ceeded by a zone of town one mile broad, containing Kensington, Bayswater, Paddington, Kentish Town, Clapton, Lime House, Deptford, Clapham, and Chelsea: and thus the metropolis might be extended in alternate mile zones of buildings, with half mile zones of country or gardens, till

1. Finchley common; in the zone of coun-27. Green Park; country.

one of the zones touched the sea. To render the plan complete, it would be necessary to have a circle of turf and gravel in the centre of the city, around St. Paul's, half a mile in diameter. In this circle ought to be situated all the government offices, and central depots connected with the administration of the affairs of the metropolis. That being accomplished, whatever might eventually become the extent of London, or of any large town laid out on the same plan and in the same proportions, there could never be an inhabitant who would be farther than half a mile from an open airy situation, in which he was free to walk or ride, and in which he could find every mode of amusement, recreation, entertainment, and instruction. "Supposing such a plan considered desirable, it could not, perhaps, be carried into execution in less time than 50 or 100 years, on accouut of the large sums that would be required for purchasing the valuable houses that must be pulled down to form the central circle of turf, and the first zone of country. But, were government to determine the boundaries of certain future zones, and to enact a law that no buildings now standing on the future zones of country should be repaired after a certain year; and that, when such houses were no longer habitable, the owners should be indemnified for them by the transfer of other houses of equal yearly value in another part of the metropolis, belonging to government; the transition (considering the alteration in the value of property which is likely soon to take place, in consequence of the numerous rail-roads, &c., now going forward,) would not be felt as the slightest injustice or inconvenience. Government would be justified in adopting a plan of this sort, from its obvious reference to the public welfare; and a committee appointed to carry the law into execution should begin by purchasing such lands as were to be sold in the outskirts of the metropolis, in order to be able, at a future period, to exchange them for lands destined to form the central circle of the first zone. In endeavouring to give an idea of the situation of the zones round London, (fig. 143,) we have drawn the boundary lines as perfect circles; but, in the execution of the project, this is by no means necessary, nor even desirable. The surface of the ground, the direction of streets already existing, which it would not be worth while to alter, the accidental situations of public buildings, squares, and private gardens, with other circumstances, would indicate an irregular line, which line would at the same time be much more beautiful as well as economical."

In judging of the remarks in this and the preceding page, it must be recollected that they were written in 1829.

Mechanics' Register.

Rail Road Iron. The iron that will be required for rails, chairs, and carriages, and other works for the roads for which bills were obtained during the last session of Parliament, will amount to at least 220,000 tons, and for bills previously obtained, 70,000 tons, making a total of 290,000 tons, which will probably be in requisition for the next four years. With respect to the United States rail roads, we find by the American Rail Road Journal, that the extent either actually under contract, or in progress of being surveyed, amounts to more than 3000 miles. To lay a double line this distance will take 750,000 tons of iron.

Lon. Min. Jour.

British Hardware. It appears from Parliamentary returns, that the

quantities of foreign iron imported into the United Kingdom in 1835, amounted to upwards of 21,150 tons, while the amount of British bar iron exported was 94,383 tons, and of other kinds of iron an amount which made the grand total 194,590 tons. A document from the custom house, entitled a "Return of British hardware and cutlery exported from the United Kingdom in the year 1835," makes the total amount 20,197 tons, the value of which was £1,833,042. Of this amount 11,062 tons, value £978,491 was sent to the United States. The whole amount for 1835 was an increase of 23 per cent, on that of the preceding year. Since 1820 the exports of hardware and cutlery have doubled in value. The exports of every description of hardware, with iron and steel, wrought and unwrought, amounted in value to £3,789,206, in 1830; and last year to £6,154,625.

Ibid.

Light Lace Veils. Mr. Babbage gives the following account of the lace made by the phalana pandilla, a caterpillar. The invention is by a gentleman of Munich. He makes paste of the leaves of the plant which is the usual food of the species of caterpillar he employs, and spreads it thinly over a stone or other flat substance; then, with a camel-hair pencil dipped in olive oil, he draws upon the coating of paste the pattern he wishes the insects to leave open. The stone being placed in an inclined position, a species of caterpillar which spins a strong web is laid at the bottom, and the insects commencing from that point, cut and spin their way up to the top, carefully avoiding any part touched by the oil, but devouring all the rest of the plant. These veils have not a great deal of strength, but they are surprisingly light. One of them, measuring twenty-six inches and a half by seventeen inches, weighed only 1.51 grain; a degree of lightness which will appear more strongly by contrast with other fabrics. One square yard of the substance of which these veils are made weighs 44 grains, whilst one square yard of silk gauze weighs 137 grains, and one square yard of the finest patent net weighs 622 grains.

