•
MAY 22,
1868.]
ENG INEERING.
TH E GREE IC IRON-CLAD
"KING G E 0 R G E."
CONSTRUCTED BY TilE THAMES IRON AND SHIPBUILDING COlfPANY, FROM THE DESIGNS OF MR. GEORGE C. MACKROW.
AT tho recent meeting of t.ho Institution of Naval .Architects, a paper wns read by .Mr. Geor~e C. 1\fackrow, of the
1'hames lronworks, "On tho P os1tion of the Centro of
Gravity of tho Greek Armour-clad King George," and this
p aper wo published in our nUI:ribcr for April lOth )ast (vide
page 354). As wo then stated, the paper was illustrated by
drawings of the vessel, and engravings prepared from these
J!lans we publish this week. In our two-page illustration
Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section of the vessel; Fig. 2 is a plan
of the upper deck; Fig. 3, a plan of the lower deck; and
Fig. 4, a plan of the hold. ·w e also giveonpage 498a trans>erse section through the central battery, and on the present page a general view of tho vessel. 1.'hese various Vlews
explain the arrangement and construction of the King
George so fully that but lit tle explanation of lhem will be
necessnry. The principal dimensions are as follows:
......
Length...
•..
Beam ...
. ..
D epth moulded ...
•
...
...
.. .
...
EFFECT OF E xPOSURE ON Co..u.-Professor Rockwell has
called attention to tbo deterioration which coal suffers n·om
exposure to tho weather, and to the importance of keeping
it as dry as possible. Anthrncito suffers the least; bituminous tbo most. According to the experiments of Grundmann,
in Gcrronny, coal exposed to the weather in heaps lost during
a period of nine months 50 por cent. of its value as fuel, and
about ns much ns a gas-making mnterial; it underg-oes a
process of slow combustion, taking up oxygen and givmg off
the volatile products of oxidation, air and moisture playing
the principal part, and warmth promotin&- it. The valuable
combustible ingredients are lost, and the inJurious ones, as sulphur, oxygen, and nsh, are relatively increased. Coke from
weathered coal is of inferior quality, losing its coherence.
MALT MILL.
CONSTRUCTED BY MESSRS. E. A. PONTI FEX AND WOOD, ENG I NEERS, LONDON.
(See Article on " B rewing and Breweries" on Page
49~. )
ft.
200
33
20
The armour-plating on the cenh·al battery is 6 in. thick,
whilst the thickness of that on the water line is also 6 in. for
the main part of tho len~tb, increased under the battery and
throughout the length ot the cn~ine and boiler r ooms to 7 in.
in thickness. 'l'he vessel is proVJded with twin-screws driven
by engines arrllnged on the patented plans of Mr. Turner, of
the Thames Ironworks, these engines being of 300 horse
power nominal, and being intended to work up to 2400 horse
power indicated. Of the construction of these engines, it is
probable that wo may givo a description on some futuro occasion. The general arrangement of tho engines and boilers
will be seen from Fi~s. 1 and a of our two-page engraving.
The total displacement of the vessel is given by .Mr. Mackrow as 1774 tons, the weights of the different parts being
as follow:
Tons.
Iron hull and woodwork
...
...
. .. 558
Battery complete, "ith armour and backing ... 110
Armour on ship .. .
...
...
...
. .. 330
BackiDg . ..
. ..
. ..
. ..
. ..
. ..
Accessories and outfit ...
...
...
. ..
~~~~ ;)~ys' f~ii stea~ing
:·:.
:::
.. .
W ater, stores, men, and effects
Guns and ammunition, 300 rounds .. .
63
80
273
:·.: 210
.. .
60
.. . 90
1774
The main feature in tho King George is the construction
of the central fixed battery. 1'his battery, which is provided
with two 300-pounder guns, is of the form in plan shown by
Fig. 2 of our two-pago engraving, which figure also shows
the arrangement of tho grooved racers, on which the gun
carriages traverse. It will bo seen from this plan that the
ports are so disposed as to enable the two guns to be trained
to give a converging fire ahead or on either broadside. :b-Ir.
Mackrow has not considered it necessary to provide for a fire
in the lino of the keel from the after ports, as, had he done
so, the after deck would hnve bad to have been contracted.
The guns, when pointed through the forward ports, can be
trained through an angle of 93", and they can be shunted
from port to port with great readiness. The gun carriages
and traversing gear, we should state, are arranged on Captain
cott's system. Of the advantages attendant upon the use
of this form of central battery, we need not speak here, as
they " ere very fairly stated by Mr. Mackrow in the paper
to which we have alrcacly referred; and they are, moreover,
very evident from an inspection of the plans. In the conat ruction of the King George, Mr. Mackrow had, from the
limits placed upon the dimensions by the Greek Government,
many dH:ficulties to contend with, and he appears to have
surmounted them in an nble manner. W e look forward with
some interest to the results of the trials of the vessel.
TilE 'TRENGTH OF BEAMS.-No. XIV. that sl10uld oe carefully excluded from any complel e
ON TIJE
TnANSVEllSE STllENGTB oF STEEL BAILs
AND OTTIEll ANALOGOUS BEAMS.
