477

fell

pense.

In 1923, Mr. James published the first of twelve Essays on Engine Rail Road System," for which he strenuously sought the best data. It contains an exposur adjacent the valuable minerals deposited

to the lines marked out, with suggestions for the improvement of the ports of Chester, Preston and Lancaster; also plans for the draining and reclaiming of many extensive salt marshes, as well as for the embanking and recovery from the sea of large tracts of land containing valuable minerals. These plans were accompanied by specifications of several improved locomotive engines, particularly that of Mr. George Stephenson, in the patent for which he became a partner.

In this essay Mr. James advocated the possibility of a velocity being attainable on railways of twenty or thirty miles an hour,-in opposition to the opinions of Messrs. Wood and Stephenson, who thought that railway travelling could not exceed eight or ten miles an hour. He instanced the possibility of bringing up by railway the whole crew, stores and cargo of a man-ofwar, from Portsmouth, in one day. With what foresight and judgment he viewed the subject of his labours, we of the present railway age can testify. Mr. James and Mr. Stephenson were both at this time devoted to the railway system, and joined their energies to work it out. They made an agreement to divide the field of their labours,

-the kingdom, between them-Mr, James taking all on the south side of a line drawn from Liverpool to Hull, and Mr. Stephenson all on the north; he then vigorously pushed on his operations and proceeded with the surveys of several lines within his province, and amongst others, he completed the survey of the Manchester and Liverpool Railway, which he commenced in the year 1822. Indeed he was now so deeply engaged in railway speculations, that his other affairs languished for want of the requisite attention! He had, no doubt, a brilliant and prosperous course before him, had it not been, as before stated, for the sudden change in the currency and other unforeseen occurrences happening about the same period, which completely altered the state of his affairs and prospects. The clouds which for some time past had only hovered over his head, now burst with unabating violence; the bulk of his large accumulated property having been expended and locked up chiefly in public speculations and improvements, he was unable to meet the calls upon the numerous shares he possessed in canals, &c., as well as the negociable bills due; the consequence was he was declared a bankrupt in 1823. Thus he was prevented from com

to Mr. Stephenson, who, with others, re the benefit of Mr. James's exertions, Mr. James never after his bankruptcy recovered his former energies, although he went on to of being yet able to leave his family a mode the end toiling in the faint and delusive hope rate fortune: the dower of his wife being given up there was not even that resource left,.

077

In introducing and advocating the railway system he found he had to combat with ob stacles of no ordinary kind. The cause he had devoted himself to was at first unpopular, and he was met on all sides with ridicule, jealousy and malice; nevertheless, with apostolic energy he laboured on to the end, and had the satisfaction of seeing the great system of which he was the principal author ripen into maturity, Sick at heart, and worn down by his exertions the service of the public, he wished for retirement, and having mar ried a second time, he settled at Bodmin, in Cornwall. A series of cares, vexations and disappointments, had by this time, however, so exhausted his bodily frame, and the energies of his mind, that he at length sunk under them. He died from exhaustion after an attack of the, influenza on the 10th of March, 1837, leaving four sons and two daughters, by his first wife, and a young widow and two infant daughters, without any patrimony whatever. The Liverpool and Manchester Railway Company last year voted the sum of £300 to this lady in consideration of the survey of that line made by her husband.

Mr. James projected and surveyed the following lines of railway, principally at his own expense-and many miles during the latter years of his life, by his own labour :1. Manchester and Liverpool, and adja

cent lines to Warrington and Bolton. 2. Birmingham and Manchester through Derbyshire.

3. Birmingham and Wolverhampton. 4. London and Birmingham.

5. Moreton in Marsh.

6. Canterbury and Whitstable.

7. Bishop's Stortford, Cambridge and Newmarket.

8. London and Brighton, Portsmouth and Chatham.

9. Bristol, Bath and Bradford. 10. Bristol, Salisbury and Southampton. 11. Padstow, Bodmin and Fowey. 12. Truro and St. Ann. 13. Algavoar Moor.

