The Romance of Industry and Invention. Selected by Robert Cochrane.
(W. and R. Chambers.)—The nature of 'this volume is best described by an enumeration of the subjects which are dealt with in it. They are "Iron and Steel," "Pottery and Porcelain," "The Sewing Machine," "Wool and Cotton," "Gold and Diamonds," "Guns," "The Cycle," "Steamers and Sailing Ships," "Post-Office, Telegraph, Telephone, and Phonograph." Every one of them, we need hardly say, is full of curious-informa- tion. It is strange, for instance, to be told that when Benjamin Huntsman invented cast-steel, the Sheffield manufacturers re- fused to have anything to do with the new material.' He had to find his market abroad. Mr. Cochrane compares the dimensions of the 'Great Eastern' and the latest Cunarder. The ' Campania' is 620 ft. long, as against 680 ft. ; 65 ft. beam, as against 83 ft. ; tonnage, 12,000, as against 18,000; but then the horse-power is nearly four times as great, 30,000 to 7,650.
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