The Sumter banner. [volume] (Sumterville, S.C.) 1846-1855, 1853-03-08

| ""'tsS", onN tho SouatIJ, VIC are re.
questcd not to mention; as in matter of
such Importance, involving, too, such
immense counter.interest, the friends
of the movement have their reasons for
keeping the details to themselves.
AnoMer Internal Machine.-The
capability Of Cotton to resist sudden
combustion, is well known. A wall
of this material, Of suitable thickness,
would resist the best directed broad.
side which could be brought to bear
upon it. There would be no crumb-
ling or breaking down about it. A
LIB ball would merely lodge in it, the
same as q bullet lodges in a thick
plank. Taking advantage of this fact,
q scientific gentleman of our acquaint-
ance-Professor Grant-proposes to
take small clipper steamers and cover
them outside and in, with bales of
Cotton, SO completely as to render
them actually impervious to any
known missile. These he would use
rs floating batteries to protect-not
only our harbors-but our whole coast.
The only weapon necessary for them
would be simple, and yet destructive
one. 1t would consist of long spar,
rugged SO as to range considerable
distance ahead of the battery, and at
some distance under water. The end
of this spar would be armed simply
with large quantity of gunpowder,
to be discharged by galvanic battery,
on the spar being brought against the
side or bottom Of the invading vessel.
Wood or Iron could not withstand
snch shock. The lea tliat
might be expected lsS
~, ;ssSs4oss Ssis s. cr ihA Atsetsin W
amcter into the vessel against which it
was directed, and her almost instanta-
neous sinking. The battery at the
time of the discharge could be moved
off, but if any mischance should occur,
in any way, the Cotton would prevent
it from sinking, while it protected it,
and those employed upon it, from any
attacks Of the enemy.
About two months af"r, o Mr..
Nasmyth, Of Birmingham, England,
took up the same idea, and in a letter
to the London Times, described a
FLOATING Mortar which he proposed
to construct, to guard England from
invasion. ~ great noise is now made
in American papers about Mr.
Nasmyth's FLOATING Mortar which
is nothing but modification Of Pro.
fessor Grants idea, published as be.
fore stated.
a BILL D1sPUTED.-1'he harness for
the horse and carriage to be presented
to Gen. Pierce, was contracted for
and made in Boston, but the contrac,
tor having subsequently charged ST..
e37 for the same, the committee re.
fused to pay it, and ordered new
set to be made in New York. The Bos
ton contractor, it is said, will sue the
committee for the amount, as they
directed him to make it of the best OF
material, without regard to cost. The
mountings on the harness cost over 81 ),
100, and are mostly Of solid silver, and
Of most beautiful design, represcn
ting oak branches, leaf and acorn
Charleston Standard.
! >--..aos.-~~~>-~~
AN IMPORTANT DIscovERY.-A Gu,
ban correspondent ofthe Raleigh Stan
dard says, that DR.. Finley, an Eng
lish practitioner of long experience III
Cuba, and graduate Of Paris, has dis.
covered in the course of his practice in
cases Of small, pox, that vaccine virus,
after h::aing once passed through the
nsgroe's system, becomes useless as a
prophylnctis to the white race, This
fnct may in some degree explain the
rapid extension and fatality of that dis
case whenever it visits that Island. DR..
Cartwright, m eminent physician OF
New. Orleans, who has published an
elaborate essay, in which he argues the
origin Of the different races of man
kind, has seized hold on the fact de-
velopcd in the practice maintained
by him.
| BAPrlsTs.-Thc American Baptists
Register gives the following "Grand
Summary Of Baptists throughout
the world: