Thomas Joyce, of Camberwell New Road, gardener, for certain improved modes of applying prepared fuel, to the purposes of generating steam and evaporating fluids. May 5; six months.

Pierre Armand Lecomte de Fontainemoreau, of Charles-street, City Road, for an improved method of preventing the oxydation of metals, being a communication from a foreigner residing abroad. May 5; six months.

William Gossage, of Stoke Prior, Worcester, manufacturing chemist, for certain improvements in manufacturing sulphuric acid. May 8; six months.

William Henry James, late of Birmingham, and now of London, Civil Engineer, for certain improvements in machines or apparatus for weighing substances or fluids, and for certain additions thereto, applicable to other purposes. May 8; six

months.

Miles Berry, of Chancery Lane, for a new or improved method of applying certain textile and exotic plants, as substitutes in various cases for flax, hemp, cotton, and silk, being a communication from a foreigner residing abroad. May 14; six months.

Jean Francois Isidore Caplin, of Portland-street, artist, for improvements in stays or corsets, and other parts of the dress, where lacing is employed, and in instruments for measuring for corsets or stays, and for the bodies of dresses. May 14; six months.

Alexandre Happey, of Basing-lane, London, gent., for a new and improved method of extracting tar and bitumen from all matters which contain those substances, or either of them, being a communication from a foreigner residing abroad. May 14; six months.

Thomas Mellodew, of Wallshaw Cottage, near Oldham, Lancaster, mechanic, for certain improvements in looms for weaving various kinds of cloth. May 15; six months.

James Vincent Desgrand, of Size-lane, London, merchant, for a certain new pulpy product, or material, to be used in manufacturing paper and paste board, prepared from certain substances not hitherto used for such purposes, being a communication from a foreigner residing abroad. May 15; six months.

Francis Thorpe, of Knaresborough, in the county of York, flax spinner, for certain improvements in machinery or apparatus for heckling, preparing, or dressing hemp, flax, and other such like fibrous materials. May 15; six months.

David Stead, of Great Winchester-street, London, merchant, for an invention for making or paving public streets and highways, and public and private roads, courts and bridges, with timber or wooden blocks, being a communication from a foreigner residing abroad. May 19; four months. Samuel Seaward, of the Canal Iron Works, Poplar, for certain improvements in steam engines. May 21; six months.

Augustus Applegath, of Crayford, calico printer, for improvements in apparatus for block-printing. May 22; six months.

Henry Adcock, of Liverpool, for improvements in raising water from mines and other deep places, or

from a lower level to a higher, which improvements are applicable to raising liquids generally, and to other purposes. May 22; six months.

John Ratcliff, of Birmingham, lamp manufacturer, for improvements in Lamps. May 22; six months.

Robert Martineau, of Birmingham, and Brook Smith of the same place, both in the county of Warwick,, cock founders, for improvements in cocks for drawing off liquids. May 24; six months.

John Radcliffe, of Stockport, Chester, machine agent, for a new method of removing the fly droppings, waste and other matters, which, being separated from the material falls below the cylinders and beaters, in the respective processes of carding, willowing, devilling, batting, blowing, scutching, opening, or mixing of cotton-wool, silk, flax, wool, or any other fibrous material or substances. May 24; six months.

Charles Searle, of Fitzroy-street, London, for a new description of aerated water, or waters, and which method of aerating is applicable also to other fluids. May 24; six months.

LIST OF IRISH PATENTS GRANTED IN
APRIL, 1838.

John Clarke the younger, of Mile-end, Glasgow, cotton-spinner, for improved machinery for turn ing, some part or parts of which may be made applicable to other useful purposes.

Sir James Caleb Anderson, bart., of Buttevant Castle, Cork, for improvements in locomotive and stationary engines, and in the mode of applying the same to tillage of land.

Luke Barton, of Arnold, Nottingham, for certain improvements in machinery for frame-work knitting.

William Fothergill Cooke, of Breeds-place, Hastings, Sussex, and Charles Wheatstone, of Conduit-street, Hanover-square, for improvement in giving signals and sounding alarms at distant places by means of electric currents, transmitted through metallic circuits.

Richard Tappin Claridge, of Regent-street, Middlesex, gen., for a mastic cement or composition applicable to paving and road-making, covering buildings, and the various purposes in which cement, mastic, lead, zinc, or composition is employed.

NOTES AND NOTICES.

Useful Discoveries.-The Brussels journals mention that Dr. Bernhardt has discovered processes, by means of which he is enabled to form out of the refuse of fish, a pure and limpid oil without any odour, soap of superior quality, fish glue, Prussian blue, and bone black, in quantities sufficient to produce a profit of 400 per cent.; and has founded a factory on an extensive scale for carrying his processes into effect.-Mining Journal.

