The Sun.
London, England, 1850-11-21 00:00:00

INSTIrUTION OF CIVIL ENGINEERS.

TRINKETS from DEUTSCHLAND.
BY A MYSTERIOUS CONTRIBUTOR.
(From the Leaa'cr.)
Last Monday, at five o'clock in the afternoon, we
took a third-cl,ss ticket for Dover, at the office of the
South-Eastern Railway, near London bridge; walked,
as is our wont, up and down the platform until start-
ing time, and were then huddled into a kind of cow-
pee, and dragged like a malefactor through the
cutting air. Our sufferings, however, on the occa•
sion were more sympathetic than directly physical.
We are old campaigners, and came fortified with cur
customary munitions of rugs aud Russian fur. But
there were two thin-clad chattering petritactions of
Frenchmen at our side, and two women crouching
behind the shelter of a parasol in the next pen ; we
were partakers of their pains, end, it is to be feared,
also respondents to their _sweet invocations on behalf
of the South-Eastern directors. At twelve o'clock
the steamer moved her snoring fine, and pointed to-
wards Ostend. She pitched drunkenly and we bolted
downstairs, stretched ourselves along the scat, with
our carpet-bag for a pillow, and in this attitude pre-
served the equilibrium of our interior. Reached
Ostend at five o'clock, and at six the trumpet
sounded from the railway platform; engine
yelled answer, and away we started. Through
Bruges, through Ghent, through Mantles the
country all along being as flat as a pancake,
until towards evening we approached Liege.
Here nature began to give some signs of energy, set
her arms a-kiuibo and looked into our face with alter-
nate smiles and sternness. Some twenty tunnels
pierced the hills, and new scenic features greeted our
escape from each. The woods were drawn like many-
coloured scarfs over the shOulders of the hills ; the
larch sprung like a tapering mist beside its darker
brother, the mountain pine ; grey rock-nobs jetted
through the painted leaves, and along the bases of the
streams crept and tumbled alternately. Picturesque
houses, cottages, castles, and blue wood-smoke must
round off the reader's conception of this delightful
land. Reached Cologne at nine o'clock, and soon
found ourselves swathed in the blankets of the Rhein-
berg.
On Wednesday morning, before day dawn, clouds
spread like an umbrella over all the zenith, but a
horizontal fringe of clear blue gave promise of a fine
day. At six o'clock we loosed from the quay and
steamed upwards. Two hours brought us in sight of
the white walls of Bonn. To the left rose the ragged
summits of the seven mountains, and upon the wildest
peak, recoiling against the storm, stood the castle of
Drachenfels. Right opposite stood the ruin of
Rolandseck, "a noble arch in proud decay," clasping
in its hoary arms the cankering atmosphere which
ruined it piecemeal.
Beauties, geological and psychological, hang about
these scenes. Here and there the fluted basalt exhi-
bibited itself as a solidified outcrop of the central flees.
The hills are very singular. Imagine four inches
cut from the apex of a sugar loaf; six inches more
from the centre ; fancy the latter put aside, and the
conical top placed upon the broad base that remains,
and you have the general characteristic of the bills
about here. The smaller cones appear to have been
forced up at a later period from the bowel-furnace
underneath, and are encased by the older hills as the
skin of certain warts encloses the protruding papilltn.
In the rotation of moods we arc geologists and
psyschologists in turn. The understanding and the
soul possess us alternately ; and it is the habitual
fixation of one mood which often gives it its predomi-
nance. Jean Paul, I doubt not, could have con-
quered mathematics had he been pushed to it ;
and Faraday, I imagine, might have composed a poem
had Shakspere, instead of Humphry Davy, operated
upon him. Au image sometimes flashes out upon
ua in the writings of this man which irradiates his
whole subject, and throws a poetic flush into the face
of science. Doubtless Faraday finds pleAsure in his
permanent mood; and doubtless Alurchieon, with his
geologic hammer, would delight to wander along
" those banks of Rhine ;" but we must confess an in-
fidelity to the pursuits of both as the steamer bore us
along. Our mood was psychologic; not that we
would have it ,o, bat it came—shall we tell whence it
came? There is within every human breast a solar
system which has not yet found it Newton. Aphe-
lions and perihelions, attractions and oentri::
fu el divergsnc's, night and day, full moons and
eclipse s, which have thus far laillf,al philosophic
calculation. We watch from the earth the
entrance ,of Jupiter's fourth satellite into the
planet's shadow, we see it issue at the other side,
creep round him, and again dive into the shade ; and
we find that to complete the circle soc.e two-and-forty
hours are necessary. Centuries ago it was
also two-and-forty hours, and centuries to
come it will be the same. One unchangeable
law stretches through ages, and Professor Airy
converses with the Chaldean sage through their in-
