The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1840-12-08 00:00:00

at the request irf the King's commissioner, in order that Dr.
Guillard might take the necessary measures for securing the
mortal remains of Napoleon from any further decomposition.
The outermost coffiri was slightly injured; the leaden coffin
was in good condition, and enclosed two others, one in wood
and the other in tin, the lids of which were taken off with the
greatest care. The last coffin was lined on the inside with
white satin, which, having become detached by the effect of
time, had fallen upon the body, and enveloped it like a wind-
ing sheet, adhering slightly to it.
" It is difficult to describe with what anxiety, with what
emotions, those who were present waited for the moment
which was to expose to them all that death had left of Napo-
leon. Notwithstanding the singular state of preservation of
the tomb and coffins, we could scarcely hope to find anything
but some mishapen remains of the least perishable parts of
the costume to evidence the Identity. But when, by the hand
of Dr. Guillard, the satin sheet was raised, an indescribable
feeling of surprise and affection was expressed by the specta-
tors, most of whom burst into tears. The Emperor himself
was before their eyes! The features of his face, though
changed, were perfectly recognised, the hands perfectly beau-
tiful, his well-known costume had suffered but little, and the
colours were easily distinguished ; the epaulets, the decora-
tions, and the hat seemed to be entirely preserved from
decay ; the attitude itself was full of ease, but for the frag-
ments of the satin lining, which covered, as with a fine gauze,
several parts of the uniform, we might have believed we saw
before us Napoleon still extended on a bed of state. General
Bertrand and M. Marchand, who were present at the inter-
ment, quickly pointed out the different articles which each
had deposited in the coffin, and in the precise position which
they had previously described. It was even remarked, that
the left hand which General Bertrand had taken to kiss for
the last time, before the coffin was closed up, still remained
slightly raised. Between the legs, near the hat, were the
two vases which contained the heart and entrails.
" The two inner coffins were carefully closed again : the
old leaden coffin was strongly blocked up with wedges of
wood, and both were once more soldered up with the most
minute precautions, under the direction of Dr. Guillard.
These different operations being terminated, the ebony sar-
cophagus was closed as well as its oak case."

The writer thus describes the proceedings, after the body
had been delivered into the custody of the French Com-

missioners

" When the funeral car stopped, the Prince de Joinville
advanced alone, and, in presence of all around, who stood
with their heads uncovered, received in a solemn manner the
imperial coffin from the hands of General Middlemore. His
royal highness then thanked the Governor, in the name of
France, for all the testimonials of sympathy and respect with
which the authorities and inhabitants of St. Helena had sur-
rounded the memorable ceremonial. A cutter had been ex-
pressly prepared to receive the coffin. During the embarka-
tion, which the Prince directed himself, the bands played fu-
neral airs, and all the boats were stationed round with their
oars shipped. The moment the sarcophagus touched the
cutter, a magnificent royal flag, which the ladies. of James
Town had embroidered for the occasion, was unfurled, and
the Belle Poule immediately squared her yards and unfurled
her colours. All the manoeuvres of the frigate were imme-
diately followed by the other vessels. Our mourning had
ceased with the exile of Napoleon, and the French naval di-
vision dressed itself out in all its festal ornaments to receive
the imperial coffin under the French flag. The sarcophagus
was covered in the cutter with the imperial mantle. The
Prince de Joinville placed himself at the rudder, Command-
ndt Guyet at the head of the boat ; Generals Bertrand and
Gourgaud, Baron de Las Cases, M. Marchand, and the Abbe
Coquereau occupied the same places as during the march.
Count Chabot and Commandant Hernoux were astern, a
little in advance of the Prince. As soon as the cutter had
pushed off from the quay, the batteries ashore fired a salute
of 21 guns, and our ships returned the salute with all their
artillery. Two other salutes were fired during the passage
from the quay to the frigate, the cutter advancing very slowly,
and surrounded by the other boats. At halt-past six o'clock
it reached the Belle Poule, all the men being on the yards
with their hats in their hands. The Prince had arranged on the
deck a chapel, decked with flags and trophies of arms, the altar
being placed at the foot of the mizen-mast. The coffin, carried
by our sailors, passed betwen two ranks of officers with drawn
swords, and was placed on the Quarter-deck. The absolu-
tion was pronounced by the Abbe Coquereau the same even-
ing. Next day, at ten o'clock, a solemn mass was celebrated
on the deck, in presence of the officers and part of the crews
of the ships. His Royal Highness stood at the foot of the
coffin. The cannon of the favourite and Oreste fired minute
guns during this ceremony, which terminated by a solemn
absolution ; and the Prince de Joinville, the gentleman of
the mission, the officers, and the premiers maitres of the
ship sprinkled holy water on the coffin. At eleven all the
ceremonies of the church were accomplished, all the honours
done to the sovereign had been paid to the mortal remains of
Napoleon. The coffic was carefully lowered between decks,
and placed in the chapelle ardente which had been prepared
at Toulon for its reception. At this moment the vessels fired
a last salute with all their artillery, and the frigate took in
her flags, keeping up only her flag at the stern and the royal
standard at the maintop-gallant mast. On Sunday, the
18th, at eight in the morning, the Belle Poule quitted St.
Helena with her precious deposit on board."
The Monitieur Parisien says, that the funeral ceremony is
fixed for the 10th instant, (Thursday next), and that orders
have been given to hasten as much as possible the prepara-
tions at the lnvalides. and along the line which the cortege
will follow. Courrier Francais states, that the ceremony of
the Emperor Naoleon's funeral is fixed for the 15th instant,
and that the number of workmen employed on the prepara-
tions has been considerably increased. The Commerce is of
opinion, that it cannot take place before the 20th. Generals
Bertrand and Gourgaud and M. Marchand remain with the
Prince de Joinville, at Cherbourg, watching over the remains
of the Emperor.
It is reported, that, soon after this ceremony shall have
taken place, Prince Louis Bonaparte and his companions .
will be liberated, the prince being required to pledge himself
never to repeat his criminal attempt.