And other lines in Flintshire.

He likewise projected and surveyed several harbours, turnpike roads and canals in various parts of the kingdom. Amongst others. we may mention the Sheerness, Perronport

In disposition Mr. James was open" generous, in temperament sanguine and energetic. His powers of mind were of a remarkable character; though versatile, they were strong; he did not throw off one undertaking to devote himself to another; but the working out of the new idea was an occupation added to that already on the tapis; hence the accumulation of engagements that so rapidly grew upon him, and rendered necessary the keeping of various establishments in different parts of the country, to each of which he would pay a passing visit, post haste, and be it day or night, transact business, take a short repose, and proceed to another. His conversational talents, and fund of ready wit and anecdote, were remarkable. In epistolary correspondence he excelled; and amidst the interruptions of conversation or business he would with great rapidity write letters in a style of great perspicuity and elegance. Though corpulent, his manners were elegant and easy, and by the suaviter in modo he was nearly always successful in accomplishing his wishes, especially with his noble and aristocratic employers, patrons and friends.

The

sent

portrait which embellishes bagi s is engraved from a miniature by Chalon, painted when Mr. James was about forty years of age, and the engraving is deemed by his family and friends to bear a very strong resemblance

its original. Jed

noideus diwang had sailed of 793d 10 gs to sasvormi sú: 701 LIST OF ENGLISH RATENTRE GRANTED&JNI VIZO SEPTEMBER 1839. Einish Charles Greenway, of Douglas, in the Isle of Man for certain improvements in snuffers. Patent dated Sept. 5; six months to specity.

Bryan Donkin, of Blue Anchor-road, Bermondsey, engineer, for an improvements or improvements to be used in the process of making

or by machinery. (A communica dep

months. Hong

PL hand

two

Paul Robing of Saint Paul's chain, Bondons gent for improvements in spinning. (A communication.) Sept. 9; six months

in'

John Rapson, of Emmett street, Poplar, m wright and engineer, for improvements in steering ships and vessels, Sept. 9, six months.od Frederick for improve Brown, of Luton, Bedford, ironmonger, or fire-places. Sept. 9; six months! JO L.NO. yowiis! bot Samuel Stocker, of High Holborn, pump-maker for improvements in beer, cyder, an and spirit engines, Sept. 11; six months!

-Moses Poole, of Lincoln's Inn, gent, for improve ments in apparatus applicable to steam-boilers, in order to more safe. (A communication.) Sept. 11ender six D Stephen Rogers, of Bristol, merchant, for cera tain improvements in building the walls of houses and other edifices Sept. 16; six

Isaac Dodds, of Masbro, and mont Owen, or

of

and

Rotherham, York, eivil engineers, for certain inl provements applicable to railways, and in the cons struction and machinery to be used thereon, parter part of when are applicable to other engines, and which wheels, without a flange, are also applicable for usb on turn pike roads. Sept. 16; six inonths OPREY

Job Taylor, of Pendleton, near Manchester, joiner and builder, for certain improvements in machinery or apparatus for entting or forming ornamental mouldings or devices in wood and other materials, Sept. 19; six months.

William Newton, of Chancery Jane, for an im proved machine or apparatus for weighing various kinds of articles or goods. (A communication.) Sept, 19; six mouths.

John Wertheimer, of West-street, Finsbury-cir cus, printer, for improvements in producing tornaí mental raised surfaces on paper, (A communica tion.) Sept. 19; six months.

ว

Thomas Todd, of Kingston-upon-Hull, gent., for improvements in propelling vessels. Sept 1990sit months. Henry Needham Scrope Shrapnell, of Gosport, gent., for improvements in corkscrews. Sept. 26; six months.

Samuel Wilkes, of Catherine Cross, Darleston Staffordshire, iron-founder, for improvements in boxes and pins or screws for vices and presses. Sept. 26; six months.

