Volume 11 (1865) (424 pages)

The Biining and Scientific Lress, 419 *echanical. THE FOUNDRIES, Last week wo visited but few of the larger establishments, a3 we confess to having felt some enrinsity as to what the smalter shops were doing ; and fur the better gratification of this feeling cenlined our observations ulmost entirely to thein—the only exception being a . short visit to the splendid and extensive eatablishment of H. J. Booth & Ce., of the Unieo Works. Passing down First street, eur atteution was attracted to a modest-leoking establishment, at No. 9, which, though appeariug very quiet on tho outside, was a pieture of thrift and industry within. ‘This was the Ivano Macuixe Snor, lntely opened by Mr. D. C. Hall, wom we foand with his coet off and eleeves rolled up going into the work with n+ will. But the dress of the mechanic could not hide tho marke of the true gentleman, which were visiblo in every word and action ax he shuwed us hia neut and orderly shop. Another very iuteresting place which we visited was the Brass asp Brit Fousnry of Ciallngher & Weed. Llere, though there are but few dg things, such as they make in the iron foundries, specimens of curious and beautiful workmanship ubound on every hand, prominent among which we noticed a large steamboat belt, a counterpart of two manufuetured for the steamer Washoe and of one vow in use on the ocean steawer Pacific, ‘The proprictors intend exhibitiug this bell, with several others of the same kind, at the coming Fair of the Meehanics’ Institute.— These bells will be of all eizes usually nanufuctured iu this country, which vary from twenty-five incbes diameter down to six, and of every eharaeter of tone and finish. At Joux Loenuean’s steam-engine works we were shown the drawinge and patterns of several propellers, the principal one of which is tho new screw propeller for the tug boat Rabbani, onw taking in supplies at Clay etreet wharf fur her voyage to thn Columbia bar, where she is to be employed. ‘This is tlin vessel whose speed ou her trial trip, some weeks eince, attracted so niuch attention. She ran out to tbe Farallones aud back, aud behaved throughout in tbn most satisfictory manner. Ifer propeller ia eight feet four inches in diameter, with four blades, ond ie driven by a eingle iaverted engine of 150-horse power and twenty-eight inecbes diameter of eylinder, with twenty-eight incbes stroke, making, with sixty peunds of eteam, seventy-five rovolutions per minute, and propelling the vessel in smooth water at the rate of fourteen miles an hour. At the time of nur visit there were three large hoisting enginee in course of erection, for use in unloading ships at the wharves, and a small engine, of a peculiar pattern, whieh Mr. Loelihead expects to use in his sbop tn drive hie machinery. It is a vertical, inverted engine, like those of his propellers, but differs in having the frame east in one solid pieee, making it mucb stronger and less liable to get out of order. Mr. L. thinks that when thie etyle of engine comes to be known it will be preferred to all others, on account of its simplicity and eompactneas. At the Union Founnry, Messrs. H. J. Booth & Co. have on haud a large amount of interesting work. Among the mining orders, wn notieed two beautiful engines, nearly finished, whieh, we were told, were intended for the Idaho mine, Idaho Territory. One of these is an eight-inch eylinder, and is intended for hoisting, while the other, a fine twelve-ineh witb twenty-four ineb stroke, will he employed for pumping the¥ sbuft. A ten-inch engine, twenty-ineh stroke, with hoisting gear, bas just been ehipped to tbe Gold Tunnel Miniug Company, Nevada City. .A fourteen-ineh engiue, capable of driving forty etamps, with a ten-stamp mill, eix}amalgamating pans and two eettlers, have just been eompleted for Mr. Hnzeltine, Reese River. But the great attraction for the month in thie estnblishment is the new railroad locomotivee, the firet ever built in California. Two of these, intended for the 5. J. R. R. Co., were drawing rapidly toward coinpletion, und begin te show signs of the immense strength and majestic besaty which ‘are cliaractoristie of great cfiurts in mechnuical design. A third locomotive, preeisety like the first two, aud intended fur the §. V.R. R. Cn., is also progressing finely. A view of this splendid extablishinent, with its numerous i shops crowded with immense machines carving and shaving the solid iron as thongh it were the softest woud, and its two hundred and filty ehverfal operatives, presents at-cene calculated to inspire the mind of the beholder with elevated and expanded ideas of the great industrial resources of the lacifie coast. Bnick Makixnc.