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Article SCIENTIFIC INTELLIGENCE. ← Page 5 of 6 →
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Scientific Intelligence.
and curious observations , and collected numerous specimens , illustrating the natural history , and affording materials for the arts , manufactures , and agriculture of that kingdom . Mr . Stewart has been upwards of twenty years engaged ' exclusively in this pursuit , and has already deposited 1300 different mineral specimens in the cabinet of the Dublin Society . ' I was enabled , ' says Mr . Stewart , ' by discovering rich quarries of
limestone and marie , in several estates where they were never before known either to tenant or landlord , ' to be accessary to the fertilization of the most barren lands . In the estates of Lord Palmerston and Ormb y Jones , Esq . in the county of Sligo , I afforded the greatest pleasure and advantage to the poor inhabitants , by demonstrating to them that thc great rocks , which they called Serpent Rocks , and which they were gazing at with stupid or superstitiops admiration for ages , contained most excellent lime . These quarries are at
their doors ; whereas formerly they carried the scanty pittance of lime they were able to procure from nine or ten miles distance . Hviving turf at home in abundance , they aie now supplied with lime at as cheap a rate as any people in Europe .
c I observed to the priest who accompanied me to the Serpent Rocks , that this must have been the place to which my countryman ( St . Patrick ) -had collected all the serpents of the kingdom . The cliffs extend a mile in front , dip towards the sea westward , and run to an indeterminate length into the country . No block can be raised in these cliffs that is not replete with petrifactions ; and the fish appear to lie promiscuousl y as if thrown out of a net . -There may be about one-twentieth of the whole rock composed of those
petrified fish or serpents . The strata or beds are very regular , and of different thickness . They contain also some large round shells as yellow as gold ; so that if chimney-pieces were wrought here they would be very valuable , as the fish and shells would afford very lively and interesting objects upon the polished surface . The Cobham marble is reckoned of great value , from the representation of ruins and landscapes which sometimes appear upon it ; but it would fall far short , in my opinion , of the singular and surprising figures with which these rocks abound . ' Two small blocks of this stone are deposited at the Dublin Society .
EASY METHOD OF STOPPING AIR FROM WATER-PIPES . A stop-cock should be soldered to the end of the main pipe , in the reset , voir at the fountain head , the key of which is to be turned by a floating ball of copper attached to it by a rod or lever , so as to reverse the operation of the common ball-cock ; that is , to open the cock gradually as the water rises in that reservoir , and to shut it as the waterfalls . By this method , the admission of air , and the consequent obstruction of the ipeis completel
p , y prevented ; as , before-the water can fall so low in the reservoir as to admit air , the cock is completely shut . It is unnecessary to be more particular . Every tradesman , of ordinary reflection , will have no difficulty in adjusting the ball-cock to the circumstance of any particular case . MECHANICS . THE late discovery of Mr . Scott ' s mole plough , for subterranean draining ;
Mr . Peck ' s packing press ; Mr . Ridley ' s improvement of the foot lathe ; arid the machine ot Mr . Davis , . ' for loading and unloading , promise to be very useful . WATER FIGHTING MACHINE . M . MANGIN has invented a machine by which soldiers can fi ght in deep water . An experiment was lately made of its piacticability . Twelve soldiers entered the water in order of battle , their bodies being embraced by
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Scientific Intelligence.
and curious observations , and collected numerous specimens , illustrating the natural history , and affording materials for the arts , manufactures , and agriculture of that kingdom . Mr . Stewart has been upwards of twenty years engaged ' exclusively in this pursuit , and has already deposited 1300 different mineral specimens in the cabinet of the Dublin Society . ' I was enabled , ' says Mr . Stewart , ' by discovering rich quarries of
limestone and marie , in several estates where they were never before known either to tenant or landlord , ' to be accessary to the fertilization of the most barren lands . In the estates of Lord Palmerston and Ormb y Jones , Esq . in the county of Sligo , I afforded the greatest pleasure and advantage to the poor inhabitants , by demonstrating to them that thc great rocks , which they called Serpent Rocks , and which they were gazing at with stupid or superstitiops admiration for ages , contained most excellent lime . These quarries are at
their doors ; whereas formerly they carried the scanty pittance of lime they were able to procure from nine or ten miles distance . Hviving turf at home in abundance , they aie now supplied with lime at as cheap a rate as any people in Europe .
c I observed to the priest who accompanied me to the Serpent Rocks , that this must have been the place to which my countryman ( St . Patrick ) -had collected all the serpents of the kingdom . The cliffs extend a mile in front , dip towards the sea westward , and run to an indeterminate length into the country . No block can be raised in these cliffs that is not replete with petrifactions ; and the fish appear to lie promiscuousl y as if thrown out of a net . -There may be about one-twentieth of the whole rock composed of those
petrified fish or serpents . The strata or beds are very regular , and of different thickness . They contain also some large round shells as yellow as gold ; so that if chimney-pieces were wrought here they would be very valuable , as the fish and shells would afford very lively and interesting objects upon the polished surface . The Cobham marble is reckoned of great value , from the representation of ruins and landscapes which sometimes appear upon it ; but it would fall far short , in my opinion , of the singular and surprising figures with which these rocks abound . ' Two small blocks of this stone are deposited at the Dublin Society .
EASY METHOD OF STOPPING AIR FROM WATER-PIPES . A stop-cock should be soldered to the end of the main pipe , in the reset , voir at the fountain head , the key of which is to be turned by a floating ball of copper attached to it by a rod or lever , so as to reverse the operation of the common ball-cock ; that is , to open the cock gradually as the water rises in that reservoir , and to shut it as the waterfalls . By this method , the admission of air , and the consequent obstruction of the ipeis completel
p , y prevented ; as , before-the water can fall so low in the reservoir as to admit air , the cock is completely shut . It is unnecessary to be more particular . Every tradesman , of ordinary reflection , will have no difficulty in adjusting the ball-cock to the circumstance of any particular case . MECHANICS . THE late discovery of Mr . Scott ' s mole plough , for subterranean draining ;
Mr . Peck ' s packing press ; Mr . Ridley ' s improvement of the foot lathe ; arid the machine ot Mr . Davis , . ' for loading and unloading , promise to be very useful . WATER FIGHTING MACHINE . M . MANGIN has invented a machine by which soldiers can fi ght in deep water . An experiment was lately made of its piacticability . Twelve soldiers entered the water in order of battle , their bodies being embraced by