Aiti§3.iti€3AN 1z.Ait..RoA.r) manage.

tso

 , P
_, -. . , Commerce of the Lake orts.
vvfloalufl I{a’lh0ad ‘vhee'l' The value ofthe articles of flour, wheat, corn
Figure 3, Figure 1. Figure ‘J. and wool received at the port of Buffalo from the

The accompanying engravings represent the pa-
tented Wlieel of Mr. Horace WV. Wootlt‘t:tlf, of
Watcrlown, Jeflcrson C0,, N. Y.

Figure I is a face view of the wheel; fig. 2 is a.
section taken at the line 2 2 of Hg. 1, and passing
through the hollow plate; fig. 21 is a like section
taken through the solitl plate 3, of fig. 1. The same
letters refer to like parts.

The nature of the invention consists in casting
the wheel in one piece, with a chilled. rim connect-
ed with a solid undivided hub by means of a plate,
which, at certain parts, is single, and solid in the
direction of the radii, acting in the manner oi ra-
dial spikes, presenting curved lines, in concentric
lines, on both faces, from hubto rim, and the whole
constituting one casting. A is the hub with a cen-
tral hole to receive the axle; B is the rim with a
flange, 0, as usual. The wheel is so tnouldcd that
its two faces are corrugated as represented in the
engraving. The parts, D D, are solid, so that im-
aginary radial lines from the hub to the rim, as at
D, will pass through the solid metal. At these
parts the external surface is curved on both faces
of the wheel, extending from the ends of the hub to
the edges of the rim, or nearly so, as at D D, fig.
3. The flange side of the wheel extends outside of
the plane of that face of the rim, and on the other
face it coincides, or nearly so, with the plane of the
rim; E are spaces between the solid parts, D; they
are cast on cores, and form two plates between any
two of the solid parts. The two plates gradually
spread out from each other from each solid part or

 

spoke. These plates are, therefore bent or waved
in lines concentric with the hub and ritn, and the
plates on the inner side are bent from hub to rim.
On the outer face ofthc wltccl the plates are partly
bent and partly straight. The rim and hub are
connected together by a plate, which, at certain
parts, is single and solid in the direction of the
radii, forming what may be termed radial spokes.
and at other and intermediate parts double, and
constituting hollow spokes. It is therefore a com-
pound plate, giving support to the entire periphery
of the ritn, and acting as a brace to the ends of the
httb and edges of the rim, to resist lateral strains;
and the solid parts of the plate, constituting the
solid spokes, give the required support in the di-
rection of the radius; this support, being aided by
the double parts of the plate (which are bent from
hub to rim and in concentric lines,) can yield to
the unequal contraction, and thus enable the solid

west, during the year 1851, exceeds fourteen mil-
lions of dollars.

The amount of each of these articles was as fol-
lows :—
Flour, bbls. . .. 1,3‘23,’78:l Value....
Wheat, bu.. .. 4-,‘2l2,!l75) H
Corn, bu . . . . .. (3,14o',5l0
VVool, lbs. . . . . 12,507,d‘2.l

. ..4,883,7z1-3
....~2,947,tts5
 ...2,755,545
. . .3,752,2:2t;

H
£1

Total....      ..S'$14,338,509
The total imports from several lake ports were
as follows:—-
Toledo,tons....      ....120,909
Chicago .. ...................100,3t5

n-nollunuo

Cleveland 99,220
Detroit... . . . .  "/7,881
Sanduslry  48,747
 42,454

The estimated value of al the property received
at the port of Buflialo from the westduring the year
is $35,000,000.

To Increase the Illuminating Powt-.1' of
GUS:

In one of your late numbers, you allude to a re-
cent patcnt for improvements in the manufacture
ofgas, the object of which is to render the gasses
resulting from the decomposition of water suitable
for lighting put‘poses, by passing them over canncl
coalinthe process of distillation. I witncsscdsome
experiments of this nature with the gasses obtained
from wood in the man ttfacture of pyt oligneous acid,
and have myself, for some time past, been making
a series, using several descriptions of slightly illu-
minating gas, but principally those given out by
peat and the lowest quality of coals, and the results
areltighlyinteresting. 1 find thatacertain volume
of such gas when passed throttgh a heated retott
containing Lancashire canncl coal, becomes of
much greater illuminating power than the same
volume of such gas tnechanically mixed in a gas-

holdcr with the gas given out by the canncl; in- V

deed, some 01 my cxperitnents show this increase
to be at least 50 per cent. when our common coal
gas is so treated, as 10,000 feet oi it may be passed

parts to resist the strain without breaking, which
is due to unequal contraction. The claim is for
“casting a railroad car wheel with a chilled rim
and solid undivided hub, connected by means of a
plate which is single and solid at certain parts, so
that imaginary radial lines, fro_rn hub to rim, will
pass through the said solid parts, and be double and
bent in opposite directions, between the single and
solid parts, and wholly or partly from hub to rim,
the whole constituting one casting as specified.

