The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1838-04-10 00:00:00

BIiNNETT V. RTRCHALL.

This action was brought. to recover the sum of £24 for board
and lodgings.
The parties in this case reside at Preston. • It appeared that
the plaintiff kept a small shop. The defendant married the
daughter of the plaint:ff in the December of the year 18.36,
after which he lived for 29 weeks with the plaintiff, who had
been in the habit of letting lodgings. Witnesses were called
on the part of the plaintiff, to show that the defendant and his
wife were really lodgers. It appeared that after about four or
five months had elspsed, the defendant quitted his wife. Some
relations of the defendant came forward and swore that the
defendant and his wife were hired servants of the plaintiff, and
that he had lent the latter £4O.

A further sum was claimed by the plaintiff, for money al-
leged to have been lent to the wife of the defendant. This (he
learned Judge said could not be entertained. as a man was not
bound to pay money lent to his wife without his-authority.
The jury returned a verdict for the plaintiff damages £24ls.
This case terminated the business before Mr. Justice Pattesou.

NISI PRIUS COURT.—Fillneur.
ADJOURNED NUISANCE CASE—THE QUEEN v. MUSPR ATT.
His Lordship took his seat at nine o'clock.
Dr. John Rogerson was the first witness called. He was a
physician, practising as a surgeon, residing in Scotlandroad.
He had frequently seen the vapour spoken of by the different
witnesses. It had a nauseous and unpleasant odour. .It. pro-
duced a suffocating sensation. It had the appearance of a fog.
caused by the muriatie acid gas combining with the vapour of
the atmosphere, by means of oil which, when it was condensed
it fell to the ground in the form of very diluted mortal ie acid,
He should decidedly say, from the taste and appearance of the
vapour, that it was dilute rnuriatic acid. The works from which
this gas issued were those engaged in the preparation of an im-
pure alkali, commonly called the black ash, or British barilla.
It was prepared by pouring sulphuric acid on cowmen salt,
which was a chloride of sodium, commonly called muriats of
soda. The sulphuric acid combined with the soda, and formed
sulphate, or rather a bi-sulphate of soda,. anti the muriatic acid
gas was disengaged. It went up the chimney with the smoke,
and in consequence of the heat applied, a quantity of sulphur-
ous acid gas was disengaged, and perhaps a little nitrous acid as
well. The muriatic acid gas composed of hydrogen and chlo-
rine in equal volumes or atoms. The chlorine was part of the
salt combined with part of the sodium. Salt being mixed with
the sodium, that was'decomposede :by means of the sulphuric
acid and heat. The chlorine then united with the hydrogen.
Stepharic acid .consisted of sulphurous acid gas and water.
When the .sulphurous acid gas was poured upon the inuriate of
soda, the water of the acid was decompesed. The oxygen of
the decomposed water unitedwith the sodium and formed water.
The hydrogen. of the water united with the disengaged chlo-
rine, and formed muriatic.gas. , When thesulpherous acid gas
united with the sodium, it fur red the euitibate. of soda he bad
sicriTren-sits or the iii- snlohatts tor soda: Thus properties of the
muriatic acidgas were transparent as a gas when in .the pure
state; but when mixed With the air it formed those white
Vapours which had been spoken of, by its coinhinin„. with the
moisture of the atmosphere with which it mixeds It tbeu formed
a diluted acid, having a pungent odour, an acid taste ; it was
rapidly absorbed by water, which at 40 decrees of Fahrenheit
took up 480 times its bulk of the gas. It turned vegetable
colours red. It would not support combustion, and it was fatal
to annual and vegetable life, and Very injurious. He had made
several experiments along• with his brothe•r, and had assisted
him. He should think, from the great affinity' of the muriatic
acid gas for the atmosphere, it would ctimhine with it, and
issuing from the chimney-top, and fall to the, ground in form of
diluted acid. It would fall snore rapidly w:here there was in-
creased moisture. Ile had tried experiments with his brother,
and-his opinion was, 'not what had been stair sl, and about which
theist was some mistake, that the muriatic gas when combined
with the atmosphere in the proportion of ode part in. 1500, did
not do injury. He considered that it slide and was highly in-
jurious to health when so mixed. When tine muriatic acid was.,
mixed int he proportion of one part in 1500i.1 the atmosphere,
it did not kill vegetables or plants immersed: in it for a certain
period of time; but it must still be considered as highly inju-
rtour to health, on account of its irritatil tg and stimulating
properties. It could be in no wise useful to the growth of
plants. Dr. Chtistisou, of Edinburgh, profs mssor of the Univer-
sity of :Glasgow, stated, that when one cut. .ic inch of this gas
