The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1843-06-02 00:00:00

In a vessel called the " Mermaid," recently fitted by
Messrs. Rennie with condensing engines of 90 horses' power,
a speed of 13 miles has been attained with a midship section
of 52 feet.

I am, Sir, your most obedient servant,
NAUTICUS.
[The two paragraphs to which the writer of the preceding
letter refers, were written with the hottest intention of im-
partially describing the results of the experiments, or trial
trips, which we ourselves witnessed in the " Liverpool
Screw." If we have fallen into any technical error, or
ascribed too much merit for originality to the builders of
that vessel, our mistake was quite unintentional, and we
have no objection of awarding to our correspondent the
merit of possessing more detailed information on this sub-
ject than ourselves, though in all probability his statements
will provoke a reply from some person better informed
than ourselves.—En. L. S.]

A grand dinner was given by her Majesty to the Queen
Dowager, on Wednesday.
WARLIKE PREPARATIONS.—We shall have some
"crumbs of comfort" for the rebels on Friday. In the
meantime, amongst other preparations, we may announce
that Rear-Admiral William Bowles, C. B. is ordered over
to hoist his flag as Naval Commander-in-Chief on the coast
of Ireland, and that a large fleet of war steamers and other
vessels of war will be placed under his orders.—Dublin
Evening Mail, of Wednesday,
DARING ROBBERY AT HOLYROOD. —On Tuesday the
police received information, that on the 22d ult. the throne-
room of the palace of Holyrood, Edinburgh, was entered by
thieves, and a variety of articles stolen therefrom, the pro-
perty of the managers of the Exchequer of Scotland. The
property stolen consists of six yards and a half of rich silver
lace (gilt), 38 silver tassels, and 16 or 18 imitation pearls.
We have fortunately the means of satisfying a very general
but very natural curiosity—principally among our lady
readers—as to the names which the royal parents have se-
lected for the infant princess. Her royal highness will, we
understand, be called Alice Maud Mary, three names indis-
putably English, and the first and last of which have been
long popular. Perhaps even the second, so long generally
disused, may thus be restored to its former favour.—Times.
STEAM-SHIP " PRESIDENT."-,While at Thatcher's Is-
land (Cape Ann), Captain Sturgis, of the revenue cutter
Hamilton, was informed by the keeper of the light-house,
that, during the severe easterly gale, last October, a board,
evidently part of a vessel; was drifted ashore, with the words
" Steam-ship President" cut upon it. The board was after-
wards destroyed or lost; but, from the description given, it
seems not unlikely that this was a part of that ill-fated ship.
—New York Herald.

During the thunder-storm in the metropolis and neigh-
bourhood on Sunday, which was accompanied with continued
and most vivid flashes of lightning, a lad belonging to the
free-school in GreenWich, who was sitting at a window, was
struck blind by the first flash that preceded the thnnder. An
ox that was grazing oPposite the Royal Hospital on the Isle
of Dogs was struck dead by the fiery element. Tne oldest
inmates in the college declared that they did not remember
on shore such intense peals of thunder as shook that noble
and solid institution.

THE LATE DISTURBANCES AT MANCHESTER.—By order
of the Duke of Wellington a strict enquiry commenced at
Manchester, on Monday, in the origin of the affray between
the soldiers and the police. Lord Charles Wellesley, the
colonel of the regiment (15th foot), has gone down for the
express pupose of being present. Major-General Warre
presided, and the Mayor of Manchester, the late mayor
(W. Neild, Esq.), and the town clerk attended, but the re-
porters were excluded. It is expected that ground will be
laid for at least one court-martial.

AFFAIR OF nON OUR.—A meeting took place on Saturday
last between Captain Beresford, late M.P. for Athlone, and
Mr. Augustus Moore, of Moore-hall, county of Mayo. The
former gentleman was accompanied by Mr. J. P. Somers,
M.P., and the latter by Mr. William Bodkin, brother of the
member for the county of Galway. After an exchange of
shots, without effect, and a declaration, as we hare heard, on
the part of the challenger that he was not satisfied, Mr.
Moore was walked off the ground by bis friends.

PENINSULAR AND ORIENTAL STEAM COMPANY.—The
half-yearly meeting of this company was held in London on
Tuesday last. The report, which was unanimously adopted,
contained a recommendation that a dividend of three and a
half per cent. for the half-year should be paid to the pro-
prietors. There remained to the credit of profit and loss a
balance of about £41,000, exclusive of the grant of £20,000
a year from the East India Company, as the first instalment
of £lO,OOO was not payable until July. The Bentinek
steam-ship will be ready for sea in July, and will go round
by Southampton in that month.

