The Sun.
London, England, 1851-03-13 00:00:00

BIRTHS IN THE WEEK.

Males ...
Females ...

Total ... ... ... ... , ... 1,580
* In this number are included 20 by Scarlatina, 36
by Typhus Fever, and 13 by Diarrhoea.

INSTITUTION 01* CIVIL ENGINEERS.

On Tuesday (William Cubitt, Esq., President, in the
chair), the paper read was a "Description of the Mode
of Working an Inclined Plane, of 1 in 27k, on the 01
ham Branch of the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway,
by Captain J. M. Laws, R.N., Assoc. Inst. C. E.
The mode of working this incline was byli
wayaat
com-
bination of locomotive power and gravity.
first proposed to be worked by a h
.°riZne :nntd
train at each
end of the rope, so that one train alwheel, rope,
and puffier:, with a locomotive eanin -
a
might descend, while
another ascended the incline ; but a
s this method ap-
peered to be liable to many .
by h• - contingencies, w ich the
regular traffic wouldhave been deranged, and the ex.
pence of locomotive )?ower increased, a balance weight
was substituted forthe
descending
.
appropriated tot.t ac theamotione line
ef rails beingve,
and other retained
for locomotive,
the goods and passenger tie . The balance weight
tisted of a heavy break van, and a number of ballast
c:anagons filled with sand ; but in place of liar latter,
loaded coal waggons were frequently used, usthere was
a coal pit at the top of the incline, arid this was found to
be a most economical and advantageous way of work-
ing the coal truffle. When the Lill wit.; in pealiaeant,
it was stated in evidence, that there would be great dan-
ger in descending so steep an ieciination;
but the experi-
ence of seven years—during which period iaa rope had
broken several tinier, and the break van had once been
allowed to run down by itself, without doing any serious
injury—had proved this opinion to be erroatous. The
ordinary passenger trains ascended and descended the
incline at trona 20 miles to 25 miles per hour, the mode
then
nbtaoestothpeatetlgi eit!eio sot of tthoe
(litriae
wli utelutoe baatltaaneh the
ce
trairope,
.
the Lcoteh tit thi,
the
Ira:." *l('er.do(l.• Tais mode of wurLing ha 4 hceu at-
top, when the steam was put or, and
tend with the most perfect success, and it was thought,
that if more attention was paA in the existruetton of
railways, to what could be tieenuipl.died by gravity and
impetus, in eumbiutition with h cotentive pee er. a gr&et
B"i= ta in the otigitall cast of the iiue would be the
re,nit.
The wire rope-s which had been used were manurgx-
tut( d by M. ssy. R. S. New alit! Co.;U
alt such
rope was
rather more than one mile and a quart..zr in leagth, 31
izehes in circumfertnce, weighing 126 cwt., and costing
316!. Their av:.rrlp duration was ::brut tao y‘Aare and
Lair months.
following paper was announced to be read, at the
ineThe tingofTuesaav, March 18th: " Amount of the Sea
Walls at I.'...ena:.enNfa.Yr, on the title of the Chester and
Holyhead Rallwey," by Mr. 11. Swinbuaac.

SUGAR CANE .—An importation of ten cas, I if
sugar canes has taken place by a vessel which has jus.si-
rived in the docks troth.
Aialeirl. Some trifling imports i
of the sugar cane have been made on two or thre occ si at*
front this place, and also from the West India Islsnds, uut
we have never known an importation to take place cf the
articic to the samo exterl as on the present occasion, and
arrival is of snore iZtaest.