The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1848-02-22 00:00:00

NEW METHOD OF SWEEPING CHIMNEYS

The praiseworthy agitation that existed a few years ago,
and carried with it the almost total abolition of sweeping
chimneys by climbing boys, has of late calmed down, not
from any desire or wish on the part of the public to en-
courage a business so fraught with danger, and so injuri-
ous to health, but from the fact of there not having
hitherto been a machine invented that would thoroughly
cleanse, or even pass through, a circuitous or angular flue.
We are now, however, in possession of an apparatus,
patented by Mr. L. Wellman Wright, which bids fair to
answer all the intended purposes of application ; and
though it does not differ in appearance materially from the
ordinary machine, its principle is so complete that its effi-
cacy is beyond doubt. At the top of the machine, which
is used exactly as the ordinary one, is a moving and oscil-
ating ball, followed about a foot below by a circular
brush, suited in ciao to ,weeping chimney pots. At
about five feet below this, are a series of brushes, fixed on
a belt of vulcanized india rubber, and the top and bottom
of which are ends of brass, the former rather larger than
the latter, which is of the same circumference as the india
rubber bands. As the machine is forced up the line, the
elasticity of the vulcanized india rubber allows the brushes
without injury to take an oblique position, and facilitates
the operation of its ascension, but directly the machine is
attempted to be withdrawn, they become fixed in an hori-
zontal form, by their catching against the flanging por-
tion of the top, and thus the outer circumference of the
apparatus is so much increased, that it would be next to
impossible that it could fail in removing every particle of
accumulated soot. The following diagram will illustrate
it. The dotted line shews the position of the brushes
when the machine is ascending, and the parallel lines when
descending.

mall &Brush

J

Brush.Z\ Brush

• •
/ India %
e Rubber. \

Another important advantage is the adaptation of vul-
canised Indian rubber to the purpose of universal joints,
which are fixed between each required length of cane, so
as to allow them when slightly pressed by the revolving
ball coming against the curvatures of a chimney, to turn
the most acute angle.
A trial of the apparatus was made last week on a chim-
ney of rather a difficult character. The operator at first,
conceiving it to be a straight flue, did not apply the
pliable joints, which are only necessary where ordinary
machines would not do ; and the consequence was, that

I glanc

before the brushes had reached half the height of the pre-

mises, they became fixed across an angle: The whole was
immediately withdrawn and the joints applied, when with
apparent ease the ball was projected and exhibited at the
top of the chimney, which, to the astonishment of all,
ran into a stack horizontally fully 20 feet from the place
at which the machine was introduced. On its being drawn
down the flue, it brought with it an immense quantity of
soot, but in order to prove that none was left it was again
sent up, and the result was most satisfactory. A com-
pany has been formed in this town for the purpose of
practically carrying out this invention ; and we trust that
(if for humanity's sake alone) they will meet support.
The charges they make are in accordance with the rents,
varying from 4d. per chimney upwards, but the projectors
have most liberally undertaken to cleanse the flues in all
unrated houses gratuitously, which will do much for the
sanatory condition of the town, and tend to prevent the

ROYAL AMPI

lITHEATRE

As this week closes the visit of M. Dejean and hi
company, we shall only have this opportunity of re
viewing the remaining members of the establishment

just ice

n which they so well deserve ; we will, howeve
it them, and fulfil the promise we gave at ti

I commencement

M. A. Nsai has a small but muscular figure; he I
eat power of spring, and takes lion-like leaps over

table at least eight feet wide, and concludes by ridii
with great energy and spirit. He is a very useful perso

akes part in a variety of ac

the genera.

,musement

le spea.

e appears in the tigt
v 744.11 arm*, oviTns

classes

mainir

THE LIVERPOOL STANDAfI.

ST. PAUL'

;he collecti

s of ti

of nearly £2OO

the schools to be c
the loud and frequ

air*='~"~'a~~~tA"'~.:

THE NAVIGATION LAWS.—A petition to both houses
of parliament from the shipowners of this town was lying
for signature a short time on Wednesday and Thursday
at the Exchange News-room. It received the names of
upwards of 400 of the principal firms of the town. The
prayer of the petition is that a select committee be ap-
pointed to inquire into the policy and operation of the
Navigation Laws, and that parliament will refuse its sanc-
tion to any legislation thereon until such inquiry shall be
completed.
THE MECHANICS IN LlVERPOOL.—Mechanics and
artificers particularly, are badly off. Men who formerly
earned, as joiners, 255. to 30s. a week, are now glad to
find employment as common labourers, at 15s. to 17s. 6d.
a-week. The suspension of building is the cause of this
depression. One half of the houses, we might almost
safely say, are "to be let" in Birkenhead ; and in this
town not a few. Fortunate has it been for us the winter
has been

mild ; and we may now look forward to a genial
spring bringing some comfort to the unfortunate working

CLOSING OF THE POST-OFFICE ON SUNDAY.—We
understand that application having been made to the
Postmaster-General, by some parties in Liverpool, for the
of the Post-office on the Sabbath, an answer was on
-eceived, to the effect that if a memorial, signed

, were presen

effect, it would be complied with. Asa literal fulfilment
of this condition would of course be impracticable, it is
understood by some parties that a memorial very numer-
ously signed would be sufficient to ensure the Postmaster-
General's acquiescence.

s Sono°Ls.—A very kind response has been
yen to the appeals made by the Revds. Hugh Jones,

"eile, in behal:

t. Paul's Church. We rejoice to find
and donations amounted, together,

Another gentlemafi
Handsome as all

rs £5 each

a very little way towards liquidating a debt
id when that debt is all paid, how are
lon ? Is it not to be feared that
I appeals, in behalf of moral