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_ Scitntific amttican
NEW YORK, D E C E MBER 28, 1850. - - . ---- - --
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The Supply of Cities and Villages with Good Water.
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we hope that the agitation for post office re- and decide upon the merits of mechanical And form will not end here, but go on increasing combinations, of which they kn o w but very d sand and cIa.y, how almndant and common the until we have an Ocean Postage Reform a18O. little. :iome of our Judges have ma e very The charges for ca.rrying letters between Amerl- singula.r decisions. We do not like M r . Tur m a.teria.l s ; ne pl ace of any note or enterprise pure. Wa.ter mixed with other salts can be the same sitRple manner. purified in need therefore be withou t a. supply of good wa.ter, unless it be those si tua.tions which are H i n t s to Inventors.
the clay, and the water wi II come out almost
sand a.nd cl ay, the lime will be detained in
Sanrlnu a ta_ , � � __ _ _m __ n_ __
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to 3 cents or 2 cents, on all single letters, and
We go for a universal reduction of postage
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arbiters of facts in patent infringement cases,
our Judges eet themsel v es up to be the sole
The s u bject we ha.ve chosen for mak i n g a denied the blessings of co pious showers . few remarks, is one of vast importance. .I" i re , --. --- - - - - of l ife . air, food , and water are essential necessa.ries In some clima.tes firrl might be dis-
pen sed with, but in no country or climate ca.n any ma.n dispenRe with either one of the tri W a,ter is so essen une necessa.ries, a.nd live.
lieve, in which more skill and a thorough un derstandin g of genera.l mecha.nical ma.tters is necessa.ry, than in conducting applications for American pa.tents. injustice of the P atent Office in having reject
There is no professiona.l business, we be
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is charged for a single letter.
ca. a.nd E urope is sha.meful : no less than 24 cts. If the price was
ney ' s last amendment, but we ha.ve not room to s a.y anything more a.bout it this week . If the writ of
increa.se the Post Office revenues on bo th sides of the water.
reduced to ten cents, we believe tha.t it would
has sta.ted it to be, then we don't like it, but we apprehend that it is altogether a different and will give our views on it next a.ffair from the l ight in which i t is presented
scire facias
be a.s Mr. S ewa. r d
Reform of the Patent Laws. by him, IN SE NATE .-The B ill to a.mend the P atent week. La.ws, which wa.s introduced last Session, was
pa.ra.mount c1a.ims relate to its uses as a, sup porter of life. We cannot ea.t a m ea.l but wa.
tia.l to hea.lth and ha.ppiness, tha.t its first and
We often hea.r inven tors complaining of the mittee on Patents.
greatly amended and re-committed to the C om C ommittee, on l ast Thursday, the 1 9 th, repor-
After being left over, the
ha.ps, in itself, did possess some novelty, but sion : M r. Turney moved to amend the a.mend_ bodies a.re composed of seven-ei ghths of wa which the inventor had failed to properly set ter, and a knowledge of this fact gives us some forth in his drawings a.nd specifica.tion . ments of the committee. Inventors who apply for patents themselves, Mr. Jefferson Davis was apposed to the insight into the ca.uses of those terrible deli ke tlfeir own drawings and specifi tria.l of patent cases before the ordinary judica.l riums a.nd excrucia.ting torments which men -who ma. a.re reported to ha.ve suffered, who h ave been ca.tiol1s, shoul d not overlook some importa.nt tribuna.ls. He wa.s in fa.vor of esta.blishing a or three per cent. of the sa.me element ; our long deprived of its use. fa.ct. , which they are too liable to do . should represent, specifically, in their dra.w They specia.l court to try pa.tent ca.ses, wher" the
ter forms seven.eighths of it, a.nd we c a.nnot ed some a.lleged invention which the appli inha.le a. bre a.th but it is moistened with two cant ha.d s upposed to be new, and which, per
Scarcely a week, yea, scarcely a da.y passes over our hea.ds without our h ea.ring of some ter ble ala.mity, caused by the h n rs tin g of a. stea.m boiler. Last week we heard of the ILmong us-Alfred dea.th of one well known
Explosion of Steam Boiler ��
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ted the amended bill ba.ck, with severa.l a.mend ments, which produced the following discuB
StilIma.n, of the ' Novelty Works. He was killed by the explosion of the steamer Anglo Norman, the boiler of which exploded at New a terribl e thing to be recording 80 much de_ The ca.uses of explo is no secrecy or
Orleans, a.s mentioned by us last week.
