178 HUTCHISON'S PATENT RETORT-BED.. HUTCHISON'S PATENT RETORT-BED. Sir, There is no part of the extensive machinery employed in the manufacture of coal-gas that has undergone so many changes and alterations as the retort; every variety of shape that could possibly be adopted has been tried-and large sums have at various times, during the last twenty years, been thrown away in securing patent rights for retorts of different forms-under the idea that their make or proportion facilitated and economised the process of carbonisation. The names of individuals, greatly and deservedly esteemed for their scientific acquirements, could be mentioned, who have wasted their talents and their money in this way. Had the same labour been bestowed in ascertaining the most proper method of placing retorts, instead of devising new shapes for the retorts themselves, science, in its connexion with the manufacture of gas, would have been further advanced than it is at present. It had occurred to Mr. Hutchison, previous to the erection of the extensive works at Vauxhall, that the field for improvement lay not in the retort itself, but in the mode of placing or arranging them over the furnace. Following up this opinion, he at once hazarded a bold, and, what was considered at the time, a rash innovation upon a principle which had been in operation for more than twenty years; this was the placing of eleven retorts (each capable of holding four bushels of coals) over one furnace. The experiment succeeded, and thereby was established the expectation he had formed, of being able to carbonise double the quantity of coal, with the same bulk of fuel consumed by the usual principle in the production of half the amount. It was chiefly, and, I may say, entirely, through this valuable improvement that the London Company at Vauxhall, at its commencement, was enabled to supply the public with a superior quality of gas, at 40 per cent. less than any of the old establishments. By the adoption of the retort-bed which Mr. Hutchison has introduced, not an atom of the hot air which issues from the furnace is allowed to pass into the atmosphere; every particle is effectively used in the process of carbonizing; whereas, on the contrary, one-half of the heat generated in retortbeds, constructed on the usual plan, passes immediately into the main shaft, without having rendered any service whatever. Surely this is a circumstance which demands the serious consideration of engineers who are interested in the prosperity of gas-works. A knowledge of the fact, that a body of heat which may safely be valued at some thousands of pounds annually, is unappropriated and completely lost in nearly all gas-works, is sufficient to create much anxiety in the minds of proprietors. So great a sacri fice of property, I am persuaded, will not be permitted to exist any longer, now that the remedy has been discovered. The Another advantage which arises from the use of Mr. Hutchison's plan, is the pr servation of the retorts themselves. iron of which they are made when in a state of perfect ignition, is exposed to the most rapid decay from the destructive effects of the currents of heated air, which are continually rushing from the nostrils of the furnace; and this is an evil which it is impossible to obviate, while the common system of constructing the flues is persisted in. The durability of retorts set upon the improved principle, is in the proportion of four to one, in comparison to the old method:-hence, a vast saving in the article of iron alone is effected by this excellent contrivance. The large establishments of the metropolis expend from 2000l. to 3000l. each, annually, in replacing retorts. A diminution of at least half the above suins would ensue from the adoption of Mr. Hutchison's plan of setting retorts upon arches, surrounded by perfect reverberating draughts. It is after an experiment of some years, acquired solely from being practically engaged in the manufacture of coal-gas, that I have presumed to state my opinion so unreservedly against that principle of building retort beds, which far better, and certainly much superior, men to myself have professionally recommended-and in favour of Hutchison's plan. My only motive in soliciting the insertion of this article in your scientific Journal, is to benefit Gas Companies in general, by communicating through the medium of a widely-circulated Magazine a knowledge of an improvement which, if universally adopted, must undoubtedly enhance to an important extent the value of gas property. GUTZLAFF'S CHINESE MAGAZINE, VOL. 1. Description of the Engraving. The retorts c, shown in the accompanying sketch, are so arranged that their relative positions with respect to the furnace b, subject all of them to one uniform and undeviating degree of heat. The hot-air flues or nostrils, which proceed vertically and horizontally from the furnace, communicate with revolving draught-channels which surround the retorts. These flues, from the circular direction in which they