was mixed with 20,000-parts of the atmosph ere, it was still in-
jurious to plants, and withered the leaves. . This also was his
opinion. He considered that it constantly occasioned injuries
to the health. The experiments they had in ade with plants had
generally been made under 12 hours. if a p erson were exposed
tbr weeks to an atmosphere loaded with this vapour, its injuri-
ous effects would be likely to be increase d. The longer the
action of the gas contiatied;.the inure injerf ions it would be to
vegetable and animal life. The effect of thu i gas issuing from a
chimney would depend Orion the volume ca tried by the wind.
•If owing to the wind anti the moisture of 0 me atmosphere, this
white vapour actually deacended so that it could be seen, it
would be decidedly pSejudicial to vegeta. Iles on which it tell,
and pro tanto to entitle! life. If a pers.:in complained of his
lungs who had been inhaling that atmosph ere, it would not be
sit orLIPTING. necessary to resort to etpetiments to prone unce as to the quan-
tity of injurious gas he
rear?/ Lent, aged 16, pleaded guilty to a charge of having 'from the tact that it %%43 had inhaled ; he should say at once
11!.)o len. three silk hand'kerehiefs from the shop of Mr. William iatjurious, and ex plain his complaint
. ;Lem .tatior and drap.ei, Castle-street. She was sentenced to to having inhaled a nitratedatmosphere. . If a patient suffered
s.weliue months' itisprisenment. . in his lungs, and the inhaling of this muriiatic acid steam made
Aleph -Page, aged .II,; aud Tisterias Simmandr, aged 21, pleaded him suffer, he should sas;that it increasers his disease: lu his
judgment it. increasHS the
.irritation of tlte lungs. As to how
guilty to eu indictment in which they were charged with having
81'4n three pair-of shoes from the shop of Henry Bingham. much irritation %you'd. produce death was ;a matter for inquiry.
They were sentenced to six months' imprisontuePt. It wasat very diffiralt :question to answer the proportion of
BREAKING ANT) ENTERING. muriatic acid gas there was in the white, vapour as it left the
Peter Page, aged 19, and William Duffey, aged 17, were chimney top. .
idagedat the bar, charged with. having feloniously broken and Cross-exainineila—lsle had not examined as to the relative
ttered the shop of Julio Plant, Muuchestex-street, and stake proportion of the gas that issued from the chimirey top, and was
therefrom a not able to tell the jury whether the proportional parts were 51
pair of snuffers and tray, a bundle of pen-ells, a
•of muriatic acid gas to 941 of other matters. lie had tried the
dozen papers, each containing twelve rings, a glazier's diamond,
gteveral !tenetl cases, and a number of other articles, the pro- experiments with the muriatic acid gas on piatets, which haul
perts of the 'aforesaid John Plant. died when submitted to its actions by putting them into h glass
it. appeare,d that on the night of •the 3d March last, Barnett, receiver with the gaS, and covering them up. It plant would
ssouslice officer, was on ,ditty .in Manchester-street, where he live a considerabde time without beingenelosed. when submitted
finer the prisoners.- Krin.wing them to be bad characters, he ar- to the vapour. 'There Would be an immense difference between
rested and setteched them, when he found on their persons the the effect of the e*perirnent when confined. and where the open
,articles named in theiniiiettnent. air was not excluded. His opinion was that eaunatic acid,
s Mr. Plant s.,,,ted.that,he left his shop about six in the even-. however diluted, was injurieus, as it was an improper aematic
,ing of the al of March, locking, the dour, but not putting up the stimulent. CarbOnic acid gas did a great deal of rsood to vege-
Ohutters. lie was absent about half an hour* On his return tables, but it was highly injurious to animal iife. . Wherever
he found window
that that the ndow-lied been broken,
and that his coal or lhne was burnt it would be given out in large quantities.
•oiliap had beep robbed. Sulphuretted hydrogen was very destructire to aztmal life; but
defence, said they had bought the
111" prisoners, in their he thought they ought to put that outer the quest:jou. It woold
sarticles. ' . be also injurious to vegetables from its acid properties: That
The jury Wad the 'prisoners Guilty.—Sentence deferred. *mild be pielififully supplied by the soap manufactories. Bi-
carburited hydrogen gas would be injurious to vegetables but
• GUIIGLARY. _
not to animals. . •Its proper term was bihydrogulated hydrogen.
resjcjr. Thomas, age IS, was charged with having broken into
the house and strop of George Burrow, andstolen therefrom a I
It rintuld issue from the gasometers: The manure heaps would
furnish peratnetic oil of ammonia; so would the hove boilers,
tutu of mosey and several articles of wearing apparel. and the horse boilers., and wherever animal matter wa.s decom-
Mesl3artlercouducted the prosecution. would He was not quite certain whether the turpentine works
