MISCELLANEOUS.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume IX, Issue 910, 22 April 1854, Page 4

MISCELLANEOUS.

Iron Lighthouses. — An interesting illustration of the extended purposes to which iron is applied in the present day, has been recently given at Messrs. H. and M. Grissell's Regent's Canal Iron Works. A cast-iron lighthouse ordered by the Lords of the Admiralty was lighted up for inspection. The tower and internal fittings were manufactured by Messrs. Grissell, the lantern and light apparatus by Mr. W. C. Wilkins, of Longacre. The lighthouse is understood to be intended for the Falkland Islands, and a similar one is constructing for Jamaica, while another was sent some time ago to Bermuda. The form of the present lighthouse is that of a frustrum of a cone, having a height of 47 feet from the base to the balcony floor, and a diameter of 14 feet at the base and 9 feet at the top of the tower, where the plates forming the balcony floor project beyond the body of the tower, and form a parapet around the outside of the lantern, the parapet being supported by 18 ornamental cast-iron brackets fixed to the shell of the tower. Around the outer edge of the balcony floor a flange 4 inches deep is formed, which shields the connexion of the ornamental brackets with the balcony floor, and the whole forms a circular abacus 15 feet in diameter as a capital to the tower. The shell of the tower consists of 60 concentric plates 1 inch thick, with flanges on the inside 4 inches wide, having holes to admit f -inch bolts, drilled every 6 inches apart, both in the horizontal and vertical flanges. In the centre of the tower a cast-iron column is fixed for supporting the lighting apparatus of the Messrs. Wilkins, of"Long-acre, being a catoptric system of the second class, having 15 improved argand lamps placed in the foci of silver-plated and bighJy-polisbed paraboloidal reflectors, illuminating an arc of 225 degrees of the horizon ; upon this column pockets are cast to receive the T iron joists, which support the two floors of wrought-iron chequered plates, there being an aperture in the floor to allow of sufficient headway up each staircase. The staircase consists of two stringhigs of wrought-iron, 5 inches wide and % inch thick, having pieces of 3-inch angle iron rivetted on the inside, to which are boiled the oak treads ; to each step there is an iron balluster § inch diameter, and fixed at the top to a wrought-iron hand-rail l£ inch wide and j inch thick ; the staircases wind helically around the inside of the shpll of the tower, and bolted at the top to the T iron joists which support the

floor. There are three rooms in the tower, tht first having a height of 16 feet 1 inch ; the second, 15 feet 8 inches ; and the third, 15 feet 3 inches from floor to floor of each room respectively. In each room there are four windows, having a strong oak casemeut each, 16 inches square and 1\ inches thick, glaied with polished plate glass 9± inches square. The tntrance to the tower is by means of a doorway formed in the centre of one of the concentric plates, having a strong oak door opening oatwards, as also do the windows. The form of tht lantern is octagonal, having a diameter of 6 feet over the corners and a height of 11 feet to the eaves of the lantern roof* which terminates in a cowl of peculiar construction. On tbe summit of the roof a conical pipe is fixed, in the imid« of which is the footstep or pivot, and th« guide for the rod of the arrow vane, and fixed to tht rod of the vane is a large hollow kail, haviag the conical pipe inserted into it j»n the underside, tht ball being free to swing ro«nd the- pipe; tht h»llow ball is fixed to this vertical rod of tht vase, and is perforated on that lido next t« tbt leather of the arrow, so that the healed air and gatet from the burners may always rush tbrtegU tbt perforations into the partial vacuity created bt» hind the ball by the force of the wind, The total height from the base of the lower to tbt top of the vane is 67 feet 6 inches ; tb« atight from the base to the centre of the system of lights is 55 feet ; the total weight of tower and lantern inclusive is nearly 50 tons.

