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JAN. 1, 1859.]

level with the idle and ignorant; which proves that the restrictions

DEMAND FoR IRoN.—The total make of pig iron in 1857 was which well-meaning people would impose for the better regulation of 3,659,447 tons, against 3,586,377 tons in 1856. Of this quantity wages by boards of trade, are worse than useless, inasmuch as their 918,000 tons were made in Scotland, 1000 tons in Ireland, 1,007,776 tendency is to prevent the extension of manufactures, and diminish in Wales, and the remainder in England. The shipments of the employment and value of labour. Wages never can be main Scotch pig iron in 1857 were 267,446 tons foreign, and 559,036 tained above their natural level by artificial means; their natural level coastwise. The foreign quarters to which it was sent were—42,200 depends upon the proportion which the population or supply of work tons to the United States, 15,300 to British North America, 67,700 men bears to the demand for labour or extent of employment; which to France, and 81,100 to Germany. To America the shipments depends upon our superior powers of production, improvements in are falling off of late, but to France and Germany the supplies of machinery, and amount of accumulated capital. The interest of the our iron are increasing. The shipments of pig iron, bundle, bar, workman and his employer are the same, and prosperity depends upon and rail iron from each of the principal ports in 1857 are parti their united industry and ingenuity. cularised. Glasgow, Middlesborough, Newport, Cardiff, and Liver LoNGEVITY versus OCCUPATION.—Masons inhale particles of sand pool are those chiefly interested in the trafic. The exports of British and dust arising from the chippings of stones. Their frequent expo metals in 1857 show a sonsiderable excess in quantity over either sure to the vicissitudes of the weather, muscular exertion in lifting of the two preceeding years. The iron and steel of differnt kinds weights, and sometimes their addiction to intemperance, promptly take amounted in bulk to 1,539,386 tons, lead 22,100 tons, tin 43,758 effect on their physical state.

The bronchial membrane often becomes

cwts., and copper 25,221 tons.

In the aggregate, the declared

chronically inflamed from the inhalation of the dust, and dissipation value of our British metals shipped, reached £18,500,000; and this makes their constitution susceptible of atmospheric changes, and is exclusive of the large imports of foreign and colonial metals, and hence they are frequently affected with pains in their limbs.

Masons

re-exports of the same—a trade in which no other country comes

are shortlived, dying generally before they attain the age of forty. near us. The active operations of our mining districts, are at least Miners suffer considerably when employed in sandstone ore, but not indications of progress. BoILERS IN KITCHEN RANGES-SERVANTs BEwARE!—If a boiler in limestone. They seldom work more than six hours per diem, yet they rarely attain the age of forty. Smelting is a most fatal occu become red hot, or even nearly so, owing to neglect in keeping a pation; the appearance of the men is haggard in the extreme. Fork supply of water therein; the water when afterwards thrown into it grinders who use a dry grindstone, die between the ages of twenty may assume the spheroidal state, and then flashing into steam of eight and thirty-two, while table-knife grinders who work our wet enormous pressure will burst the boiler, causing destruction of property stones, survive to between forty and fifty. Turning of cast iron is and possibly loss of life by the explosion. Even when boilers are very trying; draw-filing cast iron is a very injurious occupation, the self-supplying they shonld be carefully watched, for an impediment dust being abundant, and rising so as to blacken the mouth and nose. in the pipe will cause the supply to cease. Water begins to be The lining membrane becomes first affected and preternaturally dry; spheroidal at something less than 500° Fah. Incautious servants next the air tube, then respiration is difficult, and an habitual cough sometimes leave the boiler-lid open for several hours, which gives is produced. The common termination of the existence is bronchial vent to evaporation, and not unfrequently throw in volumes of water or tubercular consumption. Filers are most unhealthy men, and into a nearly empty boiler, to the imminent risk of their own lives, remarkably short-lived.

Plumbers are exposed to the volatilized

for the reasons above stated.

Proprietors of houses cannot be too

oxide of lead which rises during the process of casting. The common cautious both in seeing their gas properly turned off into the street working of the metal also seems to be deleterious. Carpenters are main, and their kitchen boilers kept constantly filled, or nearly so, not supposed to last in their utmost vigour above eight years.

Almost every class of artificers is subject to peculiar diseases, occasioned by excessive application.