Geosee Barrow, of Alfred-street, Toxteth-park, joiner and
wwtLin,ld
would
out ammonia.. They would give out acetic gas
grneer, stated-that he had a lodger named Jones. On the 20th
of March last be fastened his doors end windows. in the morn- "
into
rioptd niele'elpeonle cough, but it would be s • indensed
rieg,Jones, who got up first, called bins down. He went, and !et .vinegar, If by chance sa-amnioni:c works were alddr.e;ntl,_
increase the (measure of gas. ['here would ie a. i .
the that an entrance had during. the night been effected into 1 111 wrla
the house at the hack part, by breaking out a square of glass. I stone acid gas from them as well from the works of the mimetic
l acid manufacturers. These constituted the sweets of what 'was
4.1) inner Window had also been broken, whereby access was
1 nulled spice island. If there was muriate in the clay for hut n-
Rained to the•shop. The money-drawer, which contained 20s.
mg bricks, they would get muriatie acid gas from the burning
'Sr 308. bid been taken from the shop. A top-coat and a pair
iof bricks. Ile found the vapour from the alkali works injured
cd' gloves belonging to Jones, had also been taken. The prisoner
asthmatic patients.
'vas appreheoded by Chalmers, a constable, and the gloves
Mr. Jame.s. Ceoper, surgeon, of St Ann's-street was exa-
4nd a hat, which had been stolen, were found in his possession• mini mined and. spoke to fivino7 in St. Ann's•street. The gas came
The jury found the prisoner guilty, and be was sentenced to 1
, fill over its house from Mr. Musprates chimney, and caused
trsesportation for ten years. ' him and his family to cough. It rusted his surgical instruments,
LARcENY• which he was obliged to keep constantly eleanino. He had
•Ouvett Carrigan, aged 21, was charged with having stolen the .
f r erly lived in Fraser-street and haul not
.exprienced the
aPParel of Joseph Birch. o m
effect. When the • I blew' •
same
!4r. Raincock conducted the prosecution. Muspratt's chimney, the leaves, and trees. and plants, in- his
It appeared that ou the last Wednesday in March, the pro-
Nt,, garden, were quite green; hut when the wind blew from Mo,-
utor went with a dissolute female to a cellar in Johnson-
rates chimney towards his house, it turned all vegetation black
:lerefd- He went to bed. The prisouer entered the apartment 1
Prates
his garden;. arid would kill and wither the trees and leaves in
jirnandeti morningn clohes,
be
he wished to
a suttee night.
Prot
e:mil 1 till that they might be safe. To this the
Cross-examined.—Fraser-street, his former residence, was
tar foolishly assented. Wheu he arose in the morning, ,
• no ,
,".,r, eeither the erisaner nor the clothes w i'. 300 yards fiom where he now lived.
were to be temp&
Dr. Wit Reynolds was next examined.—He was a phy-
i lam.
''''he Cave was fully .proved. The jury found the prisoner , land I • -•-
'n • Liverpoo., lecturer on chemistry at the
'',:i'iltvoitil the semi ' dh. to months' imprison- ! "'jam residing i•
I sentence tm filteen
1 Royal Institution. He was acquainted with the process of
";ent. and herd labour- , I manufacture of what was
• called black mush, and also of salt
. .
,
. .
• oavespnammeßMll.V.l.M.. I cake. In the manufacture of salt cake a volume of murtattc
. . . .
. .
i acid gas was poured out of a chimney. It then combined with
A. GA t a ' I'. hout .
the . • he wind, during part of Saturday and throng the moisthre of the atmosphere, and was unhinges governed by
, .
• . hight. blew vie lent ly from the westward. A number of ves- , .
tt{'le roil t - 'the ordinary taws ofoi gres. It became heavier than the atmos-
t;,,r, n sea in the forenoon? and Fortunately, got a good offiog
phere and than the I ndm
nary mnistute of the air, from combin
lII,' gate cause on. On Sunday morning the sea- on the . ... ....„ . iii
The Yepour was a liquid moritilic
mg with the muroot a.
"" "- ' 'the wind' having abated, towards
cwt.` he.asy. hut,
; acid gas, in very small globules, the same as steam. It corroded
"mug-the se, was quite calm, with the wind at N.N.W. .
metals, and gave the appearance of being rusted. Aton of salt
L,G
AI, •
,i, F. FLY WHEEL.--There is now in courseof construction, woold give•ant upwards of 14(10 feet of muriatic acid gas. It
et..%'•!',gm's• iten,. -and Beenett'S.. millwrights-, Newton-street, would produce irritatinn of the air passages through the lungs,
7,1;A
li c ne. !es, one of the lareast fly wheels ever made. 1r is tiB and produce cough,.m, a w
il and also, hen • •person as exposed for
r.t
s lic'''''! et'-r. ;our. :3S tons .55 eight, and is intended to goYetn not
some time to its influence; produce disorder of the sloch• It
. a ',‘osengioes of 120 horses' tower esch now erec'ing in a new would be extremely iejoriouS to tersetittre life, and would canse
(s"ttott mill b I • • ' 1 '' '
A,„ e ongim4 to Messrs. I bornas 4aunermau and Co., llf vegetables were sub-
.the leaves to wither and be destroyed.
./..-1.rf...., UlittOd to its action fur some time there would. be au apparent

