A NEW LIFE-BUOY.

A life-saving apparatus for use at sea* oalled the- a Franklin^ has now for some time been adopted by the United States iSTavy> but it is new to this country. It is the. invention ef Adlniral Hiohbarn ;. and while it takes the form of the ordinary buoy— that of a hollow ring —It has certain attachments which render it far . more serviceable, especially for use at : night. When bri shipboard.; the terrible ory c Man overboard !' is heard, the- first thing to ;be; done is to fling after him a buoy, which will support him until a boat oan be launched to the rescue. But at night a buoy is of little use unless the drowning man can" see it, Luminous paint has been suggested and tried ; but the light afforded by a buoy coated with it is far too feeble to be of any practical use. On either side of the 'Franklin ' buoy there is a" receptacle containing calcium phosphide— a chemical which takes fire on contact with water— so that directly the 'buoy is thrown overboard its : position is marked by : two flaring torches. Wo understand that this apparatus has already been the means of saving many lives.