Star.
London, England, 1825-08-27 00:00:00

SIR
PE
lIUMPH COAVY' RTS P
ELIPX IMPECTORS F9l
COPR SIT

The application of copper to ships bottoms was mi.
ginallv introduced to euard the lower timbers from the
weeds and worms which continually imbedded them-
selves in long voyages, thereby occasioning great im-
pediments to sailing, and even endangering the lives of
the seamen. In the action of Sir EDWARD I-TUGIIES
with the French fleet, under SUFFREIN, in the East
Indies, in the year 1782, the latter obtained advantages
over the British, Laving arrived from Europe with
(opper.h.at ,me,l ships, which enabled them to main-
tin the %siva:her-gage of Admiral H UGH es, whose fleet
:era cornpo,ea of wood-sheathed bottoms, overgrown
with weets and barnacles. In fact, the value of clean
hettnnied ships enahled the French to force the fleet of
th;,:ceuntry ineo fi:e general actions. They took Cud-
d,,,e, and retook Trin:omalee, and enabled HYDRR
ALLY to wi'll:Land, with various success, all the
efforts of Sir ENRECOOTE and his troops. Sir RICHARD
13tczetteos was afterwards dispatched to the East
Indies with copper-sheathing for all the ships whose
bottoms ware not liucd with that material. The first'
-r:ssel known ta have been coppered in England, wasl
the ALARM tiie,ate, in 1761. During the war, wheal
• the rice of copper rose from Hid. to 22d. per lb. veal
rioes substitutes sere introduced. A gentleman of
Devonpert made an experiment on a ship named the
Adventure,. He tensed one side of her bottom to be
coxed in !he usual way with pitch and tar, and the
other with what is familiarly called burning-house stuff
(poisonous particles taken front the chimnies of tiu
manufactories), mixed with pitch and tar. ea the re-
tain of the Adventure into port, one side, to use,the
ownei's expression, "was like a hay field," while the
put on which the poison had been laid was as clean as'
ni.ea she sailed. Mr. T. LocKER, of Plymouth, alsn
used a small barrel of burning housf-stuff, mixed with
the usual materials, on a large ship oIF I,OOD tons, which
was repaired by permission of the Navy Board at this,
D:ck-tard, and it was found to prevent the accumula-
tion of weeds and barnacles. So strong is the poison.
cus quality of this" stuff," that Dr. EDWARDS, of Corn-
wall, took out a patent for the manufacture of arsenic
from it, tons of which are yearly exported to France,
where they use it to lay the colours in their silk ma.
aufactories.
Bat though copper was found to preserve the bottom
of a ship clean, the oxidation of this metal is so great,
that it hcs frequently happened after a few years' ser-
vice, when the arlisans have been ordered to strip the
bottom, to repair the vessel, that the . copper, from its
reduced thickness, could nOtbe taken off otherwise than
by clubbing it down with the wood, thereby reducing
the planks. This waste, however, does not always
happen in the same proportion. The copper of the
VILLE DE PARIS, now stripping in Piymiiuth Yard,
which has been on thirteen years, is found not to have
lost an ounce in the pound. The quality of the metal
hr an undoubted influence on its tendency to oxide ;
ald the purer the copper, the less, of course, will it
Whir! to rust.
It was to prevent this waste from oxidation and its
attendant inconveniences, that Sir 11. DAVY, whose
strand is ever on the alert to further the interests of
sciences recommended the application of pie. es of cast
iri n, v hick, by a galvanic influence, should protect
t/t4 whale btsJy of the toppers The PANDORA was one.
of the vessels' fitted out *Wei Isss dir.:etisia, 'about
twelve months since at Portsmouth ; she is - now
undergoing repair in this dockyard, and particular
attention has been paid to the experiment. It ap.
pears that the presence of the iron has completely
prevented the oxidation of the copper, but the bottom
is so foul with weeds and animalcule', that no one
would have imagined that she had been coppered ; for
Although barnacles and muscles are found by thou-
sand: attached to the lead of the cutwater and bows of
ships, yet they have tardy been discovered on the
copper, the oxide operating to prevent their adhesion.)
The. NIGHTINGALE,. DRUID, and HARLEQUIN, which
were also fitted on Sir H. DAVY'S principle, have been
found in a similar state, with the addition of barnacles,
on the non-appearance of which species of worm on
the. l'aurione, the Telegraph lays so much stress.—
The chemical action of the metals and salt water has
produced a total change on the iron protectors : so
greedy is iron of oxide, in sea water, that it operates
to its clan destruction, and the iron used as protectors
for the copper of the PANDORA, has been found in a
state of decomposition, reduced in weight about one-
third, with all the appearance, when broken, of plum-
bago or black lead.
in short, although the experiment of Sir H. DAVY
has prt,ved one thing,—the power of iron to prevent
the oxidation of copper—it has failed to cure that far
greater evil----the accumulation of foul bottoms, to pro-
vide against which copper was first introduced. The
application of copper sheathing under this plan is
therelote completely neutralized; and either the prac-
tice of coppering ships Must be abandoned altogether
as a useless and unnecessary expense, or some other
method must be devised, which at the same time
that it shall qualify the oxidation of the copper, wall
prevent the adhesion cf weeds and barnacles. This is
the difficulty vthich is to be overcome ; and should the
genius of Sir H. DAVY remove this, he would then set
the question at test for ever. Meanwhile, we repeat,
that his M ijesty's Government have decided on discon-
ainuing the practice of iri n protectors, and orders have
been received to that effect in the yard. Various cape-
timetits are to be tried on ships iu the harbour ; but
w hen such ships are brought forward for service, the
protect rs are to be removed.

Mr. CONTINE, the lonian Messenger, arrived on Thurs-
day evening at the Colonial Office with dispatches from Lieute-
nant-General Sir FILIDERICK ADAM:K.C.B. at Ancona.
PRESERVATION Or LlFE.—Early this morning, as two
milkmen, the one Mr. Jeffreys, and the other a young
man belonging to the Alderney Company, were passing
near Sadler's Wells Theatre, their attention was at
tt acted by the cries of a female. Mr. Jeffteys hastened
to the spot, followed by his companion, and soon found
that a female, very respectably attired, was floating su
the water. Before they could get to the spot, she sunk,
but as neither of them could swim, Mr. Jeffreys was
struck at the moment with the idea of making what is
termed their " yokes," into grappler. This was done,
and both throwing at the same moment, caught the
clothes of the party, and got her safe to the shore.
Every exertion was now used to restore her, and in a
short time she recovered, when she gave her name Ca-
raline Harvey, of Charlotte-street, Islington, whither
e e was conveyed to her friends. It is supposed she
had oserbalanced herself, in looking over the wall, into
the River, and but for the fortunate presence of Mr. J.
a id Ws Itknd, she must hare inevitably peri:led.