The Sun.
London, England, 1858-10-25 00:00:00

FIRE-ENGINE FOR THE RUSSIAN
GOVE.RNMENT.

On Friday morning, at 7 o'clock, this new ma-
ahine was worked at the Grand Surrey Canal,
Camberwell, in the presence of Mr. Braidwood, the
superintendent of the London fire brigade, Mr.
Brown, of the 'Westminster Fire-office, Mr. Ap-
pold, inventor of the centrifugal pump, Messrs.
Shand and Mason, the makers, and other gentle-
men. The engine was only completed on Thurs-
day, and on account of the close of the St. Peters-
burg shipping season was during the afternoon put
on board a steamer for that port. In 10 minutes
from lighting the fire sufficient steam was obtained
to throw a 5-8 jet of water to a considerable eleva-
tion. This was changed for larger ones up to one
inch in diameter, the height from the latter being
equal to that from a brigade engine when worked
at its greatest speed. Two jets, one being 7-Bths
of an inch, and the other a 16th smaller, were used
at one time, and projected the water to the same
height. This arrangement will prove of great
value at a fire. All present expressed themselves
much gratified at the performance, and were
astonished that so much power should be got out
of such a small machine. The space occupied is
the same as by one ordinary brigade engine • but it
is equal to three in power, as worked m the usual
manner by 28 men, so that an equivalent to the
labour of 84 men is obtained. It is also worked
with great steadiness, very little noise or vibration
being perceptible. The engine is fitted with springs
and high wheels for quick travelling, and at the close
of the experiments was drawn rapidly by a pair of
horses to the factory in the Blackfriars-road, six of
the spectators being on it besides the driver. The
boiler, which is fitted with perpendicular brass
tubes, is placed in the centre of the hind axle, the
steam and fire-engines being placed over the front
axle. The hose and suction pipes, with the imple-
ments, have their places in or about the engine, so
that all are carried with it. Messrs. Shand and
Mason intend making at once one or two of their
patent steam fire-engines with various improve-,
ments—this being the first land steam fire-engine
they have constructed ; so that it is hoped that
London will not be behind St. Petersburg in this
matter, and that steam fire-engines will soon super-
sede the ordinary hand-engines worked in our
streets.

SINGULAR AND FATAL ACCIDENT.—On Wednes-
day night an inquest was held, at the Grand Turk Inn, on
the body of a young man, 30 years of age, named William
Bcstall, a bone-button turner, living in lodgings in Wood-
cock-street. The evidence went to show that on the last
fair Saturday night the deceased returned from the
" pleasures" of the holiday in a state of intoxication.
Managing to get to his lodgings, the woman who kept the
house being also the worse for liquor and gone to bed,
Bestall sat down stairs by himself, and, as is inferred, went
to sleep. Whether he had been using lucifer-matches or
whether he had gone to light a pipe too near to the fire is
not positively known. However, the next that was heard of
him was that, awaking, he found a portion of his garments
on fire, and running up stairs endeavoured to throw himself
on the bed in which his landlady was. She was so much
frightened that she got up and jumped out of the windoiv,
and deceased followed her example. Singular to say, no
bones were broken, as to either of these parties, and after
some time the fire of the clothes of deceased was extin-
guished, and he was taken to the General Hospital. Here,
of course, every care was taken of the case, and for some
time strong hopes were entertained that Bestall would re-
cover. But a few days since a change for the worse came
on, and he died from the effects of the accident on Sunda,
last. The Jury returned a verdict of " Accidental Death."
The parents of the unfortunate young man lived at Sheffield.
—Birmingham Post.
GOUT.—Th: Abeille Medicale contains an article
on the use of the oil extracted from the horse-chestnut as
a sedative in gout. In order to extract this oil, the horse-
chesnuts are first ground to powder ; the latter is then
treated with sulphuric ether, which dissolves the oil,
resin, and sapontine contained in the mass ; the oil is then
obtained pure by evaporating the ether. Ten kilo-
grammes of horse chestnuts yield ten grammes of oil. To
use it, it must be applied with a fine hair-brush on the part
affected : if the pain is very intense, the unction should be
applied circularly so as to arrive gradually at the centre.
When the first application is absorbed, a second one is
applied after the lapse of a few minutes, and then a third
and fourth if necessary. The oiled part is then covered-
with blotting-paper, cotton, or flannel, and then with oil-
skin ; the patient must be kept in perfect repose. In some
cases the application of oil causes an increase of pain for
the first half-hour, after which the sedative action com -
mences ; but generally the pain gradually, disappears
without any aggravation.

The apple pounding is now going on briskly,
and the yield of cider is more abundant than had been anti-
cipated. Several cargoes of apples from the Channel
Islands
ceed £1 per hogshead.—. Plymouth Journal.