W E may now pass on to I he consideration of the
elasticity of wrought iron and steel. Numerous and
careful cxpcrtments have been carried out with the
'riew of ascertaining the rate of extension of wrought
iron \mder tensile strains. J.Jong bars are essential to
a correct conclusion, er en a leugth of 10ft. is rath er
small, but cxp<'riments on bnrs much ~horter tlam
generalisation. Mr. Hodgkinson tested two oars
50 ft. !,o!lg, ~be one being about tin., and the othe;
about ~ m. dtameter, and found the extension per ton
strain per square inch, in terms of the length, to
average .0000 04 for the first, and .0000809 for the
se~ond bar, the rate of extension being tolerably
umf?rm up to l1alf the breaking weight of the
spee1men.
Mr: Edwin Clerk gives the following results of an
cxpenmcnt on n bar 10ft. long and 1 in. square:
[tviAv 21,
EN G IN E E R I N G.
:
:
JK- ·
E1lt'll:.iun in terms !Jf
tt. e ltmgth.
.,1 r:un.
.:-
0
Ton pt>r sq. in.
1
2
s
• ••
4
...
...
•••
• ••
•••
,..G
• ••
• 0.
•
I
•••
• 0.
!)
• ••
• 0.
• ••
.000069
156
:n9
399
480
0 •
8
•••
9
...
•• •
...
• ••
...
.. .
10
11
1a
560
610
720
800
890
.001020
•• •
...
1i
238
...
...
...
•
121:10
14
...
...
23 10
15
...
...
4160
16
. ..
. 0.
4430
17
...
...
.010151)
18
...
...
.0 12120
19
...
...
.020170
20
...
•..
.021460
21
. ..
...
.024720
22
. ..
. ..
.034250
Professor Barlow tested a number of bars about
lOO in. long, and of various sectional areas. The reduced results are exhibited ~n the following Table:
o ol,....
0
0
- 0
·~
\Q • 0
g ~ 1 OS
0>
Q> '
0>
I
' I
~.
'
I
I
~
•
~
I~
d
I
I
•
·-
•
••
•
.
.
0>
0
0
•
I~
0
.-4
0
0
0
•
•
•
. . . ..
· - 11.
CIS
... c
o:a'
COCQ
Average extension per ton=.0000964.
Very many other experiments have been made but
it is unnecessary to .refer to th<:m her.e. ~,Y ~e~eral
consent, the extensiOn of wrought iron ~ \VIthin. the
elastic limit, w~icb ranges from some 8 to 12 tons
per square inch, is taken at .0001 per ton ; that is
1:9Aoo of ~he le~ath per each ton per square inch
dnect tensile stram.
'
It is now necessary to deduoe its value from experiments on transverse stress to enable ns to· ascertain
h 1
f d
·
t e aws o efiectlon affecting wrought-iron beams.
It has been shown that the deflection of a beam of
uniform section, under a stress applied at the centre
2
·
·
S
·
of tl1e bearmgs, 1s a= FllJ ; hence, smce
F= S w '
od
,
4 :M
we have E=24 M d a, whiohJ for a rectangular cross
S3 w
.
4 d3 b &
section, becomes E= S3 w . We can, ther_efore, at
once deduce the value of E-that is the effecti ve rate
of extension per ton..Jler square inch apparent strain
from the -following experiments on' ti.Je t t·ansverse
strength of various sized bars:
• ·
Extension ptr
Span. Depth. Breadth. I Weiglrt. Deflection:- ton--per square
•
inch.
(b)
(w)
(S)
__<_o) ·
(.E)
lnch<>ll. •
_
l nche~. Inches. Inches.
.079
1-~ .000109
25
2
2
.j
33
,
"
"
"
,"
,
"
"
"
"
11
"
;:
;;
::
"
"
,
•:
,"
,"
_
1
.,"
,
,
"
3
"
"
.04
.044
.05
"
:~~~
"
I·
'
,
'"
1
,
1
.046
.064
.055
.048
:~;~
.u00072
'
79
~i
.ooo1o7
.000082
.000114 '
.000098 ·
~~
.000100
:;
.026
119
,,
·04
100
Ml'an value of E= .000095
"
•
g :::
•
••
Cl
It i proved by the preceding experiments that the t s~en, wht-re it is most. infitH·.ntinl in pro?ucin.~ deflec•
effective extension of wrought iron P.er. t?n app.arent h?n- the amount of the ultimate deflection of the bar
strain is the same in a solid beam as It IS m a stmple w1ll be Yery much greater than that due to the mean
bar; it only remains, therefore, to ascertain whether ult~mat,e el~ngation of the iron. This condition exthis conclusion will hold ~ood with respect to other plams why 1t 1s that small. bars and plates of tough
sections of beams. 'l'he following results deduced Iron may be folded close w1thout fracture .
B. B.
from Professor Bar1ow's experiments on iron rails
show that the same law does obtain in these sections.
Double headed GO lb. rail, 4t in. deep. Moment of NEW YORK CITY STEAl\! FERRIES.
resistance of cross section hl=6.7. Tested at 33 in .
THERE are fifteen feny lines connecting New York
bearings. Three experiments :
with its suburbs of Brooklyn, Jersey City, aucl the
smaller townships of Greenpoint, vVilliamsburg-,
Deflection for each Ton.
Gross Load.
