic Pressure En-
gines..

Whishaw, Mr. F.—On the " Velocentinaer," with its
Applications.
Whishaw, Mr. F.—On a Sub-marine Rope for Tele-
graphic Communications.
Roberta, Mr. F.—On a new Element of Mechanism.
Stn.** Mr. W. P.—On a New Apparatus for the Ven-
tilation of Mines.

This afternoon the meeting of the Association in
Swansea was enlivened by a regatta in the bay, and a
boat race in the harbour. The pilot boats of this and
neighbouring ports competed for the prize in the bay,
and there being plenty of wind, the sailing qualities of
the different boats were well tried.

The visit to Singleton, the grounds of J. H. Vivian.
Esq., about two miles from Swansea, was greatly marred
by the weather, but die rain did not derer a numerous
company from taking advantage of Mr. Vivian's hospi-
table invitation.

SWANSEA, SATURDAY, AUGUST 12.—MECIIANICAL
SCIENCE.-At the opening of this section this morning,
Mr. Whishaw exhibited the telolcouphonon, or speak-
ing telegraph, which is nothing more nor less than a
,peaking tube, formed of gutta percha, which, from its
flexibility and other qualities, is admirably adapted for
such an application.
Mr. Wishaw also exhibited the gutta percha subma-
rine rope or telegraph, which consisted of a tube perfo-
rated longitudinally, for the conveyance of telegraphic
wires, and which, for the purpose of
acted upon by sea water or marine insects, was banded
or braided round by small rope, and being perfectly pli-
able. (could easily be conveyed along the bottom of deep
water. preventing its being

Mr. J. SCOTT RUSSELL then proceeded to describe the
improvements that had been made in steam navigation,
which he explained by appropriate diagrams.
Mr. JOSEPH PRICE then gave some interesting details
connected with the screw propeller.
Colonel SYKES read an elaborate paper on the statistics
of legal affairs in the Government of Bangs', which gave
rise to an interesting discussion.
Mr. S. RUSSELL next read a paper on the effect of
sound on railways.
Sir D. BREWSTER read an interesting paper to show
the effect of colour without form, in supplying
the de-
ficiency of mere form.
Some valuable papers were read by Mr. STORES on
the subject of refraction of light, which closed the day's
business of this section.
the mem-
bers of the Association and their friends have been en-
SWANSEA, SATURDAY NIGHT.—This day
gaged in a series of excursions of the most interesting
character even in this more than ordinarily interesting
district, the day being fortunately very propitious.
Dr. LANKESTER made some remarks on vegetable
monstrosities.
Observations on the development of pollen were
brought forward by A. HENNREY, Esq., in illustration
of certain points concerning the formation of cells.
Mr. ROBERTS, of Manchester, exhibited:and explained
the construction of a mechanical contrivance, by which
in a very simple manner movements may be effected,
for which more complicated mechanism is frequently
employed.
the rarefaction created
The discussion of this new element of mechanism ex-
cited very great interest, and it was stated in the room
gfuchneacveeantbielaintigou of
that it was likely to lead to very important results.
Mr. STRUVE read a paper on the ventilation of col-
lieries, with a description of a new mine ventilator. The
col-
lieries to be produced by placed at
paper commenced by desclarirbgien
the bottom of the upcast pits,
thereby causing the air to ascend, similar quantity de-
scending the downcast pits. The great objections to this
system were the variations which arose from the neglect
of the furnace-men, as also from barometrical and ther-
mometrical changes in the atmosphere. The paper next
described the great destruction which arose to the flat
chains, flat ropes, and cast-iron tubing of an upcast pit,
causing larger annual expenditure. It Proposed, as a
remedy for these evils, a new mice' ventilator, worked
by a five-horse-power engine, which had been invented
and patented by the author, calculated to extract from
a mine an unlimited quantity of air. This was accom-
plished by converting the whole area of the upcast pit
into an air channel, connected with the ventilator, by
means of a culvert of a similar size. The
ventilator con-
sisted of two large air-chambers, something like gaso-
meters moving up and down in water contained in a
tank, constructed of masonry. The chambers balanced
each other, and were surrounded with external cases, so
as to form double pumps. The inlet and the outlet
valves, when opened, presented the same amount of area
:is the upcast pits for the ingress and egress of the air,
so that the only resistance to be overcome in ventilating
the mine was that which arose from the friction of the
air in the passages of the mine, and in the parts of the
apparatus, and which would be of small amount. There
was a mine ventilator on this principle now in the course
of construction at the Eagle's Bush Colliery, calculated
to pass through that mine 40,000 cubic feet of air per
minute, and the cost of erecting the vautilator would not
exceed 1,0001.

MONDAY, AUG. 14.—Among the papers read this
day were—" On Berkeley's theory of vision," by Sir
David Brewster, in see. A.; " On the laws of chemical
combinations and the volumes of gaseous bodies," by
the Rev. Thomas Exley; " On some properties of allu•
mina," by Mr. Richard Phillips; " On the peculiar cool-
ing effects of hydrogen and its compounds in cases
of voltaic ignition," by Professor Grove ; and "On
the influence of carbonic acid on the growth of ferns,"
by Dr. Daubeney, in section B. "On the drainage of
a portion of Chat Moss," by Mr. G. W. Ormerod; "On
the submergence of ancient land in Wales, the accumu-