Complete Sets of the Mechanics' Magazine may now be had, twenty-seven volumes, half-cloth, price £11 7s.

The navigation of the Thames, it has been generally asserted, has, for a considerable time, been impeded by the wreck of a collier brig of 400 tons burthen, the William of Sunderland, which was run down by a steamer at Gravesend, near Tilbury Fort, in the winter of 1836. That this wreck, however, was ever found to be an actual impediment is very questionable, as at the lowest neap tide, she was covered with 23 feet of water, and lay in a spot where the sweep of the current would effectually prevent the formation of any sand bank. Various plans have been tried to raise the vessel, but owing to the weight of the cargo with which it was loaded -300 tons of coals-as well as other circumstances, all failed. Amongst other methods which were tried, was that invented and patented by Mr. Kemp, and described in our 763rd Number, and which it was expected would succeed, but the cylinders and apparatus were broken away by a vessel coming in collision with them, An attempt was also made to weigh the wreck by means of mooring chains and lighters furnished by the Admiralty, but unsuccessfully, owing entirely to the scanty material afforded by the Government. Instead of two lighters, and a few hands, there ought to have been one lighter on each bow, and one lighter on each quarter, each furnished with not fewer than thirty hands. Had these necessary means been supplied, that highly talented officer Mr. Purdo, of the Dock Yard, Chatham, would long ere this, have recovered the vessel from her bed. Under these circumstances, it was at last deemed advisable to destroy the wreck by blowing it up with gunpowder. The superintendence of this difficult and novel operation was intrusted to Colonel Pasley. The means and apparatus employed by this gentleman we shall now proceed to lay before our readers.

The wreck was proposed to be blown up by the explosion of two large leaden cylinders of gunpowder, protected by outer casings of wood, and each charged with 2500lbs. of gunpowder, to be placed

against the sides of the brig. These cylinders were constructed by the Royal Sappers and Miners at Chatham. After being filled with the powder, the two holes by which it was poured in were covered with pieces of tin, which were soldered to a flange from a leaden case inside, with red-hot iron, in a perfectly safe, and therefore, we need scarcely add, ingenious, manner.

The engraving on our front page, will give a better idea of the operation than can be conveyed by words alone. A is the exploding cylinder, ready to be lowered to the wreck, to which it is to be rove by tackle, passed through ring bolts fixed in the side of the brig by the diver; B, the air tube to supply the divingbell K, containing men to assist the diver; C sappers, lowering the diving bell; D a small lighter to attend the diver; E the tube to supply the diver with air; F a ladder formed of rope, with wooden staves, by which the diver ascends and descends; G H the wreck of the brig; I the diver, a sapper, shown attaching the ring bolts to the hull of the brig, to secure the exploding cylinders in their proper places. This diver is equipped with Dean's diving helmet, and an India rubber dress; M the life-line, fastened round the body of the diver to haul him up in case of accident to the apparatus. The principal object in the operation is the cylinder, of which the following is a detailed description: Fig. 2 is an elevation of the cylinder. The wooden casing was made of elm, 3 inches in thickness, 10 feet in length, and 4 feet in diameter; it was bound with iron hoops 3 inches wide and ths of an inch thick, and strengthened and protected by longitudinal bars, and framed ends, as shown in fig. 2 and 4. Figure 3 is a section of the cylinder, showing the fuse. Fig. 4 an end view of cylinder. Fig. 5 the cylinder shown placed against the side of the wreck, completely prepared and ready to explode. The central hoops of the cylinder were cut nearly through on the side next the hull (see fig. 2), in order that by making this the side of least resistance, the vessel might be subject to the greater force from the powder. The cylinder was to be exploded by means of a fine powder hose in a flexible leaden pipe attached to the cylinder, the upper end of which

was to be moored to a red buoy. As in so very rapid a tideway it was probable that the leaden pipe might be broken by accident, and water get in, to preserve the mass of the powder from being rendered useless, the train only immediately communicated with a small tin canister in the centre of the great charge, which, on ignition would explode the whole. The cylinders were to be lowered and attached to the hull, and all preparations made at low water; and at high water the fuse was to be lighted by a man in a cutter, which was immediately to row from the spot. The explosion of the gunpowder, it was expected by Col. Pasley, would not only effect the destruction of the vessel, but form a crater of about 30 feet in diameter at top, and 10 feet deep.

On Saturday, the 19th ult., a steamer, by direction of the Lord Mayor, towed the lighter containing the cylinders, diving bell, and other apparatus from Chatham to Gravesend, with Capt. Yule of the Royal engineers, and a party of

Sappers and Miners to be employed in the operation, as also Mr. Purdo, who superintended the mooring of the lighter and other naval operations.