—We somo time sinee alInded to a new arrangement of permanent walls or kilus wherein to burn brick, whereby tnuch wasto of material and loss of time would be avoided. The Sacramento Bee of the 241th ult., in announeing the suceessful issuo of the experiment says: © This morning, [Phillip Callaghan opened his ‘elamp kiln’ of four hundred thousand brick, situated just below the R street levee, between Ninth and ‘Venth. ‘This, the first trial in the city of o ‘clamp kils,’ has proved a most perfect sucecss.” Fan.en.—The projeet of constructing an nnderground railroad under Broadway, New York, has fallen through. The bill pasged both branehes of the Levislature, but was vetoed by the Governor. ‘The principal reason for the veto was the fact tlnt the bill was uot sufticiently explicit in its provisions as to time, ete., which the corporation might consume in constructing the work. Jad the bill passed, that great throrouglifare might have been rendered almost irapassable for four or five years. Yhere is very little probability that the project will be again resumed. Tux DBessener Parexr ix tan Untren Stares—Tbe Albany Iren Works, in ‘roy, have commeneed the manufacture of mild steel, under Bessemer’s putent, of which they hove the entire eontrol in the Uuited States. The works for this manufacture havn been in progress for nearly a year. Itis expected that the demand for locomotive tyres will occupy the works to their present eupacity ; but it is intended nltimately to make steel boiler plates, and whatever else there may be a demnud for. Ivprovement ix Carriage Manine.—-They nre making earriages after u plun in England which is worthy of nttention. ‘The framn work is of angle iron, ond tho panels are of papier mache. ‘I'he paper is stiffer than leather, and nenrly ag tough. Every part of the earriage body usually nade of wood, is formed of papier macbe. ‘The springs nre under the body, Ameriean fashion. The window runs nlong the roof on the inside, and draws down like a sash; and there is a sash door, which may be pushed down, nnd coils itself under the bedy of thn yebicle. ‘Tbe ventilation is nlso inproved. A New Brraeu-Loantxo Musket.—Samuel Wilkes and John Leek, workmen at, the American Machine Works, in Springfield, Mues., have invented a new breach-londing musket, the prineiple of which ie quite original. The meehanism is very simple and not liable to get out of repair, while the pieee may be fired very rapidly. The first gun of the kind has just been completed, and will be subinitted to Major Laidley for his inspeetion. Cost or THe Reset Navy.—Onn bundred millions of dollars would probahly fall short of tbe expenditures of the rebels in their defensive gunboats, iron-clads, rams, floating hatteries and transports. This profitable investment all went into the rebel einking fund. Tne latest invention in conneetion with the jewelry robberies is to eonnect the safes with the police statione by meane of telegraphic wires attached to tbe ordinary street telegraph wires. Macarves for seeding currante and stoning raisins are in common use in England. A Loom hae been manufaetured in Edinburgh, for the Countess of Eglinton, by which ber ladyship intends to mauufacture, herself, dresses for her own use. Tue newest things in crinolines, says a Paris letter, is tbe substitntion of silver for steel in the framework. IMPROVEMENT IN IRON SMELTING, <A new and.as reported, a very snecessful improvemeut has recently been introduced into the system of irom sielting, at the foundries in Muuehester, England. ‘his system is notling more or less thau the introduction of steam in the npper portion of the cupula, for produce: ing a lost, similnr to thr use of exhuust steam as lately applied for veutilating purposes to several mines in Washoe. ‘The experiment was first tried ut the foundry of tho Messrs. Woodward, at Manchester, und since its success lias been fully proven, quite a number of of tho lurgest iron works in that city have npplied the invention to their cupolas, and it is thought that it will soon become general