Specie shipped per Collins and Cunard steamers from New York, Jan- COLLINS LINE. $9,475,463 1,182,829 32,159,618 CUNARD LINE-NEW YORK. 10 10 Quickest trip ever performed- Outwards, Asia, Captain Judkins, December 10, 1851....... 00 The Niagara, which sailed from Liverpool January 17th, put into Halifax in distress, having been at sea nearly seventeen days, and encountering severe weather. The Atlantic sailed from Liverpool February 11th, and when within six hundred miles of New York broke a part of her machinery connecting with the larboard crank, which detained her two days. The America from Liverpool, February 21st, was seized in Boston, March 8, by United States officers, on a charge of smuggling. Several merchants of high standing immediately gave the required bonds, and she sailed on her regular day. Very little specie has been brought by either line. The Canada, March 20, America, April 3d, and Pacific, April 21st, each delivered small shipments. It will be seen that the Collins line yet takes the lead, both as regards passengers and speed. Captain Luce, of the Arctic, has the honor of having accomplished the passage from New York to Liverpool in nine days eighteen hours and thirty minutes. This, with the famous trip of Captain Comstock in the Baltic, places the Collins line in a proud position. The steamship Arabia, now finishing for the Cunarders, is expected to prove a formidable rival for Collins, but it must not be supposed that improvements cannot be made upon the models of the American ships. STATISTICS OF THE WESTERN RAILROAD. J. H. O. C. Incorporated in 1833; opened throughout October, 1834; length, 156 miles; length of double track, 54 miles; cost, January 1, 1852, $9,953,700. The following table exhibits the operations of the road, during the last ten years; its cost, and the market price of the stock, at the beginning of each year. The item of "interest" is not included in the receipts or expenses : Val., p'r shr. Gross rec'pts. Run'g expenses. Net income. Div. p.c. Year. Cost. $80 $512,689 As we mentioned a few weeks back, the Great Western Railway Company will shortly, by means of the South Wales Line, commence to bring coals to London. In the neighborhood of the South Wales Line there are coals in great quantities and of For eleven months. various qualities-some of the best. The Great Western will, we believe, transport coal to London at a rate of charge which the Marquis of Salisbury and Mr. Grahame say is not only unremunerative, but productive of actual loss. It would seem that the Great Western are about to commit the same gross blunder that the Great Northern now persist in-namely, to carry coals long distances for (about) one half-penny per ton per mile! The observations of the Canal Directors, (the Marquis and Mr. Grahame,) instead of deterring railway directors from carrying the coal traffic, seem to spur them on in the enterprise. The fact is, the more the subject is investigated, the more apparent it is that under good management, and in consideration of large quantities and long distances, coals can be profitably carried for the charge of about one half-penny per ton per mile. The Oxford, Worcester and Wolverhampton Railway Company has also its eye upon a large coal traffic. In short, there is scarcely a line in the kingdom which will not in time carry coals. How far will this circumstance affect the Great Northern's coal traffic? The answer is to be found in the fact that London alone consumes, in the course of a year, three-and-a-half millions of tons of coal. The utmost the Great Northern, in their sanguineness, expect to carry, is about three-fourths of a million tons a year, and only a portion of this to London. Therefore, there is plenty of scope for all the London railways to carry coals without injury to one another. That against which railways will compete, is water-carriage—the canals and the sea. We think that it is highly probable the coal traffic will pass from water conveyance to railway, as passengers have from coaches. If railways can carry coals as cheaply as canals, they will certainly do it better; for on railways there are no periodical stoppages by reason of bad weather; no frightful loss of life or property (except that which occurs now and then from gross mismanagement-which is within the control of man, and in the course of time will be entirely prevented); and the coals are delivered in better condition. The railways will, there can be no doubt, confer an immense benefit on the public by the carriage of coals. Not only will the public have them in better condition for use, but there will be no room for jobbing. The traders will not be enabled to run up prices enormously in severe weather. The supply will be more regular. The articles which some time ago appeared in the Journal on this subject, have called forth the valuable communication of Mr. E. Hasket Derby, of Boston, America, which now appears in another column. Mr. Derby