More information may be obtained by letter ad-
dressed to Mr. VVoodruiF, at Watertown, N. Y., as
above.

Commercial Statistics of Great Britain.

'I‘he information collected by Mr. Braithwaite
Poole for his valuable work, certainly exhibits most
surprising results. Pitt and Canning stated the
yearly production of our agricultural and manufac-
turing pursuits at an amount equal to the national
debt; but nobody knew howthey made itout. The
summary of these statistics, however, prove that
our great statesmen were right; and the compari-
sons are, highly interesting.

Mr. Poole shows that the railways have cost
.-B240,000,000; the canals, 196,000,000; and the
docks, £30,000,000.

Our mercantile marine consists of 35.000 vessels,
4,300,000 tons, with 240,000 men; and one vessel
is lost on an average every tide.

Our Navy consists of 585 vessels, 570,000 tons,
and 48,000 men. Yachts 520, and 23,000 tons.

The agricultural produce, of milk, meat, eggs,
butter, and cheese, 3,000,000 tons, and £50,000,-
000.

The ancient Britons knew only six primitive

the present ‘scientific generation use fifty. The
aggregate yield of minerals in this country is
equivalent in value to about £2o,000,000, annu-
ally.

The ale, wine, and spirits consumed annually
exceed 3,300,000 tons and .~€54,000,000- whilst
sugar, tea, andocoffee scarcely reach 450,000 tons,
and .£27,000,00 .

Our fisheries net £6,000,000 annually.

In manufactures, the cotton, woolen, linen, and
silk altogether amount to 420,000 tons, and .1305,-
000,000; whilst hardwares exhibit 360,000 tons, and
.€:20,000,000; in addition to which 1,250 tons of
pins and needles are made yearly, worth £1,100,-
000.

Earthenware, 160,000 tons, £3,500,000; glass,
58,000 tons, £1,080,000.

The. Gazette shows an average of four banlrrupts
daily throughout England and VVales.

In fact, the whole book is full of the best infor-
mation that could be collected, and should be pos-
sessed by all interested in scientific, literary, or

ores, from which metals were produced; whereas

connnercial pttI'$t1llS.-,—L0’)t(Z()7l« Mtmng Jatmtal.

through the retorts containing a ton of Lancashire
cannel in the process of distillation, and the result
will be 20,000 feet ol' gas equal in quality to that
given out by the canncl alone, and it incurs no
perceptible deterioration by being retained in a gas»
holder for several days.——G. C.

Ciucilulati and Indianapolis lluilrontl.

The travel between this city and Indianapolis
now takes a boat here ior Madison, and thence bv
railway to Indianapolis. It takes a day to perform
this journey.

We understand that an arrangement is in pro-
gress to connect this city with Indianapolis by rail-
way as early as the 1st of October, 1852, so that
the travel may pass from city to city in nine hours
without cliange ol conveyance. O. H. Smith’s
Bellcfontaine road is to be finished and run by that
titne from Indianapolis to Union, on the State-line
Union is eleven miles from Greettville, over aalev-
el country, aud Winchester butlittle farther. The
railway from Dayton to Grceuville will be finish-
ed and run by the 1st of May, and if the line from
thence to VVinr.-hcster or Union can be made by
the 1st of October, lines of railway will take the
travel from this by Dayton, Greenville and Smith’s
road to Indianapolis. The Greenville company
cart provide the iron, and accomplish the work,
provided Cincinnati and Dayton will raise each a
small sum to grade and bridge this short piece of
road, and this, it is supposed, they will at once do,
by the purchase at a profitable rate of investment,
the convertible 7 per cent bonds of the company, or
by subsct'iptions to the stock of the company. This
little piece of road will not only open a connection
by railway with Indianapolis, Tcrre I-Iaute, La-
fayette, ctc., much earlier than will be done by any
other line, but will open the way for an early ex-
tension ofrailway on a very direct line to Fort

Wayne, and all northeastern Indiana, The im-