terpreter, the stars. But, have those inner orbs fixed
laws of revolution; or, are not their phenomena me-
teorological, like the wind blowing where it listeth,
and telling not whence it cometh or whither it gceth ?
Their motions are certainly irregular, but may they
not hearken to a common law, notwithstanding?
Some years ago a comet was twisted from its path by
the planet Jupiter, and
,sent swinging round the sun
again ; after making a • few revolutions, it escaped
once more from the thraldom of our system and de-
parted, God knows where! Here was deviation pro-
duced by a constant cause. The visible universe is
pregnant with one force acting from different centres,
and may not the invisible be so too ? That brown
rock which thrusts its crystalline forehead through
the moss and fern, is a centre of force for me. The
Rhine-land, with its ascending forests and vine ter-
races etched into crags ; those smitten ruins festooned
with centennial memories ; the noble river which
" foams and flows" beneath them—each and all pos-
sess their radient forces which act as certainly upon
the human soul as magnetism upon the ferric mass.
Nor is it these alone which determine my mood just
now. Emerson is beside me, and the music
of his " Wood Notes" mingles with the silent warb-
ling of' the hills. Tennyson is also here, and so is
Longfellow, with his genial, sunny heart ; and there
is still another influence due to a neighbouring mass
of bone and muscle which clasps a heart and arches
round a brain, both of hopeful calibre. He has dis-
solved Hyperion, and now pours the fluid mass
laden with the perfume of his own feelings into me.
In plain words, reader, my young friend with the
beaver coat reads to me, and his voice Wends harmo •
niously with the tints of beech end hazel, with the
ble:)ai of the sky, and the rush of the river.
These were the influences which, combined with
the projectile force due to our proper individuality,
determined the sunny orlolt of our thoughts that day.
But, whither has this sentence brought us ? In
sooth, face to face with " Robert Owen's first prin-
ciple." Well, this shall not frighten our ortho-
doxy into fits. This creed of circumstances, like
everything else, partakes of the lights and shadows of
a man's moods. It is sometimes unanswerable,
and sometimes not worth an answer. Nor is there
any inconsistency in this, for our first insight is by no
means a constant quantity ; it oscillates between
mere dog insight and the insight of a God. In the
dog-days circumstances loom upon us like Fata Iller-
gana on the coast of Naples, but the God's day comes,
and the sky is clear once more. F, however, this
creed of circumstances were granted, I do not see
that we should be much the gainers. Grant that
houses are tnade of bricks, the house is not built by
the admission : before we can turn it to practical ac-
count, we must be able to distinguish bricks from
buns. In other words, we must understand cir-
cumstances before we can apply them. How
is this knowledge to be attained ? "By ex-
periment," replies an apostle of this creed.
Be, where are your experiments. I know that
Harmony Hall, in Hampshire, was built at enor-
mous cost ; that its erection was hailed as the
commencement of God's millennium upon earth ;
that even at the present moment letters significant of
this are stamped on one of its gables in silicic acid ; but,
.
I know also, that soon became a failure. Either
too much or too little circumstance ; or, perhaps, a
wrong dose altogether must have been applied here. I
Have you any guarantee that your next attempt will
be more successful? I merely cite the experiment to
show that, plain as your case appears, there are stern
difficulties behind it; for you work with materials of
which you are ignorant ; and, probably, will ever re-
main so. " Given the circumstances," I have heard
you say, "we can predicate the man." Now, given
a Jesus Christ, or even a philosopher Fichte, will you
oblige me by calculating his effect? Is it not like
asking your four year old boy for an investigation of
the oscillatory circle? Such men enter as transcendental
functions into the social problem, and refuse to be solved
by your feeble geometry. But, I doubt, you would,
" regulate" Christ's "enthusiasm" and Fichte '°
"ideality," and thus convert them into wholesome
citizens of your "new moral world." Chronometers
in ships have their springs sometimes polarized by a
flash of lightning. In such a case, what would you
think of a proposal to abolish the earth's magnetism,
so that Dent's 501. patent might still keep time ?
But we have spun too long in this funnel of specu-
lation. Forward, then, under the cannon of Ehren-
breitstein, and by the walls of Coblentz—through the
Lurlei, past Bingen, into Mainz—then by` rail to
Frankfort ; forward to that brave little land, Hesse
Cassel, at present tha cynosure of political Europe;
whence, from the tranquil shadow of an acacia, we
have had much pleasure in conducting in thought the
foregoing discussion with our respected English
reader.

