experiment of mine, made in the Surrey Institution, in 1818, described in Newton's "Journal of Science and Art." This experiment gave promise that the time would come when water would be used as an article of fuel, and was distinctly so stated there. It was even thus applied in a furnace on my suggestion, and several years after Evans secured its application by a patent.

Mr. Witty has admitted, in a former communication made elsewhere, his obligation to me, as well as Davy, for the basis of his late invention. I differ, toto cœlo, from the opinions which have been advanced explanatory of the phenomena of Davy's safety lamp. The article on flame and the flameless lamp, in the last edition I have seen of Ure's "Nicholson's Dictionary," and the treatise on chemistry in the "Library of Useful Knowledge," appear to me a complete tissue of error, unwarranted by any experiment whatever. My opinions and experiments are before the public, and to it I appeal as the umpire.

Many years ago I proposed to the secretary of the Society of Arts, a method of recovering the bodies of the drowned from submersion at considerable depths, which consisted in the inflation of a membranous bag (or one rendered air and water tight by Macintosh's process), by means of a condenser attached to an extended flexible tube connected with it. I see by a model, now in the "Gallery of Practical Science," Adelaide-street, that the same principle, precisely, is suggested as applicable to the purpose of raising sunken ships.

Allow me to add, that I have left there my shipwreck arrow, with its latest improvements, for public inspection. I remain, yours, &c.

August 18, 1834.

J. MURRAY.

Mr. Murray will perceive, on referring to our last number, that before the receipt of his present communication we had spontaneously done him that justice which he now requires at our hands. We should have done so at the time his pamphlet on "Flame and Safety Lamps" was first sent us, but that it happened unfortunately to get mislaid before we had leisure to read it, and has been only perused by us very recently. To place Mr. Murray's claims of priority, in their full extent, before our readers, we subjoin a further extract from his pamphlet.-ED. M. M.

"It is further inferred (by Sir Humphrey Davy) that the flame of combustible bodies may, in all

cases, be considered as the combustion of an explo sive mixture of inflammable gas or vapour with air. It cannot be regarded as a mere combustion at the surface of contact of the inflammable inatter. This fact is proved by holding a taper, or a piece of burning phosphorus, within a large flame made by the combustion of alcohol. The flame of the taper or of the phosphorus will be in the centre of the other flame, proving that there is oxygen even in its interior part!' On this last position (though founded altogether in error), it may here be remarked, that Lord Bacon had entertained an opi nion on the constitution of flame precisely similar to that propounded by Davy, though he afterwards, in his Sylva Sylvarum,' refers to an experiment fatal to his previous conclusions, namely, that a transverse slip of wood is only charred at the exterior edge of the flame. Sir Humphrey Davy's error consisted in using a large flame,' where the phenomena are altogether equivocal and fallacious; because in such a case the flame becomes ragged, diffuse, and, among its breaks and chasms, atmo spheric air finds a ready entrance. I view flame in an aspect altogether different. It is not solid. In texture it is a film-a luminous bubble inflated with inflammable vapour. This view of it was first advocated by myself, contemporaneously with Mr. G. O. Sym. My remarks appeared in the Philosophical Magazine, and Mr. Sym's in the Annals of Philosophy; my results were obtained with a plate of glass, and Mr. Sym's with wire gauze. If there was any priority in the case, that priority was in my favour, since my view of the structure of flame was in the possession of the pub. lic on the last day of the month (when the Philo sophical Magazine was published), while Mr. Sym's appeared in the Annals of Philosophy on the first of the succeeding month. The question is of little consequence-only let fairness be placed before favouritism,*-the merit in the case, therefore, to say the least of it, is a divided one."

FRENCH AERIAL SHIP.

We extract the following notice from the Morning Chronicle of the 14th inst.:

"AN AERIAL SHIP.-There is now exhibiting on the premises of the Aeronautical Society, Paris, in the Champs Elysées, what might not unaptly be termed a monster balloon. This novel conveyance consists of a balloon of 134 feet long, 34 feet high, and about 25 feet wide. It is in the form of the air-bladder of a fish, rather wide in the middle, whilst the ends are in the form of pointed cones. A balloon in this shape will meet with six times less resistance than one in a round form; and that which we are now describing is calculated to raise a weight of 6,500lbs. The car, which is made of wicker-work, painted tri-colour, is 66 feet long and very narrow, with seats (also made of wicker work) across it at regular distances; thirty persons could be accommodated in the car, which is fixed immediately under the balloon, contrariwise to the plan hitherto followed, which was to suspend the car at some distance below the balloon,

the

"Thus Mr. Children, in his work • on Blowpipe,' assigns the discovery exclusively to Mr. Sym, without the slightest allusion to my name, and Dr. Thomson as incessantly harps on the same string. My remarks amounted to these: The cone of flame may be considered a film; by pressing the apex with a plate of glass, we get an insight into its interior, while transverse sections may also be obtained; by allowing alcohol to burn on a piece of glass, slightly concave, we ascertain the form of the base and diameter of the film of flame."