!Ioboken, and Westchester. The various companies are
proprietors, collcct.ively, of eighty-five boat s, most. of
tons.
them of great tonnage, the largest having a cnpacit.v of
004 005
OOG
2
1190 tons, whilst many of 1000 tons nrc running on' the
005
005
004
3
E-24M do
principal ferries. Dming- the year 1 66 ci~lt t.y millions
00:1 005
005
4
S3 w '
005 005
004 •
5
of people were conveyed to and fro ncros~ the ri..-cr,
003
hen re
6
004 003
forty millions of this number having hrcn t r:msported
00-!
004
004
E=.0001.
7
upon the Brooklyn Union ferries alone. Tu1s conlI
005
005
004
8
pany avera~e 1250 trips daily; and on many occa. . ions
006
006
005
9
more than 100,000 pPople have crossed ~'ull on ferry
006
007 005
10
ooa
11
007 007
(between Fulton-street, New York, and Fult on•
avenue, Brooklyn) in twenty-four hours. When it is
005
I
•
Averngc per ton
OO!S
0049
tldded that the Union Ferry Company, duri ng the
I
. ..l d
thirty years which they have been in active opcl:ation,
Double-headed 75 lb. rat'] , 5 m.
ucep, teste at 1tave had OJ'l1y two f atal acC1'dents ou 1..IJOard their boats,
4 ft. Gin. bearings :
some idea may be formed of the magnitude of the
great water traffic of New York, and of the care with
Gross Load. Deflection for each Ton.
M=8.05.
which the boats arc handled crossing the Hudson
-----1---~---- --..,.------..:..:._ and the :East rivers, incessantly crowded as thry nre
Tool'.
I with sailing and steaming vessels, dropping down into
3
... .017
.013
the bay, or coming up alongside the quays. On thr!
:~~~
:g~~
E=24 Mao.
~ast .riveddspecially, the ski1l ~isplayed is remarkable;
r,
••.
.015
.017
~3 w
or, m a ition to a crow e stream, a tide race,
7
...
.015
.019
averaging six miles an hour, has to be contended with,
8
... .020
.015
Hence, E=.000102.
and the ferries are compelled to hrad up ~nd down
9
... .023
.017
stream with the ebb and flow. These huge cr:-~ft.,
many of them over 200ft. in Iength, and having less
... .0165
Me11n deflection per ton
appearance of boats than of floating houses, con·--- - - - - the
No fur ther evidence is required to prove t.he value vey a greater sense of novelty to a stranger than anyof E, is constant for all cross sections, and that t.he thing else he encounters in entering New York
extension of fibres under similar unit strains is un- harbom. All are built upon the same model, with
affected by the agency exciting those strains. We semicircular ends, alike fore and aft., sides sl iqb tl v
have, therefore, for the deflection of any wrought-iron c:onvex, a platform deck, nearly double the widtll of
beam, within t he elnstic limit, under a stress applied the light draught hull beneath, the sides flush,
and carried up to a height of 16 ft. or 18 ft.
S2 FE
.
at the centre, o=
d ; hence, smce E=0001, we hiding the paddle-wheels which propel the boat and
6
perforated with wi?dows the whole length, exc~pting
have:
m the centre, whiCh form the sheaths of the side
S2 F
8=.0000166
.
wheels. An arched roof covers the deck, and upon it
d
is mounted at each end a circular pilot house, from
The determination of the ultimate deflection of a which the boat is steered, and the open-trussed oYerwrought-iron beam is a problem, the conditions of head beam, peculiar to American marine engines, is
which are such that no definite solution could possibly visible between them. The Pavonia }~e rry, owned by
begiven. Therat.eofelongat.ionofthemetal understrains the Erie Railway Company, and emplo.vect principally
approaching the ultimate limit is so irregular, even in for conveying passengers to and from New York, to
the same bar, that no other conclusion could with pro- the terminal station m Jersey City (although it is
priety be arrived at. Jt may be advantageous, how- used also for general traffic), runs three lar.&e boats
ever, to consider briefly some of the condttioos of the the P avouia, the Susquehanna, and the lJelaware:
roblem.
The capacity of each of these is about 1000 tons ·
p Th lt' t d fl t"
f
h ·
b
e u Ima e e ec Ion o a wroug t-lron earn will and the latter, only just completed, is the finest vesgei
obviously be governed to a great extent by the ulti- of its class for elegance of finish and costlines~ of
mate elongat1()n o£ the material composing it; and we equipment, albeit, somewhat too showy for English
have already pointed out that element, in various tastes. I t was designed by Mr. Charles Mcintosh,
makes of iron, varies from some 5 to 30 per cent. of the ferry superintendent of the Erie Railway, an d
th e 1eng tl 1. That th e same percentage of el ongat10n
.
built by J oh n Inglish and Co., of New York, Messrs.
does not obtain in bars of varying lengths, the con- J ohn Roach and Sons, of the Morgan Ironwork- in
ditions being the same, was evidenced iu the experi- tbe same city, supplying the en~ines. The boat is
ments of :Mr. Fairbairn on some rivet iron, when it was 213 ft. 6 in. in length over all, 35 ft. beam, and G5 ft.
found to vary frQm 2l.G per cent. in 10ft. bars to 42 wide on main deck. She draws 7ft. 6 in. of water,
per cent. in 10 io. ones, and when, generally, the ulti- has a total depth from deck to keel of 11 ft. 6 in.
mate elongation (l) per unit of length (L) was found amidships, where there is a head way of 9 ft. in the
lower deck, and 5 ft. headway at the end . The two
to be l=.l8+~.