HOPLIFTING-
ibnrIiaI..OLVe, aged 22,S was placed at the bar under an indiet-
n'ellt, in which she was charged with having feloniously stolen
4 bag containing 23ibs of coffee, the property of Mr. Peter
,BaisfJrd.
•It, Murphy conducted the prosecution.
It appeared that the prisoner, on the 20th of March last, went
Into the shop of Mr. Bassford, grocer, Scotland-road. She
askcd rui a halfpenny-worth of cinnamon, with which she was
13." Y(1. AS she was going out of the shop Mr. Bassford missed
bag of coffee which had stood near the counter. He called
out-tu the prisoner, who immediately dropped the bag of coffee
'„roln,under her cloak. She was given into the custody of a po-
"ef'-office.
The jury found the prisoner guilty, and she was sentenced to
'twelve months' iinprisonMent.

•
FAI.ONY.
Moinat Martin, aged IS, pleaded guilty to a charge of having
*Nen a vard and totee-qoariers or cloth, three si.k handker-
hiefs, a stock, three.pieces of ribbon, and a pair of gloves, the
Proljetty of Julio Lloyd, his waster. He was sentenced to six
mouths' iinprisotnuent.

-LIVERPOOL STANDARD.

deposit unon them which wooed have the appearance of dew.
It would-also have the same eff,..et upon vegetable substances.
1470 rest trees submitted to its eetioli would decay from ye-ar to
year. Tne witness then proceeded to"describe the different
processes-of the manufacture of the alkali. The sulphurous
acid gas which escaped from the works themselves. in the ma-
nufacture of sulphuric acid, was extremely deleterious.
Cross-examined.—He hail seen a dew-like deposit of the gas
upon artificial leaves. The taste was intensely sour. The
Botanical Gardens bartheen removed owing to the quantity of
buildings about, the quantity of smoke, and the comparative
impurity of the air. During his investigation of this subject he
had not seen oysters speedily jaw-locked by this gas; crabs and
lobsters quickly die, and lively shrimps unable to crawl away.

