The Statesman.
London, England, 1820-12-15 00:00:00

[-fir INTELLIGENCE. ~
• ----4+.4.-- '
)URT OF COMMON PLEAS, GUILDHALL. DM.*
, .......+....... ,
$ VTERN, KING AN$ eit. 4iq , AIM PHOINIX litedylOti*
CthlitANT.
The regime'd heartier of this interesting case mum
in this morning at tem o'clock.
Mr. %Yawn, the .first witness called, deposed, that if
asy explosion caused by steam or inflammable gas had
Stake* place, its effects would be different frost, those
which he perceived at the premises of News. Severe
'lad King after the fire; the loot whale oil was used
van their new apparatus; the raw which was dug min
of the ruins was whole; it WaS stibsrquently tried
4 with water, and leaked very little. Alr. Howard ob-
- gained a patent on the steaus pressure plan. 3lr. Tay-
lor had alto a patent for boiling sugar with steam,
also on the high pressure system. The risk of fire was
greater before his patent plan was meted 00, inasmuch
E aa fire was pot under the pass; one fire-place and one
• pan were taken away in consequence of acting on his
plan; the risk was diminished by the mere removal of
.e tire; but all the fires in the house Lad also a commu-
•.ieation with the separate doors of the building; the
interior of the building teas less heated in consequence
*sof the diminution of fuel used for heating the pan;
ne iron chimney during the day was red hot, and
tic-nearest substance to it was a current of air
about three inches or less, and surrounding that the
brick-work of the chimney ; by the use of the pan six
t Scuts for reducing heat were done away, and ,rut mote
ban hail the usual beat escapes from the other six.
Tbc floors get saturated with sugar, it lying like sand
on the floor; syrups continually drop on the doors;
all parts of the sugar-house are covered with them, it
is impossible it could be otherwise. 'I lie new machi-
nery tot eeeee eneed on the 18th August; the pump was
tieed in the most conspicuous place, atiil lie has seen
many persons looking at it, and sugar-brokers have
been frequently there ; he saw 31r. Cope, of the Phoe-
nix ; he is a sugar refiner; he told witness he had a
house not then at work. and hearing witness had
some apparatus, lie said he wished to see it ; on this,
he sheaved hint a working model : when the sugar
fled over, there would appear smoke a• well as
t The oil, even greatly above the temperature
lie uses, does not produce any thing liable to com-
bustion ; he has investigated the subject thoroughly ;
a small quantity of aqueous vapour is given out by
oil, which is not at all inflammable. At the low tem.
peratures nothing inflammable is produced. Ile has
repeatedly investigated this subject, and finds that
bo visible inflammation could take place in oil
tinder GOO degrees. At that temperature a small
quantity of vapour is given our, a condeusible vapour
called a gas, to which, when a light is applied, It
burns with abundant flame of i blueish colour. It
waives about fur a moment or two and then goes out;
to keep it alive there must be frequent repetitions of
the igniting power. At a foot distance the vapour
wield become condensed, and then collapse again.
The sugar-honse is 108 feet long, 27t feet wide on an
average, and 63 feet high : and if gas were set about
it, so as to inflame it in order to render the atmosphere
inflammable, it would require three times the quautity
of nil contained in the vessel, and would require that
to be kept at a red heat fur two or three days, admit-
tong that vapour could be sent into the room,. bat va-
pour could Pot exist in that stale. It is difficult to
esteem any thing from oil. The ordinary way of
producing gas from oil is to let it fall into a red hot
resort, and bricks are used to make a greater surface.
tor procuring greater heat. Short of that degree of
intensity of beat gas is not to be produced, except im-
perfectly. Six days before the fire took place the ves-
sel was taken out, twelve gallons of 41i1 were added :
the vapour is in proportion to the waste. The titer-
tnotneter dipped about half-way, and wishing it to dip
lower they added this quantity, as well as to supply
some leakage which bad taken place. When beat is
applied to oil it blackens and thickens it ; if not so
kept it would be unfit to be purified. After repeated!
Leatings its fluidity returns, but its discoloration re-
trains; nothing sticks to the bottom, it is neither ad-
hesive nor chardy. Ulue is insoluble in oil, and there
eras no appearance of glutinous matter in the oil, and,
its lying so long in the pan rendered it leas indent-
usable.
The cross-examination produced nothing particular.
Dv. Thomas, pirofessoe of chemistry in the Univer-
sity of Glasgow, said, hie attention was first directed a
tile present @object -about the beginning of last Joey ;
be hasten; the ordinary process of refining agar, and
thinks much km danger from the patent ; oil boils at
ahout 646 degrees. If the machine which held the oil
were too leak, it would sot be attended with any dais-
ger s if a greit leak, it would pat the lire out; if a
small one, it would burn like coal; at 350, nothing
bat a little water is emitted from oil, and that is nut
-at all inflammable ; be has made experiments on
whale oil, &pillow has not yet satisfied himself that it
ettaki give a gio lower than 640; if at 350. it would
require a great addition and a long time to raise it to
fi4o. - If the gas went up the leaden pipe, produced
from ell. it would not burn, unless it maid with six
. time, the quantity of cosmos air; if the whole oil ,
were elsongod into gas, it ossold not pecidare minibus •
tilos from the structure of the apparatus; it was in,-
possible, under all the eivermataiiees of the concern, I
to prodnre combustiOn. If the oil lay in the pan for
two months, it would nialie•no alteration whatever at a
t. beat aftllo. When 01l Is healed to a certain degree, it pro-
.llts . vapour. but when oil is at 360, a water separates
,11, awl cornet on its shoulders minute quantities
• sit 110: oil will hurts; before 640 .it does this.l
fif
be determine the tweet ;milk. Keels a
.
ai*Wirkattliedld not ascend sue inch iti the chimney', if
-I'llY4lll. Oli sonny condeniel to the application of
IleatAwlee as rapidly asivater. At a temperature of '
Ogres's, aer iodosaniable vapour could pass over i
';. ...pHs 4 this tuba. which is 16 feet over the one-
• of us .11, cureo at a bee of 1111101. no idea-
.
Idefekloo meld pass. Niebing hest eteurred 'to
Ida la
efp
experiments he, ad's by *lO danger
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• de.pir it droll 'nit a stem; :loot -4 would *all
'l' "I • • tivigt i4tii . geppawdor .1* the twist
I substance which be knows. Pitt legal