Page 4 Advertisements Column 1

South Canterbury Times, Issue 4911, 21 January 1889, Page 4

Several newspapers, the Scientific American remarks, have referred to a new invention by one William Timmins, which, if successful, will revolutionise motive power. The inventor is an unpretentious English mechanic residing at Pittsburg Penn., who claims to have invented a machine by which unlimited motive power can he stored or used without the expenditure of fuel. The story goes that he has been engaged for years perfecting the invention, and is now negotiating with the Governments of England, Russia, and the United States for the sale of the right to use his discovery, which, if after examination it proves to be what it claims, will revolutionise the motive power of the world. He claims to be able to create a pressure of 20,0001 b per square inch—more than sufficient to propel the largest ocean steamer afloat or to move 80 laden freight cars in one train. The machine seems to be simply an air compressor of the simplest sort. It consists of one small cylinder (six horse power) with a balance weight of 751 b which runs the entire apparatus ; another small cyclinder sin in diameter with Sin. stroke compresses the air into a tank from which the power is utilised. Under the piston plate the inventor has placed two layers of bars containing eleven different minerals, the magnetic influence of which is the secret of the invention. The advantages he claims are durability, economy, and simplicity. Experts have examined the machine and pronounce it a success. It submitting his design to the Governments named, Mr Timmins claims that the pneumatic generator can not only be applied to war vessels as a motor, but can be used as a defence against hostile attacks by means of air chambers placed behind the armour plating.” Mr Frederic Harrison, in a recent lecture, said London presented the hugest assemblage of buildings ever piled upon the earth, and for three centuries men had been thinking how its enormous growth could bo dealt with. In this century the population of London had increased fourfold and its area about fifteenfold, Every year some 70,000 fresh souls were added to the population by immigration or birth. Every ten years there was added to London by immigration alone the population of a city as large as Lisbon or Bristol, and by immigration and birth together there was added a population as large as that of St Petersburg or Vienna. The abnormal and spasmodic increase of London defied adaptation and adjustment. The new comers poured in before London had time to think what she would do with them. From Charing Cross or the Royal Exchange a man must walk five miles before he could breathe country air. We lived in smoke-contamin-ated air in which trees would not develop to their full size. The Thames was but a muddy receptacle of refuse, the water which wo drank was at times very near being dangerous to health, and our sewers poured forth 5,500,000 tons of sewage every week. Was this monster city still to increase, its dreariness to grow vaster, and its smoke ever thicker ? It might sound paradoxical, but it was nevereheless true, that while those who had means were perpetually trying to get away from London, those who were destitute were always trying to find their way to it. The vast increase of great cities was a feature of modern civilisation,and was equally to be seen in countries were there was a peasant proprietary, and in those where there was a j system of great domains. It was found, not only in Europe, but in Asia, Africa, and i America. The problems which the consideration of these facts brought to mind were very serious. A contributor to a Home paper says : “ It is not generally known how much of that polyglot language which is spoken by British mariners is due to Italy thus—Starboard is ( que) sto bar do (this side) and larboard is {quel) lo bordo (that side). Port again is the abbreviation of porta la timone (carry the helm), and mizzen is the Italian mezznno. Foremost, I believe, is strictly English, while mainmast is said to be Norman French ; but j tack, sheet, prow, and poop, are all of Italian derivation.”