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Prospective Changes in Mechanics.

VOL. I.

Janeiro was also made by him on the same to see that circumstance illustrated by Mr. principle, and the drawings made by Mr. Martin, and the plan of the Colliery as it Bell, now in charge of the Pasha of Egypt's really existed before the explosion commentsteam vessels, are still in Cable street, and ed on by him, and his system of ventilation of great beauty. The Sultan's machinery explained and illustrated by drawings. It for making gunpowder was constructed by can hardly be expected that even as spirited Hague, and worked by this pneumatic en- and patriotic a man as John Martin should be gine. The primary power from which it is put to the expense of such a publication, untransferred is about three quarters of a mile less the coal-owners themselves were to refrom the works. The conviction of its im- quest it, and guarantee the expenses. If sciportance has at least penetrated into Lancas-entific and practical men, as Professors Farater, and Messrs. Wrigby, Lowside Colliery, day and Wheatstone, aided by men of talent near Oldham, have adopted it. The Tregol- and experience, as Mr. William Brandling lan Mining Company, Charlestown, are using it, and are in treaty for seven more. In Cheshire, there is one three miles from the primary power! Several are used in sugar houses in London; and lastly, a Company has taken a wild moor in Lancashire, on which are streams and falls of water, for the purpose of transferring the power, and letting it out to manufacturers in the surrounding district.

systems founded on principles. Which among northern coal-owners has a pneumatic engine, though it has been put before them these seven years?

and Mr. Matthew Bell, M. P., were to examine, at the desire of the coal-owners, the plans, and report on them; and if they thought the improvements important, to reward the proprietors, as such benefactors ought to be rewarded, by men whose properties are rendered safe, and whose workmen are thereby secured from danger, they would only do their duty. The coal mines are not worked by any scientific system; if they were, acciThe adoption of this pneumatic engine in dents from explosion would be very rare.— coal mines would render them comparatively The mines are not, as we have said, properly safe. It may be employed in pits, for draw- ventilated, neither are the men who superining the wagons, pumping, or any purpose for tend them, men of real science, or with their which power is required. It may be conduct-power they would long since have laid down ed into the places where fire damp or hydrogen gas have accumulated, and being set to work it must consume and expel a certain quantity, or rather a certain number of cubic feet, of foul air a minute, in proportion to its When John Martin proposed his geniussize, and the number of strokes a minute, and conceived plan for conveying through cylinsupply the place of them with pure atmos-ders on both sides of the Thames, from Vauxpheric air. The state of the air expelled may be tested by a simple method, and thus it would be unerringly known when that part of the mine was safe for the workmen to approach. When we consider the hundreds of lives lost, and the many families bereaved by the imperfect methods now in use for ventilating mines, the coal-owners, who live in luxury by the toil and sweat of men who work in the bowels of the earth, exposed to never ceasing danger of life or personal injury, are bound by every law, both human and divine, at least unhesitatingly to investigate the claims of such an invention, to their support, adoption and reward. That the method of ventilating coal mines is in a rude and barbarous state, no man acquainted with the subject can for an instant doubt. John Martin, the celebrated artist, confounded and put to shame the coal mine viewers before the Committee of the House of Commons which examined more particularly into the horrible explosion of the Springfield Colliery; and proved incontestably by the plans of the mine, that the system of ventilation was imperfect, that the deaths of the poor men, and the wo and misery of the widows and children, were hargeable to them. We should much like"

hall to the Tower, and then to properly constructed receptacles, the drainage of this great metropolis; and for placing on those cylinders, covered wharfs, supporting on Doric or Ionic columns one continuous walk, guarded by a handsome balustrade and lighted with gas, it was proposed by Mr. N. Ogle, one of the Committee, to superadd the pneumatic power; rendering the pillars and architraves, which were to have been hollow and of cast iron, the places where the vacuum was to be created. The pneumatic power was to be let out to wharfingers and others, and could have been extended to any required amount, and at the same time ensured a down draft through every drain. Mr. Hague at once saw the facility and utility of the application.