not only for sinelting pig iron, but for obtaining tho metal from tho mineral ns well. The Manchester Guardian describes the inveutiou ae follows : ‘fhe ordinary method of smelting iron is by hlowiug throueh two or more tuyeres a powerfal blast of air into the cupola which has been charged with pig iron and coke. ‘To produce the blast in tho eupota whero the experiment was exhibited on the old method, a 4It. fan, requiring eight horse power, was employed. By the new method, invented by Messre. Woodward, the fau and all its usual accom. paniments of ehafting, strapping, oil, wear and tear, have becn dispensed with. ‘he cupolais two leet four inehes diameter, und of the nsnal hight. At its upper portion, immediately above tho part where the ehurge is put into tle enpola, a steam pipe 1174 inch bore, is inserted into a wrought iron ehimney, about equal in length to the depth of the eupola below. The aetion of the jet of steain thence projected ie to create a parti»l vacuum below it.and, a3 a consequence, a strong dranght of air throngh the mass below. The working of the furnace is described as follows: “ The fire is lighted and the charge thrown on in the usual inanner, after which the eharging hole is closed ; the eteam is then turned on aud admitted into the fuanel. The eolumn of steam now rushiug along earries or draws with it n quantity of air from below, thus produeing a partial vacuum immediately nbove the fuel and metnl to be aeted upon. All heing elosed at the top. the only place left for the air to enter is through tho openings at the bottom, through whieh it flows in oue constant and unbroken strenm, acting on all parts of the fuel alike, thus securing a general and uaiform heat throughout the furnace, consequently a more perfect eombustion of the fuel.” It was stated that the new method saves a large quantity of eoke, nnd thnt a much better kind of easting is now obtained from a common elass of pig iron than eould possibly hava beeu got formerly. T*or smelting a ton of iron, little over a ewt. of eoke is required, while the bringing down of the molten metal is performed mach quicker. An advantage to persons outside the works is the absenee of the glaring blaze and shower of fiery sparks always found on the old method. In faet, a little stenm issuing froin the chimney top, or top of the eupola, was the only external indication that the blast furnace was at work. The extreme siinplieity of this invention strikes one with wouder that so valuable a discovery had not been made loug since, especially when wn remember that in our locomotives a jet of eteam hne long been projeeted into thn fire-box to inerease eombustion, and by its aid to raise steam from a pressure of 30Ibs. to 120ibs. in twenty :ninutes. Another advantage of this invnntion eonsiste in its easily allowing eupolas to be worked in situations where it is inconvenient to have steam engines, ae on men-of-wnr, and in warfare, for casting shot, ehell, ete., nnd in many other eituations. In foundries, where it is found requieite in eases of “ breakdowns” to work unexpeetedly late at nigbt, this invention will be of great value, as it ean be got to work within a very brief time without any engine power. We understand that a further improvement in this apparatus will shortly be eompleted, by means of whieh tbe upper portion of the cupola will be surrounded by a boiler, which will supply steam to the eupolas nt a still furtber reduction on the preeeut trifling eoet. A New Nam Maestne.—The Wiekersham nail machine, a new invention, is on exbibition in Philadelphia. Each machine is eapable of turning out fifty kegs of the best quality ol nails per day. Gux Corron mw tHe Army.—The gun committee, says the Army and Navy Gazette, hnve been trying further experiments with thie highly exploeive material,and there eeems to be every hope of its being used instead of powder, as a bursting eharge for eliells, and also as pn mine in the torpedoes nnd otber similar veseels, which are expected to be largely employed in any future naval war. Grass Vanfey Dimecrory.