The Sun.
London, England, 1867-04-20 00:00:00

THOMAS SILVER'S MODEL STEAMS

We see by the American Artisan that Mr. Thomas
Silver, who lately proceeded from London to New
York, is directing the attention of his countrymen
to his model of an improved steamer. Mr. Silver
contends that the present system of constructing
steamers makes rolling and uncomfortable ships:
He holds that the buoyancy of vessels increases in
greater ratio than length, which prevents pitching,
while width confines the rolling to a nanimzin!;
and both give facilities for high speed with little
diminution, as a vessel combining great length Ana
breadth is not considerably affected by the weight
carried. The present system is to build narrl
and deep steamers to obtain deep sea resistance to the
screw, with Europeans the favourite method of pro-
pulsion. This construction Mr. Silver's plan Wel,
wholly change, building vessels 590 feet long, '
wide, and 30 deep, of 7,168 tons gross Custoin:
house measurement. These vessels he proposes 1'
propel by two paddle-wheels, and twin screws
driven by engines with centre shafts arranged for
disconnection. One of the engines, Mr. Silver ca,
.1,
ciliates, can drive one of these vessels six or eigni'
miles an hour, while the whole power in motion
will give 20 knots, which kept up for seven
days will carry the steamer across the Atlantic.
The new steamer will be unencumbered with ninets:
If one means of propulsion breaks down, the other
remains ; if one engine becomes damaged the Pn!,
sage of the vessel will be but slightly retarded ; I.`
the rudder is injured, she can be steered by the,
screws. The difficulty of manoeuvring vessels 0'
such immense length will be obviated by the polliTer
thus given. The carrying capacity will 'be besiae',
fuel 3,000 tons cargo and 2,500 passengers. The wag'
nitride of the vessel will afford the accommodation
whichwill enable the owners to supply food a lacarte
as in hotels and restaurants ; thus passengers wile
wish to economise need not pay for the extravagance
of others, while the number of passengers such Yea'
sels can carry will lead to a reduction of the rate.
The Transatlantic Express and Passenger emit.
pany was formed about two years ago in New "for'
to construct a line of such steamers, but the enor-
mous cost of shipbuilding in the United States pre"
vented the consummation of the enterprise. Not
long since Mr. Silver urged, through our columns, on
the' attention of the United States Govern-
agent,
the advisability of permitting Ameri-
can citizens to register and run under the
United States flag such vessels, without re'
ference to where they were built, prohibiting
them only from engaging in coastwise traffic.'
What he, as an American citizen, asked was the
power of embodying his own ideas by permission to
purchase in the cheapest market when obliged to
compete in the employment of the vessels wit'',
foreigners who possess this privilege. The Amery'
can flag must be at a disadvantage so long as it can
only cover American bottoms, which cannot be
built at the present rate of wages and material in
America, except at a cost preventing citizens of the
Republic from entering the field against foreign
traders.

Railway Traffic Returns for tile Week.
Mlles Opened. RecelPl 0' _
Railways. ,---,......_....„...--...........-----; -
1867. 1866. 1867 1356
. A
Belfast and N. Counties 951 99/ 2,248 2-!,!.
Belfast and County Down 44} Si} 657 ..-
illy th and Tyne . 36
Brecon and 3lerthyr ......... 68 64 ~2412 2L,V811
Bristol and Exeter l3l} 1211 6,961 6.7,„ 78
Caledonian., Scottish Central 57,. '. 5621 31,476 3 . ,
Cambrian 133 '''' 15,0 2.1;9 2,":
Cock ermouth Kdz renrith .. 314 311 315 45,
. Cork and Bandon 2O 20 431 3'
Cork, Blackrock, & Passage 6l 6/ 160 163
Cork and Limerick Dlrea
Cornwall
Deeside . 61571 651 1,761 -1.„a7;19
17 293 -)'-',,
Do Extension
Dublin & Iletfast J unction.... 63
Dublin, and Drogheda 75
Dublin and Meath
Dub. & Wicklow and Wexid 10685
3817363005556
,2411,,,;8261934331
512_3;26"F51
Forth and Clyde Junction
202
Furness, &c
Glasgow & South-Western
Gt. Eastern,Nrfk.,&E.Union
422 422 3336,214125 147: k 311.:
Great Northern
Great North of Scotland 242 241 3,041 2.7',5
LI t. Northn. & Westn. (Irel.) BO 711 832 7-.
ILSouthn. & Westn.arind.) 4191 1191 9,141 5.5
Great Western l3ll} 12801 71,310 73.101,,..;
Highland
..-•
Hoylaka - -
Irish North-Western 145 145 2,051 2.04'
Isle of Wight l2 8 , 239 1'
Lancashire & Yorkshire 4u3 403 43.992 43,70
Limerick and Ennis..
Limerick and Foynes 26} 26} 139 1.2;
Lianelly 464 461 862 '6;f,
Llynvi Valley
London & North-Western
London & South-Western
~.,
Lond. Brighton, &S. Coast 315 2931 19,836 2-'.':;
London, Chatham, & Dover; f 1351 134 1 9,232 9."„ '".B
all Sletropolitan Extension 1 13} 12 1 2,183 2.-
0--
Do. Kent toast -
Lon., Tilbury, & Southend
Londonderry and Coleraine 361 36} 3,0 3 e
tlan.,6lleilield,& Lincolush
ilanch. S.J undt Altrincham 9l 0/ 1,101 L4,t,
Ilaryport and Carlisle
lletropolitan
lildlaucl (incl. N.-Western)., 697 6/7i 50,2...6 47,401
ilidland Gt. Westn. of Irind 2OOl 250} 5,161 5.°
ilonmouthsh. Kali. & Canal 44 11 3,09 ./ 2.641
North British, .11:din., I'ertn
and Dundee
N-Eastern and Stock. & Dart 12201 12j7 70.689 66,,2?
North London ll 11 4,595 4.70`
North Staffordshire 2BB 267 8.271 8.161
Pembroke and Tenby 271 111 257 103
Ithymuey 221 221 1,281 1,285
....
Scottish North-Eastern ll3 138 -
Somerset and Dorset 66 66 1,034 1,16°
South Devon ..... 1101 98 1.200 4,•51