Let the reader picture to the mind's eye the banks of the Thames; for five miles continuous ranges of pillars surmounted by walks, between which ran, no longer a polluted stream, but the clear and pelucid river-the advantages combined were such as only a mind like Martin's could have conceived. The engineers declared the facility with which it could be executed. That able society of the Architects of England 'unanimously and spon

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The pneumatic power has been lately adapted to clearing mines of water, and must prove a great auxiliary in that expensive and difficult part of mining operations. The application is so contrived, that it can be used perpendicularly, carried along levels, slopes, round curves, by sharp angles, or all in succession. There is a full-sized apparatus which can be seen at Mr. Hague's, and we believe that two are already at work. We are not of opinion that the same quantity of water can be raised the same height by the pneumatic apparatus with a less expenditure of power, than by the present method, though such has been the opinion of some practical men: it is the convenience of being able to use the apparatus under so many different circumstances that we admire, and which the

taneously sent in their opinion of its practica-||tic power and manure, and which would inbleness. The Templars, who saw the splen-crease. If it were completed it would be dor and utility of the structure, thought their worthy of England, and give a great example gardens would be adorned by it. The wharf- of that transfer of power which, as we have ingers hailed with ready assent the great ad- shown, must lead to the melioration of the vantages it offerd to them. The Govern-working classes. ment applauded the scheme and were ready to support it; Mr. Spring Rice paid earnest attention to the statement of Lord Euston, Sir Patrick Ross, and other members of the Committee. Captain Beaufort, the hydrographer, than whom no abler man superintends a government office, gave his ready acquiescence to do all that was possible in his department; and lastly, the Lord Mayor and the city authorities welcomed the projector and his useful, beautiful, and mighty plan.We must not here omit to mention that Sir Richard Trench, who had proposed some years before a continuous quay, with the generous spirit of a gentleman, declared the plan to be so far superior to his own, that he gave up his former ideas, and would support Mr. Martin with his best ability. Why has this superb plan been stopped in its progress?-practical miners so justly extol. The appaUnless we had the documents before us, we ratus may be thus briefly described. Supshould not dare to state the fact. After pur- pose a series of iron boxes, each containing a suing a course in the formation of the directo- ton of water, and twenty feet from each other. ry, which was not satisfactory to Mr. Martin, Exhausting pumps extract the air from these the well-known Dr. Granville claimed first the boxes, the water rushes into the lower box to situation of Managing Director, with a sala- fill the vacuum; as soon as it is full the valve ry of £800 per annum, to commence on the closes, and the communication to the box next passing of the act applied for, and to increase above opens, and the water goes to the next, contingently to £1500 per annum, with ap- and so, until it is poured out either to flow pointments, house, &c., &c., putting the just away, or used to work an overshot wheel: as claims of Mr. Martin wholly on one side.- soon as the first box has delivered its water The claims of Dr. Granville did not stop to the next above it, the water rushes into it there. He actually claimed, on certain again, the vacuum being kept up, and the acevents transpiring, 500 shares at par, as tion continues. The machinery is very "MATURER OF THE PLAN." Such jobbing strong and simple, and not by any means liaMr. Martin resented with calm and becoming ble to get out of order. It is evident that the dignity, refused his assent and retired from cumbrous assemblage of beams, rods, buckets, the concern. This stupendous plan of Mar- (always wearing out,) and leather, are all tin's has now, in Dr. Granville's hands, done away with, and instead of forcing a mondwindled down to a catchpenny collecting of strous column of water, it is made, philosothe filth of London in some incomprehensible phically, to follow and to flow away. The way. We leave it to the world to give a experiments tried some years since, for the name to the man who would attempt to rivet South American mines, failed from the ima reputation on the fame of another; merely perfection of the machinery, and the fact of refering to the ancient fable of the jackdaw science not being then so far advanced as to that strutted in borrowed plumes. The fact lead to such results as Hague has produced. is, the doctor does not understand the plan A pneumatic engine may be made to work of Martin, nor the adaptation of the pneuma- a pneumatic water raising apparatus, the pritic power; he is by no means fit for the situa-mary power for effecting which may be any tion he so presumptuously claimed, and to number of miles distant! Such facts throw which alone Mr. Martin should be appointed, into shadow the expectations which were enand so he has naturally sunk into that cloacan tertained by the most vivid imaginations only speculation, which is better suited to his taste a few years since, and open a field for fresh and ability. It has been thought by very exertions and new success. competent men, three millions would be sufficient to complete the whole plan, and that a fair interest could be derived from various sources, such as the walks, wharfs, pneuma-"much as you can.