to the movements of which it was entirely subservient, without the possibility of giving it any impulse. The material of which the balloon is made is prepared in such a way as to preserve the gas for fifteen days. There is a rudder at each end of the car; and at each side thereof there are two wheels, to which are attached paddles made of prepared canvass in light iron frames; these paddles are so contrived as occasionally to present a flat surface to the air, and occasionally a cutting edge, and they are set in rotary motion by means of a handle. The following is the manner in which the new aeronauts intend to cause their balloon to ascend or descend, without throwing out ballast or expending the gas. In 1787, Baron Scott, and M. Meunier, of the Academy of Sciences, observed, that the air-bladder in the interior of the body of fishes, possessed the property of permitting them to plunge to the bottom, or rise to the surface of the water, according to whether the said bladder was compressed or dilated. In imitation of this phenomena, a small balloon is introduced, under the principal one, whereby, according to the quantity of exterior air which is introduced therein, a difference of thirty pounds weight of air, more or less, will be made in the weight opposed to the large balloon. This will place at the disposal of the aeronauts a powerful means of elevating their aerial ship at will, to the current of air they may find necessary for their purposes. They also have so arranged their paddles, as to enable them to imitate the movements of birds, which do not fly in a direct line against the wind, but tack, as it were, in the air, by rising and descending in inclined directions. According to this system, the aerial ship will tack, by inclined movements, alternately up and down, as marine ships tack horizontally from right to left, &c. Besides the means of giving the desired direction to their balloon, it would appear that the aeronauts have another method, of which they preserve the secret; but from what transpired in conversation, we imagine it may consist of a sort of bellows of their own invention, whereby currents of air may be created, of sufficient rapidity to form points d'appui for each paddle and each rudder. The means of directing this aerial ship, then, are, in a few words, as follows:-The aeronauts would seek for a current of air favourable to convey them in the wished-for direction. If they should succeed in this, they might travel at an average rate of 10 or 12 leagues an hour, and often from 35 to 40 leagues an hour. If they should find themselves between two winds in different directions, they would advance at the rate of from two to five leagues an hour, or they would remain stationary (lay to) waiting for a favourable wind; in the third place, if they should encounter a foul wind, they would tack, by describing curved lines up and down, like birds that fly against the wind. The aeronauts will of course be provided with a compass, thermometer, &c. ; they have also invented an apparatus to serve the purpose of a ship's log-line, which will ascertain the vertical and horizontal velocity of the balloon. They will likewise take with them one of Sir Humphrey Davy's safety lamps and a phosphoric lantern, which, without running the risk of setting fire to the balloon, will shed a sufficient light to enable the party to read and write, if overtaken by night, and see the compass. The principal projector of this gigantic undertaking is M. Lennox, formerly a superior officer in the French army, and who acted a conspicuous part in politics during the two first years after the revolution of July. He was to ascend in the balloon on the 15th of August (Friday last) from the Champ de Mars, accompanied by seventeen persons, among whom will be Madame Lennox and another lady, The adventurous party seem very sanguine as to their success, and say they could reach London in six or eight hours, with a fair wind. A number of expe

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riments have been made within the last two years, and all appears to be most systematically arranged; so much so, that the second in command (M. Lennox being captain) says, that it was well understood that whoever quitted his post without permission, was to have his brains blown out without ceremony! Whatever may be the result of the experiment, one cannot help feeling respect for those courageous individuals who are about to run such risks, in order to decide a scientific question. It is reported that the aerial ship is to proceed to London, but we could not gain any positive information as to this;-much would depend on the result of the experiment of the 15th inst."

THE FINALE!

(From the Globe of Wednesday last.)

"The ship was to have ascended on the 15th instant, from the Champ de Mars at Paris. Various circumstances caused the experiment to be delayed until the 17th. At about nine in the morning the gigantic balloon was removed from the place where it had been exhibited to the Champ de Mars; and from that hour the whole population of the capital was in movement. Near to the spot where the balloon-ship was prepared, an experiment had lately been inade of a railroad, or chemin de fer, but this did not excite the curiosity of the gay Parisians by any means to an equal degree as did the hardy attempt of the eighteen navigators who were about to go on a voyage for the discovery of a chemin dans les airs! Thus the inhabitants proceeded en masse to that same Champ de Mars, where so many waxen wings have been melted-so many airy projects exploded!