ON AN IMPROVED METHOD OF CONSTRUCTING
& STOKING THE FURNACES OF TILE KILNS.

(By Mr. James Taylor, Moorfield Tileworks, Kilmarnock
Factor to the Duke of Portland.)

Mr. Taylor's original paper on the manufacturing of drain-
tiles (for which the society's gold medal was awarded) will be
found in vol. xii. p. 27, of the Transactions, and to which the
following communication forms an addendum. Tne increas-
ing demand for drain-tiles, and consequent competition in its
manufacture, has stimulated those engaged in it to arrive at
'" "1-most economy in the cost of I,,,rlnprim„
been assumea that tine construction of furnaces would ma-
terially affect the expense in the article of fuel, much inquiry
has been set on foot, and expensive experiments conducted,
with a view to ascertain the best method of applying this
expensive agent. Hitherto, it is believed, reduction in the
expense of fuel has been but partially successful. A com-
munication, therefore, on this point, coming from a person
of experience, and giving his own actual experience of the
improvement, will, no doubt, be duly appreciated.
Mr. Taylor's communication is expressed in the following
terms The following brief description of my economical
method of burning tiles, and the advantage of it compared
with the methods generally adopted in this part of the coun-
try, may not be unwelcome. The main point of this method
consists in adapting the furnaces of the kiln to produce a
greater effect from a given quantity of fuel than by the old
system ; but I have also found that a large portion of the
fuel may consist of refuse of coal, or as it is commonly called
coom. To effect this end, grate or furnace bars of the form
usually adopted in engine and other furnaces are fitted into
the fire places of the kiln, which are further assimilated to
ordinary furnaces by being fitted with closing doors. The
height of the ashpit, or space between the floor of the stoking
vault, and the furnace door-sole I make 15 inches, and its
width 12 inches. The door-frame, which may be set about 6
inches square, through which the fuel is thrown into the fur-
nace. The two sleepers, which support the bars, are each 18
inches in length, to allow their ends being fixed in the walls,
and are placed the first at the distance of six inches, the other
at twenty four inches from the door-frame ; on these sleepers
are laid seven furnace-bars of eighteen inches in length, a
dumb plate of six inches in breadth, filling up the space be-
tween the ends of the bars and the door-frame. Beyond the
grates thus formed, there is a space of one foot of dumb wall,
and in this space the furnaces are contracted uniformly in
width to nine inches at their entrance into the kiln, while
their height is uniformly augmented from the door inward,
till, at the entrance to the kiln, they are twenty-six inches in
height, and their sole one foot above the level of the inside
floor. Fire-places of the above description, when culm is
used for fuel, are more powerful, and the temperature more
easily regulated, than in those where the fires are placed on
the ground, and allowed to choke up till the fire-places are
full. The furnaces are cleared two or three times during the
process of burning; and as none of the fuel is allowed to go
into the inside of the kiln, there is less risk of the tiles being
vitrified and twisted than in the common form, where the
burning fuel frequently comes in contact with the tiles lying
near the entrance of the fire-places.
" It is of great importance in burning tiles, that the heat
should ascend regularly through the whole kiln, and tile-
burners have experienced much difficulty in regulating this
point. One or two of the fires may sometimes burn slowly,
while those on either side of them may burn freely. If this
evil is not wholly obviated by using the grate, the remedy is
at least rendered easy of application ; for, by opening one inch
more or less of the doors on each side of the dull fires, the
draft is considerably increased in them, and their action is
equalized to that of the others. Should the temperature ap-
pear to be too high in any of the furnaces, the doors of those
have only to be opened a small space, which will check the
increase of heat. In this way, the door of each furnace can
be made to act as a regulator for its own fire, as well as to
act upon those immediately adjoining.
" The coal required to burn a kiln containing twenty-five
thousand tiles, constructed on the old plan, cost, at the pit,
£3 12s. The quantity of fuel that I require to burn the
same kiln, by the new method, and its cost at the pit, are,
2 1-10th tons coal, at 5s 10d per ton .... £0 12 3
10 tons of culm, at is 3 per ton
, •