1
cabins, one on each side, occupy nearly the whole
L
Kirkaluy shows this apparent anomal,y is due to the length of the boat, but are practically divided into
drawing' o.ut of 1J1e metaL at the .Point of fracture. four compartments by the space taken up in t be
Thus, the ultimate elongation of a ptece of Govan bar, centre for the side wheels, a narrow passage commutested by him, was 20 per cent. of t.he length, of which nicating hetween the forward and after cabins. Each
amount 11pwards of 6 per cent. occurred at the point of these saloons is 65 ft. long, 16 ft. Gin. high, and
Of frneture; the rema10der, some 14 per cent., it is about 15 ft.. wide. 'l'he central space hetween the
urged, would be const.ant for all lengths of bars if of cabins is divided into two !!'angways for horses and
uniform quality. Another specimen of Bowling iron, vehicles,. and a middle compa~tt~leut, boarded up tot he
with the same ultimate elongation, drew out nearly roof, whiCh spans the whole w1dth of the boat : this
8 per cent., whilst a bar of Bradley iron, -with 29 per forms the engine-room, and contains the geueral offices
cent. ultimate elongation, drew out 13 pet cent. at the uece5saTy for t.he accommodation of t.hc o!Iiccrs the
point. of fracture. Other hars, in which the drawiug companions to the boiler-room, on t.he lower deck' and
out was insignificant, gave tolerablv uniform l'ates of to the slcepinO' berths and pilot houses above.' Its
length is only a'bout ()U ft., and, as it occupies a central
elongation for all lengths.
~
These considerations are of very great weight in any posttiou, a COI~siderable additional space, fore and aft,
attempted approximation to the ultimate defl.ection of IS left clear tor the heavy traffic. The pilot houses
a bar of wrought iron; because, if the iron be of a are 12ft. in diameter, covered with domed roofs. 'l'he
nature to dl'aw out at the point of fracture, that is, at engines are of 720 indicated horse power, of the usual
the centre of the bar- the very position, as we have American type, with an overhead beam, mounted on
l
0
0
d~o8 .
I
•
•
MAY 2 2 ,
•
x868.]
ENG I NEER ING.
493
n gallows frame; the cylinder is 50 in. in cliamct.cr, efficient apparatus for warming purposes. These a l1audsome mirror; nor is the national spittoon lackwith a.10-fl. stroke, cutt ing oil' uL from tltrcc-cighllls radiators stand in the centre of the cahin, nnd form ing, quite a strurtural tdfail·, a foot in d1anwter, and
to onc-lmlf, and "01·king witll front 20 lb. to GO lb. pedestals about 2 ft. dianteter and 4ft. hirrb, sur- many inches high. Wush-Lan d basins, with hot and
steam. Tile number of revolutions a reragc H~ mounted with white marble caps and surrouuded "iLh cold water, are not forgotten; and brass receptacles for
per minute, making a speed at the periphery of t lH' light bronze handrails. Upon each of them i · placed clean and soiled cotton waste are fastened to brachts
wheels of 3000 ft. Steam is 1>upplicd lrom a ~inglc a b~·onze statue supporting a two-light gaselier, the at the righ t hand of t he engineer. ~peaking tubes
boiler 30ft. long, nnd lll't. diameter, mu1Htubt1lar, four i!l the ladies' room ~cing sy1nbolieal of the scasous pass below into the boiler-room, so that the engineer
nnd with nu uptake 25ft.. high nnd 5 ft. in~diamctcr. (Autut~\l holds a large pear), while the "gents," more can be i11 const.ant comnmuication wit.h the :fireman,
A gasholder, which, requiring to be filled evcl·t ·5ccond fortun~tc, have opport.uuitics for sLudying the feminine whilst a gong overhead, struck from the pilot house
day in winter, and every third or fourth ·day in antique,.\~ large and \tandsonte mirror is bung against forward or aft, enables him to rrgulat.e his enQines
summer, supplies the needful illumination· to the the padqle whqel bulkhead; the effect of this is, how- according to circumstances. A trumpet mouth is
cabins. Its capaci!y is llOO cubic fl'et.
