The Sun.
London, England, 1844-06-20 00:00:00

THE •lUN, LONDON, THURSDAY EVENING. JUNE 20 1844.

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were fully entered into. .The author then stated that
the best mode of using manual power was by applying
the greatest aggregate amount of power to the lightest
and smallest machine ; that the reciprocating . motion
was to be preferred to the rotary 3 and that a fire-
engine with two 7-inch . cylinders and 8-inch stroke,
weighing 171 cwt., was the most advantageous size that
could be adopted.
In the discussion which ensued, Mr. James Simpson
approved Mr. Braidwood's general views, but combated
his ideas as to the disadvantages of sunk tanks, which he
contended had been proved in certain situations to be es-
sentially useful, and that they were provided in many
public establishments. He stated that to the Dutch,
who arrived with King William in 1688, we were indebted
for the first organised system for extinguishing fires ;
many parts of their system still remained, and in Cape
Town in 1817, he had been much struck with the com-
pleteness of their plans. He examined into the supplies
of water for fires, and the modes of obtaining them, and
thought that more water was wasted through the gene-
ral excitement and want, of presence of mind than was
generally imagined. He recommended the use of screw
cocks, rather than plug cocks, as the latter were apt to
become set and to be injured, as well as having in gene-
ral too contracted a waterway. He also disapproved
of the use of jets directs from the mains, stating them
to be wasteful, and not efficient, and that in almost every
case they had failed, except under very peculiar circum-
stances.

In the paper by Mr. Andrew Murray, Assoc. Inst.
C. E. (Royal Dockyard, Woolwich),. the author con-
sidered in the first portion, the quantity of atmospheric
air chemically necessary for the complete combustion
of a given quantity of coal, exatnining the proportion
necessary for the inflammable gases, and for the solid
carbon ; showing the large excess of air that would be
required if the gases were not ignited until they had
passed into the flues of the boiler, on account of their
admixture with the carbonic acid gas generated in the
furnace. The, question of the velocity with which the
products of combustion pass off was next considered.

The practical recommendations given in the paper
were, that the supply of air should be as free as possible;
the entrance into the ash pit should not be less than one-
fourth part of the area of the fire grate ; the depth of
the ash pit should be about two-and-a-half teet,no advan-
tage being found to result for the combustion of the coal
from its being deeper ; the space between the fire bars
should be seven-sixteenth inch, but that depth should be
regulated by the kind of coal used ; for any kind of
coal it should not be less than -a- inch, nor
more than inch ; the fire-bars were re-
commended to be made as thin as was consistent with
their required strength, an inch in width had been
found to be a good proportion. Thespace in the furnace
above the fire-bars was recommended-:to be made large,
about three cubic feet to each superficial foot of fire-
grate, when such an amount could be obtained. The
proper area of the flue was next considered, with refer-
ence to the bulk of the products of combustion and their
velocity, showing that the area requisite for the quan-
tity chemically required was found to be much too small,
and that in practice it should not be less than two square
inches for the products of combustion from each pound
of coal consumed in the grate per hour. Taking a fur-
nace in which 131bs. of coal were burned on each square
foot of firegrate per hour (which was stated to be a very
usual rate of combustion in steam-boilers), the area of
the flue to every superficial foot of the grate would be 26
squareinches.
The area of the chimney was recommended to be three-
fourths of that of the flue.

The mode of conducting the flue to the chimney and
the angles formed in its passage, were also carefully
considered. The time occupied by the gases in passing
through the flues of a boiler, from the instant of their
generation to that of their reaching the chimney, was
shown not to be of importance, provided that theincan-
descent gases were so subdivided that all the particles
were brought into contact with the boiler, and were
made to part with their caloric, as was the object in the
construction of locomotives and other tubular bodies.
The amount of heating surface recommended was in
the proportion of 18 square feet to each foot of fire-grate,
where the combustion was carried on at the rate of 131bs.
per square foot per hour, though a larger amount might
be, employed in land boilers, where there was no objec-
tion against cooling down the products of combustion
in a greater degree. The principles were stated to be
applicable to all kinds of boilers used either for land or
for marine purposes.
The following papers were announced to be read at
the meeting of Tuesday, June 25, when the monthly
ballot for members will take place :
No. 689. " Suggestions for the introduction of con-
structions to retain the sides of deep cuttings in clays or
other uncertain soils." By. Professor Hosking.
No. 690. " Description of the harbour of Scarlet
(Caithness), and of the machinery used in 1834 for re-
building.the harbour works." By J. Bremner, M. Inst.
C. E.

No. 693. "Description of a Piling Engine, proposed
to prepare foundations for harbours and lighthouses on
sand-banks." By J. Bremner, M. Inst. C. E.