"As noon approached, the reserved seats began to fill, and hundreds of horsemen, private equi pages, cabriolets, carts, in short, every possible description of vehicle, flanked by countless thousands of pedestrians, were seen converging from every quarter of the city towards the point of attraction, amidst clouds of dust, and under a sun worthy the meridian of Madras. As the immense masses of curious individuals, however, approached the scene of action, various indications that something had gone wrong presented themselves in the shape of returning provision-carts, freighted with uneaten cargoes, itinerant piemen with long faces, &c. &c. &c.-and it was speedily ascertained that at about half-past twelve the balloon, which had been completely inflated, and was floating at a certain height, to which it was confined by cords, and at the moment when it was being drawn down, in order that the aeronauts might embark in the car, suddenly turned topsy-turvy, and burst with a loud explosion! The crowd at first gave a cry of horror; but quickly recovering, they rushed upon the falling balloon, instantly tore it in pieces and carried it off in portions, which were exhibited and sold for a few sols the morsel, in every part of Paris, in the course of the afternoon.

"This outrage must considerably adjourn the period at which the projectors can renew their attempt, which, however, they declare it to be their intention to do with the least possible loss of time. The car luckily escaped from the hands of the Goths who destroyed the balloon. It is said that some slight fissures had been observed in the tissue on the evening before the balloon was to have ascended. Whatever may have been the cause of the accident, it is very fortunate that it took place before the voyagers had taken their departure. The form of the balloon has been objected to by scientific men, and the slender tissue of which it was made, as well as the dark colour of the India-rubber varnish with which it was covered."

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RECENT AMERICAN PATENTS. (Selected from the Franklin Journal for July.) STEAM MACHINERY-John Lockwood, State of New York.-The patentee states that he is a member of the Society of Shakers; a society existing without the marrying, or being given in marriage, of those who com. pose it. Now, as they do not beget sons and daughters, the continuance of their society depends upon the adoption into it of the children of others; and were we judge by the specimen before us, the same system prevails in their mechanical contrivances. Many become members" after their passions have forsaken them," but few, however, do so at an age so advanced as that of the ap paratus which forms the subject of the patent before us, or the wandering Jew himIself might appear among them as a stripling. This invention is no other than a steam-engine, such as was put into operation by Hero of Greece. The steam is to be admitted through a hollow shaft, and is to pass off through two openings in arms, extending at right angles from the shaft, or rather through two openings in the periphery of a wheel placed upon the shaft. A sliding piece, fixed by a screw, is to be adapted to each of these openings, for the purpose of regulating the size of the aperture.

The Shakers deserve all praise for the neatness of their establishments, and the substantial excellence of the articles which they manufacture, and, undoubtedly, they may be able to make some contributions of a novel character to the useful arts; but we are not prepared to see the steam-engine improved by any one who is not well acquainted with its history, and with its operation in the most perfect forms which have been given to it; and this knowledge, we apprehend, is not likely to be acquired in the libraries of the society to which the patentee belongs, or from the limited intercourse between its members and the busy world. At all events, the specimen before us is one of an "advance, three steps backward."

BUTT HINGES FOR TABLES-Humphrey Treadwell, State of New York. This is not properly a butt, but a table-joint hinge; it is intended as a substitute for the rule joint of dining, breakfast, and other tables, and is so made as to extend along the whole length of the leaf, and to show a quarter round of metal instead of wood. Its form may be readily conceived by supposing the half of a butt hinge to have the wire tube extended from end to end, without being divided into separate knuckles, and that there were as many of these half hinges as

would extend along the whole joint; the leaf and bed of the table are then to be rebated and hollowed so as to receive the strap of the hinge, and one half of the barrel, or tube; when this has been properly done, on screwing the half hinges alternately on the bed and the leaf, so as to form close joints, this part of the work will be finished, and the leaf, when down, will show a small, continuous, quarter round of metal. It is proposed to make these hinges of sheet brass, by bending the separate pieces over a wire, in which case the strap part will be double; and this, probably, will be the best way of forming them; the patentee, however, does not confine himself to this method, but claims the general construction of such hinges, whether made of cast or of sheet metal. We think the plan a good one, as the appearance of the joint will be neat, whilst its strength will be much greater than when made in the old way. It will be somewhat, but probably not much more costly.