SINGULAR CIRCUNISTANCE.—Sometime ago two gentle..
men from Cupar witnessed a very singular circumstance
while near the Pond of Monzie ; they observed a rabbit run-
ning from an old dike there direct towards the pond, fol-
lowed by a weasel. Just as the latter was about to attack
the rabbit a crow, passing at the time, darted down and
struck the weasel with one of its wings, which made it run
back again to the dike. A few minutes afterwards the wea-
sel returned, and when about to make a second attack upon
the rabbit the same crow returned, darted down a second
time, and again put the weasel to flight, the rabbit thus mak-
ing its escape with life.—Caledonian Mercury.
A singular occurrence has recently taken place on board
the brig Triumph, the property of Mr. J. Parker, while the
vessel was lying in the Victoria Dock, Hartlepool. On
Friday, the 12th instant, the sails were loosened to dry, and
furled again in the evening. They were again loosened early
on the morning of the 18th, when a sparrow's nest was dis-
covered in the mainsail, perfectly formed, containing three
eggs. What renders the circumstance more extraordinary is,
that the vessel was moored at three different places during
the interval. The captain and crew repeatedly observed the
birds hovering about the sails.—Durham Advertiier.

A MODUST LEAGUEII.I-111r. George Wilson, the chair.
man of the league, informed his audience, at the city
meeting, on Monday, that " all the interests of the com.:
munity were represented on that platform—the agricultural
by Lord Ducie! the professions by Mr. Moore (!) and Par-
filament ,' !) by—Mr. Cobden ! Shades of Pitt and Fox,
of Bnrke and Sheridan ! how must ye have stood petrified,
had ye been present, to hear that the British senate—the
noblest assembly in the civilized world—was represented in
the person of this small man of cotton and calico, this man
of fustian and rent ! The agricultural body, too, represented
by this lord of tolls and shambles, Lord Ducie—the land by
the landless !! and the professions by Mr. Moore—the bar
of England by the briefless Irish barrister !I ! Exquisite;
Mr. Gsorge Wilson ! you have a most original idea of repre-
sentation !

PERTH.—Tire MILITARY AND INHADITANTS.--The fol-
lowing is an extract of a letter from Perth, dated on Friday.
We should hope the statements which it contains are exag-
gerated :—" Last night, a dreadful riot took place in this
town, in consequence of a quarrel between some of the trades
lads and the soldiers (we believe a depot of the 68th.) A
party of the military sallied out of the barracks, and in re.
venge attacked the people with swords (query, bayonets) and
sticks, when a fearful commotion ensued. The constables
were called out, and the provost had the riot act read. The'
riot, however, was not quelled before the soldiers were se-
verely beaten, and a number of the constables so seriously in.
jured that they are not expected to recover; indeed I have
heard that some of them are already dead. There are several
of the soldiers in prison ; and it is said that the military
are ordered to be removed froin the town, which it is 'to be
hoped, will take place without further mischief, thong!) this
is greatly feared by many people here"- Caledonivn. Mercury:

