The Express. — 1851-01-31 (London, England)

IMPROVEMENT VC PAINTING IRON SHIPIL—A private trial of an apparatus for warming the plates of iron ships while in the graving dock was made en Friday, at Messrs. Garnett and Moore's North Foundry. The great difficulty of drying the plates of iron ships to make them in a fit state for painting, has been long felt, while the ordinary methods of warming them have been tedious and troublesome, as well as very uncertain. The machine tried on Friday consists of a small (muse* of plate iron, lined with brick, to which is attached a small fan. The whole is very compact, and is placed on wheels, and is moved by two handles like a wheelbarrow. The fan, being set in motion by a winch, drives a rapid current of air through the fire, which is of hard coke, and this parses out through a pipe of eight inches diameter. This pipe has at the bottom a universal joint, so that it can be moved in any direction. The mode of using it is as follows:—The machine being placed in the graving-dock, a boy turns the fan, while a man directs the pips to the bottom or side of the ship. By these means a powerful current of hot air is jetted on the plates, which BOWS become dry and warm and in a fit state for painting. The trial wasmade misuse large plates with water poured upon them, and the result was very satin factory. It will shortly be applied to an iron vessel. The apparatusia the invention of Mr. Grantham, who has obtained a palest for it.—Liverpool Albion. ROYALTY IN A COAL PlT.—Some month. Binae two ladies and a gentleman, Germans, applied to Mr. Laws, the resident agent at Springwell Colliery, near Newcastle, for permission to go down one of the Ella and inspect the method of working the coal. He very readily acquiesced in their winks's, provided them with proper clothing for their subterrumen excursion and descended the shaft with them, and showed them through the streets and alleys of his underground dominions. Having hospitably entertained them at Me house, he then dismissed them, highly gratified with what they had seen. At Christmaa he was agreeably earCoidprised the receipt of a letter from Count Graben, atomrl.ain to the King of Prussia, recalling the circumstance to his recollection thanking him for his polite attention, and informing him, that he was one of the distinguished visitors, and the others were the Princess Leignitz, widow of his late Majesty the King of Prussia, travelling incog. under the name of Countess Wilkan, and &lady of her suite. The count further informed Mr. Laws that her majesty had gent two fruit baskets of Bohemian glass as a present to his lady, as a souvenir of their visit to flpringwelL—Berwick Warder.  OP AN ALLEGED MURDERER IN  LxvinFooL.—ln the month of November, 1842, Kr. James Bonny, a nimistrate of the county of Tipperary, was bar. barously murdered near to his own residence, at Hillfeaole. The saurderev *laded the vigilance of the polio*, notwithstanding that a reward 0/ 2001. had been offered for his apprehension. On Tesed►y night he was given into the custody of the pollee through the instrumentality of his wife, whom be had deserted. The al!eged murderer's name is A.edrew Coffee and he has been residing in one of the streets off Christian-swat ever dare the time of the inurlu.. He  ;aitakmbsiOni;:isoTt•iioO iF;lii•iii,anlOidar;ti to be mat to InbarL