This wit: toe case for the prosecution.
Mr. ALEXANDER then rose to reply, and spoke with great
fluency and eloquence, ou behalf of his client, for two hours and
twenty-five minutes—a speech which it is, of course, entirely
beyond our limits even to give an outline of. He spoke of his
anxiety for the success of his client, and the weight of respon-
sibility resting on him, and of the disadvantage under which he
laboured in rising to prove his case, after forty-five witnesses
had endeavoured to prove the prosecutors' case against lion.
It was one of the feelings of human nature to he biased by the
first story. The case was One of immense importance to his
client, for on it depended whether or not .he should be allowed
to continue his business. He had-expended a large sum, about
1.:30,001), in the erection of his works, and was now pitched
single handed to uphold these, the fruits of his indtpttry, against
a corporate body, wielding all its influence in a town like Liver-
and possessing as much wealth as many petty monarchies.
He designated the prosecution, instituted by the corporation
against Mr. Muspratt, as a harsh proceeding. if parties were
damagrd by his works they had their remedy by action against
him; which he contended was the proper course, leaving those
individuals who felt aggrieved to recover, if they could prove
that he had injured them, compensation at his bands; that was
the proper course, and not to attempt. to crush a man by an in-
dictment supported by all the wealth and influence of a power-
ful corporation. lie contended that the manufacture of the
alkati was one of immense importance to the soap manufacturer,
to the glass manufacturer, to the palm oil merchant, and others,.
and that this was an attempt to exterminate the trade, which
was a novel one. The attempt would have been a great deal
More Quixotic if it had been made against an older established
trade, though Proved to be highly detrimental, because there
would be more-individuals engaged in it He contended that
he should be able to prove that the evidence of the prosecutor's
witnesses was not correct—that he should bring front the same
streets and from the same neighbourhood, witnesses to prove
that the gas was not at ail injurious .and not unpleasant;—that
it did not damage vegetation, nor deteriorate the value-of pro-
perty. He contended that it was impossible that gas from Mr.
Muspratt's•chitnney cook! strike Everton, because it had been
proved that Everton Hill.leas only 225 feet above the level of
high water, whereas Mr. Mnspratt's tall Chimney, which was so
u.uch spoken of, was 228 feet high, and its base was 15 feet
above high water. So that if thegas issuing from that chimney
travelled in a horizontal direction, it would pass over Everton ;
hut that if it ascended, as was its inrdinat iou to do, it would pass
far away above it. Mr. Muspratt had had three indictments
preferred against him, and at each one had endeavoured to
render his nranufactory less obnoxious, by improving the con-
struction of his apparatus, and by heightening his chimney ;
and now, for that very act, his high chimney was to be the cause
of this indictment.

Mr. ALE AN DER then proceeded to call an immense number
of witnesses, who nearly all of them reiterated the same story,
that they lived in the neighbourhood of the works, and felt no
inconvenience whatever from them. That property was gene-
rally increased in value in their neighbourhood; and that, since
the erection of Mr. Muspratt's tall chimney, ten months ago,
they had felt no inconvenience whatever. On cross-examina-
tion they generally stated that they had been inconvenienced
by the white vapour, but it was not from the defendant's chim-
ney. The.vaponr (rem his chimney went right. Over their heads.
They were principally annoyed with the vapour proceeding room
manufactories in Canning-street and Paul-street. Some of
them swore stoutly they never were inconventei by any vapour
at all, though they had.lived a great number of years in the
town. One witness, a farmer, brought to prove that it. had not
affected nis crops. said he had heard a good deal of Muspratt's
smoke, and was determined that morning to get a mouthful, and
for that purpose went down to the manufactory when the chim-
ney was vomiting forth its vapour' and snuffed up the air, and
felt not the least inconvenience. On being cross-examined by
his lordship, he said the vapour Was not near him. When asked
if he expected to snufF it down, he answered, "To he sure."
This, of course, as were many other sithilar sallies, was followed