William Henry Hornby and William Kenworthy, both of Blackburn, manufacturers, for certain improvements in the machinery or apparatus for sizeing and otherwise preparing cotton, wool, flax and other warps for weaving. Sept. 26; six months.

Joseph Clinton Robertson, of the Patent Agent Office, 166, Fleet street, London, patent agent, for an improved method of manufacturing artificial marble. (A communication). Sept. 27; six months.

TWREN 22ND OF AUGUST, AND 22ND SEPTEMBER, 1839alboxingam) sibsont

James Capple Miller, of Manchester, Lancaster, gentleman, for certain improvements in printing calicoes, muslins, and other fabrics. Sealed 26th of August, 1839,

LIST OF IRISH PATENTS GRANTED IN
AUGUST, 1839.

James Walton, for improvements in machinery for making wire cards.

Wilton Wood, for an improved method of making bands and tackling to be used in driving, turning, and carrying machinery.

James Taaffe for improvements in roofing and slating houses.

James Whitelaw, for an improved rotatory machine to be worked by the reaction and pressure of a column of water, which machine may be used as a steam-engine; an improved water meter; and a machine for raising water or other fluid by its centrifugal force.

H. G. Dyar and J. Hemming, for improvements in the manufacture of carbonate of soda.

Matthew Heath, for improvements in clarifying and filtering water, beer, wine, and other fluids. Peter Lomax, for improvements in looms for weaving.

Moses Poole, for improvements in tanning. G. H. Palmer, for improvements in paddle-wheels for propelling ships, boats, &c.

J. Cutler, for improvements in combinations of metals applicable to the making of tubes or pipes, or other purposes, and in the method of making tubes or pipes therefrom, which improvements are applicable to the making of tubes or pipes from certain other metals and combinations of metals.

J. Mercer, J. D. Prince, and J. Blythe, for an improved process of printing, dyeing, or colouring cotton, woollen, silk, or other cloth or yarn.

NOTES AND NOTICES.

Annual August Shower of falling Stars -(From the Prussian State Gazette.)-Statement of the great fall of stars in the night of the 10th of August, 1839:-"The sky has been again particularly propitious for observing another fall of stars. On many days and nights preceding the 10th the

479

heavens had been so covered that we could not ob serve when the uncommonly frequent fall of stars commenced. On August 10, however, our hopes of seeing the phenomena increased owing to the clear ness of the weather, and we were perfectly satisfied

towards pl fall of stary, as early as dusk, an

extraordinary

began. It was not how

ever, sumcient to count the numbers that fell was desirable also to measure the time of their appearance, and of the continuance of their fall, according to Franzmann's Instrument, which beats thirds of seconds, and, moreover to ascertain their relative light and apparent course in the heavens and all these observations could commence only at 28 minutes past 9, when all the observers, 15 in number, were assembled, occupying six windows of the observatory. Four gentlemen took care to 86serve and register the time of each appearance, according to two clocks. Till 14 minutes past when dawn put a stop to the observations, they noticed 1,008 falling stars, not including numbers which must have been overlooked, because the number of observers was insufficient. Sometimes the stars succeeded so rapidly, that nothing but the time could be noted down. The courses of only 977 have therefore been marked upon the starmaps, with all the circumstances relative to them. The following result is as near the exact truth as possible:-Five stars appeared as bright as Venus, 14 as Jupiter, 238 as stars of the first magnitude; 345 were noted of the second, and 257 of the third magnitude; 101 were reckoned smaller still, and the size of eight was omitted in the hurry; 273 exhibited themselves with tails. It is useless to mention the apparent paths of the stars, inasmuch as they varied according to the places of observations; but we may just infer from that circumstance the possibility of measuring their distance and height from the earth. We therefore should wish for corresponding observations in foreign countries. Three of our zealous observers devoted the following night also to science, and saw 323 falling stars, whilst the sky was partly covered. In the night of August 12, an observer counted 103 more, from 10 o'clock to 45 minutes past 1. Therefore the annual periodical return of an uncommon fall of stars towards the 10th of August is once more confirmed, as well as that the passage of this host of meteors near the earth last several days. If it were possible, with the aid of correspo: ding observations, to calculate the direction of their passage with reference to the movement of the earth and their rapidity, we should then be able to form a notion of the extent which these multitudes of stars occupy in space.

