The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1842-02-15 00:00:00

ON VENTILATION

The lecturer commenced by stating that he had no new
theories to advance, his sole object being to apply existing
laws to explain well known phenomena, most of the results he
was about to show being already no doubt attained by others
whose attention had been drawn to the physical laws in force
for the maintenance of the wide extended necessities of life,
while all the results could he arrived at by any member of the
society who would direct his mind to'their mode of action.
He proposed, first, to consider the chief ventilatory aera-
tory forces of the atmosphere; secondly. the aeratory forces

of the ocean ; and thirdly, to endeavour to show what venti-
lation would have been in an atmosphere often by geologists
supposed to have existed mond our globe at the commence-
ment of the first transmutation of the matter at its surface :
this was an aqueous atmosphere, the greater part being sup-
posed to consist of the vast waters now forming the
ocean. He bespoke the indulegence of his auditory,
inasmuch as his paper, previously written; was on the
solicitation of their indefatigable secretary, remodelled for
the occasion. He then proceeded to show that the atmos-
phere as to moisture, and consequently its conducting power
for caloric, governed to a considerable extent the diffusion of
the artificial gases given out at a temperature 20 or 30 de-
grees above the surrounding atmosphere; while it would be
found that gases thrown off at the existing temperature of the
soil, only obeyed one set of laws, whether they were elimi-
nated by the acts of men, or by the infinitely more extended
processes of nature. The laws 'which appeared to act as
direct agents in ventilating our atmosphere were, Ist, the law
for the diffusion of gases discovered by Dalton and Graham ;.
2d, the winds now said by meteorologists to be of two kinds,
ascending currents, and impelled currents; 3d, the ascending
and descending currents of air, which show that in a serene
atmosphere the air derives its heat by contact with the earth ;
4th, the elastic state of the atmosphere; and sth, evapora-
tion. Proceeding to these heads the lecturer furnished a
most ingenious exposition of the laws regulating ventilation,
but we regret that the subject is of so extended a nature that
justice cannot be done to it within the circumscribed limits
of a newspaper, pitrticularly at a time when political subjects
almost exclusively occupy the public mind. Suffice it, for
the present to say, that he displayed great research and in-
genuity in his expositions, which he couched in language at
once select and comprehensive, showing the relative powers
of diffusion of the various gases, natural and artificial, the
winds prevailing in different parts of the world, the diffusion
of chaloric, the electric forces, evaporation, seasons, climate,
cm rents of the ocean, &c., quoting the most distinguished
authoritieS, explaining several phenomena, and expressing a
hope that the study of the subject would lead practical scien-
tific men to the most beneficial results, in introducing an im-
proved and effective system of ventilation of towns and
public buildings.
An interesting discussion took place, in which several gen-
tletnen took part, and which elicited some satisfactory ex-
planations from the lecturer, who was listened to with great
attention, and sat down amidst much applause.
ON THE RISE, PROGRESS, AND EXTENSION OF THE

ALPACA MANUFACTURES

Mr. William Danson, wool broker, of the firm of Ed-
wards, Danson and Company, of this town,.read a very
interesting paper on this subject, for the origin sof which,
he stated, the members were indebted to the late secretary of
the society, Mr. Dirks, who had urged him to the present
essay three months ago. Ile furnished a succinct view of the
manufacture from the introduction of the wool to the present
time, and exhibited many beautiful silky specimens, in various
articles of wearing apparel. The article was first introduced
as a marketable fabric by Mr. Benjamin Outram, a venerable
and scientific manufacturer of Greetland, near Halifax, who,
twelve or fourteen years ago, sold it in the form of ladies'
carriage Shawls and cloakiugs, as curiosities: He had spe7
cially to order the wool from Peru, and it could then be ob=
tained only at high prices, so that half a square of the cloth
sold for from £3 to £4. Several of the specimens exhibited
had been in constant wear for upwards of eleven years. For
two years the manufacture was necessarily limited. About
1832 his (Mr. D.'s)'' opinion was taken as to the properties
and capabilities of the article, and he advised his merchant,
Mr. J. J. Began, of the firm of Messrs. Began, Hall, and
Co., of, this town, that it might be safely imported at certain
prices, and if supplied in large quantities would become an
article of general use in our manufactures. Those gentlemen
consequently wrote to their own house in Peru to buy and
contract for all they could procure, at an unlimited price, and
the official account of the subsequent imports from that coun-
try' was as follows :
From Islay. From Arica.
Quintals. Quintals.
1834....
1835..
1836 1099
1837
1838 4593 '
1839 8555
1840 l3OOO 3500