MORTALITY in the METROPOLIS
The following are the results of "A Table of Mortality
in the Metropolis, showing the Number of Deaths' from
all Causes registered in the Week ending Saturday, the
15th of June, 1844." The Table is issued from the Office
of the Registrar-General :
Weekly
CAUSES OF DEATH. Total. Average of
Five years.
Epidemic, Endemic, and Contagious Diseases 194 178
Diseases of variable or uncertain seat
Diseases of the Brain, Nerves, and Senses 136 157
Diseases of the Lungs, and other Organs of
Respiration 247 286
Diseases of the Heart and Blood-vessels 27 21
Diseases of the Stomach, Liver, and other
Organs of Digestion ..
Diseases of the Kidneys, &c 8 5
Childbirth, Diseases of the Uterus, &c. 9 10
Diseases of the Joints, Bones, and Muscles 8 6
Diseases of the Skin, &c .. 0 1
Old Age, or Natural Decay_ 5O 71
__. _..

By ViTOfence, Privation, or Intemperance ... 20 26
Causes specified...
Deaths from all Causes 855 946
DEATH/3 FROM THE PRINCIPAL DISEASES INCLUDED UNDER
THE ABOVE HEADS.

Total. Weekly Average
of Five Tears.
Consumption 136 147 .
Scarlatina 62 34
Pneumonia —........
Dropsy .. ........ . ...
Hooping Cough ... ........ ..
Typhus
Small Pox
Disease of the Heart
Measles ... l3 28
Apoplexy.
Diseases of the Brain „, 7 9
Diarrhoea.. .. l2
Sudden Deaths .............. ... 4 15
DISTRICTS.

West l3l 138
North l6B 171
Central
East . 174 207
South.
Total ... ........ ......

LAW INTELLIGENCE..
SECONDARIES' COURT, June 19.
GRIM. FON.7-EARDER V. GRIMWADE.
This was a writ of inquiry to assess the damages in an
action for criminal conversation with the plaintiff's wife.
The defendant allowed judgment to go by default. The
damages were laid at 1,000/. The following are the facts
of the case :—The plaintiff is an omnibus proprietor
living at Clapham, and the defendant resided within a
few doors of the plaintiff, and being an old friend who
had seen better days, was employed by him as a driver.
Amelia Barber, the plaintiff's wife, was a lady of very
prepossessing appearance, about twenty-four years of
age. The intimacy commenced in June, 1843, and con-
tinued until the commencement of the action, a few
months since. An immense number of letters were dis-
covered, many of them being of a very artful nature, and
the fact of the defendant being a married man, with a
young family, threw the plaintiff in some measure off his
guard. The criminal conversation was always carried
on in the house of the plaintiff.
Mr. BALLANTINE, who appeared for the plaintiff, said
the jury would be spared the necessity of hearing details
of a most painful nature, as the plaintiff had agreed to
take a verdict by consent for 501.—The damages were
then assessed at 501.

FATALITY IN A FAMILY.—On Tuesday, Mr. Baker
held an inquest at the Ten Bells, Church-street, Spital-
fields, on the body of James White, aged forty-eight
years. It appeared by the evidence, that deceased was
the foreman of bricklayers, in the employ of Mr. Piper,
an extensive builder in Bishopsgate-street. On' Friday
evening the deceased left his home, and not returning,
search was made for him, and about six o'clock on the
following morning he was discovered, hanging by a rope.
from a beam in an old stable in Bed Lion-street, Spital-
fields, at the rear of some houses nowpulling down to
form the new street, and which stable is in a ruinous
condition, not having been occupied for some time, and
was distant from his residence at least a mile. The per-
son who discovered him found he was still warm, and
being much alarmed, instead_ of cutting him down, ran
away in search of a policeman, but some time elapsed be-
fore one was found ; he was then cut down, and a surgeon
sent for, who attempted to resuscitate him, but without
effect. A son of deceased gave evidence as to the un-
settled state of his father's mind during the last three
months, which arose from no reasonable cause, but in
witness's opinion was hereditary, as his (deceased's)
mother bad died insane. His father had also died in a
very sudden manner. The following note, which was
found in deceased's pocket, was produced :—" Dear
Mary, Be a mother to poor little children as long as there
is a shilling left ; and I hope you will make your life as
comfortable as you can in your situation. I die in peace
with all mankind." The Jury, without hesitation, re-
turned a verdict of " Temporary insanity.".
CUSTOMS IN PARIA WITH REGARD TO THE DYING.
—ln some parts of the coast of Pada, when a person was
considered near his end, his nearest relatives bore him to
the woods, and laid him in a hammock suspended to
the trees. They then danced round him until evening,
when, having left within his reach sufficient meat and
drink to sustain him for four days, they repaired to their
habitations. If be recovered and returned home, he was
received with much ceremony and rejoicing ; if he died
of his malady or of famine, nothing more was thought of
him.— -Voyages of die Companions 4f Columbus. •
EXPORTATION OF GLAss.—The Lords of the Trea-
surry have directed, that all flint glass packed and sealed for
exportation under the supervision of the Excise, and depo-
sited in a bonded warehouse at the intended place of export
previous to the 6th of July next, shall be entitled to the pre-
sent drawback on shipment, although such shipment do not
take place until after the sth July next; and a copy of this
order has (by order of the Commissioners) been furnished to
the principal officers of Customs in London, an-d at the out-
Forts for their information and government.