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IMPROVED FRICTION ROLLERS Benj. Stancliff, Philadelphia.-The friction rollers here patented are intended as an improvement upon those of Garnett, and it is proposed to apply them to the axles of carriages and of cars for rail-reads, as well as to many other kinds of machinery. It is observed that the friction rollers, as heretofore employed, have been applied to the axis only, whilst in carriages, cars, &c., there is frequently a great lateral thrust, and consequently a very considerable friction upon the shoulders, which has never been provided for; the patentee, therefore, places friction wheels bearing on their shoulders, in addition to the rollers acting on the sides, of the axle. The claim is to the application of friction rollers with their axes at right angles to each other, so as to cause them to bear laterally, as well as directly upon the axles and boxes of machinery, upon the principle herein set forth, whether they are constructed in the manner described, or in any other involving the same principle." There may be cases, but they are very few, in which such rollers may be of advantage: we have several times had occasion to remark, that wherever there is any jolting in the motion of machinery, Garnett's rollers have, after a little wear, been found worse than useless; there is nothing in the plan before us to lessen this objection, and as the end rollers must have an extremely narrow bearing, they will, in such fail before the others. We deem them cases, specially inapplicable to cars and carriages. IMPROVED MODE OF SUPPLYING STEAMBOILERS WITH WATER-William W. Van Loan, New York. The apparatus here patented is intended to keep the water in a

boiler uniformly at the proper height, and to afford the means of ascertaining that it is

So.

The apparatus described by this patentee is arranged with considerable skill, and looks, in the drawing, as though it would answer the intended purpose; where, however, there is an array of valves, pistons, stop-cocks, &c., to be acted on under the influence of high-pressure steam, things do not go on so quietly and uniformly as might be desired; contraction and expansion, adhesion, the introduction of air, the insinuation of steam where it was not designed to go, the destruction of packing, the defect of lubrification, and the many other ills which such a machine is heir to, defeat the most exact calculations, and the most ingeniously arranged contrivances. Under these circumstances, therefore, we are never safe in pronouncing favourably of the practical operations of an untried project; nor, indeed, will those who are well-informed upon the subject of mechanics, be very ready to do so in machines of much less complexity than the steam-engine. The general principle upon which the present patentee has proceeded is the same upon which several other contrivances for a like purpose have been dependent, but the present is sufficiently novel in the arrangement of its parts, not to interfere with them; this principle is the equality of the pressure exerted by the steam in the upper, and by the water in the lower, part of the boiler, in consequence of which, when water in any vessel is subjected to the pressure of both, it will flow therefrom as it would if not subjected to the action of either. One of the instruments proposed to be used is so simple that its action will be readily understood. It is merely a large tube, opening into the boiler just at the water line, and furnished with two stop-cocks, placed at such a distance from each other as to allow of a proper supply of water for a single stroke of the engine to be contained between them. The keys of these cocks are connected by a rod, so that when one is closed the other is open. When the outer cock is opened, water may flow into it from a reservoir; and when it is closed, and the other opened, this water may flow from the tube into the boiler.

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ning liquor, which opening is supplied with a nosle, tube, or other contrivance, having in it a stop-cock, or valve, and capable of being attached by screwing, or otherwise, to a forcing pump, by means of which the tanning liquid may be injected into the bag, so as to exert any degree of pressure that it is capable of bearing. The liquid thus forced in will ooze through the skin, or hide, to be tanned, the spent liquid exaporating or dropping from the outside thereof, whilst a new and saturated portion is constantly supplied from the inside, until the process is finished, which in hides or skins of moderate thickness, may be effected in from twentyfour to forty-eight hours.

"Instead of making the skins into bags in the way described, frames may be prepared between which the edges of two skins may be pressed and held firmly together, and the tanning liquor may be forced between them in the manner before described, or the skins may be connected together in any other way that will answer the same end. When the skins of animals are taken off, as they may be, without opening them in the usual way, they may then be made into bags with the utmost facility, and much trouble be thereby saved.

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A single forcing pump will answer for any number of skins, as by means of the nosle, or tube, they may be attached and removed at pleasure, and the pressure be thus renewed, whenever it becomes necessary.

"I am aware that skins have been made into bags, and confined between frames, in the manner herein described, and that they have been filled and distended by hydrostatic pressure, by means of long tubes, so as to produce effects in some respects analogous to those obtained by me. I do not, therefore, claim to be the inventor of the application of tanning liquor to the inside of bags formed of one or more skins, this having been heretofore done; all that I claim as my improvement being the employment of a forcing pump instead of hydrostatic pressure made by means of a column of the tanning liquid."

NOTES AND NOTICES.

The mean heat of the past month at 3 o'clock P. M. was 71.9; the greatest heat at noon of the 17th inst., when the thermometer rose to 86.7being only about 4° less than the heat which proved lately so fatal in America.-W. L.

There are about 400,000 books annually imported into England from France, being one volume for every fifty-six inhabitants; while France only receives from England 80,000 volumes, or one for every four hundred and eight inhabitants.