being a saving of £2 is 3d on the burning of a kiln, or nearly
two shillings per thousand tiles.—Quarterly Journal of Agri-
culture for June, 1839.

NOVEL SWEEPSTAKES.-A sweepstakes, which was en-
tered into last year, was decided a few days since, at the Old
Angel Inn, Woolhampton, close to the seat of the Earl of
Falmouth, in Berkshire. The person who produced 12 Swede
turnips of the greatest weight, collectively, was to receive the
stakes. The Earl of Falmouth carried off the prize by pro-
ducing 12 turnips averaging nearly 91bs. each. The follow-
ing is a list of the subscribers, with the weight of their
respective productions of 12 Swedes each ;—The Earl of Fal-
mouth, 1051bs ; Mr. Houghton, of Swing Hill, 8211b5.; Mr.
Rivers, of Brimpton, 811bs. ; Mr. Reynolds, of Brimpton,
7-1-ilbs.; Mr. Hickman, of Aldermaston, 6711b5.; and Mr.
Buckeridge, of Oare Farm, 491bs. A sweepstakes of ten
shillings each, to be similarly decided, is now open to all
England, to be closed on the Ist of May next, and to be de-
cided in the month of November following.
GREENOCK.--TERRIBLE EXPLOSION.—About a quarter-
past eight o'clock on Saturday morning, the inhabitants in the
neigbourhood of Holmscroft brewery were alarmed by a
strange noise, followed by the falling of the brew-house. On
investigation it was found that the boiler, which was on the
ground floor, had exploded and gone right through the roof
of the house, a height of four stories, and alighted in a field
120 feet distant. When the explosion took place, Mr. Wal-
lace, the brewer, and his assistant, were standing immediately
under the mash-tun in the third flat, and how they escaped
with their lives is a miracle to every one, and to none more
than to themselves. When the steam and dust cleared away,
Mr. Wallace was seen walking up the field in which the
boiler lay, but how he got there he has not the most distant
idea. The under-brewer, who was talking with him when
the explosion took place, was dragged out from under the
ruins. He was very severely scalded. A man was working
in a drain within ten feet of the boiler when it blew up, and
the stones of the building fell around him, but without hurt-
ing him. Another man was slightly injured by some of the
stones. It happened fortunately that nearly all the workmen
were engaged in the yard, at a considerable distance from the
brew-house, otherwise many lives would in all likelihood
have been lost. Several of them had been engaged about the
mash-tun only a few minutes before. What is not a little
singular, Mr. Wallace's shoes were forced off his feet by
some means, and have not since been seen ; his hat, too,
which was on his head at the time, was found on the follow..
ing day among the ruins very much cut, and a thermometer
which he held in his hand was got at a considerable distance
from the spot. A more remarkable escape than Mr. Wallace
made has rarely if ever occurred. The mash-tun under
which he stood is now buried in the ruins, and a large copper
in a higher flat, containing 30 or 40 barrels of boiling water,
was torn to pieces. In short, the house, with the whole
brewing utensils, are completely destroyed.—Greenock
Advertiser.