The New York herald., 1850-08-30

hose who ply for fares. They lose, it may be
estimated, more than two-thirds Of the applications
which they would in their business, Ia con-
sequence Of the netensy Of their illegal and unjust
practices. Respectable propretors of carriages
would find it for their interest TO maintain the legal
rates, and TO select those who infringe upon the
laws for punishment Cheap fares, sheap postage,
and cheap newspapers are the most profitable in the
longrun Try the experiment, and see howit will
turn out
IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM EsGINKs-WHAr CAN
he sAvkp.-Within the past twenty years, but more
particularly during the last half of that period,
steam marine, both IN the naval and merchant
vice throughout the world, has evidently, to the
most casual observer, increased with a rapidity
that the immortal Fulton. in his enthusi astc
moments, could scarcely have hoped for and yet We
believe ii is not st the presen moment in much
than its infancy, and have not the slightest doubt
but that cur previously expressed belief in its
eventually supersedine entirely the use Of sailing
vessels, will be carried out to the letter, the capa
cities of carry ing, in the former will be and
more increased, with every successive improve
nent in steam machinery.
The principal things 10 be aimed at 10 the con-
struction of steamers, to lessen the weight and
cost Of the engines and boilers, and at the same
time make them more compact, and also, to les
sen the consumption of fuel, and add to the safety
and durability of the boilers. Using fresh water,
would alone produce a saving of twenty per cent
| in the fuel, which is a most important item, not
only in the cost of purchase but also in carrying
! and handling il. BY saving that much room for
fuel vessel could carry twenty five per cent
freight, as the boilers would take up less room
weigh less, and last three or four times long as
at presents demand a smaller number of firemen
and coal lrimmers, and would seldom require re-
pairing. This 70 much needed Improvement has
been oiten attempted but has not yet been adopted,
owing TO some important defects, which will
be no doubt eventually removed. To accomplish
it, the condensation must be done by bringing
the siesm in contact with a cooling surface
of metal instead of The jet OF water, at present.
The principal difficulty with this kind of condenser
has been to keep the pipes tight, the pressure of
the atmosphere on the outside being such that the
! smallest leak would in ure the operation very ma
terally. AS these defects overcome, the ex-
pense of steam vessels will be diminished and
their increase be the more rapid.
The saving by using fresh water may be esti-
mated about follows
Per cent
! Saving in cost of fuel, abou. ................. 20
Do u handling coal, cleaning boilers, 80. 3
Increase OF capacity for carry ing freight IS
| Besides the saving of fuel in using fresh water,
the time occupied in taking in coal and cleaning
boilers would be saved also the time lost in lay
ing up to repair replace boilers when the vessel
might be running proftably.
With r,epect TO war ships, steamers are msch
less costly than sailing vessels as OF the for
mer will do much cruising as three of the latter
with less than the expense Of one. This may ap-
pear strange, but il lie, nevertheless, true. The
nations in Europe no at all pretend to the charac-
ter Of naval powers, have each a larger number of
war steamers Than this country possesses At pre-
sent We have but the Mississippi and the Al
leghany (the former now at sea, and the latter
Lid up al Washington, and one just completed Of
four authorized by Congress to be constructed.
The remaining three pretty we'll advanced,
and when completed, will make six war steamers
ht for sea, a number, We should say, entirely too
small for natioK tie second only in commercial
importance in the world.
Steam is thus progressive in a variety of ways.
Amer erica, though the first to send a steamship
(the Savannah,) across the Atlantic, did not fol-
low il up but confined herself the inland naviga-
ton CT her lakes, rivers and bays. England, hsv-
| ing but little river navigation, was compelled TO
construct steamers TO encounter heavy weather on
her coast, the only place where they were for a
long period employed. But gradually they were
made to perform greater distances, and more in the
| oren sea, until the Atlantic crossed by the
Sirius and Great Western. Since that time, the
communication between the two countries has
been constantly becoming more regular and fire.
quent, until it is crossed weekly, and at times
semi-weekly, and with more certainty than the
Mississippi was navigated twenty, or even ten
years back.