—We have received fron W. 8. Byrne, Esq. compiler and publisher, a “ Directory of the ‘Township of Gruss Valley." ‘The work appears to havo been prepured with much eare and diligeneo, and contains very iuterestiny historical sketclies of the town und inost of its leading mines. Persons desirous of becouting better acqnaiuted with the history and resonrces of this, the chief mining center of Culifornia, shenld purchase a cepy of the work, whicl can be obtained nf A. Roman & Co., Moutgomery Street. The following paragraph, which we copy from this work, will be read with interest : Grass Valley Township, the most popnlong and prosperous of interior Districts, coutains, aside from its saw mills, 22 quartz mills or rather 19 anartz and two cement ills. Tunning 208 stamps. Of tbese mills, cight do eustom work, the remaining thirteen being engaged in operating for their owners. Tho number of stamps will in all probability hs inereased to tliree hundred during the present year. We already have thirty-eight dividend payiag quartz mines, to which at least twice the nuinber mny be added before 1866, judging from the first-class ledges now beiug opened. A {thorough canvass of tho Township convinces us that no fewer thnn twentyfive hundred men are engaged here and in thu vicinity in quartz mining, of whieh number about fifteen hundred are employed by large companies, the reinninder being engaged in prospeeting for themselves or working ledges without hoisting or‘pumping machinery. ‘The discoveries of the present season nay bo eafely enumerated by hundreds, many of which uow proinise to be productive mines for many yeare tocome. More thorough prospeeting lis been done in Grass Valley ‘lownship duriag this season, and generully with better resnits, than during any five years from 1851 tn 1864. The town of Grass Vallcy nover presented a more healthful aspeet than at the present time. Exeitemente abroad, which formerly worked most disastrous results to the town’e interest, bre now powerless aguinst us. Hosts who wandered off to Nevada, Reese River, IIumboldt and Boise, in seareh of wealth too tardy in its advent to them here, have returned to Grass Valley, satisfied with their firet love, and content to live here and aeeumnlate fortnnes. astern and loeal capital greedily seek investment in our mines, and, while there is no reekless speculation among ug, many thousands of dollars have beeu invested in quartz mives here during the present year. Cotton Manuractures ty Encuann.—An English paper says: ‘‘ A very important question, however, looms in the future that may serionsly affect the priee of eotton, ond thnt is the prospective seareity of labor in the manufacturing districts. Kven now, althongh the consumption is little over 30,000 bales per week, there are complaints of the difficulty of finding skilled hands, at least in the weaving departinents. The four years of enforced stagnation have scattered the workpeople very mueh, and no new hands have been trained up in the iuterval. ‘Though the relief lists still show a considerable amount of destitution, it is undoubted tbnt there is nn large reserve of unemployed skilled labor, and even though trade hecame highly prosperous, and every avnilahle spindle was put in motion, it is questionable whether hands eould be found to work more than eighty per cent. of tbe full eonsumption of eotton before the war.” A Novst Inza.—Tho New York Zribune has some peculiar notions about railway fares. It proposes to adjust the rates to the speed of the traiu. 1. Emigrant truins to enrry at one eent per mile. 2. Comimon trains running twenty miles per hour to charge two eents per mile. Express trains, to travel forty miles per hour at four eents per mile, the fare to be refunded when the train fails to make the conneetion, nnd where it is thirty minutes beltind, but makee the eonnection, half the fare to be returned, so as to mnke it eommon time. In seasons of obstructions from enow, flood or iee, express trains to ruc on common fore and eommoa time. These fast trains to be preeeded five minutes by an engine, at whose approach a gate sball be elosed at every bighway that erosses the track on its level, and kept elosed uutil the forty-mile train has pussed. 1n places, however, as in the streets of cities, where it is not practicable, tho speed to be reduced to twenty miles per hour. Ir bas been beautifully snid that “the veil whieh eovers the face of tuturity is woven by tbe hund of* mercy. Geroroz Prazsony, the London benker, is about to return to his native couutry, to spend tbe evening of bis days and sleep with his fathers. In Amsterdam, a speealntor has built a concert hall whieb will sent eight thousand people.