Ibid.

Embossing on Wood. The following method of embossing on wood, invented by Mr. Straker, is extracted from the Transactions of the Society of Arts; it may be used either by itself or in aid of carving, and depends on the fact, that, if a depression be made by a blunt instrument on the surface of wood, such depressed part will again rise to its original level by subsequent immersion in water. The wood to be ornamented having first been worked out to its proper shape, is in a state to receive the drawing of the pattern; this being put in, a blunt steel tool, or burnisher, or die, is to be applied successively to all those parts of the pattern intended to be in relief, and at the same time is to be driven very cautiously without breaking the grains of the wood, till the depth of the depression is equal to the subsequent prominence of the figures. The ground is then to be reduced by planing or filing to the level of the depressed part, after which the piece of wood being placed in water, either hot or cold, the parts previously depressed will rise to their former height, and will thus form an embossed pattern, which may be finished by the usual operation of carving.

Ibid.

Liverpool and Manchester Rail-way. The company opened their new tunnel, at the entrance of the rail-way at Liverpool, to the public, on Monday last. The tunnel is a mile and one-third in length, it is twenty-one feet high, and the span of the arch is twenty. five feet. The tunnel from one end to the other is cut out of the solid rock, which, in some places, rises as high as the spring of the arch. The crown of the arch is composed of very

strong brick work. The cost of this laborious undertaking amounted to 150,000l. It will be attended with great convenience to the public, as the former station was about two miles from Liverpool. It occupies about six minutes for a full train to pass through the tunnel.

Ibid.

An International Rail-way Company has been provisionally formed for connecting London with Brussels and Paris by rail roads, via. Dover and Calais, with various branches. This measure appears to receive the sanc tion of all the governments concerned. The capital is estimated at £4,500,000, to be raised in England, France and Belgium. The greater part of the surveys have been already made.

Abstract-Ibid.

Floating Wood. The prodigious quantity of wood brought by the sea to Iceland is thought by M. Eugene Robert to come from two continents at least. Trees are thrown ashore there, sometimes without roots, and without bark, the latter being frequently found by the side, folded like a roll of parchment. M. Robert has not been able to procure any floating fruits, but he has ascertained that mahogany is often landed in Iceland in the above

manner.

Ibid.

Tea-pots made by steam. Britannia metal tea-pots are now made by steam; the round bodies are spun, and the wooden handles and knobs are cut up by powerful steam engines. A good workman can spin twenty dozen of pot-bodies in a day.

Ibid.

List of American Patents which issued in July, August, September and October, 1836.

The subjoined list of patents commences with those issued under the new patent law; we have heretofore numbered them from the first of January, to the end of the year, and shall hereafter pursue the same course, but on the present occasion we commence a new series with the new system.

Applications for patents now undergo a strict examination in the office, before they are granted; and upwards of three-fourths of those examined have, under the provision of the existing law, been deemed imperfect, and returned for amendment, or rejected for want of novelty. This, together with the delay incident in establishing a system of procedure altogether novel, accounts for the smallness of the number granted since its adoption.

1. Locomotive engines.-John Ruggles, Thomastown, Maine. 2. Wool, &c. manufacturing.—John Goulding, Boston, Mass.

July.

13 29

August.

3. Turning sheaves, &c.-Thomas Blanchard, city of New York.
4. Rounding the edges, &c. of a block.-Thomas Blanchard, city of New York.
5. Boring and mortising the shells for do.-Thomas Blanchard, city of N. York.
6. Plank blocks, forming.-Thomas Blanchard, city of New York.

1

10

10

10

7. Boring holes and scoring dead-eyes.-Thomas Blanchard, city of New York.
8. Cutting scores round blocks, &c.-Thomas Blanchard, city of New York.
9. Riveting plank blocks.-Thomas Blanchard, city of New York.
10. Dye woods, cutting.-Beriah Swift, Washington, N. Y.
11. Double speeder for roving.-Aza Arnold, N. Providence, R. I.
12. Veneers, laying,-John Soule, New Bedford, Mass.

13. Polishing wire for reeds.—Arnold Watkinson, Providence, R. I,

14. Cotton planter.-Henry Blair, Glenn Ross, Maryland.
15. Caoutchouc, applying.-Edwin M. Chaffee, Roxbury, Mass.
16. Cutting sheaves, &c.-Thomas Blanchard, city of New York.
17. Countersinking for bushes.-Thomas Blanchard, city of New York.
18. Forming cheeks of plank.-Thomas Blanchard, city of New York.
19. Springs for saddles.-William Duchman, Morgantown, Penn.