Conclusion in our next.

Avoid discussing politics and religion as

General Statistics.

MILITARY FORCE, REVENUE AND POPULATION

OF DIFFERENT POWERS.

The Journal des Annales Militaires gives the following interesting article, or statistical return, of the population, army, revenues, and debts of the different states, viz:

GERMANY.-The German confederation was established at the peace of 1814, with the consent of France, England, and the Holy Alliance. It is composed of the empire of Austria, the kingdoms of Prussia, Bavaria, Bohemia, Hungary, Hanover, and Wurtemberg; of the grand duchies of Saxony, Baden, Electorate of Hesse and other principalities; the Republics of Lubec, Frankfort, Bremen, and Hamburgh. This may be considered the grand military confederation of the north of Europe, which extends its power over the Lombardo Venetian States, and the whole of Italy, under the yoke of Austria. It is the alliance of these States which is the great check to the ambitious views and despotism of Russia.

VOL. I.

THE KINGDOM OF PRUSSIA is the second military power included in the German confederation, and keeps the equilibrium of the north. Population, 12,468,000 inhabitants; army, 199,452 men; revenue, 215 millions; debt, 726,680,000 of francs.

RUSSIA. This grand military empire, situated in Europe and Asia, comprises the ninth part of the terrestrial globe, and the twentyeighth part of the whole world. Its military colonies on the banks of the Niemen, Dnieper, Bog, Borys, Ingoul, Novomirgorod, and the south alone, amount to 75,000 men, on a similar plan to the colonies of Austria. This description of military agricultural force is annually increasing, and threatens, sooner or later, to invade Circassia and Turkey, which will eventually form a province of this overgrown empire. Although so extensive, Russia is far from being so populated in comparison with France and England, and other parts of Europe. Its inhabitants, or hordes, are scattered in small towns or desert villages. Its army and bands of Cossacks, or irregular cavalry, are disseminated all over the empire from north to south, each forming a sort of military autocracy of themselves, or an inde

The empire of Austria may be considered the most important. It is composed of 13 States, viz: the arch-duchy of Austria, Sty-pendent force of nobles and slaves, over which ria, Illyria, Tyrol, Bohemia, Moravia and Silesia, Gallicia, Hungary, Croatia, Sclavonia, Transylvania, Dalmatia, and Lombardo-Venetian Italy. It comprises 900 towns, 2,137 burghs, and 77,956 villages. Its population is 32 millions of inhabitants; army, 271,404 men; revenue, 440 millions francs; public debt, 1 billion 700 millions francs.

BAVARIA.-Population, 4,070,000 inhabitants; army, 35,800 men; revenue, 69,733,000 || francs; debt, 265,200,000 francs.

DENMARK-Population, 1,950,000 inhabitants; army, 30,838 men; revenue, 33 millions; debt, 280 millions francs.