are conveyed to every part of each retort, transmit with perfect uniformity all the heat which rushes from the various openings in the furnace. The temperature is by this rrangement preserved in a continual state of perfect equability; and in consequence the heated metal is not exposed to the destructive action of the heated air which passes through the furnace. The 179 retort, also, being completely surrounded by flues, is protected from that damage to the iron which result from the action of cutting draughts. The heat, after having circulated through the longitudinal semi-cylindrical cases of brick-work which enclose the lower tiers, is conveyed through lateral openings, at uniform distances on each side of the extremities of the bed; from whence the two draughts ascend, and unite immediately under the crown of the fire-arch, which is built over the upper range of retorts. The heat coming into immediate contact with this arch, reverberates to the horizontal flues; and instead of escaping into the shaft (according to the old principle), it exhausts itself throughout the interior ramifications of the bed. London, April 22, 1836. GUTZLAFF'S CHINESE MAGAZINE, VOL. I. 東洋月統記傳 Our readers will recollect that a short notice of the first Number of this interesting miscellany appeared in the Mechanics' Magazine of May 17, 1834 (No. 562, vol. xxi.) A complete volume of it has since come under our inspection; and we perceive that a second has appeared in China, the country of its publication. In our opinion, the work is one which, although not quite on a par with the best periodicals of London and Edinburgh, deserves to be a favourite with the lovers of light reading in Pekin and Canton; but we regret to observe, that a native critic of some authority has expressed an opposite opinion. As the genileman we allude to, Taou Kwang by name, holds the highly respectable and lucrative situation of Emperor of China, and has thought fit to publish his unfavourable opinion of the work in a proclamation addressed to the Viceroy of Canton, commanding him to show no mercy to the villains who are accelerating the march of mind in his dominions by printing and publishing this abominable "Maga," we were somewhat apprehen. sive that it might become and remain a "stuck.work;" but the Branch Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge established at Canton has since, we observe, resolved, with the usual attention of his English visitors to the wishes of his Celestial Majesty, to take the Magazine CLOVIS. under its especial protection, and guarantee its further continuance. Under such auspices it may, in due time, become as great a nuisance to the Government of China, as the "great unstamped" have been to the Government at home. On thus learning what a sensation this apparently harmless miscellany had produced in an emperor, at least, if not in his subjects, we turned over its pages with some interest, to ascertain what it could possibly be that had given so much offence. The ordinary contents of the Numbers seem, at first sight, not very alarming. Several pages in each are occupied with fragments of a long article on the "Comparative History of the East and West," in which a parallel is drawn between Fo-Hi and Noah, the Chinese deluge and that recorded in Genesis, &c. Another invariable article is the news of the month; chiefly the news from Western Asia and Europe. The Chinese may perhaps take some interest in the short account which is given of the struggle between Don Miguel and Donna Maria, since its results produced changes in Macao which passed under their own eyes; but the notices we find here of the separation of Holland and Belgium, the war between the Pacha of Egypt and Sultan Mahmoud, and divers other events of the first importance to European readers, will, we suppose, h 180 treat GUTZLAFF'S CHINESE MAGAZINE, VOL. I. read by the sons of Ham with supreme indifference, or a smile of contempt at the thought that there are people in this world of their's who care about such paltry matters-much in the same manner, that is, that we enlightened Europeans an account of the rebellion of Chang-ki-urb, or the exploits of the present Chinese Premier, the "hero of Cashgar." There is, however, one article of intelligence which must attract the attention of every intelligent Asiatic. This is a brief exposition of the project of the East India Company to establish a steam communication between India and England; in the course of which occurs a description of that wonder-working invention, the %0 之船 ΤΟ Smoke-using Ship," which the Chinese have since had an opportunity of verifying by the arrival of the Jardine at Canton. This presumptuous account of an invention which his subjects had not discovered a thousand years ago, is, we suppose, one of the articles that have drawn down the wrath of the Emperor. But the most provoking thing of all, to one who has hitherto made a boast of ruling the Middle Empire," the centre of the world, must undoubtedly be the brief "Introduction to Geography," which, running from Number to Number, forms one of the principal features of the Magazine, and is illustrated with maps, in which, in consonance to European ideas, the [或], as its natives delight calling the land of tea and hiero- 66 We or Great English Nation," and who have been told, in reply, to change their 66 66 to our own satisfaction. The thinly-peo- GUTZLAFF'S CHINESE MAGAZINE, VOL. 1. tant capital, the original of which verses is given in Mr. Gutzlaff's miscellany, while a translation of them appeared some time ago in the Penny Magazine; and both original and translation may be found side by side in an article of Mr. Davis's in the 1st vol. of the Transactions of the Royal Asiatic Society. In addition to the Magazine, the indefatigable missionary who is its editor has lately published in the same language a "History of England," from the invasion of the Romans to the reign of George the Fourth. This we have as yet had no opportunity of satisfactorily inspecting; but, on a cursory glance, our risible muscles were strongly excited by a portrait of the late king, copied from an English print by an artist of Canton. The reputation of the workmen of Canton for making accurate copies is great, but there is a something so comically Chinese in. sinuated into the well-known features here, that the effect produced is as ludi. crous as caricature. We cannot but advise all our readers who love a laugh to get a peep at it as speedily as possible. While Mr. Gutzlaff is thus so laudably active in endeavouring to introduce a knowledge of Europe into the literature of China, we cannot help wishing that he would devote a portion of his exertions to improving the knowledge of Chinese literature in Europe. The greatest benefit that could now be rendered to the study of that interesting language would be produced, we are led to think, by a complete translation of one of the great Chinese Encyclopædias, and this can hardly be undertaken any where with a full confidence of its successful execution but at Canton. The technical terms which are constantly occurring in works of this description, can hardly be satis factorily explained without incessant reference to intelligent natives. Ouce done, the translation would, from this very abundance of technical terms, form a supplement, and a necessary one, to the dictionaries we already possess. Not only would the work be an invaluable assistance to every student of the language, but a large body of new ideas would be introduced to the European reader-he would learn to contemplate many old objects in a new light, and not a few altogether new would be introduced to him. A very interesting article on a branch of this subject has recently been 181 inserted in the Journal Asiatique, of Paris, from the pen of Mr. Edward Biot, the son of the eminent mathematician. "Printing, gunpowder, and the compass, were," he observes, "known in China long before the Europeans had any idea of them. From the same country we received in the 18th century the art of manufacturing porcelain; and its introduction to Europe is in great part due to Father d'Entrecolles, who first had an opportunity of studying in Chica the details of the manufacture. At the same period many other inventions of this singular nation were pointed out by the missionaries, and among them we find the practice of boring for water, the employment of natural gas conducted through pipes for the lighting of towns, and the application of iron to the construction of suspension bridges; but at first little attention was paid to these hints. The employment of gas for the purpose of lighting was almost called in question, and the invention of suspension bridges was criticised as useless by De Pauw nearly a century afterwards these inventions reappeared among us as new discoveries, and then the genius of Europeans, which has a natural tendency to perfect, gave them a development in application far superior to what they have ever obtained in China. But these indications are enough to lead to a presumption that all the inventions of this ingenious nation are not even yet known to us, and this presumption will be changed to certainty, for whoever considers the distrustful character of the Chinese, and the extreme difficulty thus opposed to these Europeans who have wished to take a near survey of their arts." In a subsequent part of his essay, Mr. Biot observes, "Sugar from starch, which was not known in Europe till 1811, after the experiments of Kirkoff at St. Petersburgh, was known very long before in China, and employed in almost all the preparations of the pastry-cooks. It is mentioned in the Japanese Encyclopedia, and in the Teen-kang-kay-ur works, which bear the dates of 1713 and 1637. It is even mentioned in the Pun-tsaoukang-mich, which dates from the year 1571. In China the starch-sugar is extracted from rice by means of germinated barley, but in Europe, from the starch of potatoes, which in our part of the world are in general cheaper than rice. |