accommodation for ladies and gentlemen visiting this place of Hygeia, such as bathing gowns, &c. and separate apartments are fixed for both sexes, for undressing and dressing; they have also a shower bath. This place is much frequented in the summer season, by persons of all ranks and sex, and tends much to invigorate the human body when in a relaxed state. Terms may be known on enquiry at the house adjoining the bath.

AVENHAM GARDENS,

TOGETHER WITH THE WARM AND COLD BATHS.

Mr. Jackson has erected, below the walk at Avenham, immediately upon the slope of the hill facing the river Ribble, a neat rural cottage, for his own residence; and two baths at a small distance from this, together with an elegant flower and kitchen garden encompassing his residence, for the accommodation of the ladies and gentlemen of the town and vicinity. These gardens are

well cultivated and beautified during the season, and give credit to the abilities of this young gentleman, who seemingly pays every attention to the science of horticulture. Terms may be known on application at his house within the gardens.

WORKS OF PUBLIC UTILITY.

THE gas has of late been introduced in this town, through the indefatigable zeal of a gentleman well known amongst us, whose name shall appear hereafter, who, like a coinet, acts in a very eccentric manner with respect to his courses, (always succeeding by his steady perseverance,) but in fact has been the means of doing good by modes peculiar to himself, and unintelligible to vulgar minds; similar in effect to those erratic orbs in the firmament. It perhaps may have been his fate, momentarily, to be miscomprehended by fools, and misrepresented by knaves, (as is always the case ;) to be abused for all the good he actually does, and accused of ills with which he has nothing to do.

This improvement, of so great an importance to the tradespeople in general, together with the Water-works, erected by Mr. Abbatt, were obtained and finally established in this borough, by means beyond the grasp of vulgar intellects, and even by methods diametrically opposite to those which the mass of people universally pursue. To effect this, augurs a profound knowledge, inherent in the mind of the projector, as well as a liberal turn of thought in those who are its supporters, in lending their patronage and purses towards bringing these improvements to a state of perfection, within the reach of the inhabitants, for their own private economy and good, as well as for the emolument of those public spirited gentlemen who were the ready instruments in bringing these excellent improvements within the town; and which, in my opinion ought to be remunerated according to their deserts, from the contributions of the public whom they wish to benefit.

street.

GAS WORKS,

OPPOSITE PLEASANT STREET.

Light! why yes, good man, we have superior light!!

This useful pile of brick building stands on the road leading to Avenham-walk, from Syke-hill, and is exactly opposite PleasantThe whole of this erection is environed by a wall going entirely round, (part of the building facing the south serves the purpose of a wall.) Behind the compting-house the door-ways, or entrance, is situated, always secured against all persons, excepting the work people employed about the works, and those upon business. There are within its boundaries three gasholders, capable of holding thirty-two thousand cubic feet of carburetted hydrogen gas; and another also, which will hold four thousand cubic feet of gas, and is used for condensing the gas before it passes through the purifier; together with gasometer-houses, fitly built; two retort-houses; one purifying-house; and a compting-house, outside the wall, with an upper room for the trustees to meet in; together with a lofty chimney, for the purpose of conveying the smoke, issuing from these vomitaries, into the atmosphere.

The yard, and the various buildings erected inside this boundary wall, are all perfectly adapted to the different purposes of making gas. Indeed they present a singular appearance to the eye of the visitor, on his approaching them.

This company was formed by the gentlemen of the town, (assisted by its first promoter, the Rev. Joseph Dunn, of whom it may be said, this erection, so essentially useful to the inhabitants at large, owes its origin,) with a capital of eleven to twelve thousand pounds, for the supply of carburetted hydrogen gas; in order to light the various streets, houses of worship, shops, apartments, and cotton mills belonging to the people of the town, which hitherto has given the most general satisfaction.

It is thus this truly ancient and improving borough of Preston is become the first town, excepting London, in which gas has been extensively introduced; and was first contracted for, by the inhabitants, on the 20th day of February, 1816; although Liverpool has of late made rapid strides, imitated by Manchester, Bolton, and Blackburn.