The Biining and Scientific Lress, 419 *echanical. THE FOUNDRIES, Last week wo visited but few of the larger establishments, a3 we confess to having felt some enrinsity as to what the smalter shops were doing ; and fur the better gratification of this feeling cenlined our observations ulmost entirely to thein—the only exception being a . short visit to the splendid and extensive eatablishment of H. J. Booth & Ce., of the Unieo Works. Passing down First street, eur atteution was attracted to a modest-leoking establishment, at No. 9, which, though appeariug very quiet on tho outside, was a pieture of thrift and industry within. ‘This was the Ivano Macuixe Snor, lntely opened by Mr. D. C. Hall, wom we foand with his coet off and eleeves rolled up going into the work with n+ will. But the dress of the mechanic could not hide tho marke of the true gentleman, which were visiblo in every word and action ax he shuwed us hia neut and orderly shop. Another very iuteresting place which we visited was the Brass asp Brit Fousnry of Ciallngher & Weed. Llere, though there are but few dg things, such as they make in the iron foundries, specimens of curious and beautiful workmanship ubound on every hand, prominent among which we noticed a large steamboat belt, a counterpart of two manufuetured for the steamer Washoe and of one vow in use on the ocean steawer Pacific, ‘The proprictors intend exhibitiug this bell, with several others of the same kind, at the coming Fair of the Meehanics’ Institute.— These bells will be of all eizes usually nanufuctured iu this country, which vary from twenty-five incbes diameter down to six, and of every eharaeter of tone and finish. At Joux Loenuean’s steam-engine works we were shown the drawinge and patterns of several propellers, the principal one of which is tho new screw propeller for the tug boat Rabbani, onw taking in supplies at Clay etreet wharf fur her voyage to thn Columbia bar, where she is to be employed. ‘This is tlin vessel whose speed ou her trial trip, some weeks eince, attracted so niuch attention. She ran out to tbe Farallones aud back, aud behaved throughout in tbn most satisfictory manner. Ifer propeller ia eight feet four inches in diameter, with four blades, ond ie driven by a eingle iaverted engine of 150-horse power and twenty-eight inecbes diameter of eylinder, with twenty-eight incbes stroke, making, with sixty peunds of eteam, seventy-five rovolutions per minute, and propelling the vessel in smooth water at the rate of fourteen miles an hour. At the time of nur visit there were three large hoisting enginee in course of erection, for use in unloading ships at the wharves, and a small engine, of a peculiar pattern, whieh Mr. Loelihead expects to use in his sbop tn drive hie machinery. It is a vertical, inverted engine, like those of his propellers, but differs in having the frame east in one solid pieee, making it mucb stronger and less liable to get out of order. Mr. L. thinks that when thie etyle of engine comes to be known it will be preferred to all others, on account of its simplicity and eompactneas. At the Union Founnry, Messrs. H. J. Booth & Co. have on haud a large amount of interesting work. Among the mining orders, wn notieed two beautiful engines, nearly finished, whieh, we were told, were intended for the Idaho mine, Idaho Territory. One of these is an eight-inch eylinder, and is intended for hoisting, while the other, a fine twelve-ineh witb twenty-four ineb stroke, will he employed for pumping the¥ sbuft. A ten-inch engine, twenty-ineh stroke, with hoisting gear, bas just been ehipped to tbe Gold Tunnel Miniug Company, Nevada City. .A fourteen-ineh engiue, capable of driving forty etamps, with a ten-stamp mill, eix}amalgamating pans and two eettlers, have just been eompleted for Mr. Hnzeltine, Reese River. But the great attraction for the month in thie estnblishment is the new railroad locomotivee, the firet ever built in California. Two of these, intended for the 5. J. R. R. Co., were drawing rapidly toward coinpletion, und begin te show signs of the immense strength and majestic besaty which ‘are cliaractoristie of great cfiurts in mechnuical design. A third locomotive, preeisety like the first two, aud intended fur the §. V.R. R. Cn., is also progressing finely. A view of this splendid extablishinent, with its numerous i shops crowded with immense machines carving and shaving the solid iron as thongh it were the softest woud, and its two hundred and filty ehverfal operatives, presents at-cene calculated to inspire the mind of the beholder with elevated and expanded ideas of the great industrial resources of the lacifie coast. Bnick Makixnc.