A Romance of Liviwool.— -There are events occurring around us every day as strange as any that was ever coined in tbt brain of the novelist. Present things have not the fnefaaatment of that distance which gives aach a colouring of romance to those of the past ; htnct ta!«a that are listened to with indifference at the period of their occurrence, in after years ikt'r,]] oo the ear and waken the best feeiingi of tfca b«art. We question, however, whether any ens will rend the following truthful and affecting facta without feeling touched with their simplicity and beauty. About 11 years age, long before th« gold discovery in Australia bad itartled the people of England and tempted from ht shores some of her best and worthiest »o«s, s silk manufacturer of Manchester (from personal considerations we suppress his name), baviag failed in business, quitted his native country for that distant colony, leaving behind him a wife ami two children. To a sensitive mini tbtrt It ao change so bitter as one from affluence to pjvtrty, and so keenly did Mrs. M. — *— (for to w« shall terra her) feel this, that she determined t« leaf* the scene of her former prosperity, and accordingly came to Liverpool, hoping among strangers to hide her altered circumstances, aed tnd a living by industry for herself and children. B7 the application of her needle she endeavoured to keep gaunt famine from her now humble hearth. Time flew on, and, although her husband had promised to write and inform her of his success in his struggles in a sphere so new, and cheer her with hopes of returning fortune, ne such tidings came, but after an absence of two years and a half intelligence reached her that he had died in a strange lan 1. Unustd" to the rough lobours of life, this was enough to fill with despair und dishearten the most courageous. The pretence of hsr children, bowev«r, nervM her to fresh exertion. But the unfortunate seldom find friends, and llione little articles, the wreck of other and better days, one by one went to find bread for the starving children. Even clothes were sold to meet the demand* of a heartless landlord ; but in the meantime the stranger in Australia had prospered, aud not only written to his faithful wife, but sent her ramittances, which never peached their destination, her whereabouts not being known. Every article of lumiture had been sold by Mrs. M , and there seemed for her end her children but the last resource of the friendless, when the former uniuc- | cessful merchant arrived in England a wealthy man. Through a chain of circumstances the suffering wife and mother were discovered, and once again raised to affluence, for, besides £14,000 which was showered in her lap, larga possessions in Australia are now held by her husband. It only remains to add that tha now happy family are about proceeding to Australia ; : but the tale may be relied on as one of the strange things told in connexion with that colony ! and the eventful histories of families. — Livtfpevl Journal. >!

French and English Dietaries. — Mtost people are aware that the consumption of animal food in France is much less per bead than it Is [ in England ; but one could hardly ha*e supposed that the difference was so great as would appear from the dietary fixed by the Minieter of Public Instruction, the other day, for the pupils in the Lyc^es in Paris. In consequence of complaints that the pupils did not receive a sufficient ai»*unt of nutritious diet for their perfect physical aad intellectual development, a commistioa »f physicians was lately appointed te examine the Joan thy and quality of the food supplied. The result of their inquiry is, that the pupils have »»t been receiving a sufficient quantity of meat, aid therefore the Minister of Public Instruction hat ordered a larger allowance for them in future. "The senior pupils are now to have JSj ouaees of Meat for dinner, the middle class rather more than £ ounces each, and (he juniors about l| ounces each. But even this improved dietary is much inferior to that of the inmates of most of oar prisons. From the Eighteenth Report of the Inspectors of Prisons we find, that in the regular dietary of male prise ners above fourteen years of age, the allowance of meat is 4 ounces to each person, and to women and children $ ounces tach. In English establishments of a similar nature to those in Paris, the daily average consumption of meat would not he less than 8 ounces' per bead ; more than three times the quantity allowed to the big boys in tb% Paris colleges. With such a difference in the dietaries of the two nations, it is no wonder that England should take the lead in whatever requires force of thought or action.

A " Difficult*" Adjusted. — Another probable murder took place in our city about halfpast seven o'clock last evening, near the corner of Fourth-street and Broadway. As near as we could learn, the facts are that a difficulty has existed between the family of James C. Hall, posu master, and the family of which Dr. Ames is a member, which two families reside in houses nearly adjoining, on Fourth-street, near Pike-st. Last evening Mr. Hall, while passing Dr. Ames, both of whom were on their way home, was accosted with, " You are a rascal and*a scoundrel."

