160 Oiling Idail-way Carriages.~Franklin Instilute.

legitimately continued, if not too much wiredrawn; when9 however~ the dispute becomes merely personal, and is incapable of adjustment excepting by a court and jury, the public will cease to partake o f that interest with which the combatants may be animated, and it is then time to seek a new arena. Such, we think, is the state of the present contest. Common courtesy, however~ demands that Lieut. BclI~ or his friend, JtrsTIcg~ should be heard in reply to the preced- ing. But~ let it be remembered, that "brevi ty is the soul of wit2 ~

On Oiling Rail-way Carriages. Suti~Tl~ere is no difficulty in oiling axles continually, but to do it

so as not to waste a drop of oil, has not been done, I believe, till the latest improvements in the friction saving carriage of the Baltimore rail-road, where very accurate experiments have been making by Mr. Geo. Brown, one of the principal proprietors in that work; the result of which, he informs me, is, that one quart of oil will be sufficient for ~000 miles run of a carriage, which, with its load, weighs three tons. l ie informs me at the same time, that he has ascertained, that the l,ehlgh rail-way carriages consume four quarts in running 821 miles with nne tou. This you will perceive is nearly, thirty times as much.

The manner of oiling the Winau's wagon is peculiar to its con- s~ruction as now improved. The secondary wheels now run in a cast iron case, the top of which is formed so as to affix to the under surface of the side timbers of the fi'ame of the wagon. Its sides sus- tain tire axle and are supported or joined by an intermediate part or bottom~ which tbrms a tight ease, into which the oil is put, so that the friction wheel dips into it, and its rim carries up a little of it continually to the rubbing and rolling surfaces, returning it to the reservoir; thus oiling its own axle where all the rubbing is situated, aud the rolling axle, and no more is consumed than evaporates. I t s enclosure keeps it clean.

I need not remind you that the use of oil on axles is not only to keep the surfaces from absolute contact, and grinding together, bu t to keep them cool, and this is better done by the successive applica- tion o~" new portions of oil, than by keeping the same oil on the axle as long as it will last, partaking of the heat the axle acquires, and therelbre evaporating the/aster . This method must therefore be o f consequence when great i~elsoci:tyf~l~o b:ugrisVe~:o heavy loads.

P J , Y , • J. L. S~LL~VA~.

F R A N K L I N I N S T I T U T E .

Monthly Meeting. At a stated monthly meeting of the Franklin Institute, held a t

their IIall, July ~Sth, 1831.