They have a regular scale of charges printed, stating the hours of burning; together with the technical appellations given to the various burners now in use, such as No. 1 and 2 argand, jets and cockspurs, &c.; also rules by which each consumer is governed.

At a meeting held in July, 1820, by the Gas Proprietors, it appeared, that the amount of capital sunk in bringing the works to their present state of perfection is £16,759; of this sum £11,535 had been raised in shares; £2,759 is the amount of profits added to the capital; and the company are in debt to the amount of the remaining sum, £1,977; although the works have cost a much greater sum than was originally estimated.

Mr. Grafton, the first superintendent of the Gas-works, exhibited a model of gas apparatus in the Town-hall, with specimens of lights, from different burners, of various forms, which gave general satisfaction to the numerous company of ladies, gentlemen, and others, assembled on the occasion.

Mr. Lester, from London, gave his lectures on the economy of light, in the Town-hall, from his light-increasing mirrors, on the 12th and 14th of December, 1817. Reflectors were placed upon

the summit of the pillars of the Church-gates, in order to exhibit the effect of his new invention, but did not answer the expectations of the inhabitants.

Mr. Elsworth deserves praise from the proprietors of the Gasworks, for the depth of judgment and acumen displayed by him in the erection of these works, so highly useful to the inhabitants at large, by supplying them with so cheap and brilliant a light.

The new lamps, formed after the shape of a pillar, in Fishergate, add much to the beauty of the entrance from Liverpool, and were cast by Salisbury and Co. of Dudley. The lamps mounting the top of these pillars are upon a novel construction, and are lighted by gas, which adds greatly to the various improvements taking place annually in the town. One of these lamps gives a light equal to seven mould candles.

In order to give our readers some faint idea of the nature of the gas apparatus, we here subjoin an account, not that we can exactly describe the works, with all the various improvements which are perpetually making, by those ingenious mechanics who have the conduction of such works.

The gas-light apparatus consists of a retort, generally six feet

six inches long, by eleven or twelve inches in diameter, open at one of its extremities, to which is screwed, by means of a flaunch, a door-piece; to this a door is applied, which is shut close by a screw fixed in the centre. The coals to produce the carburetted hydrogen gas, are shut up close in the retort, and the whole are carbonized by a fire placed underneath; the retort being placed in a sort of oven or furnace, so that the heat surrounds every part, except that at which the coals are introduced. Around the space of this oven a flue leads from it to the chimney, the aperture of which is regulated by a small damper. A fire brick preserves the retort from injury by the intense heat of the fire underneath it, and causes it to be heated in a uniform manner. A cast iron pipe conveys the volatile products of the coal to a refrigeratory of cast iron, in which the tar, &c. extracted from the coal are deposited; from whence they can be drawn off by means of a cock.

The gas is then conveyed from the refrigeratory to the top of a cylindrical vessel, or receiver, which is in that part air tight, consequently, the gas displaces the water in this receiver to a level with the small holes formed round its common edges, where it is permitted to escape, and rises in bubbles, through the water of the well, into the receptacle, or gasometer (otherwise gasholder.)

This gasometer is made of wrought iron, and is capable of rising or sinking (although many are fixed upon a different plan, and hence called stationary,) nearly to a level with the top of the well which holds the water, when it will evidently be nearly filled with that elastic fluid, which rises gradually as the gas enters it from the pipes, and dislodges the water. Weights are suspended to balance and keep it steady; it is generally strengthened in the inside by two or three sets of iron stays, and is sometimes luted. It is well painted, inside and outside, to preserve it from rust.

The use of the gasometer is to equalize the emission of the gas, which issues from the retort more quickly at some particular periods than at others; when this takes places the vessel rises up to receive it; and when the stream from the retort diminishes, the weight of the gasometer expels its contents, the balance weight being not quite so heavy as the gasometer, in order that a regular pressure inay be exerted to compress or force the gas out at the burners, with a proper jet.

The gas, after it has deserted the deposit vessel, and before it