CoMBINATIONs.—There is hardly anything more odious in our great manufacturing and trading system than combinations, whether

of masters or workmen. They are neither more nor less than con spiracies to secure private and unnatural advantages at the expense of the public, and in their character are essentially opposed to those generous and really profitable principles of free trade which all sound thinking men are now ready to advocate; and which at least the working classes have been long strenuous in insisting upon as necessary for their welfare. We hold it as an imperishable maxim in our general economy that everything vicious will sooner or latter find its level. Labour, like gold and silver, can be made valuable by its scarcity only and no other contrivance. All the acts of legislation, all the combination and devices amongst workmen and themselves, must fail in rising to a high price that which is redundant. CITY of NEw York FREE ACADEMY.—This building is situated on the south-east corner of Twenty-third-street and Lexington

avenue in the upper part of the city, being convenient of access from all the great thoroughfares. The style of architecture is the same as that of the towns and colleges of the fourteenth century in Europe. The dimensions are as follows:-length 125 feet and breadth 80 feet,

height to eaves 65 feet, and to top of gable 100 feet, to the top of towers 110 feet. It is divided with a basement 9 feet in height, with three other storeys, and a great hall 125 by 60 under the roof, which is of high pitch and constructed of open timber-work with carved ribs, &c.; at intervals dormers are introduced. Expenditure, without the

furniture, 46,000 dollars. Mr. Renwick, architect. PERFECT SCAvKNGERING is the first essential to cleanliness, and to the protection of the air from pollution in and about buildings, the excreta arising from which are dejected into dry sand or gravel; whilst the soil drainage of buildings will not supersede the necessity of scavengering; nor, having regard to the wholesomeness of the locality, ought it to be preferred to the dry cesspool where the dry cesspool is available to the effect already indicated; unless provision

with water.

THE SCREw versus THE PADDLE.—The various inconveniences

attending the use of paddle-wheels have caused them to be more or less superseded by the Archimedean screw. Though its general ap plication to steam-vessels has only been of comparatively recent date, it was used at New York by Mr. Bushnell of Connecticut as early as 1776, to propel a submarine boat contrived to fix to the bottoms of ships an explosive preparation to blow them up. It con sists of a variable number of feather-edged paddles constituting portions of a plane wrapped round an axis, in such a manner as to be attached by its edge and form parts of a screw having a thin but very deep thread. The axis to which these are fixed pass through a water-tight compartment into the vessel, and motion communi cated to it by a steam-engine. The screw is usually fixed in an aperture in the dead wood exactly in front of the rudder, and is sometimes so arranged as that it may be lifted off when not in use. To produce any effect, it must move with considerable velocity, hardly obtainable from an ordinary steam-engine. The screw causes little disturbance in the water; it is always submerged, which is not the case with paddle-wheels, one or the other of them being, in rough weather, often completely raised out of the water, rendering them not only useless but cumbersome. SELF-PAYING MUNICIPAL IMPROVEMENTs.—The great altera tions made to some of the thoroughfares in Paris during the last seven years, whereby 3,725 old houses have been demolished, and 8,187 new mansions and spacious streets constructed, appear by a recent report of the Prefect de la Seine, to have left, after deducting all expenses, a large balance in favour of the municipal exchequer.

00 (£gritsysmitm#5. We have to acknowledge the receipt of numerous letters from various parts wishing us success in our undertaking, and for which, as also for the substan tial co-operation extended by our Subscribers and Advertisers, we beg to tender our grateful thanks collectively.

be first made for scouring the contents away, and for removing

directly to the upper air the gases which they will evolve in their passage. Our local Corporation should observe this. OAK PAPERS.-The invention of Mr. John Strather, of Hull, for producing oak or “wainscot papers,” has lately attracted consider able attention. The grain, being printed from a piece of the wood itself, is perfectly true to nature, and far surpasses any produced from blocks engraved by hand. From the same piece of wood, the pattern can be varied almost ad infinitum, for by simply taking off a shaving a different design appears. Science, when well digested, is uothing but good sense and reason.

NOTICE.

Orders for Subscriptions to, and Advertisements for, THE DUBLIN BUILDER, will be received at the Proprietors’ Office, 17, Lower Gardiner-street, or by Mr. Mason, 24, D’Olier-street;

At Cork, by the Agent, Mr. S. M. Peck, 40, South Mall, Mr. Massy, Mr. Murray, and all Booksellers; At BELFAst, by the Agent, Mr. Francis Dowd, 47, Townsend-st.; Messrs. Henderson, Phillips, Gribbin, and all Booksellers;

At GALway, by Mr. T. J. Connolly, and Mr. Wade, Booksellers. Yearly Subscription (payable in advance), 3s., per post, 4s.