"Breslaw, August 14, 1839."

"Von Boguslowski.

Seine Steam Navigation Difficulties.-The Seine steamers are very long (about 150 feet) and narrow, drawing only about two feet water, and yet in summer they often take the ground. In winter they cannot run, as the height of the water leaves no space to pass through the bridges. Iron boats have been recently introduced, and with good effect.

Hardening Iron.-Sir,-Observing in your 836th number a description by Mr. Baddeley of the "new" process of casehardening by prussiate of potash, I beg to refer him to page 64 of the xxv vol. of your Magazine (published about 3 years ago), where the "pith and marrow" of the matter is given in a few words. No doubt, however, Mr. B.'s extended notice may be useful. I remain, Sir, &e, IOTA.

New Mode of Resuscitation from Drowning.At the annual meeting of the Bristol Humane Society, on Tuesday, the Society's silver medal was presented to Dr. Fairbrother, of Clifton, for his exertions in recovering a boy who had been under the water in the floating harbour about half an hour, and another quarter of an hour had elapsed before the doctor could operate on the body. The most remarkable feature in this case is the new mode by which Dr. Fairbrother succeeded in his laudable object: namely, by closing the boy's mouth with his finger, sucking off the foul air from his lungs

489

NOTES AND through the nostrils, and promoting respiration by pressing on the abdominal muscles on the side. The usual method is to inflate the lungs, but it is very seldom that persons are recovered by this method if they have been longer than a few minutes under the water,

A New Railroad.-We are assured by the Siecle, a French paper that a new railroad, without the use of steam, and suspended in the air, is at present in agitation at Paris; and that M. Touboulac, the nventor of this new locomotive machine, which he calls "Veloposte," has had an audience of His Majesty. It was expected that a public experi ment would shortly take place.

"

Antarctic Expedition; a Mistake A cor respondent of the Times, (Sept. 26th), who signs himself" Cui Bono," notices a most extraordinary mistake on the part of the Royal Society, and managers of this expedition. He says:The voluminous paper of instructions prepared for Capt. J. C. Ross by the President and Council of the Royal Society, contains a very ample statement of the principles on which his magnetic apparatus has been constructed, the purposes to which it is to be applied, and the grand results expected to be attained through their employment. No less than 29 pages of the Philosophical Magazine for the present month are taken up with a quotation from the "instructions" on this single subject, out of 66 pages devoted to the entire expedition and its innumerable desiderata: yet, in that extent of paper, not a word is said of what all practical men must feel to be of primary importance-the mode of making the artificial magnets themselves - the manner of imparting to the passive steel that active principle on whose proper lodgement (if I may be allowed the expression) the correctness of all subsequent operations, observations, and calculations must depend. This grave omission excited my curiosity, and I made particular inquiries respecting their preparation. I have learned with sorrow that an artist of this city "magnetized" the steel bars sent him by Dr. Lloyd, of Dublin, (to whom, I understand, all the magnetic arrangements were committed) by the aid of a voltaic magnet! The result is, that the bars are good for notl.ing for the purposes of the expedition! A " magnet," (if it can correctly be called one) made in such a manner is but a philosophical toy, possessed of properties that render it useless for all practical observations connected with terrestrial magnetism. This is deeply to be regretted, as all the patient research and ingenuity displayed by Dr. Lloyd in the construction of complicated and delicate apparatus, and all the industry and accuracy of Captain J. C. Ross and his brother voyagers in observing with them, will be thrown away! I know not who is to blame in the matter, and shall therefore confine myself to an exposition of the nature of the evil committed; leaving it to those immediately concerned to take the speediest steps to remedy it. Not to lose time in discussing the minor faults of a bar or needle "magnetized by a voltaic magnet," I come at once to its grand and insurmountable misfortune, viz., that instead of having (like a magnet of the old and approved make) a single steady north pole created at one end, and a single steady south pole at the other, it is found to possess from half a dozen to half a hundred north and south poles throughout its length. The number of these "consecutive poles " (as they are termed) will vary with the strength of the voltaic current employed, with the time consumed in the operation, and with the awkwardness of the operator. If he allow for an instant his steel bar or needle to "sit fast" or pause under the strong attraction of the voltaic magnet, there is a pole induced which no coaxing or manoeuvring can subsequently get

