The Workshop.

Otago Witness, Issue 1427, 29 March 1879, Page 7

The Workshop.

Peterson and Co. of Christchurch, have manufactured a challenge cup for the Otago Rowing Club, ai a trophy to be held by the winnirg crew in t^e Henler Challenge-Fours race. It stands 15 inches h : gh. The workmanship is very fin I*,1 *, and Messrs Pe'ersen intend to exhibit their work at the Sydney Exhibition. An enor nous lathe is being constructed at the Boyal Gun Factories for turning a 160 ton gun, an order for the manufacture of which has been expected consequent on the success of the 80-ton gun. The foundation-beds of the new lathe are in three pieces, the head-stock weighing 40 tons, and the poppy-head about 12 tons. A 1000-ton crane-— the largest of its kind in the world— designated the " Revolving Traveller," is also being const me'ed in the Royal Arsenal, and will be available for manipulating and shipping the heaviest ordnince which may be manufactured for a ceutury hence. Immense as are the resources of the Royal Arsenal, they are at the present time inadequate to grapple with the rapid strides made in modern heavy gunnery, and her Majesty's War Department ban determined not only to construct a crane which will meet; the requirements of the proposed 160-ton gun, but alw to leave a large margin of lifting power which may be available for any future contingencies The foundation plate of the new monster crane is composed of 40 segments of seven tons each, and the total iron in the crane when completed will be 700 tons. Several portions or pieces already constructed we ; gh 20, 18, 15, and 12 tons respectively. The " Revolving Traveller " will not be finished for a couple of years. On Wednesday evening (says the Times of Jariuary 12th), in the rronns of tho Society of Arts, John street, Adelphi, a paner was read by Mr T. A. Broclrelbank on " Economy and Safety by the Use of Automatic Coupling* on Eailwavs " Lord Alfred Churchill wai in the chair. Tho lecturer prefaced his remarks by faying that, enormous a<s had been the im- | provemenfca which had occurred witbiu the la*t few years in the various details of railway traffic management, the system of coupling the carriages and waggons remained as clumsy and da"garom in practice as it had half a century ago. Various obstacles bad hitherto stood in the way of its reform, and unless it could be shown that tb« companies would derive pecuniary benefit from the adoption of automatic or mechanical means for coupFncf rehicle?, it was harrlly to be expected that the mst v er would be seriously taken tip. He proceeded to give numerous stat'sties to show that an immense saving might be effected both in time and money by the general a(7oi>t*on of some Buch process, while numerous collisions which are at present occasioned by delays in shunting might thereby be avoided. Allowing only ten seconds of time as the difference in favour of the automatic process of coupling, he calculated that in twelve months' working a period of no less than 100 years (night and day) would, by its adoption, be left clear to the traffic superintended s of the ten chief railways in Engbnd awrl Scotland alone for the despatch of other traffic ; while, at the rate of Is a journey, the money saved would amount on an average to L 25,000 par annum to each of the ten companies. At the close of the lecture, Mr Thomas JAshbury, of Manchester, I remarked that automatic couplings had been largely usad abroad, and had ptoved entirely successful. The directors of tho' Oamaru Stone and. Export Company (says tho Mail) must have experienced considerable sitisfaction in issuing their first statement, which has just eomo into our bands. It show* that, the history of the Company Ins verified what wo wrote about it when its establishment was fiwt raool^l. It ' has only b a en in operation for five months*, I during which period qnarriei at Weston and Torara have been worked The piid up capital is L 1491. and the net profit for the first halfyear is L 213 19a lid, which is at the rate of about 30 per cent, per annum. Tina result is quite sufficient to satisfy shareholders that the investment is sound, and. to create anxiety to invest in its stock. But the Company bas scarcely yeb started. The directors have undertaken the task of opening up new fields for the produoeof their quarries, and wheroverthey have done this they have met with most unqualified success. Wherever the stone is best known there it is most appreciated. With a growing

trade throughout the colonies, wno can uouot. that the Oamaru stone-quarrying industry; w destined in a few jeira to become one lucrative to sharehildeiS in the company and pregnant with the preateat good to thii community. Ino quality of the stone now being quarxied enables the Company to defy competition. There are other places througnout ths Middle island wheie s'one somewhat similar can be {.racured, but it differs from that which is now beiog quarried by the Oamaru Stone Company, inasmuch as it 'is of ccar.se grain and more porous, which, we need not say, is a fatal objection. We suppose tbat the Company will byand-bye be afforded an opportunity ot shipping atone Home, and even to ban J<r«jnciac, where, we hear from an authentic source, ifc is in great favour, and would, m consequence of the absence Ol anything that could be used a3 a substitute for it, realise a good price. English manufacturers are now entering into comp9iition with the Americans in the pro luction of machine made watches, and appear likely to receive a fair share of tn trade in those articles. Mr Peter Ad*ur watchmaker and jeweller, of Rittray streef, ba^ ju3fc received a consignment of curious watches from his makers at Home, and on account of several novelties that have been introduced, they are commanding a ready sale. They are open-faced, ikeyless, and the cases are made of oxidised |silver ; but the chief attraction lies in tho fact that the dials are luminous, enabling the possessor of one or these time-pieces to ascertain the time on the darkest night. All that is necessary is to warm the face of the watch by holding it near a fiie or gas-jet for a few moments, and the dial is rendered luminous, and Mill remain so for about seven hours. The watches are strong and substantial, and are warranted to be excellent time-keepers.