er er, somewhat marred by the fact t bat. the maker's placed immediately over the gong, the object of which
Like all ot het· vessels of her class, the Dela"1(U'C is nam~ and excellences are ad vert ised in lar~e letters is not apparent, till it is seen that it is emplo.ved to
double ended, the stem an d stern being semicircnhw, on its surfDtce. 'l'wo hu.ndred and fifty seats, 2ft. 9 in. collect 1he sound, and transmit it th rough a tube ferfor the American ferry boats do IlOt make for the wide, are conta1ned in th e cabins, and, in addition, a minating in the side of the pilot house, back to the
landing stages broadside, hut end-on, the muin deck central'row qf stools crin be fixed, giving extra accom- officer stt•ering the boat, in order that. be ntay always
fit.t ing- exactly iuto CUl'Ved recesses in the quays, uv6n modation for two hundred more. An enterprising know whether t he goug had been fairly struck, and
·which nre placed cnpstan and mooring chains fof· se- manu facturer of spring-chairs, of the Paris ExLiuition the engineer 111ade acquainted wiLh the directions he
curing the boat "hilc she discharg<'s her car~o. · The pat.tem, has supplied these gratis. But above all wished to convey. The engine is of the ordinary
central gaug'' a.v, rescn·ed for the heavy traffic, is scheme~ and "dodges" jn this boat., is to be 11otcd and American .marine type, with single vertical cylinder,
stp:natccl from the side gangways, which lead to tltP. admired 0110 by which still an adJitional sitLing ac- and top and bottom l)team and ex'baust valves, all four
cabin by a raised kerb about 6 in. high, alld furt.hcr hy cothmoda.tion eau be vrovidccl for two hundred and worked independently, each being a. poppet valve,
cast-iron posLs, which in the Dclawru·c !1rc decorated Ul'ty. The iron arm whteh divides each scat is widened actuated by tLe toc-and-ll ecl levers, worked on the
wiLh sharp foliage, and other poiutqd omaments calcu- out in front and split, so as to form a narrow pair of rocking shaft by the side eccentrics. The e.vlinder is
lated to produce discomfort. to the American back, jaws, within which is placed a small bracket made of carefully and oeautifully clcnded, and the ,,·hole ma"hich, as a rule, is fond of exlomporised supports. two leaves hin:rcd together, and turuing upon a piu chinery is or excellent fi11ish and first-class workmanThe same idea. is carried out t.o a somewhat fu rther within the jaws. When hanging down, the bracket ~hip.
cxlcut iu the spikes which surmount the handrnil on has t.be appearance of forming a part of the arm itself,
The hull below lhe main deck is open from end to
the outer side of the gnngway. The general appear- but wl\en turned round upon its piu the leaves fall end, the clear sweep being ob~tructcd onl.v by the
ance and equipment ot tile 'boat, ns seen from the open and rest upon t.h~ top of tlle ann, presenting a boiler, coal bunkers, engine frames, nnd gasholder. The
quay, are worth noting. Flagstnil's ad libitum of velvet-~overed seat about 6 in. wide and 1 ft. long. firing-room is well appointed, floored also with envarious len~ths bristle up from the cabin roofs, the most By tb1s notable contrivallce double the number of caustic tiles, an d designed in e'·ery way for the cornprominent being surmounted with a ~ilded eagle, his persons can be provided for. 'l'he gentlemen's cabin fort of the man in charge. 'l 'he boiler is open on
wings extended as he b::tlances himself upon a golden differs in no respect save in the matter of spittoons every side, except at the. ends, where it rests upon the
ball. On gala days, or when there are regattas on th e and matca igniters, au earnest entreaty to use both of deck. It is of the ordinary multitubular type, with
Hudson, t hese stall's, which ar~ common to all the which being exposed in a conspicuous place. The form er large flue tubes below and small return flues above~
better-appointed ferry boats, are gay with flags; at are rather ingenious in their way ; they arc provided The side wheels are 22 ft. diameter, 8 ft. 6 in. wide,
other seasons they are suggestive of awning poles. with a sliding cover, which on being opened closes the with buckets strongly braced and covered with iron,
The gable ends of the central portion of the roof are bottom of t!Jc vessel, and vice versa, so that the act of to shield t.hem from the action of the ice. These
tastefully painted in delicate colours, heightened with closing the spittoon discharges its contents into the wheels in winter seldom last two months, and broken
a profusion of gilding. A clock, -which is illuminated river direct. The entire area between the two cabins, oucket.s are matter of daily occurrence. The accun;tuat night, occupies t.he centre of the gable, and imthe· less a central space about 60 ft.. loug and 8 ft. wide, lations of ice in the rivers, which remain from Decemdiately above 1t stands 'vvhat, in other vessels, would be devoted to the engine-room nnd offices, accommodates ber to March, constantly delay and often stop the
a figure head, well carved, aud painted b.v a lavish hand the horse and wagon ti'allic; at the ends of the boat communication between New York and the suburbs.
wi th many hues. Right and lcl't are the cabins, the chain guards pass from post to post., which are thrown
The hull is very strongly framed, especially at the
gable end also enriched with scroll-work don1• in green down at landing. In th e Delaware the chain is long ends, built of fine Ohio oak throughout, with 3 in.
and gold, the legend to the right of "gents' cabin," enough to pass the whole widt.h of t he boat., and protects planking on transverse ribs 7 in. by 10 in., placed 2ft.
t o the left., that of" ladies' cabin," denotmg tbe sexual both foot and horse gau"'ways, a second chain, counter- apart centres, except for 40 ft. fore and aft, where the
appropriation. The cabins are approached th rough an weighted, taking hold of the main oue in the centre of cross framing is continuous of ribs with similar
ante-room on each side, with a lower roof, and with a one of the smaller bays, and passes through an open- scantling. This excessive strength is necessary, for
few seats, but without doors. A large thermometer, ing in the deck over a pulley beneath the level of the durib~ the winter season these boats a're hourly submounted in a handsomely-carved oak frame, hangs floor. When the chain is cast off on the other side, jected to severe shocks from masses of ice, which
r~ gainst the wall. 'l' he cabins are closed by foldiug the balance weight in running down opens the three would destroy any but the strongest framing.