by loud laughter.-
Mr. John Miller, merchant, residing in St. George's place,
Everton-road North, was examined. Ile deposed that his resi-
dence was east north-east of Mr. Muspratt's chimney. near Mr.
liorsfall's. about three quarters of a mile front Mr. Muspratt's
works. He could distinctly see hiS chimney. He had a shrub-
bery in the front of his house, and a small garden behind. He
hart st:ffered no inconvenience whatever from Mr. Muspratt's
works that he was aware of. His garden and shrubs were tint
itijured by it. lie had fruit trees which produced aoundantly.
fie was not aware that he had suffered any of the evils from Mr.
mosprait's works. detailed by the witnesses for the prosecution.
Cross-examined.—lie had "resided four years in his present
premises., and nearly three close to theta. Ile had not been in
the habit of going into any gardens but his own to observe any
alteration in them. He had not noticed that vegetation was
not in a flourishing state, so far to the contrary; the field ili the
limit of his house had produced a very abundant crop the last
year. Ile had traced Mr. Mnspratt's vapour, and he did not
believe that it did fall. It appeared to hint to ascend in an
angle of 25 or :30 degrees, anti he did not believe that it did tall.
Et, had r,t iced the vapour issuing from the other alkali works.
Ile th,,e!,,1 the vapour front them did fall. He had observed
the vapour a..od smoke from Air. Muspiatt's chimney ascending
in the angle lie bad said, while the smoke of the others seemed
to hang in suspptision at the height of 20 front the ground, and
remained in that suspension for' about an hour, perfectly mo.
tionlese. The Smoke from Muspratt's chimney seemed to gO in
an upper current of air. lie could not pretend to explain the
cause of this appearance; tint so he had that morning seen it,
Anti had watched it for an hour.

By the' JuDGß.—There Was a strong wind blowing against
his windows, and the vapour from Muspratt's chimney passed
rapidly over. head, apparently in a current, but the vapour below
arts stntinna.ry, and dieilotappear eel to the action of the