—We somo time sinee alInded to a new arrangement of permanent walls or kilus wherein to burn brick, whereby tnuch wasto of material and loss of time would be avoided. The Sacramento Bee of the 241th ult., in announeing the suceessful issuo of the experiment says: © This morning, [Phillip Callaghan opened his ‘elamp kiln’ of four hundred thousand brick, situated just below the R street levee, between Ninth and ‘Venth. ‘This, the first trial in the city of o ‘clamp kils,’ has proved a most perfect sucecss.” Fan.en.—The projeet of constructing an nnderground railroad under Broadway, New York, has fallen through. The bill pasged both branehes of the Levislature, but was vetoed by the Governor. ‘The principal reason for the veto was the fact tlnt the bill was uot sufticiently explicit in its provisions as to time, ete., which the corporation might consume in constructing the work. Jad the bill passed, that great throrouglifare might have been rendered almost irapassable for four or five years. Yhere is very little probability that the project will be again resumed. Tux DBessener Parexr ix tan Untren Stares—Tbe Albany Iren Works, in ‘roy, have commeneed the manufacture of mild steel, under Bessemer’s putent, of which they hove the entire eontrol in the Uuited States. The works for this manufacture havn been in progress for nearly a year. Itis expected that the demand for locomotive tyres will occupy the works to their present eupacity ; but it is intended nltimately to make steel boiler plates, and whatever else there may be a demnud for. Ivprovement ix Carriage Manine.—-They nre making earriages after u plun in England which is worthy of nttention. ‘The framn work is of angle iron, ond tho panels are of papier mache. ‘I'he paper is stiffer than leather, and nenrly ag tough. Every part of the earriage body usually nade of wood, is formed of papier macbe. ‘The springs nre under the body, Ameriean fashion. The window runs nlong the roof on the inside, and draws down like a sash; and there is a sash door, which may be pushed down, nnd coils itself under the bedy of thn yebicle. ‘Tbe ventilation is nlso inproved. A New Brraeu-Loantxo Musket.—Samuel Wilkes and John Leek, workmen at, the American Machine Works, in Springfield, Mues., have invented a new breach-londing musket, the prineiple of which ie quite original. The meehanism is very simple and not liable to get out of repair, while the pieee may be fired very rapidly. The first gun of the kind has just been completed, and will be subinitted to Major Laidley for his inspeetion. Cost or THe Reset Navy.—Onn bundred millions of dollars would probahly fall short of tbe expenditures of the rebels in their defensive gunboats, iron-clads, rams, floating hatteries and transports. This profitable investment all went into the rebel einking fund. Tne latest invention in conneetion with the jewelry robberies is to eonnect the safes with the police statione by meane of telegraphic wires attached to tbe ordinary street telegraph wires. Macarves for seeding currante and stoning raisins are in common use in England. A Loom hae been manufaetured in Edinburgh, for the Countess of Eglinton, by which ber ladyship intends to mauufacture, herself, dresses for her own use. Tue newest things in crinolines, says a Paris letter, is tbe substitntion of silver for steel in the framework. IMPROVEMENT IN IRON SMELTING, <A new and.as reported, a very snecessful improvemeut has recently been introduced into the system of irom sielting, at the foundries in Muuehester, England. ‘his system is notling more or less thau the introduction of steam in the npper portion of the cupula, for produce: ing a lost, similnr to thr use of exhuust steam