It is
struction of life every mea.ns a.s explosions.
few weeks, by such
whole points inyolved were those of nice scien H require. n o a.rgumen t to prove th a.t the sions are well known, there wa.ter which m a.n Heeds should be pure-the ings, such pa.rts of their improvements as they tific distinction s. At the proper time he fa.ct is self-evident to a.ny man who ha.s eyes to see, ea.r" to hea.r, or sense to ta.ste. The prince, surrounded with all the other luxuries of the world, if deprived of good wate r , would be poor indeed-the ha.rdy mountaineer of the deem of the most importance ; a.nd if they Mr. Turney sa.id tha.t courts of Ia.w were as recom mended) let it be done on such pa.rts a.s competent to try patent c a.ses as they were to are known to I:Ie old, a.nd on which they expect try murder cases-where dea.th was occa.sioned to ba.se 110 cla.ims. by poison, or by steamboa.t explosions on slight the execution of any pa.rt (which is not would offer a subs titnte for the bill. phenomenon about them.
They can be pre
vented, just as certainly as the sun shines, were the mea.ns resorted to for that purpose. l a.nd ; how seldom in OUr E a.stern States, how How seldom do we hear of explosions in Eng
The hi g h pres in prepa.ring the specifica.tion, let the same accomlt of defects in the ma.chinery. I n these sure n on-condensing stea.mers on th>tt ri v er, rule be followed in describing the machine, or ca.ses chemists are called in to a.nalyse the the bosom of his n ative rocks, and with only are like so ma.ny floa.ting po wller m agaz ines . corn-ca.ke for his simple repast, would be wha.tever appa.ratus it is, as is recommended a.l leged poison, or men of science to give their The most skillful engineers do not seem to in prepa.ring the dra.wings. It is necessa.ry opinion ail to machinery. The courts, ba.t, and wea.lthier tha.n he. prevent explosions j in fa.ct, the majority of The inhabita.nts of cities, villages, or dis tha.t the n a.ture of an invention be first descri j ury deside these ca.ses on the opinions of such engineers who have fa.llen victims to explo bed in the specification, a.nd then expla.in its skilful men, a.nd why not decide pa.tent ca.ses tricts supplied with plenty of good wa.ter, a.re sions, ha.ve been men of pra.ctica.1 experience. superil)r in robustness, health,-in fa.ct, in operation, referring to letters on the drawings ; on the sa.me evidence ? If the argument, that Continua.l exposure to d anger, not only leads the sa.me letters Bhouhl, in all cases, refer to courts of Ia.w were not com petent to try patent every respect; to those who live i n pl aces des men to he fearless of it, hnt reckless a.lso . the same p arts. ca.8es, was Bound, why would it not a.pply a.s titute of such blessin gs. There is no real sa.fe ty apart from a low pres After you have fully described, in your spe well to the Sen ate ? Why were they compe Owin g to a. few enquiries m a.de of us, Ia.tely, sure conden"illg e ngine ; >It Jea.8t we think about Artesia.n Wells, we presume tha.t wha t cifica.tion, how your improvement or ma.chine tent to pa.ss patent l aws ? The immedia.te that 40 I bs. pressure, in l a.rge boilers, as high we h a. v e to sa.y u p o n t h e supply of wa.ter, will is to be used, you come to the most important amendment before the Senate wa.s, tha.t each a.s the I a.w should allow any boat to ca.rry. and d ifficult pa.rt of the whole matter,-that d"fendant ill a suit for infringement of a be of some interest. There a.re four methods We know that the sha.lowncss of � the Ohio, of suppling cities, villa.ges, a.nd houses with is, the ba.sing of your claims, which should be p a.tent shall be entitled to a scire facias, to be and the great a.mount of ea.rthy matter in the water : one is by common weIls, or a.rtesian ; done with very grea.t care. The claims to an served on the patentee, to show the va.lidity of wa.ters of the Mississippi, ma.y be urged as the second by river water conveyed from a. invention are on wha.t rests the whole or chief his p aten t . s trong objection s to p ractica.bility of conden ecurity, and therefore, they should net be M r . Jefferson D a.vis replied to s h o w tha.t higher to a. lower level ; the third, by forcing sing engines, with thei r heavy ma.chinery, b nt river wa.ter, by stea.m or wa.ter power, from a ma.de too broad, nor fra.med so ambiguously as the courts of Ia.w were not the best qualified surely something should be done beyond mere not to cover all tha.t is pa.tenta.ble in pla.in to try pa.ten t ca.ses on the same evidence, a.nd lower to a. higher level ; the fourth, by collect ta.lk. We have given our opinion ; who wiII phra.seology ; it requireR grea.t mecha.nical cited the a.uthorty of Judge S tory a.nd Judge ing wa.ter over a.n extended surfa.ce, a.nd con provide a. better one to remove the e v il ? skill, as well as a thorough knowledge of what K ane, of Philadelphia" to sURta.in him. He veyin g it by gra.vitation (from a hi gher to a Alleghanies, who qua.ffs the cool dra.ught from sn pply, by collecting ra.in wa.ter in cistern s . It
common on th e M i ssi"Aippi.