32,996 8,200
Being a total of 41,196 quintals, of 100 lb. each, which was
4,200,0001 b. ; and in 1841 there had been imported into Li-
verpool probably about 2,000,0001 b., as in February alone
1,000,000 was introduced. Some also was brought to Eng-
land from France and America, and during the above period
a good deal was imported as sheeps' wool and llama wool;
so that within 7 years fully 8 millions of pounds had been im-
ported, constituting the foundation of the alpaca manufac-
tures, the fabrics of which are now in such general use. The

stocks of the raw material accumulated until 1839, when a
speculative demand eased the market of perhaps £50,000
value, at 2s. to 2s. Gd, per lb.,—the manufacture still going
steadily on,—when in September of that year the subject was
brought before the British Association, at Birmingham,
where specimens of its manufacture, black as jet (without
dye), were exhibited, and tested by Mr. Addams. lecturer on
chemistry, &c., who stated that the natural black colour
could not be changed by chemical action.
Foreseeing the impossibility Of obtaining anything like an
adequate supply of the raw material from Peru to satisfy the
demand of our manufacturers, his (Mr. D.'s) attention was
directed to the importation of the animals; and the subject
was brought before the Natural History Society in that
Royal Institution, from whose deliberations emanated the
publication of the pamphlet on the " Naturalisation of the
Alpaca," patronised and sanctioned by the Earl of Derby,
who had declared his unqualified opinion that the animal
might be cliniatised in this country, for the benefit of our
manufactures. Copies of the pamphlet might be had at Mr.
Wareing Webb's, Castle-street, a gentleman who, himself
from Birmingham, and connected with the nobility in the
midland districts, appreciated the value and importance of
the subject, by patronising the society ; and four living spe-
cimens of alpacas were exhibited at the Liverpool Mechanics'
Institution in July 1840, as well as at the meeting of the
British Association, in Glasgow, in the same year.
In 1840 and 1841 the alpaca manufactures made the most
rapid progress, and he now came to the epoch of its esta-
blishment as a national staple manufacture. In 1839 the
yarns of alpaca were regularly sent to the French manufac-
turers, who employed them in their fabrics in imitation of
silk, they being very much cheaper ; and its use was obser-
vable in the goods retailed in many of the towns and cities of
the Continent, as recently noticed in the Atheneum. One
manufacturer alone was using the wool weekly in quantities
amounting to nearly double the annual production, accord-
ing to the statistical table given, as the exports quoted were
the accumulation of many years. Looking, therefore, to
the extension of our alpaca manufactures, we must seek in
vain to find an adequate supply from Peru, the animals being
chiefly concentrated in one district, a great distance from the
shipping ports, Islay and Arica being the only two from
which any Alpaca wool had been exported. In Lima and
Valparaiso the animals were so scarce, that they were con-
sidered curiosities, as in England.
The alpaca Manufactures were extending in Scotland as
well as in Ireland. He (Mr. D.) had letters from Inver-
ness, in the north of Scotland, for yarns, to beautify the
Scotch tartan manufactures ; and also from the county of
Kerry (in the'south of Ireland,) where the refuse of alpaca
wool was spun by the mountaineers into hosiery and other
fabrics. Thus were the alpaca manufactures extending
rapidly throughout Great Britain. •
" Every thing," said Mr. Danson, " has been done by the
wool stapler and manufacturer to. depreciate the raw material,
in consequence of the badness of the times, and the difficulty
of selling goods ; yet the alpaca manufactures command a
free sale in the London, Yorkshire, Manchester, Paisley,
and Glasgow markets ; and the fabrics in Mouselin-de-
laine, Chusan crapes, chene, cloakings, Norwich novelties
de sarsenet,' hosiery, coats, surtouts, cravats, vests, and
fringes, as well as mixing with sewing silks, and other in-
numerable articles are of this fine material, exhibiting the
skill and enterprise of the British manufacturer."
He next noticed the difficulties attending the dyeing of de-
licate colours in this wool—such as royal-blues, scarlet,
greens, and oranges, and which has been completely over-
come, from time to time, as indicated by the different and
beautiful colours in the pattsrns of mouseline-de-laine, and
ladies' dresses. One of the latter was exhibited, and cost
only 50s. The royal blue was a splendid specimen ; some of
them had been in use in his family for four years. He then
showed 24 Peruvian costume drawings, just received from a
friend at Arica, in which the colours of the garments were
beautiful. The alpaca seemed by nature to be provided for
the protection of man, as well as of itself, from the in-
cessant torrents of rain that fell periodically in the mountains
of the Andes. He also exhibited a species of baize made in
England, to supercede the alpaca domestic manufactures of
the country, and considered it only fair that we should take
their iine soft wool in exchange. He showed a variety of
vests, stocks, &e., of the alpaca, which had been in wear for
years, and which appeared as rich and glossy as silk,
and exceedingly durable ; also specimens of the wool in
its raw state, including a sample (staple) of black, taken
from a black alpaca, exhibited at the Royal English
Agricultural Show here, in July last, belonging to Earl Der-
by, and Mr. Foot, his lordship's farm-agent, stated that
this animal had 17 lb. of wool (alpaca) on it, which is now
worth 2s. 6d. per lb., and very saleable; whereas the usual ave-
rage of the fleece of a Scotch sheep is but 6 lbs., and the value
of it 411 d. per lb., and bad to sell. The alpaca wool alluded
to appeared to be upwards of a foot in length of staple. A
dozen specimens of beautifully figured shawls were also ex-
hibited, splendidly worked in flowers. These were only 16s.
each, and black and other colours of figured and plain alpaca
manufactures, called Orleans cloths, value 2s. to 3s. per yard,
in imitation of silk, well calculated for ladies' dresses : but
the shopkeepers did not know them as alpaca manufacture.
Mr. Danson concluded by inviting the company to an in-
spection of the different articles, which were examined with
much interest, and excited great interest.
GRANT'S PATENT FUEL.

