Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1851-03-29
FOREIGN REVIEWS.

FOREIGN REVIEWS. .t
From The London Arehitect and Civil Engiueers Jour
nah" for January,
We have received from the literally Of the Hon Tao.I
EwBAsK United States Commissions OF Patents tbc A.,
volume Of the report Of bis Department. directed BY the sens.
to be printed The abo of Mr. Ewbank are as we'll know
In the old country in the United States His ZEAL his en-
hghensd intelligence and his scientific do
to the Government which appointed him. and contribute great
H 10 the reputation OF the department which he sesdes
As yearly experience the Of the American Govern
ment in supplying with these reports and look at the
volumes devoted to the mechanical psgsss Of the United
States, cannot but feel regret to have TO compare the
gect of own Government towards such important inter-
II asked authorities for information, the
application would be undervalued but the United States
Government for the furheance of science takes that
the technical periodicals throughout the world shall be kept
| well informed.
In the short time since we have received this vounse Of
coo pages, have not been able 10 make ourselves fully
quaned with its contents only appreciate its general
value We may, nevertheless, take advantage the pre-
sent occasion Of offering few extracts q interest.
| The Loadon periodical then proceeds to copy
many passages from the able Report of the Com
missioner and Of the several Examiners Of the Pa
tent Office. We add its notice of Prof. PAGE's
report: s
The report Of Mr.. PAGE, Examiner in the Patents Depart
men will be read with attention by all who know the expe
rine Ocean Telegraph he ssSs
"The crossing Of rivers and large bodies Of by
submerged wires does not yet TO have been
taned and the chief obstacle thus far is mpeecton in the
methods Of insulation The plan which proposed several
years since appears be worthy Of trial II in using
local circuit and battery Of quantity at each river body Of
water. The gavanc current employed the main routes
are Of small quantity and high intensity hence slight de-
feet Of insulation in submerged wire would be productive Of
great loss. But BY using current Of quantity and the
lowest possible intensity, to be off BY local magnet,
inclined to think that single wire laid in the river, with
the most ordinary preparations for insulation, would be ec
tual in establishing connexion between the examinations Of
the great line opposite sides of the river other body of
water has long since been proposed connect the
ern and western continents BY means Of Geographic wires laid
down In the depths Of the ocean, and lately the proposition
has been revived with venuresome and true American
spirit II does not appear in way impsccable to stretch
wire from the American continent to England and in the
waveless depths Of the ntsmnabe waters the wire would be
from depreciation than upon t7D ym0. From
its weight would sink beneath the realms Of the living
sters, and lie far out Of reach from the ruthless hand Of mis-
chief sPecuaing avarce. But tho insulation Of such
wire is thing not easily conceived Of in the present state Of
knowledge. Besides the mechanical nisees required
obtain complete insulating covering for the wire, should
have to contend against the corrosive action Of the water
and this too at point where its greater density would exat
its chemical agency
From the London g Practical Mcdaniel JOURNAL" for
January.
REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF PAyExTs FOB THE
YEAR ls4s: Part 1.-The bold character Of American in
venion Is well illustrated in the remarkable volume before
It gives peep into the Of that Of novelties
in the production Of which the citizens of the United States
have earned remarkable reputation, and furnishes eo
quent example Of that nordnate eadng Of inventors upon
anothes HEELS often held up the inevitable result
Of system Of excessively cheap patents
The volume contains in its eight sections financial and
statistical account of the official proceedings for the year
general statement and classification of inventions examiners
and machnss reports article the origin and progress
Of invention another the motors chief levers Of cvza
ton proposed application of the Government patent fund
historical notices of inventors and paenees and an article
on the propulsion Of steamers. .#
appears from the financial statement that the whole
Der of applications for patents received during the year ending
December 81 ls49, 1855 the number Of caveats filed
during the period is $685. The whole number patents
issued during the year ls49 is LOTS, including 80 reissues
additional improvements, and 40 designs. No disclaimers
have been entered during the year. Within the year ls49
Isl patents have expired. There IL applications to
extend patens the terms Of which about to expire
Of which granted and rejected None have been
| tended BY act Of Congress within the year.
The number Of cases examiners desks January S49
$50 the number Of applications received during the
year 1855 making the whole number Of applications before
the Office for the year, 2494 OF this number,
NAMED unexamined the 3lst December, lS49 The
business ofhe Office for the past year shows the examination
4S5 applications, resulting 10 the issue of 076 patents
and !, 409 reflections and suspensions
The Commissioner devotes considerable space to the
consideration Of modification Of the existing laws, which, like
own, areopen to the charge Of being "behnd
THE same Journal devotes several Of its pages
in two successive numbers to the insertion of Mr..
EwBANK's ingenious and highly philosophical trea-
tise embraced in his report of l649) on the Pro-
pulsion Of Steamers" and has gone to the expense
of having all the illustrations Of the report engra-
we'd and inserted along with the text. It introduces
the second notice or continuation as follows
con THE PROPULSION OF STEAMERs.-We have already
gven pages lO2 and 1874, elaborate paper On the
Paddles Of Steamers &c. contaning valuable deductions
Of Mr. Ewbank from the numerous experiments and observa-
tons which he has made upon this important subject In fol-
lowing the various links Of the chain Of reasoning into
tons and illustrations, which will be found eucdatory Of
obscurites scarcely looked into by English engineers From
the collection Of natural aquatic and aerial propeers much
information is to be cleaned the questions of the form
| and arrangement Of artificial propelers.
The principles by which steamers to be mpeled
with rapidy and economy Of power, definite
any that give effect to lever screw and fixed and
unalerabe those Of nature herself To discover them
the busness-he chief businessof the philosophical eng
nee and not till this is done his achievements be free
from the faint Of mpeectiou and corresponding failure It
dscredabe that the true outlines Of propeng blades have
not been determined, and the rather since it Is proof that
the full bearing of the question involved has be ethat
the potential influence Of form and proportion in propee
well in the bulls Of steamers has yet be investigated
In the following illustrations few Of the millions
Of gradaons Of formfrom the slowest to the quickest
which show that the greater the velocity, the longer
err and sharper they and the converse speed is d.
mnished the shorter, WIDER and bunter they becomehe
rule applying ornhoogic to Psychological organs
Of motion There is something exceedingly interesting as