BELGIUM.-Population, 3,560,000 inhabitants; army, 47,000 men; revenue, 90 millions; debt, 849,245,000 francs.

the Czar himself has alone the power of life and death; but, notwithstanding, he is entirely under their will or influence. This numerical strength, in case of war, would be concentrated in any particular point, but with the greatest difficulty, as the strongest antipathy exists between these barbarous hordes and those of an opposite part of the empire. In Austria, Prussia, and other powers forming the German confederation, the law of conscription, similar to that of France, (excepting nobles,) is adopted for the recruiting of the army; but in Russia every peasant or serf is considered as the property of the noble, and can be called upon to serve as a soldier whenever the emperor may think proper of commanding him. This despotic power is too cften abused by the generals-in-chief, who show more partiality towards one province or government than another; from whence arises the state of hatred and revolt which exists among many of the corps, and only kept down by the knout, or violent flogging, and other severe corporeal punishment at the mercy of their officers, all of whom are nobles. Population, 56,500,000 inhabitants; SAXONY.-Population, 1,400,000 inhabit- army, 710,000 men, (regular troops;) reveants; army, 12,000 men; revenue, 28 mil-nue, 134 millions; debt, 1,575,000,000 francs. lions francs; debt, 70 millions francs. SWITZERLAND.-Population, 1,980,000 inhabitants; army, 33,758 men; revenue, 10,410,000 francs.

HOLLAND. Population, 2,558,000 inhabitants; army, 26,000 men; revenue, 85 millions; debt, 2 billions 838 millions francs.

NORWAY.-Population, 1,050,000 inhabitants; army, 12,000 men; revenue, 8,300,000 || francs; debt, 27 millions francs.

SWEDEN.-Population, 3,866,000 inhabitants; army, 45,200 men; revenue, 49,300,000 francs; debt, 81 millions francs.

WURTEMBURG.-Population, 1,520,000 inhabitants; army, 13,955 men; revenue, 20 nillions; debt 60 millions francs.

FRANCE, next to Russia, may be considered the strongest military power on the continent of Europe, its army well organized as well as its national guards. Since the revolution of 1830, many great improvements have taken place in its composition, and the conquest of Algiers and Constantine has again raised that

No. 15.

General Statistics.