THR AUTHORS OF OUR OWN PLEASURES.—We bane
received the following from "An Amateur," who, We
imagine, must have been a contributor to the defunct An-
nuals, and other sources of unpaid literature. " Authors
may, indeed, be called the authors of their own pleasures,
for, after all, it must be confessed that there are few plea-
sures in this world to he compared to the ectitatic pleasure
the author feels in reading one of his own articles in print.
According to this, no man can have so many pleasures as the
sedulous penny-a-liner, for he sees his articles in print almost
every day of his life.—Punch. •

Cubitt, Rig., President, i❑ the chair.)
On Tuesday the subject of the paper read was " The
Ventilation of Collieries, theoretically and practically
considered," by Mr. William Price Struve (of Swan-
sea) M. Inst. C. C.
The author commenced by showing that the general
principles which ought to govern the ventilation of
collieries were—

Ist. 'That a current of air through the channels of
collieries, at a velocity of five feet per second, was
sufficient for most purposes.
2d. That a current exceeding the velocity would
only be attained at the expense of leakage and other
evils.

33. That in order to obtain the requisite supply of
fresh air, the channels of a colliery or mine cught to
be enlarged according to the exigency.
In the process of hiying out a mine a subdivision
occurred by which the workings were apportioned into
numerous compartments, which facilitated the system
of splitting the current of air, or diverting it into nu-
merous channels, giving to each compartment a se-
parate, and, therefore, more effective ventilating
force. At the same time the area of the channel was
enlarged, and the aggregate length of the air tube
shortened, so that it was quite practicable to pass
through the workings of a mine 300 cubic ::eet of air
per .minute for each man employed.
The velocity of the air current in a mine was so
ensily effected, that it was important to consider by
what accidents, end under what circumstances, any
changes took place.
It could not be supposed that the excavated space of
old workings was completely filled by the " falls" of
the roof and " creeps" of the door ; extensive rupture
of the stratification occurred, and through this broken
ground great leakage must take place. This would
seriously affect a long continuous air course, there-
fore, the way to meet this difficulty was to split,
shorten, and enlarge the air channel. The details of
two experiments at the Eaglesbush and Ynis David
Collieries, where the air was pumped out by Mr.
Struve's mine ventilator, showed that a large propor-
tion of the air was drawn from the old workings, and
the " goaf," or broken ground surrounding the col-
liery, and did not come down the intake shaft, and
traverse the actual workings, as it ought to have
done.
In both these cases, the enlarging and splitting of
the air channels, so as to reduce the velocity of the air
to about three or four feet per second, would have pro-
duced most beneficial results.