Passing, by t.he way, the sleeping berths of 1he men in
doors, which are protected from pedal violence by gangways at one operat.iou, the ordinary plan being
brass strips about 9 in. hi 17h running their whole to cast off three chams from as many hooks. J.t'ore and charge of the boats, in which gas and hot and cold water
wi dth. This precaut.iou is observed in t.he ladies' as aft the boat i~ equipped w~th au anchot· of A~miral are laid on, and the. apartmen~ rende rC<d comfortable
well as the "gents'" cabin, because 1he distinction Fnrragut's design, WlLh fold1n"' flukes, that are free to in all respects, the ~Ilot house IS reached. It is a ciramounts, in reality, only to a prohibition of smokiu~ turn either way for about thre~ q~•arters of u revolution cular room, 12ft. dtameter, with a domed roof1 handin the former apartment. 'l'he bt-autiful execution and around the \)in upon which tliey are hinged. The somely paint ed, and wainscoted up to the roof sprincrarrangement of these rooms cannot be too highly readincss wib which these anchors adapt themselves ing, with the same ash and walnut panelling. Tl~e
praised, the etl'ect being marred only by the somewhat to the natu re of the ground on to whtch they fall, ' floor is covered with o'il-cloth, and a pendant gaselier
florid decoration before alluded to. Each cabin, as and the ease with which they can be withdrawn from 'swings from the centre of the roof ; the wheel, the
alrefldy mentioned, is practically divided by the bulk- moorings,, hnv:o caused them to. be larjjcly adopte~ in 1~innacle, . ~he sigotll levers, connected with the g~ug
heads which enclose the side wheels, a narrow passage, the A.mcrlCan war aud mercant1le manne; the weight m the eng1ne-room, and the trulllpet mouths returlllllll'
some 3ft. wide, forming a through communication. of irou in them can. also be con~iderably re~uced, a Lh~ souflcl t9 hi1p, ,are all .ready to the piloL's ltand.
The floor, the seats, and the sides up to a height of about 250 lb. anchor of th1s patt.em bemg as effect1ve as a Ot course the after rudder ISsteered from the forward
wheel, aud the reverse ; the ropes around the wheel
6 ft. above the deck, nre Gxed wtth a care and finish 600 lb. anchor with fixed tlukes.
Ample ~recautions against the contin!!encies of drums being connected with chains passing O\'erpulleys,
little short of cabinet work. All are alike formed of
narrow strips of ash and walnut alternating, the strakes water and fire are taken. A llfe belt and cord are hung and fasteuea to rods runniug the whole Jeugt h of the
being about 2t in. wide, beautifully laid together, in in an accessible pl3;ce f~re and aft, ,and beside ea'Ch is boat to ~be rudder at ~he opposite en~. Tile forward
the case of the floor, over a close pine plankiug. The a ladder fo r lowermg mto the water, to enKble any ruddel· 1s always ,locked~ as IS usual m every double'
curves of the seats, which are designed wit.h a view to person to recover the deck ; in case of accident, and ended boat.
1
Whilst on the roof of the cabin, one not.ices that the
comfort, and the rounded corners at the ends of the in cases of extreme emergency arising from collisiou,
cabins, are excellently complet cd ; 2 ft. 9 in. is the explosion, or founrlering, two hundred life belts are damper bearings iu the smoke stack are four antiliberal lineal space allotted to each passenger, bronzed kept on board, in boxes placed on top of the anti- frict.lon wheels, also that the lever by which the
arms dividing the individual seats. Above the level of room roof leading to the maiu saloons. All ferry boats whistle is actuated is fi:x.ed with a cap working telesthe black and white panelling the sides are coloured are equipped with these, but. a recent investigation in copicc.dly over a socket, so as to pre\'ent water from
with a delicate shade of mauve and white; the roof, New York has shown that too many of them are in- penetraL~ng and rust~~. the guide. Such are the
and foliated iron brackets which at intervals support. s~fficiently provided, either as _regar~s numbers or effi- 1leading feaLures an~ peculiarit.ies of t?e Pavonia ferry
it as well as the wooden rafters, being painted ciency ol belt, or are defiCient m both respects. boat, Delaware, whtclJ, altbo1,1gh she 1s so excellently
si'milarly. The heating arrangements in the Delaware Hydrants placed in conveuient places, and communi- fiuished and appointed, cost less by 20,000 dol. than
are ne\v. I n all other boats pipes which keep up a eating b.v pipe wi ~h a donkey engine, convey watet all most of her class. Tbis is explained by the fact, that
birrh temperature pass from the st.eam boiler along round the boat, aud an ample supply of hose is carried she was built. last summer wheu work was ~lack aud
both sides of the cabins beneath the seats; a s-ood ar- on board. The larger part of the space enclosed by labour plentiful, for t.ll e United ~tat.es Govermneut had
rang<'mcnt for the sitters, as they absorb calonc under the central bulkhead is devoted to the accommodation discharged their skilled workmen, whom the~ had
most advantageous circumstances, but unsatisfac1 ory of stores, ropes, oil, chains, canvas, aud so forth. The absorbed from ~very place during the war. :So the
to others. 'l'his boat is heated with eight of N :1son's rest is occupied by the engine and engine-room, both ,Delaware was built anti engined for 15,000l., which, to
radiators, an arrangement. largcl.v adopted in America of which are beautifully appointed, the latter to Eng- our notions, is, after all, a large sum for a ferry boat.
for warming buildings. It consists of groups of pipes !ish notions, rather too much so. It is an apartment
communicating with a steam chamber at the bottom, nearly 8ft. wide, and about 10 ft. long, paved with
RAILWAY DRA.WDRIDGEs.-Mr. Roebling, the engineer of
and closed at top. A curved diaphragm of s!lect iron encaustic tiles, and wainscoted with ash aud walnut- ' the Cincinnntti suspension bridge, thinks that railroad drawdivides each pipe down the centre of its interior from streaked panelling; cupboards for light stores and bridges arE\ a nuisance, which cnn readily be done away with.
