219
portable, and have been used by civil engineers withsuccess.
F. Instruments for Measuring tiie Detth of theSea .
A Prize Medal is given to Mr. Ericsson,* of NewYork (Cl. X., 146, pp. 144*2—1440) for his instrument formeasuring depths, by the compression of atmosphericair. It is a modification of the one known in the BritishNavy as /Ericssons Soundiny Lend. Capt. Reechey, K.N.,one of our fellow-jurors, made use of it for several yearsin a ship under his command; and experience lias shownhim that it was a good instrument when the depths wereunder 50 fathoms. Mr. Ericsson attributes the idea ofhis instrument to Mr. Agden. Rut seventeen years be-fore it came out, Sir Humphry Davy ’s water-bottle wasin use in the polar expeditions: an instrument upon thesame principle, although greatly inferior to Mr. Erics-son’s in the extent of its scale.
Fathoms.
In 51 casts, extreme difference of Ericsson’s leadc +2-1
from the trutli
In 47 dittoIn 49 ditto*
In 47 dittoIn 48 dittoIn 51 dittoIn 51 ditto
ditto
ditto
ditto
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ditto
ditto
ditto
ditto
ditto
ditto
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steamers, so constructed as to be readily formed intorafts, each one sustaining eight persons. A Prize Medalis awarded to Mr. Rhind.
3. I)t/ means of Buoyant Air-tubes.
Mr. S. W. Silver (195, p. 350), exhibits buoyant mat-tresses, manufactured according to Mr. Laurie’s inven-tion. Mr. Silver connects numerous waterproof tubes,partly distended with horse-hair, woollen docks, or cocoa-nut fibre, in such a manner, that in case of accident hap-pening to one or more of these tubes, the others may besufficient to sustain the required weight on the water.The tubes are made up into mattresses, pillows, and alsointo doats, to be placed under the thwarts of boats.
A mattress, weighing only 17 lbs., sustains in thewater 284 lbs. A pillow sustains 28 lbs. Mattresses foremigrant vessels, sold at 9s., sustained 96 lbs. in thewater for five days, without being in the least affected.A Prize Medal is awarded to Mr. Laurie as the inventor(195).
Mr. A. G. Carte (29, p. 335), already mentioned, ex-hibits a very simple, cheap, and efficient life-buoy, whichhas been in general use since 1838, and is reported tohave preserved 400 persons from drowning. A PrizeMedal is awarded to Mr. Carte.
Messrs. Esdaii.es and Margrave (126, p. 340) exhibitfloating mattresses, filled with cork shavings; worthy ofpraise.
All the depths here mentioned were under 50 fathoms.
F. Apparatus for Saving Life.
Having already awarded medals to the inventors ofboats for saving men’s lives and property, we have hereto consider other means for effecting the same object.
1. By effect iny a communication to and from a Ship inperil and the Shore.
We must, in the first instance, mention here Capt.W. G. Manby, R.N. (22, p. 335), so long known as theintroducer and zealous promoter of the object of savinglife from shipwreck, by means of firing a projectile, witha line attached to it, from the shore to the ship, whichhas been used with great success along the coasts ofGreat Britain , and has rendered remarkable service.
M. G. Delvigne, of France (473, p. 1200), employs ahowitzer to obtain the same result as Captain Manby.This invention involves this new principle, that a portionof the line to be carried is contained in the projectile.The idea seems capable of successful application.
Captain Jerningiiam (21, p. 335), of the British Navy ,has an anchor of a particular form, which he proposes tofire from a Manby’s mortar, in sufficient numbers toafford the means of hauling a life-boat through the surf.
Prize Medals have been awarded to the above threeExhibitors.
Mr. Greener (59, pp. 33G, 337) exhibits a method ofdischarging a rocket, with a line attached, from a har-poon gun. When discharged the rocket ignites, and issaid to prolong the range to a greater distance thanwould be effected by either the gun or the rocket alone.The gun is distinguished for its lightness and efficientconstruction.
Mr. A. G. Carte (29, p. 335). This exhibitor has beendistinguished by bis great zeal in carrying out the objectof saving life by means of a rocket. His plan is, to em-ploy a -war rocket, instead of the well-known rocket ofDennett.
When I first visited Great Britain , very soon after thegeneral peace in Europe , l found a very strong prejudiceagainst the value of military institutions, and everythingbelonging to the army of this country. It may be easilyconceived that foreigners would be auxious to learn every-thing connected with the navy; but nobody imaginedthat the land forces could present models deserving theclosest attention of military observers. Having visited,however, tiie great arsenal of the Ordnance at Woolwich,the schools for the engineers and their troops at Chatham,and the school of the general staff at Farnham, I wasdeeply convinced that, on the contrary, Great Britain merited the most attentive observation in order to appre-ciate duly the high value of her land military forces,institutions, and exercises. At this period she possessedthe best system of land-artillery, a system which unitedsolidity, simplicity, security, and rapidity. The carriagesfor field-pieces allowed the gunners to be carried alongwith the guns, as rapidly as light cavalry, as well as thecaissons which contained the necessary ammunition. Allthe wheels, before or behind, of every kind of carriagefor the field batteries, being equal and identical, could bereplaced most easily; the draft being more easy, and theoverthrow of the carriage more difficult.
Such were some of the rare qualities, due to the exer-tions of General Congreve, of an artillery which all themilitary powers adopted very soon after a description ofit had been published.* To General Congreve also isdue the employment of rockets, in the army, as projec-tiles. t They wanted at first the most important qualityof precision in the direction. A better construction bydegrees overcame this difficulty. The French, the Ger-mans, the Prussians , &c., have studied this new kind ofweapon, and tried the use of them iu warfare ; but notwith very great effect.
Fortifications did not present novelties of so high avalue, hut still they deserved to he studied in Great Bri-tain . Models of the ancient and new fortifications inGreat Britain were presented to the Exhibition. No
2. By means of Rafts, $*c.
Mr. W. G. Rhind, of IIoss, Herefordshire (290, p. 359),presents various models of deck-seats and benches for
* This exhibitor has been awarded a Prize Medal by theJury of Class X., in whose list his name appeal’s.
* In the Force JSIilitaire de la Grande Brdaync, Paris,1820, 2 vols. 4to., with atlas.
f There were two Congreves, father and son ; the formerintroduced great improvements in the construction of artil-lery carriages and indicaUd rockets. The son (the late SirW. Congreve), undertook to develop tlieir constructionand application.