A correspondent of the Hydraulic P lum@fYl', of New York, The late Sir William Siemens, who was born in Hanover Calming the Waves vvlth 011. relates a story of his employment, some time ago, to inves-in 1823, and received his early education at J. Jubeck, has 1'0 the Editor of the Scientijic American: tigate the causes of a foul smell in a certain bath room, thus described the manner of" learning a trade" at that In looking over some odd volumes of the Penny Maga-where other plumbers had worked

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... hefore him in vain. The time in vogue: . zine, an old London weekly, I came acro . ss a paragraph pipes had been swabbed out; the closet, an old-fashioned i "When a boy at school," he says, "I wa s living; under "On the effect'of oil in stilling waves." This article is con . pan apparatus, had been burned out, and disinfectants t he full vigor of the old guild system. In going through tained in the issue of May 28, 1842, a testimony of Sir applied in vain. The wastes of bath and wash basin, ac-the streets of Lubeck 1 saw Carpenters' Al'ms, Tailors' Gilfred Lawson, " who served in the British army at the cording to the old practice, entered the water closet trap, A rms, Goldsmiths' A rms, and Blacksmiths' Arms. These defense. of Gibraltar. He relates that the fishermen o f but no sign of leakage could be discovered about this or the I were lodging houses where every journeyman belonging to Gibraltar were accustomed to pour a little oil on the sea, in waste pipes. The new plumber, not knowing what else to t hat trade or craft had to stop if came into the tOWn. In order to still its motions, that tbey might be enabled to see look for, removed tile closet and filled the trap with water. commencing his career, be had to be bound as an appren the oysters lyiug at its bottom; Sir Gilfred bad often seen As soon as the agitation had ceased, he measured tbe depth t ice for three ur four years; and tbe master, in taking an ap this done. " • • • "Dr. Franklin was informed that of the water, and then left it to itself for twenty minutes. prentice, had to enter into an engagement to teach him the art many of the divers on the coast of Italy were accustomed to At the end of that time the water level had fallen half an and mystery, whicll meant the science of his trade. Before take a little oil in tllllir moutbs before they dived ; when inch. Twenty minutes later it had fallen still more, and in I