H e would substitute hi~h bridges, even with steep ap1hc bottom nearly to the top, 11nd an upward and clothes presses are recessed into t.he wall. One ca~y proaches,
a. stationary engm o and a. wire rope being provided
chair
and
one
steel
spring
stool
accommodate
the
downward steam curreut is produced by 1his means,
to assist the trains over the rise. In other words, treat tho
displacing all air in the pipes, and forming a most engineer, whose apartment is likewise embellished by bridge like an inclined' plane, and draws will be unnecessary•
•
494
BREWING AND BREWERIES.-No. X.
PREPARATION or M.u.-r :roR :MASHING- M .uT
MEASURERS, MALT SCREENS, AND MALT MILLS.
TnE
•
•
Ir ordinary dry malt is thrown into .water, it ~ill
float on the surface for a very consi~era~le tu~e
without absorbing sufficient moisture .to smk 1t. Thts
being the case, it becomes necessary, m order t~a~ the
process of mashing should be completed mtlnn a
reasonable time, that the malt should be ground or
crushed so that the water may have thorough access
to the i'nternal portions of t he grains. ~or!llerly, the
malt was ground between stones ; but 1t ~s now t he
practice to crush it between rollers, the exctse regulations providing that these rollers shall have smooth
surfaces, in order that they may not be employed fot·
crushing unmalted barley.
.
The crushing of the malt should he performed m
such a manner that whilst all parts of each grain are
thoroughly exposed to the action of the water, the
various parts arc not completely separated. If ~he
grains are not thoroughly opened up by the crushmg
process, the soluble matt~r cannot be extra?ted from
the malt without a considerable and uodesuable expenditure of time, whilst ~r, ~n the other hand, the
malt is ground too fine, It lS apt to form a p~sty
mass in the mash tun, and it is, moreover, impossible
to drain it properly, as it rct~ns an undue proportio.n
of liquor by capillary attraction. When the malt 1s
so crushed that the parts forming each grain, although
opened out, are yet no~ entirely s.eparated, the s~ell
ot each grain forms, as 1t ~ere, ~ k~d .of filter, whtch
to a certain extent retams wtthm 1t the soluble
particles, and thus enables the wort or extract to be
drawn otf clear.
Before passing the malt thro~gh the malt mill. it
is customary to measure o~ we1gh out the ~uantlty
required for the mash that 1s to be made. 'l'he ordinary way of doing this is to weigh out the malt
from the bins into sacks, which sacks are then either
emptied direct into the malt mill hopper or into the
hopper of an ~levator, or J~cob's ladder, by which
the maa is ra1sed to the mill. In a large brewery
this method of proceeding involves a considerable
amount of manual labour, and to lessen this several
plans have been adopted. At ¥es~rs. Charring~on's
brewery, at Mile-eud, a tram~ay 1s la1d along the trout
of the malt bins, and on th1s tramway a small truck
runs, the tramway being so placed that the truck can
be brougllt directly under. the sho.ot from any of the
bins. This truck cames a klod of hopper, or
measure, holding exactly. one quarter of ~alt, the
bottom of this hopper bemg made so that 1t ~an ?e
opened to discharge the contents. At one po~ut m
the line of the tramway there .. , between the ra1ls, au
openin" communicating with the hopper of an elevator,
and nr~r th1s openinl{ tappets are p aced~ which acL
ou the valve at the bottom of the m ~.a:. urmg hupper
on the truck, aud op~n or close it a~c.ording to tl!e
way the truck is pa~sLUg ov.er the~. lhe manner m
whiCh this measurmg truck 1s used 1s as follows : The
valve at the bottom of the measuring hopper being
closed the truck is run under the shoot from one of
bios, ; nd the hopper filled. ~he truck is then ~un
over the opening already mentioned, and, on reachmg
this, the tappets open the valve at the bottom of the
measu ring hopper, and d1scharge the cou,tents of tl~e
latter into the hopper of the elevator. 'lhe truck lS
then run back to the bms to l.Je refilled, the valve at
the bottom bein" re.closed as tue truck is moved away
from the openin~. 'l'he elevator, which receives the
measured malt ~aises the latter to the top of a tower,
from which it is conveyed, down an inclined pipe, to
the hoppers of 1he malt mills. We have .here merely
exP.laiutd the apparatus used for mea:.un~g the malt
at Messrs. Charrin:gton's; but we shall, 1.n a fut~e
article, when treatmg of the ar~angement of bre.wcnes,
describe in detail the co11Struct10n of the malt bms aud
the various appliauces for storing and moviug the malt
at that brewery.
Although the arrangement employed at Messrs.