Mr. B. PLArr brought forward some samples of Grant's
Patent Fuel, which is composed of anthracite anti and mi-
neral pitch, and moulded into bricks, one pound of which is
expected to evaporate eight pounds of water. He stated that
there were no coals in this neighbourhood suitable for this
manufacture, the best he had used were raised by Messrs.
Tayleur and Co., and one pound of which, by the admiralty's
test evaporated 6lbs. lioz. of water. From a series of experi-
ments made, he stated that he had obtained the greatest heat
from an admixture of anthracite coal, coke, and mineral
pitch. This, he considered, would be the best and most effec-
tual fuel, and would evaporate more water than Grant's
Patent.

The public business of the evening being now concluded
the members retired to the committee room, and partook
of tea and coffee before separating.
The forthcoming papers announced are :—On Flame.—On
Iron as applicable to ship building.—On Geology, as appli-
cable to the obtaining of permanent building materials.—On
Rotary Steam Engines.—On Hanging Iron Gates.—On
Climate.

The half-yearly meeting of the London and Birmingham
Railway Company took place on Friday, when a dividend of
41 per cent. for the half-year was declared.
LOVE IN A UNION.—A woman with several children, all
belonging to the parish of Olney, was a few months since ere
inmate of the union workhouse at Newport-Pagnell ; in the
same domicile, with three children, was a blind man—" Love's
blind they say,"—belonging to the parish of Lavendon.
After a residence there some time, a professional gentleman
from London applied to the governor to see the woman, and
ultimately succeeded in obtaining for her £4OO or £5OO to
which she was legally entitled. No sooner in possession of
her property than she sent for the blind man to London, paid
his passage, and married him immediately ! Thus, Love,
thou art confined to no rank or station : splendid palaces and
luxurious enjoyments, as well as poor-law bastiles and pauper
privations, all own thy despotic sway as omnipotent and
everlasting.—Bucks Gazette.