NOTICES

rid of; and so on. The existence of these opposing poles, scattered here and there, can be easily discovered by presenting a very small compass needle (magnetized in the ordinary mode) to a bar prepared by a voltaic magnet; and carrying it slowly alongside from end to end, when its sudden changes and repulsive whirls will clearly point out the numbers and positions of all the poles in the bar: the north pole of the little needle indicating the localities of the south poles in the bar, and the south poles similarly detecting its north ones, each pole of the little test needle making a point at its opposite in passing. It is obvious that "magnets" exhibiting such discrepancies cannot be depended on as true indicators of polarity."

Chemical Powers of Light.-M. Edmond Becquerel has recently communicated to the Academie des Sciences some important investigations on the chemical powers of solar light, which will probably lead to new and valuable results. It has been long known that light has the power of variously affecting certain chemical compounds; sometimes causing combination between two elements, and in other cases effecting the decomposition of compound substances; and it has been found that when a pencil of light is decomposed by passing through a prism of glass, those rays which possess this power are differently refracted from the coloured rays, and hence the existence of peculiar rays, to which the name of chemical rays is given, has been deduced. The chief difficulty in experiments on these rays has been, the slow nature of the actions caused, and the difficulty of appreciating them. M. Becquerel has overcome these sources of uncertainty, and is enabled to study the chemical power of light with ease, and measure the effects produced, with considerable accuracy. The manner in which this is done is very simple. Two liquids of different densities, but both conductors of electricity, and of such a nature as to act chemically upon each other when exposed to the influence of solar light, are selected; and a portion of both is put into a cylin drical vessel blackened on the exterior. A plate of platinum is placed in the denser of the two fluids, and another similar plate is also immersed in the lighter liquid; these plates being then connected by means of platinum wires with the two terminations of a very delicate galvanometer, the apparatus is complete. If when thus arranged a ray of light is suffered to pass through the mass of fluid, it causes chemical action to take place at the surface of contact between the two liquids, and a current of electricity which this sets in circulation is immediately rendered evident by the galvanometer. As the angle of deflection of the galvanometer indicates the power of the electric current, and as that is in exact proportion to the chemical action which originates it, it is evident that this arrangement gives an accurate measure of the power of the chemical rays of light, at different times, from different sources and under various circumstances. M. Becquerel details some experiments on the quantity of these chemical rays, which is intercepted when a ray of light is made to pass through screens of different substances, such as rock crystal, mica, and variously coloured glasses; and states that he is still engaged in experimenting on the subject.-Athenæum.

MECHANICS' MAGAZINE, VOL. XXXI, will be published on the 1st of October, price, in half-cloth, 8s. 6d., embellished with a portrait, engraved on steel, by W. Roffe, from a miniature by Chalon, of the late WILLIAM JAMES, Esq., the Projector of the Railway System. Also, the SUPPLEMENT TO VOL. XXXI, containing Title, Index, Lists of Patents, and Portrait, Price 6d. COMPLETE SETS of the MECHANICS' MAGAZINE, thirty-one volumes, Price 13 Is.