'ese principles were shown to have been lost
sight of in the majority (even of the great collieries,
and the power of rarefaction by a furnace, was trusted
to for dragging the long column of air over and
through innumerable impediments. In some cases
this was left to be produced by the increased tempe-
rature of the zniae, from the candles, and the respira-
tion of the men, aided by the cooling effect of water
trickling down the intake shaft. These scarcely
sufficed to produce an average difference between the
two shafts cT thirteen degrees in winter, whilst in the
summer, and certain states of the atmosphere, there
was no difference at all, and. consequently, little or no
ventilation. Where rarefaction by heat was used, the
temperature in the upcast shaft varied from ninety de-
grees to one hundred and sixty degrees ; this, how-
ever advantageous for ventilation, was injurious to the
shaft itself, and absolutely dangerous to the men-who
had to traverse it.

A comparion of the dimensions of the air pages
and the vekcities of the currents in numerious col-
lieries, led to an estimate of the motive power lequirel
to produce the results attained in the best ventilated
mines, in case of the employment of a steam-engine
and air pumps. This power would have varied
between 23-horse power and 26-horse poser.
The efficiency of furnace ventilation was always
increased by the depth of the shafts, especially if they
were entirely devoted for the purposes of ventilation,
irrespective of the working ef the pit
The experiments of Mr. Nicholas Wood, Mr. G.
Elliot, lir. 11. Vivian, and other mining engineers,
were then quoted to demonstrate the in,ufficiency of
the " steam jet 'S as a means of promoting ventilation,
showing that it was a most . wasteful application of
power, when compared with the steam force employed
to work Struve's Aline Ventilator at the Esglcsbush
Colliery. This epparntos consisted of two hollow
pistons, resembling Urge gasometers, plunging
into cisterns of water, and having inlet and outlet
valves. The pistons received alternate motion from
a small steam-engine of five-horse power, and being
filled and emptied at each revolution of the crank,
produced a regularity of current and a degree of co-
pious ventilation hitherto unknown in the mines to
which they had been applied. The small cost of
their establibhment—only about 1001. for an extensive
mine—joined with the little liability to getting out
of order, was much in their favour.
The paper terminated with copious extracts from
the able mining reports of Mr. John Phillips and
Mr. Kenyon Blackwell, confirming all the positions
assumed by the author.
The discussion upon this paper was announced to
take place at the next meeting, Tuesday, November
26, until which time the meeting was adjourned.

MORTALITY in the METROPOLIS
NLIMBER OF DEATHS FROM ALL CAESES REGISTERED 1.11

... --__
TEE WEEK ENDING SATOEDAY, NOV. 16. MO.
Epidemic, Endenasc, and Contagious Diseases ...*209
Diseases of Uncertzin Seat ... ••• ••• ... 38
Tubercular Diseases ... ••• ••• ••• ••• 167
Diseases of the Brain, Nerves, and Senses... ... 100
Diseases of the Heart and Blood-vessels ... ••• 35
Diseases of the Lungs, and other Organs of
Respiration ... ••• ••• ••• ... 148
Diseases of the Stomach, Liver, and other Organs

of Digestion... ... ... ..
Diseases of the Kidneys, &c. ••• ••
Childbirth, Diseases of the Uterus, &c. ...
Diseases of the Joints, Bones, and Muscles
Diseases of the Skin, 8:c. ... ...
Malformations... ... ... ... ...

••
Premature Birth ••• ••• ••• ... 28'
Atn.phy ••• ••• ••• ••. ... 19
UldAge ••• ••• ••• ••• ••• ••• 38
Sudden ... ... .e• ••• ••• ... 12
Violence, Privation, Cold, and Intemperance ••• 25
v;auses not specified ... ••• ••• •.• ••• 5

DEATHS Fital ALL CAUSES
Population Deaths in corre-
Enumerated, aponclinz week
1841. of 1849.
West Districts... 301,189 .. 112
'Semi] Districts.. 376,568 .. 165
Central 1 iistricts 374,195+ ... 166 .
East Districts ... 393,067 ... 202
zouth Districts.. 503,346 ... 213 ,

Totals... ..... 1,948,369
Males ...
Females

876

BIRTHS IN Tat, WEEK.