as lately applied for veutilating purposes to several mines in Washoe. ‘The experiment was first tried ut the foundry of tho Messrs. Woodward, at Manchester, und since its success lias been fully proven, quite a number of of tho lurgest iron works in that city have npplied the invention to their cupolas, and it is thought that it will soon become general not only for sinelting pig iron, but for obtaining tho metal from tho mineral ns well. The Manchester Guardian describes the inveutiou ae follows : ‘fhe ordinary method of smelting iron is by hlowiug throueh two or more tuyeres a powerfal blast of air into the cupola which has been charged with pig iron and coke. ‘To produce the blast in tho eupota whero the experiment was exhibited on the old method, a 4It. fan, requiring eight horse power, was employed. By the new method, invented by Messre. Woodward, the fau and all its usual accom. paniments of ehafting, strapping, oil, wear and tear, have becn dispensed with. ‘he cupolais two leet four inehes diameter, und of the nsnal hight. At its upper portion, immediately above tho part where the ehurge is put into tle enpola, a steam pipe 1174 inch bore, is inserted into a wrought iron ehimney, about equal in length to the depth of the eupola below. The aetion of the jet of steain thence projected ie to create a parti»l vacuum below it.and, a3 a consequence, a strong dranght of air throngh the mass below. The working of the furnace is described as follows: “ The fire is lighted and the charge thrown on in the usual inanner, after which the eharging hole is closed ; the eteam is then turned on aud admitted into the fuanel. The eolumn of steam now rushiug along earries or draws with it n quantity of air from below, thus produeing a partial vacuum immediately nbove the fuel and metnl to be aeted upon. All heing elosed at the top. the only place left for the air to enter is through tho openings at the bottom, through whieh it flows in oue constant and unbroken strenm, acting on all parts of the fuel alike, thus securing a general and uaiform heat throughout the furnace, consequently a more perfect eombustion of the fuel.” It was stated that the new method saves a large quantity of eoke, nnd thnt a much better kind of easting is now obtained from a common elass of pig iron than eould possibly hava beeu got formerly. T*or smelting a ton of iron, little over a ewt. of eoke is required, while the bringing down of the molten metal is performed mach quicker. An advantage to persons outside the works is the absenee of the glaring blaze and shower of fiery sparks always found on the old method. In faet, a little stenm issuing froin the chimney top, or top of the eupola, was the only external indication that the blast furnace was at work. The extreme siinplieity of this invention strikes one with wouder that so valuable a discovery had not been made loug since, especially when wn remember that in our locomotives a jet of eteam hne long been projeeted into thn fire-box to inerease eombustion, and by its aid to raise steam from a pressure of 30Ibs. to 120ibs. in twenty :ninutes. Another advantage of this invnntion eonsiste in its easily allowing eupolas to be worked in situations where it is inconvenient to have steam engines, ae on men-of-wnr, and in warfare, for casting shot, ehell, ete., nnd in many other eituations. In foundries, where it is found requieite in eases of “ breakdowns” to work unexpeetedly late at nigbt, this invention will be of great value, as it ean be got to work within a very brief time without any engine power. We understand that a further improvement in this apparatus will shortly be eompleted, by means of whieh tbe upper portion of the cupola will be surrounded by a boiler, which will supply steam to the eupolas nt a still furtber reduction on the preeeut trifling eoet. A New Nam Maestne.—The Wiekersham nail machine, a new invention, is on exbibition in Philadelphia. Each machine is eapable of turning out fifty kegs of the best quality ol nails per day. Gux Corron mw tHe Army.—The gun committee, says the Army and Navy Gazette, hnve been trying further experiments with thie highly exploeive material,and there eeems to be every hope of its being used instead of powder, as a bursting eharge for eliells, and also as pn mine in the torpedoes nnd otber similar veseels, which are expected to be largely employed in any future naval war. Grass Vanfey Dimecrory.