is a first-rate authority on the traffic of American railways. As an American railway director, his position alone is sufficient to command a certain degree of respect; but having devoted his time and talents to the study of the American railway system, he is entitled to the utmost deference on the subject. He shows that in America, where the railways labor under some disadvantages in the carriage of heavy traffic-fuel, for one thing, being dearer-water-carriage could not stand against the competition of railway; that the railway could carry coals at a cheap rate with profit. The coal traffic of the American railway in question is carried at about five eighths of a penny per ton per mile. This is as low, or somewhat lower than the English Great Northern's charge. The American charge of five-eighths of a penny per ton per mile is for a run of ninety-five miles. The Great Northern's charge of one half-penny per ton per mile is for a run of one hundred and seventy six miles; but for their shorter distances the Great Northern charge more than one half-penny per ton per mile-about one penny, or double. The average receipt of the Great Northern from coals is, we believe, more than the American charge of five-eighths of a penny per ton-mile, while their average run would be full as long. Yet the American railway company, and notwithstanding their additional expenses of working, extract a profit from their coal traffic of just about 50 per cent, the expenses including the cost of back carriage. This fact powerfully supports the position which it will be remembered we, in our articles on the coal traffic referred to, took up-namely, that the Great Northern carry their coals at a profit of about 50 per cent. The American line carries very little else than coal. Its passengers are not many, and the tons of coal are to the tons of merchandise carried as 1,650,270 tons to 63,807 tons. Of its whole revenue of $2,314,330 per annum as much as $2,018,870 is derived from the coal traffic.-Herapath's Journal. BREAKING OF RAILWAY CAR AXLES. A writer in the New York Journal of Commerce attributes the breaking of the axles of railroad cars to torsion, or twisting, occasioned in turning curves. He says that both wheels are keyed, or otherwise fastened, on the axle; so that they must have a common velocity. In turning curves, the wheel on the outer rail must have a motion as much greater than the other as is due to the greater circle which it traverses. The only way, therefore in which the equal speed of the two wheels can be attained, is by the sliding of that on the inner rail, so as to compensate for its diminished velocity. The sliding of the wheel operates to twist the axle, and it generally parts at its connection with the wheels. This seems to be owing to the whole leverage of the wheel, acting from its flange to the center, bearing on this point. The only effec tual remedy for this evil, is some method of securing an independent motion to opposite wheels; at the same time taking the strain off the axle. This fact may afford a hint to the inventive genius of some of our mechanics. In answer to this, a civil engineer in the Public Ledger of Philadelphia, says :"The writer is probably not aware that all railway wheels are conical, or in other words, they have a larger diameter near their flanges, than at the outside of their treads; and that, as the centrifugal force of the trains drives their flanges towards the exterior rail, their bearing diameter on that rail increases, and on the interior rail it decreases, so as to compensate for the difference in the length of the rails, and avoid the sliding alluded to. Engineers, knowing the radius of their curvatures, regulate the cone and play of their wheels to suit; and are well pleased with the practical working of the simple mathematical rules which they apply. The frequent reference I see made this subject, by those who are evidently not familiar with railway mechanism, must be the excuse for this explanation, by a civil engineer. RAILROADS IN SPAIN. The Spanish provincial correspondence and newspapers are full of accounts of railroads and projects of railroads, by means of which every province looks forward to have its resources developed and its riches increased. Cadiz hopes to see her fallen trade revive; Barcelona to drive even the English smuggling trade in cottons out of the market. The semi-official organ of the ministry avails itself of the enthusiasm awakened on the subject by representing the present ministry as the government, whose special mission it is to endow the country with these means of communication, which are expected to change the face of Spain, and put her on a level with the other nations of Europe. RAILWAY ACCIDENTS IN GREAT BRITAIN. The usual return relating to railway acccidents for the half-year, ending 31st of December, 1851, has been printed. The number of passengers was 47,509,392. The number of persons killed was 113, and 