lower level . )
Another pla.n is, for domestic
exists of a simila.r kind, in order to correctly and, we believe, it is o wing t" the fa.ct, tha.t
fra.me a specifica.tion and make the cb.ims, so ma.ny furnish the P a.tent Office with imper
did not think C on gress wa.s the best constitu ted body to fra.me patent I a.ws . M r . Turney repl ied.
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New Year�s Pr('sents.
for it ha.s been found, that the water collected
Mr. Se wa.rd s a.id he understood the a.men d rules for supplyin g a.ll places in the beat ma.n_ custom is onc of the goot! o l d times-we hke ner-tha.t depends in a grea.t measure 011 lo fect drawings and specifications, tha.t such a m e n t n o w pending w a. s to e1fect that, wh e n a it. G i fts, however, a.re often very injudiciously cality, but we wish to ca.1I a.ttention to one multitude of applica.tions for patents a.re every patentee should sue any one for infrin gemell t bestowed. We do not merely a.lIule to that of his pa.tent, the defenda.nt might sue out plan, which has been triumphantly ca.rried out year rejected. a.bsurd custom of giving young people toys It i s an old saying, that " if a thin g is scire facias, to try the va.lidity of the p a.tent, in this city, and which is now becaming bet but in bestowing any gifts which have n o re ter understood, and coming into more general worth doing a.t a.ll, it is worth doing well, " and and tha.t the original suit should be sta.yed till ference to the solid benefit of those to whom fa.vor in the old. world : we a.llude to the col we would recommend the sa.me a.da.ge to in the scire facias wa! tried. In either ca.se, the they a.re given. Books a.re common holida.y lecting of water into da.ms, and 8U pplying it ventors who wi"h to get their inventions secu va.lidity o f patents wa.s involved, a.nd would presents-none a.re better, if the books are red by letters patent-if you ha.ve got an inven_ be tried ; a.nd he could see n o j uBtice in by gra.vita.tion. good ; and it is in reference to literary presents Dr. Lee, of the Southern Cultivator, states, tion that is worth patenting at all, it is good m a.king the pa.ter.. t ee the defenda.nt, instead of tha.t we would say a few words. Every year tha.t on every acre of vaca.nt land, near policy to have the appIica.tion properly prepa pla.intiff. Instea.d of the number of suits be we have had ordera from a n umber of employ Charleston, S . C . , there fa.lls 825, 000 ga.lIons red before submitting the case to the Patent ing decrea.sed, they would be doubled : for ers for the Scientific America.n, to be given as every defend.mt, when sued, could ha.ve his of wa.ter per yea,r, a.ccording to the rain ga.uge. Office. presents, a.long with some gifts of du.wing in writ of scir facias. If the Circuit C ourt of C heap Postage. Here, then, is a source of wa.ter supply, from struments, book, &c. , to their apprentices j the hea.vens abov, which those who cannot The Cheap Postage Bill is now before Con one district were to decide for or aga.inst the they m a.de their apprentices subscribers, thus get it from the earth benea.th, should avail greB!, a.nd we hope it will be pa.ssed and be va.lidity of a patent, that j udgement would encoura.ging a. true ta.ste for their bU8iness , themselves of. Other pla.ces have the same come a law, not in a few weeks, but da.ys. By not be conclusive or final in other districts, as a.nd adopting the best possible way to feed the source of supply , but to ta.ke adva.nta.ge of the the debates in CongresR, the proposed reduc hetween other pa.rties on the same patent appetite, viz ., senlling home the Scientific Amer_ s a.me , it must be collected in such a. situation tion of posta.ge to 3 cents prepa.id upon all right. He wa.s opposed to the bill , and