Hal) turned, and Amei approached hint with *■■ swordcane elevated. Hall then struck Ames, and a fight ensued, during which Dr. Ames drew a•wordcane and made several efforts to cut Hal!,, bat succeeded only in cutting him on the nose and several times on one of his hands. Ames getting the advantage, Hall released himself and retreated towards the steps of Mrs. Glasgow's boirding boose, in the alley. Ames followed him up, and, when within three or lour paces, drew a pistol and fired, the ball entering immediately below the floating rib, on the right Bide, and pasted through into the liver, to the depth of about foar inches. Hall fell, and Ames fired a second time, but the ball missed him, Dr. Ames the* rttreated towards home, but was afterwards arrested by officers Lewis and Flaunery, and lodged in the Hammond-street station-house. Amis, when arrested, had on his person four double barrelled pistols, three of which were loaded, and his sword-cane, which was spattered with bloed. Just before being arrested, be stood on thft sidewalk in front of Hall's residence, and altering o number of oaths, declared that he intofldod to kilt the ••>••••> rascal. A enwrd soon collected, and such was the excitement, that had bo* A»ei retreated soon to his home, and immediately been arresttd ,by the officers, the citi•eni would have taken him by violence, and probably handled him very roaghly. Flail recovered himself aad walked borne. Drs. Edwards, Danbridge, and Foster- were called, who probed the wotJHd for tb« ball^but failed in finding it. Hall wee seised with sickness at the stomach. His physicians pronounced his case 'hopeless, and Mr. Hall, believing th»t he could not recover, asked to maka a •tatement of the affray, which he did to Dr. Edward*, the family physician, substantially ac follows: — "I was coming home andf>*seed Dr. Ames ; ts I passed he hesitated ; I o**tinued some three or (our paces, and taraeri round, and be stopped, and then approoebod n« with hit cane elevated, and celled oie a~ rascal or scoundrel. I struck kiai with aty flit ; he drew a dirk cane ; I took it from him j be recovered it, and I struck him severe! times daring the struggle, and but for the pistol would have conquered him. He drew his pietol when I was not more than three or four feet front him, and shot me. I got behind a tree bos «ad retreated to Mrs. Glasgow's steps, wheo ft eeeond ih«rt was fired." At 12 o'clock If r. Hall bad elept a little, had less nausea, aad appeared to suffer lets pain. His pulse was goed, and indication* were more favourable. At 1 o'clock »is pern increased and bis pulse becane more week. At 2 o'clock -he was still vomiting fre«ly and suffering intense pain. The phyeiciane decide the indications strongly against bieo, and the poseibility of his recovery extreeaely doubtful. Dr. Ames will, most probably, h&va a #reliminary examination before the police eoart tkis T*oT*\Qg.~~Cincinnati Gazette.

AsS7K!AJC TuscitilPTioNg.^l hare mentioned eliewhere tbat the historical records and public documents of the Assyrians were kepi on tablets and cylinders of baked clay. Many specimens hate been bro»ght to rhis country. On a large hexagonal cylinder presented by me to the British Me»eum are the chronicles of Essarhaddon ; co a similar cylinder discovered in the mound of Nebbi Tamiij opposite Mosul, and formerly in tM nttmsion of tba lere Colonel Taylor, arc eight years of (he aanals of Sennacherib ; and on a barrel shaped cylinder long since placed in the British Museum, and known as Beliino's, we have part cl tho records of the same king. The importance of such relics will be readily understood. They prtseit, in a small compass, an abridgment or recapitulation of the inscriptions oa the great nwa«ment» and palace walls, giving in a chronological series the events of each raonarch'i reign. Tha writing is so minute, and the letters arc se dose one to another, that it requires considerable experience te separate and transcribe then. Fragments of other cylinders have also been discovered, and many inscribed tablets, from three to cix inches in length, have been long preserved in England and in various European collections. The chambers lam describing appear U have taen a depository jn the palace of Nineveh for such documents. ' To the height of a feot or more from the floor they were entirely filled wit* them; some entire, but the greater part broken into fragments, probably by the falling in ef the «pj>er part of the building. They were of different sizes 5 the largest tabletswere fat, and measured about 9 inches by 65 inches ; the emaller were slightly convex, and some were not more than an inch long, with but one or two linea ef writing. The cuneiform characters oa most ef them were singularly sharp and well deaWd, b«t so minute in some instances as to be almost illegible without a rnagnifying-glass. Tbeoe do«»flaents appear to be various kinds. Many are historical records of wars, and distant expeditions nndertaken by the Assyrians ; some seen t« be reyaJ decrees, and are stamped with the name of a king, the son of Essarhaddon ; othera again, divided into parallel columns by horinoßtal line*, contain lists of the gods, and probably a register of offerings made in their ternpies. On one Dr» Hincks has detected a table of the value of certaiQ cuneiform letters, expressed by different alphabetical signs, according j to various modes of using them ; a most import- ( ant discovery on another, apparently a list of the eacred days in each month ; and on a third, what seems to ha a calendar. It is highly probabl« tbat a record of astronomical observations may exist amongst them, for we know from ancient writers, that the Babylonians inscribed such things upon burnt bricks. As we find from the Bavian inscriptions tbat the Assyrians kept a fery accarate computation of time, we may reasonably expect to obtain valuable chronological i tables, and some information as to their methods [of dividing the year, and even the day. Many are sealed with seals, and may prove to be legal contracts or conveyances of land. Others bear rolled' impressions ©f those engraved cylinders so frequently feuud in Babylonia and Assyria, by some believed to be amulets. The characters appear to bave been formed by a very delicate instrument before the clay was hardened by fire, and the process of accurately making letters so minute and complicated must have required considerable ingenuity and experience. On some tablets are found Phoenician or cursive Assyrian characters and other signs. — Layard's Nineveh.