264 injured. There were eight passengers killed and 213 injured, from causes beyond their own control; 9 passengers were killed and 14 injured owing to their own misconduct or want of caution; 30 servants of companies or of contractors were killed and 17 injured from causes beyond their own control; 32 servants of companies or of contractors were killed and 11 injured owing to their misconduct or want of caution; 33 trespassers and other persons, neither passengers nor servants of the companies were killed and 9 injured by crossing or walking on railways. There was one suicide. Tho length of railways open on the 30th of June, 1851, was 6.698 miles, and on the 1st of December last, 6,890 miles; being an increase during the half-year of 192 miles. THE LONGEST TUNNEL IN THE WORLD. One of the longest, if not the longest tunnel in the world is now in a forward state of completion. It is situated in Hungary, and leads from the shores of the River Gran, not far from Zarnowitz, to the mines in the Schemnitzer Hills. It is two geographical or about ten English miles long. It is intended to answer the double purpose of a channel to drain off the water accumulating in the works, and a railway to transport the ore from the mines to the river. JOURNAL OF MINING AND MANUFACTURES. GOLD MINING IN CALIFORNIA. FREEMAN HUNT, Esq., Conductor Merchants' Magazine, New York : SIR:-Gold is obtained in California from two sources-the placer diggings and the quartz rock. A large portion of that which has been exported from that State has been obtained from the placer diggings. This method has been prosecuted to such an extent and with so much industry and care, that the best placers have been explored, and digging in the sand and banks of the streams has become much less profitable than at first. The consequence is that the attention of the gold seekers is more strongly attracted to the rock mining, which has been prosecuted to some extent, but in a far more limited degree than the diggings in placers. In quartz mining, the gold is found penetrating the rock like veins, and to obtain it the rock must be crushed to a powder which is washed and the gold finally separated from the dust by mixing it with quicksilver. There are two important points in this process. The first is, to crush the rock, and the second to obtain all the gold by the use of the quicksilver. The first machinery for crushing quartz rock was put up in June and commenced work in July, 1851, on the big Mariposa vein. This was a Chilian mill and was put up by Messrs. Cook & Jackson; it crushed about five hundred pounds in twelve hours. The amalgam was examined once in three or four days and the yield found to be $250. to $375. The Chilian mills have proved to turn out more gold to a pound of the same ore, but they have failed entirely because they crush such a small amount in a day. In this respect they are only one step in advance of common hand mortars. This same company in August went another step in advance by puting up "Stockton Stamps," and set them in motion in September. These stamps weighed 209 pounds and were worked by a steam-engine. But they were too light. They would crush only two and-a-half tons in twenty-four hours. These light stamps were sent out to California under the impression that the rock would yield $2 00 or $3 00 in gold to the pound. Stockton & Aspinwall's mill went into operation on the same vein in November, 1850. It contained twelve stamps weighing each 159 pounds. Their mine was poor and the only part of their claims which worked to a profit was 120 feet on the Mariposa vein, and the rock from this they were obliged to transport to the mill at an expense of one cent per pound, and the amount crushed was only 3,500 pounds in twelve hours. Of course this would not pay. It was the assertion of the agent of this company that if the machinery had been heavier they would have succeeded. And this is probable, for the miners are now in the habit of bringing the rock to the mills and paying from $20 00 to $30 00 per ton for crushing it; which is an evidence that it is profitable. All these first mills used the bowls with a single shaking table for separating the gold from the pulverized dust, by which about 15-16 of it ran off and only 1-16 passed through the shaking table. These mills were originally designed for the gold mines of Virginia and Georgia, where they may have been very successful; but they were, unfortunately, found entirely unsuitable, under the circumstances, for California. They were generally driven by an engine of eight or ten horse power and, therefore, were competent to crush four or five tons of rock in a day. Such a mill, at Virginia prices for labor, could be worked at an expense of fifty dollars per day. If we suppose the yield to be one cent per pound, for five tons, it would amount to two hundred dollars per day, or one hundred and fifty dollars net profit in Virginia, In California, on the