908
Death"
in the
Week.
135
167 •
170
212
224

... 908
435
... 473

Mules ...
Females ...

Total
*ln this number are included 39 by Scarlatina, 56
by Typhus Fever, and 20 by Diarrhoea,.

About three months ago we called attention to a
discovery which been made of Metallic veins in the
island of Jamaica, in the range of hills abutting on Annotto-
bay. The original exploration was made under the immediate
inspection of a highly-respectable magistrate of the colony,.
who during the past summer forwarded specimens to
England, which excited very sanguine hopes. A company
was sometime ago formed for the purpose of working the
mines, and as a preliminary measure a gentleman of high
practical knowledge in mining, from Cornwall, was dispatchedi
to extend the exploration, and report the result of his inves-
tigation. Letters have been received from him by the pre-
sent mail, of a highly-favourable description. After an
examination, extending over about six weeks, he reports
that the veins of copper are considerably richer than was at
first represented, and will exceed the proportion of the most
vaivable mines in the island of Cuba. A very rich vein of
lead has also been discovered, and as the distance is within
ten miles of an eligible point for shipment, and of compara-
tively easy access, the mines can be worked with a very small
amount of capital. It is expected that the ores will be
shipped to some extent by the very first opportunity of a
ship leaving Annotto-bay. Persons acting for some Ameri-
can houses have also been exploring the spurs from the Blue
Mountain range, so that it is highly probable mining opera-
tions may become of great consequence in that important
colony.
IMPORTANT TO RAILWAY TRAVELLERS.,--A case,
was decided in the Sberiff's Court, Glasgow, on Thursday,
of some interest to the public. The Edinburgh and Glasgow
Railway Company were summoned for expenses caused to a
passenger through delay in the starting of a train on the
Fast-day. They argued their von-liability, on the ground
of the crush of passengers ; but Sheriff Bell held that such
an occurrence should have been foreseen and provided for,
and should not have been allowed to interfere with the
closing of the doors at the hour, and the prompt starting of
the train, and that a delay of three-quarters of an hour im-
plied mismanagement. He, therefore, decerned for the full
claim, with expenses.— Scotsman.
BEHRING STRAITS BOAT EXPEDITION.—The boats'
crews of the Plover may have a chance of receiving letters if
posted by Friday evening's mail, addressed to "the Admi-
ralty Searching Expedition,:care of the Hudson's Bay Com-
pany, Sault St. Mary's, Lake Superior, Canada West."
SUDDEN DEATH.—Charles Howard Sidebotham,
Esq., formerly a cotton spinner at Ashton-under-Lyne, but
latterly an agriculturist, living upon his own estate at Ash-
ley, in Cheshire, experienced an awfully sudden death at
Manchester on Monday. The annual fair commenced on
Monday, called the Salford Dirt Fair, and Mr. Sidebothain
came to the fair with a view of buying stock. In Bridge-
street, Manchester, he met Mr. Isaac Picton, of Broughton,
and while in conversation be Suddenly sank down and in-
stantly expired. A surgeon who was called in said that
death b
a hadout 6
arisen
years
fromo
f ago.
di tease of the heart. Mr. Sfelebotham
was
The following Colonial appointments have just been
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hbne
Athol Macgregor (son of Sir E. Macgregor, formerly Gover-
nor in-Chiet of Barbadocs and the Windward Islands), to
be President' adrainiztering the Government of the Virgin
Islands.
TUE PsoGnitss OF TAR TIMES.—We understand
that, in ord'r to show their disapproval of the recent nomi-
naticn of Dr. Wiseman to the office of Cardinal, the Protes-
tant printers of London have resolved to set their faces, and
their types, against titles in Roman characters, which are
now quite out et everybody's good books.—Punch.,