265

military spirit of glory which distinguished || rates; revenue 1,075,000,000 francs; debt, our armies under Napoleon le Grand. As 3,920,000,000 francs. France is divided into yet France has not established military colo-86 departments, 363 arrondissements, 2,834 nies similar to her allies of Russia and Aus- cantons, and 37,234 communes. tria, as a reward to her brave veterans; but GREAT BRITAIN. Although it may be classthe subject is under the special consideration ed among the military nations of the north, of His Majesty and the Minister of War, ac- it must be considered more a maritime powcording to the plan proposed by Marshal Val-er, the greatest in the world, than a military lee, the Commander-in-chief of our posses- one, through its particular geographical posisions in Northern Africa, which country, once tion, which gives it the command of the seas. the retreat of pirates and savage Arabs, will Its possessions in the different parts of the shortly become civilized by France and her globe present a population of 142,180,000 indeserving warriors. France is divided into habitants, and an army of 802,213 men, in20 military divisions, and the head-quarters, cluding the troops belonging to the East In(chefs-lieux) of which are, viz: 1st, Paris; dia Company and other colonies. The Brit2d, Chalons-sur-Manne; 3d, Metz; 4th,||ish army, as well as the navy, is raised by Tours; 5th, Strasburg; 6th, Besancon; 7th, voluntary enlistment, the law of conscription Lyons; 8th, Marseilles; 9th, Montpelier; not being established as in France, Austria, 10th, Bordeaux; 11th, Toulouse; 12th, Nan- &c. The commissions in the army are purtes; 13th, Rennes; 14th, Rouen; 15th, Bour- chased by the elite of the aristocracy, few ges; 16th, Lille; 17th, Bastice; 18th, Dijon; men ever becoming officers, however brave, 19th, Clermont Ferrand; and 20th, Pirigeux. from the ranks, as in this country. In the It possesses a number of fortified places, which navy the officers rise gradually from the rank are justly considered among the strongest of of midshipman, aspirant de vaisseau, by merEurope. The principal ones are Dunkerque, it or favor, the commissions not being purBergueses, Lille, St. Omer, Arras, Donai, chasable, as well as in the Royal Marine Cambrai, Valenciennes, Perone, Conde, Mau- Corps, Artillery, and Engineers. The popuberge, Avesnes, Rocroy, Givet, Charlemont,||lation of Great Britain is 24,400,000 inhabitMezieres, Sedan, Thionville, Metz, Bitche, ants, viz; Ireland, 7,500,000 inhabitants, and Wessembourg, Haguenau, Strasburg, Shele- Scotland, 2,300,000 inhabitants; army, 120,stadt, Neuf Brisach, Belfard, Besancon, Le 000 men; navy, 20,000; marines, 10,000; Fort l'Ecluse, Grenoble, Briancon, Perpig- ships of war, 528, of various rates; revenue, nan, Bellegarde, Mont-Louis, St. Jean, Pied- 1,585,000,000; debt, 20,345,000,000 francs. de-Port, and Bayonne. The military ports SPAIN.--Population, 13,000,000 inhabitand Government dock yards are Brest, Tou-ants; army, 75,000; revenue, no official relon, Rochefort, Cherbourg, and L'Orient. Cor- turn; debt, do. vettes and brigs of war are also constructed PORTUGAL.-Population, 3,530,000 inhabitat Bayonne, Nantes, and St. Servan. The ants; army, 29,645 men; revenue, 54,096,army is raised by the law of conscription, which |000; debt, 160,000,000 francs. obliges each canton to furnish annually the ROMAN STATES.-Population, 2,500,000 incontingent of young men, of the age of one-habitants; army, 7,400 men; revenue, 45,and-twenty, required by Government, which 000,000; debt, 350,000,000 francs. number is ballotted for by the rich proprietor's son as well as that of the peasant; and, once exempted, they are not called upon to draw again. The length of service is for seven SICILY.--Population, 7,420,000 inhabityears, at the expiration of which they can ants; army, 51,510 men; revenue, 110,000,continue in the army, or demand their dis-000; debt, 500,000,000 francs. charge to retire home. The officers rise gradually from the ranks, according to their bravery and merit, or are named by the King from the Ecole Polytechnique of Paris, and the Ecole Militaire de Saumur. No commissions are purchased, and all corporeal punishment PERSIA. Population, 9,000,000 inhabitis prohibited by the military code. Popula- ants; army, 80,000 men; revenue, 80,000,tion, 35,540,950 inhabitants; army, 350,000||000 francs. men; 239,000 infantry, and 61,000 cavalry MOROCCO.-Population, 6,000,000 inhabitand artillery. This is the peace establish- ants; army, 25,000 men; revenue, 22,000,ment; the war is 550,000 men. Each in- 000 francs. fantry regiment is comprised of three or four battalions, amounting from 850 to 1850 per battalion; each cavalry regiment from 1200 to 1800 strong; ships of war 347, of various" castes.

SARDINIA. Population, 3,300,000 inhabitants; army, 46,857 men; revenue, 70,000,000; debt, 100,000,000 francs.

GREECE.-Population, 700,000 inhabitants; army, 6,000 men; revenue, 6,000,000; debt, 165,000,000 francs.

TURKEY.-Population, 19,500,000 inhabitants; army, 95,000 men.

AMERICA.-Population, 39,000,000 inhabitants, viz: 14,600,000 whites, 10,000,000 Indians, 7,400,000 blacks, and 7,000,000 other

266

Manufacture of Porcelain.

VOL. I.

Chinese porcelain is made of two articles

UNITED STATES.-Population, 13,000,000|| inhabitants; army, 5,770 men; revenue, formerly mentioned, kaolin and petunse, the 138,490,000 francs; debt, none.

one pure alumen, the other a silecious substance composed of elementary parts similar to feldspar, which, when analysed, is found to contain two-thirds silex, one-sixth alumen,

BRAZILS.-Population, 5,000,000 inhabitants; army, 30,000 men; revenue, 60,000,000; debt, 233,000,000 francs. MEXICO.-Population, 7,500,000 inhabit-one-seventh potash, with a small quantity of ants; army, 22,750 men; revenue, 74,757,000 francs; debt, 508,500,000 francs; composed of 24 States.