—We have received fron W. 8. Byrne, Esq. compiler and publisher, a “ Directory of the ‘Township of Gruss Valley." ‘The work appears to havo been prepured with much eare and diligeneo, and contains very iuterestiny historical sketclies of the town und inost of its leading mines. Persons desirous of becouting better acqnaiuted with the history and resonrces of this, the chief mining center of Culifornia, shenld purchase a cepy of the work, whicl can be obtained nf A. Roman & Co., Moutgomery Street. The following paragraph, which we copy from this work, will be read with interest : Grass Valley Township, the most popnlong and prosperous of interior Districts, coutains, aside from its saw mills, 22 quartz mills or rather 19 anartz and two cement ills. Tunning 208 stamps. Of tbese mills, cight do eustom work, the remaining thirteen being engaged in operating for their owners. Tho number of stamps will in all probability hs inereased to tliree hundred during the present year. We already have thirty-eight dividend payiag quartz mines, to which at least twice the nuinber mny be added before 1866, judging from the first-class ledges now beiug opened. A {thorough canvass of tho Township convinces us that no fewer thnn twentyfive hundred men are engaged here and in thu vicinity in quartz mining, of whieh number about fifteen hundred are employed by large companies, the reinninder being engaged in prospeeting for themselves or working ledges without hoisting or‘pumping machinery. ‘The discoveries of the present season nay bo eafely enumerated by hundreds, many of which uow proinise to be productive mines for many yeare tocome. More thorough prospeeting lis been done in Grass Valley ‘lownship duriag this season, and generully with better resnits, than during any five years from 1851 tn 1864. The town of Grass Vallcy nover presented a more healthful aspeet than at the present time. Exeitemente abroad, which formerly worked most disastrous results to the town’e interest, bre now powerless aguinst us. Hosts who wandered off to Nevada, Reese River, IIumboldt and Boise, in seareh of wealth too tardy in its advent to them here, have returned to Grass Valley, satisfied with their firet love, and content to live here and aeeumnlate fortnnes. astern and loeal capital greedily seek investment in our mines, and, while there is no reekless speculation among ug, many thousands of dollars have beeu invested in quartz mives here during the present year. Cotton Manuractures ty Encuann.—An English paper says: ‘‘ A very important question, however, looms in the future that may serionsly affect the priee of eotton, ond thnt is the prospective seareity of labor in the manufacturing districts. Kven now, althongh the consumption is little over 30,000 bales per week, there are complaints of the difficulty of finding skilled hands, at least in the weaving departinents. The four years of enforced stagnation have scattered the workpeople very mueh, and no new hands have been trained up in the iuterval. ‘Though the relief lists still show a considerable amount of destitution, it is undoubted tbnt there is nn large reserve of unemployed skilled labor, and even though trade hecame highly prosperous, and every avnilahle spindle was put in motion, it is questionable whether hands eould be found to work more than eighty per cent. of tbe full eonsumption of eotton before the war.” A Novst Inza.—Tho New York Zribune has some peculiar notions about railway fares. It proposes to adjust the rates to the speed of the traiu. 1. Emigrant truins to enrry at one eent per mile. 2. Comimon trains running twenty miles per hour to charge two eents per mile. Express trains, to travel forty miles per hour at four eents per mile, the fare to be refunded when the train fails to make the conneetion, nnd where it is thirty minutes beltind, but makee the eonnection, half the fare to be returned, so as to mnke it eommon time. In seasons of obstructions from enow, flood or iee, express trains to ruc on common fore and eommoa time. These fast trains to be preeeded five minutes by an engine, at whose approach a gate sball be elosed at every bighway that erosses the track on its level, and kept elosed uutil the forty-mile train has pussed. 1n places, however, as in the streets of cities, where it is not practicable, tho speed to be reduced to twenty miles per hour. Ir bas been beautifully snid that “the veil whieh eovers the face of tuturity is woven by tbe hund of* mercy. Geroroz Prazsony, the London benker, is about to return to his native couutry, to spend tbe evening of bis days and sleep with his fathers. In Amsterdam, a speealntor has built a concert hall whieb will sent eight thousand people.