Preparations were commenced on Monday the 21st ult., when a Sapper descended with the diving apparatus to make preparations. Having been several hours down, and there being no indications of his return, the diving-bell was lowered, when the poor fellow was found deadthe life-line having, it is supposed with the sweep of the tide, become entangled with a broken plank projecting from the side of the hull; in the angle formed by this plank and the vessel, the unfortunate diver was found jammed, with the life-line tight round his body. A serjeant of Sappers, who went down in the bell, states that the water was so thick and muddy that he was in perfect darkness, and that he only found the body of his comrade by groping for it. It is singular that a diver, under such circumstances, should have descended without being provided with either a knife or hatchet;

K

had the unfortunate Sapper possessed what at first sight appears to be a necessary implement, it is more than probable that he would have been enabled to free himself from the entanglement which caused his destruction.

A second trial was made on Tuesday, when a few minutes before the period fixed for the explosion, one of the screws of the leaden pipe holding the fuse being detached, the water was admitted-only the fuse and a small canister of powder, however, were spoilt—that in the cylinder, from the precautions taken, was preserved quite dry.

On Tuesday night an Indiaman ran foul of the lighter, and carried away all the working gear: and it was not until the following Monday, the 28th ult., that the explosion was effected. Precisely at 28 minutes to four o'clock, the signal was given to fire the train leading to the gunpowder cylinder from Tilbury Fort, by the hoisting of red flags. All craft that were near the wreck proceeded to a great distance, and to a place of safety, with the exception of a cutter containing a party of miners, with their oars in their hands. One stood at the stern of the boat, with a lighted taper, and when the gun was fired he set fire to the fuse, which burnt for five minutes brilliantly, at the expiration of which period the explosion took place. In the interim the miners had rowed away, and attained a considerable distance from the wreck, and out of danger. The shock of the explosion was so great, that it not only was distinctly felt all over the town of Gravesend and the adjacent places, Milton, Grays, and Northfleet, but heard as far distant as Chatham and Gillingham. The houses on the high ground behind Gravesend, suffered more than those on a lower situation. The appearance from the shore, where no less than 7000 persons had as.. sembled, was exceedingly grand, although difficult to describe. Instantly the powder in the cylinders ignited, a head of water, in the shape of a dome, and above 800 feet in circumference, was forced to the height of 70 feet. A dense black vapour, and remains of the wreck, masts, timbers, planks, &c., were completely

blown out of the water to some distance. Not the least accident occurred. We subjoin the official report of Col. Pasley to the Water Bailiff of London :

Royal Engineer Establishment,

"Chatham, May 28, 1838. "Sir, I have great pleasure in stating, for the information of the Lord Mayor of London, that we succeeded in fixing one of our large powder cylinders, containing 2,500 lb., against the western side of the brig William, this afternoon, a little after high water, when the ebb-tide had just strength enough to force the cylinder against the side of the vessel a little above the bed of the river.

"The effect exceeded my expectation. A large column of water was thrown up, evidently mixed with coals, which had been the cargo of the vessel, and, on coming to the spot, we found that all or most of the fir timber floated at the surface, and as we found the step of a mast, and parts of the beams and deck, the naval officers who were present agree in opinion that the brig must have been blown entirely to pieces; and if their opinion should be correct, which we shall be able to ascertain to-morrow morning by sounding, and by sending down the diving-bell at low water to examine the wreck, it will be unnecessary to fire the second cylinder which I had prepared with the intention of using it against the eastern side of the brig. It appears practicable that the oak timbers of the vessel being water-logged, and having their fastenings of bolts run through them, will remain at the bottom, but as there seems reason to believe that they must be all shattered and broken to pieces, it will be easy to get hold of them by creeping, and pull them up, so as to clear the bed of the river of them.

66

'If to-day's operation should have succeeded in effecting the complete demolition of the brig William, I have great pleasure in acknowledging how much I am indebted to the zealous, skilful, and indefatigable exertions of Mr. Purdo, Master-Attendant of Chatham Dock-yard, who conducted the naval part of the operation quite to my satisfaction; and I could not but remark the zeal and activity of the Dock-yard riggers, and of the seamen of the Royal Navy employed under his orders. Captain Yule and Lieutenant Hornby, and a strong detachment of Captain Yule's company of Royal Sappers and Miners, not only executed the mining part of the operation, but assisted in the naval part, under the able superintendence of Mr. Purdo. The mechanical construction of the powder-cylinders, and of the lead

pipes, screws, &c., and of their fitments,

upon the perfection of which the success of the operation depended as much as on anything else, was executed by the master artificers of Her Majesty's dock-yard, under the