' 66
South-Eastern • 330- 319 23,035 23.,
r alf Vale
~Z
Ulster lO5l 1054 3,0;9 2.9"
Vale of Clwyd.
Waterford and Kilkenny 3l 31 493 491
Waterford dnd Limerick 77 77 1,616 2,1-84
West Cork.. l7 - 83 ....
%,‘ rexham )lold, Jsc l4 14
W'hayeu,Cleator,&Egrmnt lO 10 ssa 972
FOREIGN AND COLONIAL.
Austrian B2B 828 35,6:3 29,119

Bahia and San Francisco vol 6 ;is
761 761 625
Belgian Eastern J unction 28i 26i 311 357
Bombay, Daroda, & Cen. India 308 808 7,366 7,05
Detroit and Milwaukic lB9 189 6,1 i 7 6,717
_
Dutch Rhenish loB} 1(81 5,139 4081

I• • ,` _, . 4, . 'l9 : :
Eastern of France 1665 1165 73,515 76,116
Eastern Bengal • • . 110 110 2,474 3,015
East Indian -
Grand Trunk of Canada 1377 1377 -25 852 23,703
,
Great Central of Belgium 285 285 -
Great Indian Peninsula Bl5l 6951 40,245 36.525
Great Luxembourg 172 142 4,77 J 6,12
4
Great Southern of India
Great Western of Canada 345 315 14,207 13,176
Madras
Madrid. Saragossa &Alicant BBB 778 16,751 18.060
Northern of Canada .. .. 97 94 2, 35 2,241
Northern of France . 7BB 764 67,244 63,9'
Norwegian Trunk
Ottoman' .
Paris, Lyons. & Mediter anean 2170 20(6 144,6 0 143,765
Paris and Orleans ..... ... 1852 1818 7P,010 b 1,513
Recife and San Fracisco.&c... 771 771
Sc.nde 2,19 1
DV 109 4,952

Southern of France lOl5 898 30,158 29,415
Victoria
Welland

West .t N-Wn. of France .. 13.56 1151 37,205- 55,710

VISIT OF BELGIAN RIFLEMEN TO WIMBLEDON."'
At the last sitting of the Commercial Council of Brussels
the president announced that, taking into consideration the
desire expressed by a large number of the civic guard to
go to the rifle shooting at Wimbledon, the Minister of the
Interior had named a commission to arrange the details, of
which the Count de Flandre had kindly consented to be
honorary president, and the burgomaster of Brussels pre-
sident.

A contractor, with a large force of divers and
mechanics, is engaged in removing the obstructions fro'
the Savannah River, below the city of that name.
The bridge over the Kennebec, at Augusta, is 3
toll bridge no longer.

ECCENTRIC DIVINE.—The Rev. Zeb. Twitebel
was the most noted Methodist preacher in Vermont for
shrewd and laughable sayings. In the pulpit ho maintained
a suitable gravity of manner and expression, but out of the
pulpit ho overflowed with fun. Occasionally he would, if
emergency seemed to require, introduce something queer ie
a sermon for the sake of arousing the flagging attention of
his hearers. Seeing that his audience were getting sleePit
ho paused in his discourse and discussed as follows :"'"
"Brethren, you hav'nt any idea of the sufferings of our
missionaries in the new settlements, on account of the
mosquitoes in some of these regions being enormous.
great many of them would weigh a pound, and they will get
on logs and bark when the missionaries are going." By this
time all ears and eyes were open, and he proceeded to iiniah
his discourse. The next day one of his hearers called Will
to account for tolling lies in the pulpit. "There never
was a mosquito that weighed a pound," he said. "But
didn't say one of them would weigh a pound; I said
great many, and I think a million of them would." "But
you say they barked at the missionaries." "No, ne,
brother, I said they would get on logs and bark."