hoped ica.n to be re a.d avery week for a yea.r. A grea.t a.s to run down hill, (supply those who want letters to wha.tever dista.nce, appea.rs tv meet a.nother would be in troduced. deal of good , we have been informed, ha.s been Mr. Turney rejoined, a.nd the amendment done in this way . it by gravitation . ) Another thing is, to col with great opposition from some. It is said 'We make these rem arks, lect i t ; for it w i l l soa.k a.wa.y through the by one, tha.t thp reduction wiII inj ure the re wa.s agreed to . merely, to call a.ttention to the fact -the rea Mr. Turney offered a.n amendment, ma.king sonable fa.ct, of Buch earth, or diH appea.r by evaporation, unles8 pro ceipts of the post office, a.nd that it wiII not a. presen t a. rna.king an per means a.re adopted to save it. The best be able to Bupport itself, and it is argued by certified copics of "pecifica.tions gra.nted i n a.pprentice or BOll a subscriber to the Scientific wa.y to collect and save it, is to have the gath another, tha.t in that ca.se it will become a bur foreign countr ies, reeeivable in evidence on America.n doing a great a.mount of good a.t a ering ground s composed of a.n upper stra.tum den to the genera.l government, whereas in all trial of all ca.ses for infringement.-Agreed to. trifling expense. Nothing but the soundest moral M r. Jefferson D a. vis offered a substitute for sentiments find their wa.y into ollr columns, of sa.nd or mould, and an under-stra.tum of ca.ses it should be self-supporting. These ar and clay ; and to ha.ve deep dams and reservoirs to guments betray a grea.t amount of ignora.nce the whole hilI.-Laid on the ta.ble. it never sha.lI be otherwise. To many, o ur paper oontain it. T his plan is fast suppla.ntin g a.r in Post Office experience. The reduction of [In the above, Mr. Jeffeson Davis struck may be dry, especia.lIy to those ( and, alas, there tesia.n wells i n many pl aces in the old world, our postage fees from 25 to 10 cents, and from deep and true to the mark, a.lthough we differ are too many among our young men)' whose
i s not possible to l a y down a. n y empiric
giv e their
it is customa.ry with m any employers
a.pprentices holiday presents : the
to
e
.
in this manner is purer and much better tha.n venues, a.nd the reduction in Engl a.nd from as it respects the ability of Congress to fra.me that derived from deep wel l s . It has been found 24 cents to 2 cents ha.s increa.sed the reve good P atent Laws, we can have no better evi that cIa.y, has a most extraordinary effect, in n ues there also. It is very singula.r how some dence of the truth of what he laid tha.n that purifying water, and it is contended that the men can see how all useful government estab of ou present Code ; it is a great mass of con. change is an importa.nt chemical ono. ter contaminated with carbona.te of lime be If wa lishments should be self-supporting, but ca.n fusion. not see how many useless offices can or should es, to show their unfitness to try patent cases, wa.s good.
10 to ::i cents on letters,
ha.s increased our re from him a.bout the Special Court ; yet so fa.r tastes have been vitia.ted by the wild and exciting l iterature, in shil l in g novels, &c. , but let a.ny persor. read the Scientific American for one
His a.llusion to the opinions of Judg to pay him back his money . It is a positive fa.ct that some O f "rs to this subject.
year, and if a taste for the solid a.nd u sefu l is not formed a.nd encouraged, we will be willin g request the attentien of pa.rents and
We especia.lIy
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ma.de to trickle through a layer of clay, or of be supported but by taxing the people.
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� 1850 SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN, INC.