ALL NAMES ORIGINALLY SIGNIFICANT.—Names among
all nations and tongues are significative, and not vain sense-
less sounds. Among the Hebrews, it is certain out of Sacred
Scriptures, St. Fleirome, and Philo. Likewise among the
Greeks, Romans, Germans, and French, &c. ; yea, among
the barbarous Turks, for,with them Mahomet signifieth glo.
rifled, or laudable ; Homer, lively ; Abdalla, God's servant ;
Selimam, peaceable ; Agrrid, good ; Haniza, ready ; Neama,
pleasant. And the savages of Hispaniola, and all America,
name their children in their own languages, Glistering-light,
Sun-bright, Gold-bright, Fine-gold, Sweet, Rich, Feather,
&c. ; as they of Congo by names of birds, precious stones,
flowers, &c. In most ancient times here the Britains had
their peculiar names, for the most part taken from colours
(for they used to pa;nt themselves) which are now lost, or
remain among the Welsh. Afterward they took Roman
names, when they were provincials, which either remain cor-
rupted among them, or were extinguished in the greater part
of the realm, after the entrance of the English Saxons, who
brought in the. German names, as Cridda, Penda, Oswald;
Uchtrect, Edward; 'Edtnuntl; &e. ' Then to' sap nothing of
the Danes, who no doubt brought in their names, as Suayn,
Harold, Knute, &c. The • Norman's conquest brought in
originally
other German names, for they used the German
tongue, as William, Henry, Richard, Robert, Hugh, Roger,
&c., as the Greek names, Ablabius, innocent ; Aspasious,
delightful; Boethiui. synimachns, helper; Toxatitis,
ar-
cher, &c. were hrOnght into Italy after the division of the
empire. After the conquest, our nation (who before would
not admit strrnge and unknown names, but avoided them
therefore as unlucky) by little and little began to use Hebrew
and sacred names, as Matthew, David, Samson, Luke, Simon,
ehne havedic es ha
to ngßeepoist, Stephanus to rne
&c., which were never received in Germany until after the
death of Frederick the Second, about soietrto
into ie
years since.
Johannes Observe into
how the
Jean,Fren Be tu
Eslien, Radulphus to Raoul; how the Italians have changed
Johannes into Giovanni, Constans into Costante. Christo.
phorus into Christophano, Jacobus into Jacobo, Rodulplais
into Ridulpho, Laurentius into Lorens. How the Welsli
have altered Johannes into Evan, iF.gidius into Sihn, George
into Sion, Lawrence into Loweis, Constantinus into Custc.
smith. How the English have changed Gerrard into Garret,
Albric into Aubry, Alexander into'Sanders, Constantine into
Custance, Benedict into Bennet. How the English and
Scottish borderers do use Roby and Rob for Robert, Lokkie
for Luke, Jokie and Jonie for John, Christie for Christopher;
&c. That I may omit the Spaniard, which hath turned John'
into Juan, and Jacobus into Jago, and Didacus into Diego;
as the Germans which have contracted Johannes into Hansel
and Thioder9 into Derici--,o7aindoett lietnaine4 • .

sions there are frequently local causes which produce such
irregularity of results that we are seldom warranted in draw-

ing conclusions without repeated experiments, but by the
method in which the conclusions are now drawn, not only
are there no data from which to institute a comparison, but
the only fact given, (namely that of the slip of the screw be-
ing apparently less than that of the paddle,) is referable to a
cause unknown to the writer. I know that a good screw is
at least equally effective in smooth water as the paddle wheel,
and that in bad weather it is more so, but I also know that
the seeming difference of slip furnishes no ground for calcu-
lating the relative efficiency. The reason is that the paddle
acts in fluid which has acquired little relative motion, while
a screw in the dead wood acts in a following current. This
circumstance has produced some seemingly anomalous results,
such as in more than one well authenticated case, having
given a greater absolute motion to the vessel than if her screw

had beeii turning in a solid7aresult only to be accounted
for, by taking into consideration the effect of the following
current as it fills up the cavity which would otherwise be left
by the progress of the vessel through the water.
The draught of water of the " Liverpool Screw," is stated
to be 3 feet 9 inches, and as " the propeller is below water,"
its diameter must be less than 3 feet 9 inches. By the same
statement the speed appears to be about 10 miles per hour, a
rate from which, I suppose, the proprietors would not be in-
clined to deduct anything. The pitch of the screw is not
given, but I have stated that it must be a certain proportion
to the diameter to be at all effective. I will, therefore, as-
sume it to be four feet. Now, to produce a velocity of 10
miles, such a screw would require to make 254 revolutions
per minute, instead of 85 as alleged. On the other hand, to
give the screw a pitch sufficiently elongated to get the re-
quired action of 85 revolutions, we should require to increase
it three-fold, or to 12 feet, thereby increasing the diagonal
loss, so as to absorb two-thirds the power of the engine. As
this would be an absurdity, I must conclude that the speed
of the engine is really more than double the alleged velocity,
and as the power must be calculated from the velocity of the
piston, it will be found that this little " skimmer" is really
working at an expense of 40-horse power. The dimensions of
the competing vessels are not given, but I must not omit to
notice, that while credit is taken in the Skimmer for expand-
ing the steam, the full effort of the steam and vacuum is de-
bited to her opponent.
I should have been glad to have had more accurate data
by which to have given the actual performance compared to
this large power, but as no midship section is stated, I must
be content to guess that her area of displacement cannot
exceed 36 feet, which it would be if nearly flat-bottomed.
Now the " Archimedes' section of displacement is 142 ft.,
and her power is only 80 horses' ; and as she also beat the
Government tender, which " was certainly left behind" by
the " Liverpool Screw," we find therefore that 40 horses'
power only gives the same speed to 36 feet that 80 horses'
does to 142 feet.