other hand, the wages of the same number of laborers, or force, which was employed in Virginia, would amount to $274 per day, which would not pay expenses by $174. At two cents of gold to the pound of rock, the yield is only $400, which is a very insignificant return for California. By contrasting this method of labor with that adopted by the successful mills, the importance of suitable machinery will be readily apprehended. The Grass Valley Quartz Mining Company's Mill has been regarded as the "Model Mill," in California, as, in its success, it has been one of the most prosperous. This mill has thus far crushed the rock upon the old fashioned method long in use among miners, and known as "stampers." Their form is somewhat modified and much larger on the face than usual. There are ten of them in the mill weighing each about 700 pounds, and they crush from thirty to forty tons of ore per day. This at a yield of two cents to the pound is $1,600 per day, and supposing only two hundred working days in a year, amounts to $320,000. But this mill has actually yielded on some days $3,500. Its average, however, is $70 to the ton or 34 cents to the pound. The quartz, even under the imperfect method of separating the gold with quicksilver, has yielded at this mill an average of three-and-a half cents to the pound of rock. This mill paid its original cost in sixty days after it was constructed: subsequently it has paid large profits, notwithstanding it has been three times remodeled, improved and enlarged. In the months of April and May alone the net profits of this mill exceeded $17,800, and the last arrival brings a statement of equal richness in the yield. The highest estimate of expenses for running a mill of this kind is in round numbers about $400 per day. There is one point in connection with quartz mining in California which has defeated many enterprising persons and caused the loss of capital also. It is that lack of experience which is necessary to command success in all mining operations. Many have attempted it who possess little or no real knowledge of mining; many also have embarked in it without the necessary capital and have not been able to sustain themselves until abundant proceeds could be realized from the mine. All have been in error in relation to the suitable machinery. The method of separating the gold from the pulverized quartz has been very imperfect, and in some cases not more than one-half or one-third of it is obtained, as was proved by assaying it afterwards. Of course, this has been an unexpected difficulty to many. But it has now been to a considerable extent obviated by improved amalgamators, and will doubtless be still further remedied hereafter. The extent of the quartz veins is estimated by Prof. Blake to be comprised "within a belt of land ten miles broad and running the whole length of the country north and south, and doubtless furnishing a supply of gold which it will take centuries to exhaust." He also says "there can be no doubt but that quartz mining is destined to be the most permanent source of gold in this country. It will not be many years before it will attract that attention which, as an investment for capital, it evidently deserves. THE MANUFACTURE OF GLASS. J. T. We commence in the present number of the Merchants' Magazine the publication of a series of papers on the manufacture of glass. These cannot fail to be acceptable to our readers, as they will contain much valuable information relating to the discovery of the materials and their various improvements, which, under the influence of heat, are fused into a substance long known as the beautiful, pellucid glass, so indispensable in domestic, chemical, building, and various other uses. The process through which its manufacture has reached its present state of perfection, with statistical and other valuable knowledge of the art of glass making will be embodied in these articles. To say they are from the pen of Deming Jarvis, Esq., the well known founder and principal of the Boston and Sandwich Glass Manufactory, in Sandwich, Mass., is sufficient assurance to all who know this gentleman that they will be reliable and interesting. THE MANUFACTURE OF GLASS.NO. L It may be safely asserted, that no department of art has from its earliest period attracted so much attention and investigation, none involved so extensive a range of inquiry, or been productive of more ingenious, interesting, and beautiful results, than the manufacture of glass. The question of the origin of glass goes back to the remotest antiquity, and is involved in almost entire obscurity. All that modern writers on the subject are enabled to do, is to glean hints and indistinct statements in reference to the subject, from the very brief and unsatisfactory accounts of the ancients. These, however, throw but a feeble light upon the precise point of the origin of the manufacture; and little is proved beyond the fact of its great antiquity. |