PARAGUAY.-Population, 250,000 inhabitants; army, 5,000 men; revenue, 5,000,000

francs.

PERU.-Population, 1,700,000 inhabitants; army, 7,500 men; revenue, 30,000,000; debt, 147,488,000 francs.

CHINA.-Population, 170,000,000 inhabitants; army, 914,000 men; revenue, 980,000, 000 francs.

HAYTI. Population, 880,000 inhabitants; army, 45,000 men; revenue, 15,000,000; debt, 150,600,000 francs.

INDIA. Population, 138,000,000 inhabitants; army, 210,000 men; Hon. East India Company's revenue, 527,236,000 francs.

JAPAN.-Population, 25,000,000 inhabitants; army, 120,000 men; revenue, 250,000,000 francs.

SIAM.-Population, 3,600,000 inhabitants; army, 30,000 men; revenue, 45,000,000 francs.

On the Manufacture of Porcelain. [Concluded.]

FIGURES AND ORNAMENTS.

lime and iron. Therefore, in Europe the porcelain manufacturers use alumen and feldspar in the composition of porcelain, and succeed in imitating the eastern ware so well as to satisfy the eye entirely. But a chemist by the name of Reumar ascertained from experiments that the texture of Chinese porcelain || was more firm than that of Saxony or France, and whilst the former remained unaltered, when exposed to a great heat, the latter melted. It is owing to this infusibilty that the Chinese are enabled to glaze with silecious substances that require a great degree of heat to vitrify or fuse them; and are not, like the Europeans, constrained to the baneful use of lead; and when European porcelain manufactures employ in the composition of the warc feldspar, which admits of a great degree of heat before it fuses, they abandon the lead and use the feldspar for glazing.

The transparency of porcelain arises from the silex or flint which forms a part of its composition: pure clay ever remains opaque; but the mixture of silex produces partial vitrification and consequent imperfect or semitransparency.

Stone ware is like the other ware composed of clay and silex and glazed as follows. If it be intended to paint or color the ware, Whilst the ware is in the kiln, it is made to this is done whilst in the bisket state. The undergo a partial vitrification at the surface, method is as follows. The figures desired are by the fumes of muriate of soda, or common engraved upon copper plates, and the color-salt, the salt being thrown into the kiln where ing matter put on the plates. Then a piece of paper is smeared over with soft soap, and the impression of the plate made upon the paper with rollers in the usual manner of printing engravings. The printed part is then cut out of the paper, and being moistened is laid in the vessel, when the color is instantly absorbed. This being done the paper is washed off in clean water, and when dry the glazing is put in as before described.

The coloring matter made use of is chiefly metallic oxydes; cobalt produces the fine blue, which is common on the ware called Liverpool china. A mixture of manganese and oxyde of iron gives the appearance of engraving when finished. Purple is produced by an oxyde of iron; yellow by oxyde of silver, green by copper; violet by manganese, and red by copperas or sulphate of iron.

The figures and colors on the ware are sometimes penciled or painted by hand before or after the glazing: if after, the ware must be again heated until the coloring matter fuses.

the vessels are so disposed that every part of their surface comes in contact with the fumes of the salt. Stone ware is sometimes made by mixing up with the clay other broken ware. And earthen ware of great hardness has been made by taking common potter's ware after once burning, dipping it in water, and then burning it a second time. This is stated on authority, but appears improbable.

Thus having cursorily considered the whole process of the Potter's art, the question now is whether it can be successfully carried on in this country.

A very few years since we purchased all our fine cloths from Europe, we now begin to equal the foreign manufactures in that article. And it is but a short time since we imported our coarse cotton goods from abroad; but at present the whole supply for the consumption of the country is made in the United States, and indeed it is thought we can undersell the transatlantic manufacturers of this kind of goods, and that we may in a few years compete with them in foreign