wind.
Re-examined.—Uniformly when he had been able to trace
the vapour it paised over the highest ground at Everton at fully
a greater height than when it issued from the chimney.
Mr. William Skirvine,% nursery gardener, had a nursery at
Everton and another at Walton. Forest trees and fruit trees
throve well at his nursery al Everton, which was close to Mr.
Horsfall's residence. .
Cross-examined.—His nursery at Everton was surrounded
with high walls. On the whole the trees did not thrive so well
there as at Walton. and he could trot account for it.
Michael Ashcroft, farmer of Kirkdale, deposed that he occu-
pied about 250 statute acres of land. His crops were not at all.
injured by the vapour from Mr. Muspratt's works.
Cross-examined.—He had a large shrubbety between the
manufactory and his fatm, which acted as a screen. c.
Dr..Thornas Thompson, professor of chemistry at'ithe Uni-
versity of Glasgow, and had passed a long life m chemical pur-
suits. He had had his attention directed to the purposes of the
enquiry that day, and had paid much attention to it. Mut iatic
acid gas was evolved during one process of the manufacr nre of
alkali during the deComposition 'of common salt. The first pro-
cess was to decompose common salt by mixing with it sulphuric
acid, and during that process touristic gas was evolved. The
proportion of gases escaping from Mr. Muspratt's chimney was
not more than 62 per cent. of muriatic acid, and the rest was
carbonic and ramie gases and common air. There might be
less than that'proportion of muriatic acid gas, but certainly not
more. During the decomposition of the common salt, for every
ton of salt four tons of coal are consumed, The coal, by, being
burnt, was converted into water and carbonic acid gas. The
water was in a state of steam from the heat of the fire, that was
to say an invisible and elastic substance like common air, and
the muriatic acid was united with it. '[he moment it came at
the top of the chimney, it expanded and became a visible smoke.
The water was changed into the substance of a cloud. That
cloud consisted of a congeries of hollow bladders of water,every
one at a small distance from the other. The diameter of these blad-
ders varied immensely ; getierally they were so small that they
could not be seen. He had seen them as large as peas, and so
small as to he invisible. These globules, combined with mu-
riatic acid, were generally in the form of a cloud. It was a little
lighter than atmospheric air, and of course floated on. As it
went through the atmospheie, it gradually. changed again into.
what was called steam, that was to say an elastic and visible
vapou'r. after which it dispersed, but the process was a very slow
one. It never fell till it was all dispelled. The muriatic acid
was changed again into muriatic guts, which moved at the-visible
rate of 1000 feet per second, Si) that by the time it got to a cer-
tain distance, depending on the state of the atmosphere, it was
impossible that there could be the least particle of muriatic acid
n the atmosphere.
The gas would one day travel a long dis-
tance, another it would go a short distance. He had examined
the air at a distance oft of a mile from the alkali works, and
could in that air detect no muriatic acid at all by the most deli-
cate test from the largest manufactory of this stmt that there
was at Glasgow. lie had investigated in consequence of a law
suit similar to the present which was tried last veer, and
he had been determined net to give his evicienc;, until he
was perfectly satisfied of the correctness of his judgement. If
there had been but one 'fifty-thousandth part of this acid to
the bulk of the air present, the tests he applied would most
certainly have detected it. The consequence of which
was that the tnuriatic acid spread itsalf equally through the
whole atmosphere, and by the time it had gut a quarter of a
mile it was so very dilute that he could not detect it except by '
one test, the smell. It was most certain that no.mischief could
be done by the,muriatic acid so diluted, He thought that few •
people were properly capable of observing the white vapour
impinging against anything. No witness could speak of the
white vapour impinging at different distances, It was not
possible-so to impinge unless the wind brought it. The vapour
would gradually rise at an angle when it issued out of the
chimney top till it was lost. It would ultimately become re-
solved into steam and muriatic acid gas, just in the same state as
water when in the atmosphere. It could not be brought to the
earth unless there was a vertical wind, a water-spout, or some-
thing of that kind. If the vapour, instead of assuming the
character of a cloud on leaving the chimney top, assumed the
character of (hops, it would fall to the ground; and if the dia-
meter of d drop was one thousandth p
art of an inch, it would
begin to fall at the rate of ten feet in a second, the next second
at the rate of forty feet, the third at ninety feet, and so on,
as
the square dam time. lie never saw this to he the fact, though
he had watched a chimney of the same kind for twenty years.
'['he vapour, at the heights of Mr. Muspratt's chimney and
Everton hill given, •must necessarily pass over Evertou hill.
It would be contrary t,m a law of nature if.it did otherwise, unless
there was a wind blowing it down. He should attribute the
rUstillui Of the metals talked of to the primary and great cause
tf,it —the moisture of time atmosphere. If a person were stand-
me:3oo feet from the base of a chimney as described 228 feet
higqi, vomiting forth this vapour, the proportion that w-athi pass
to him would he one-ninety-thousandth part per volume, that
is if the muriatic acid gas were pure; but, in order to get at the
actual quantity he would breathe,. the% must multiply that
quantity by sixteen, which would be less than one-millionth
part. if there was a wind, it would have time tendency to make
the gas go all. on one side, and then the quantity or gas so
breathed would Ime one five hundred thonsandth part. That was•
an established law of nature, about which there could be no
dente. Muriatic acid gas had no effect on meat but what would
wash off directly.' The examination was continued at great
length, which our limits oblige us to curtail.
Cross-examined.—All gases expanded according to the same
'law. The rate at which the vapour moved would depend on
the Velocity of the air. The gas, 'C hen it escaped from the
tip of the chimney,- combined with the action of the atmosphere
would not be so *heavy as common air. Rain did not always
fall its lines; a wind wotild prevent it. He could not rre-
cisely tell where a drop of acid would fall, driven by a current
of air, without the velocity of the atmosphere was
If the vapour mire got to the ground it might float along the
sorfaee, anti, With as much as 6-1; per Cent. of muriatic acid in it,
it would be decidedly injurious to vegetation. It would kill
men, woman, and child, and destroy every thing, if it went on
the surface, for ever; but there was a law of nature which made
that impossible. If it was a fuggy day it would certainly carry
time vapour down with it, . If the vapour were driven along the
ground it would do mischief five hundred miles off, if it went