20. Granite dressing machine.-William Morse, Corrina, Maine.

August.

31

31

31

31

31

31

September.

8

21. Expansion and contraction of metals, applying.—Hazard Knowles, Hartford, Conn. 8
22. Furnace for buildings.-Frederick A. Friekardt, Easton, Penn.
23. Mortising machine.-David Clark, Brooklyn, Conn.

24. Sawing shingles.-Jonathan Hobbs, jr. Falmouth, Maine.

25. Silver spoons, making.—Josephus Brockway, Troy, N. Y.
26. Paints, composition of-Harman Hibbard, Darien, N. Y.
27. Cylinders.-Henry P. Howe, Shirley, Mass.

28. Lamp for spirits.-Isaiah Jennings, city of New York.

29. Power loom, take up motion.-Horace Hendricks, Killingly, Conn.
30. Light, production of.-Isaiah Jennings, city of New York.
31. Ever pointed pencil case.-Jacob J. Lownds, Philadelphia.
32. Stove.-John Harriman, Haverill, Mass.

33. Steam boiler.-Jos. W. & Elias Strange, Taunton, Mass.
34. Saw mill crank.-Benj. F. Snyder, Elmira, N. Y.

35. Breaks for wagons, &c.-Henry West, Quincy, Mass.

29

October.

37. Boot crimper.-Ebenezer G. Pomeroy, Newark, Ohio,
38. Purifying water.-Moody Park, Madison, Indiana.

1

4

39. Double hydrostatic oil press. Orestes Badger & Orrin Lull, Waterloo, N. York. 5
40. Hand printing press.-Frederick J. Austin, city of New York.

8

41. Lamps.-Alonzo Platt, Middletown, Conn.

8

42. Lathe for turning.-Enos & Nelson Alvord, Westfield, Mass.

11

43. Rectilinial changed to circular motion.—Benj. Babbitt, Bangor, Maine,

11

44. Shelling corn.—
-Joseph C. Baldwin, Staunton, Virginia.

11

45. Window fastenings.-N. Hall & Jotham Chase, Maine,

11

46. Weaving stock bodies.-Conrad Kile, Philadelphia,

11

47. Turn-out for rail roads.-John Talbot, Portsmouth, Virginia,

11

48. Drying and burning saw dust.-William Avery, Syracuse, N. Y.

11

49. Stoves and fire places.-Jordan L. Mott, city of New York.

11

50. Endless chain carriage for saw mills.-James Murray, city of Baltimore,

11

56. Combing hemp, flax, &c.—Samuel Couillard, Boston, Mass.
57. Horse power.-Daniel Fitzgerald, New York.

51. Pad for coach harness.-Andrew Deitz, Albany, N. Y.
52. Combined plough.-Samuel Cline, Berks county, Penn.

53. Managing and applying fire in locomotives.-Matthias W. Baldwin, Philad.
54. Horse power.-Orestes Badger, Cooperstown, N. Y.
55. Door plates.-Ithiel S. Richardson, Boston, Mass.

58. Razor case and sharpener.-E. M. Pomeroy, Wallingford, Conn.
59. Putting up rope yarns.-James H. Echols, Lynchburg, Virginia.

60. Weavers' harness, making.-John Blackman, Brooklyn, Conn.
61. Cooking stove.-John Whiting, city of Boston.

14

15

15

15

15

19

19

19

20

20

20

62. Power loom take up motion.-John P. Comsin, Killingly, Conn.

20

63. Weavers' Harness.-John Blackman, Brooklyn, Conn.

20

64. Knob for doors.-E. Robinson, F. Draper and J. H. Lord, Mass.

20

65. Forming cloth without spinning.-J, Arnold and G. G. Bishop, Norwalk, Conn. 20

66. Ventilating and warming houses.-R. Mayo and R. Mills, city of Washington.

24

67. Friction matches.-Alonzo D. Phillips, Springfield, Mass.

24

68. Picking and breaking wool and cotton.-John Schley, Augusta, Georgia.

69. Preserving and exhibiting maps.-N. K. Lumbard. jr. city of Boston.
70. Parlour and cooking stove.-Nicholas Smith, New Hampton, N. H.
71. Scythes.-Silas Lamson, Cummington, Mass.

27

27

27

29