Charrington's considerably lessens the amount of
manual labour to be performed in measuring the
malt yet it does not do away wtth it alto~ether. A
mor~ perfect apparatus fo r measuring malt, and the
best that has yet been brought forward, is that designed
by Mr. King, the engineer of Messrs. Truman's
brewery. 'fh1s malt measurer, which we illustrate on
the present pa"e, is in regular use at Messrs. 'fruman's and otlt~ breweries, and it is found to answer
its purpose admirably, and to sav~ a vast amount of
time and manual labour. Accordmg to the arrangement shown in our engraving, the malt is raised to the
top of tl~e apparatus . by the elevator, A, this elevator
dischargwg the malt mto the shoot, B. At the bottom
E N G I N E E R I N G.
(MAY zz, 1868.
K I N G' S G R A I N M E A S U R E R.
CONSTRUCTED BY MESSRS. FREDERICK COLYER AN D CO., ENGINEERS, LONDON.
;
of this shoot is a casing, D, within which there revolves the measuring drum, C. This drum is divided
into eight compartments, each capable of holding a
quarter of malt, and its sides fit closely against the
casing, D. At one end of the axle carrying the drum
there is a worm-wheel, into which gears a worm placed
on a shaft provided with fast and loose belt julleys.
The other end of the drum shaft is connecte with a
counter, which registers the number of revolutions
made by the drum.
The action of the apparatus is very simple. The
malt falling down the shoot., B, fills the compartments
of t.he measuring drum, and the latter, as il revolves,
rlelivers its contents into t he lower shoor, by which
the malt is conducted to the malt mills. I n order to
ensure that the compartments of the measuriug drum
are completely filled, there is placed in the shoot, B, a
valve connected with a weighted lever, E. This lever
carries a fork embracing the belt by which the machine
is driven, and is arranged so that the tendency of the
weight is always to close the valve and throw the strap
on to the loose pulley. So long as the supply of malt
to the shoot, B, is kept up, its weight, re~tlllg on the
valve, keeps the latter open, and, consequently, maintains the belt on the fast pulley; if the supply fads,
however, so that the compartments would not be
properly filled, tlte valve closes, and the belt is at the
same time thrown upon the loose pulley and the machine stopped. W c have, in our illustratiOn, shown Mr.
King's measurer as arranged to be dri' en from a line
of shafting; in small breweries, however, or in other
plact's where grain has to be measured, but where
steam power is not available, it may he arranged I o be
driven by hand. In such cases a slight. mod1ftcation
is marle, the valve and weighted lever, E, bring
arranged so that when the valve closes from a deficiency of malt in the shoot, B, a pawl is dropped into
gear with a ratchet wheel on the driving shaft, and the
machine thus stopped. The power required to work
the apparatus is very small, and besides saviug a good
deal of manual labour, it prevents the escape of dust
and ensures accuracy of measurement.
As we stated, when t.J·eat.ing of the process of malting, it is the practice to dress or screen the malL before
it leaves the maltster's hands. During the transport
of 1he malt from the maltings to the brewery, however,
the rubbing of the grains together causes a ~ood many
small pJrt1clcs to be separated, particularly if the malt
is transported any great distance; and it is del>irable
that these and all other du~t, &c., should be screened
from the malt before it is passed through the rolls.
At Messrs. Charrington's, and some other bre,veries,
the malt is screened immediately on its being emptied
from the sacks on its way to the bins, this screening
being in add it ion to that to which it is subjected just
before being crushed. \Ve shall, as we ha'e stated ,
describe the arraugement of the malt screens at
:Messrs. Charrington's on a future occa ion.
A very useful malt screen fo r brewers, and one tltat
is much used, is the double malt screen made by Mr.
MAY 22, I
868.]
ENGINEERING.
495
MALT DRESSING MACHINE AT THE DREHER-SCHEN BREWERY, SCHWACHAT.
CONSTRUCTED BY 1\IR. NEMELKA, ENGINEER, SIMERING, RANE VIENNA.
FIC.2.
Robert Boby, of Bury St.. Edmunds. In this machine.
of which we give an engraving on the present page,
there are two inclined screens !laced one above the
other, each screen having a rapi reciprocating motion
F 1&. 6
and is delivered into the mill hopper, whilst the thin
The German and Austrian brewers are part.icularly
malt and dust pass through and are received on an careful to render the malt used by them as clean as
inclined plane, which conducts them to the head of tue possible before crushing it; and we ~ive on the prelower screen. :Bv this screen the dust is separated sent page an engraving of a malt dressing machine,
which has been much used in Austrian breweries ;
but which is, we believe, unknown in this country.
This apparatus has been designed by Mr. Nemelka,
of Simering, near Vienna, and the particular machine represented in our illustrations is one made by
him for the Dreher.schen brewery, at Schwiichat, near.
Vienna. In our engravings Fig. l is a general front
elevation of the machine; Fig. 2 is a longitudinal
view, partly in section ; Fig. 3 is a horizontal section
through the casing of the dressing cones: Fig. 4 is a
section of one of the fixed cones; Fig. 5 is an
elevation of a cone showing the ribbed surface; and
Fig. 6 is a section through the set of revolving cones.
In this machine the malt is fed in at the top of
a cylindrical casing containing three fixed inverted
cones or funnel-shaped hoppers having ribbed surfaces.
Down the centre of the casing passes a vertical shaft
and on this are fixed three other inverted cones'
these cones being so placed that their surfaces'
which are also ribbed, work in close :proximity t~
those of the fixed cones already mentioned. The
three cones on the central axis are placed somewhat wider apart than the fixed cones, and the surfaces of the lower pair of cones are thus closer together than those of the cones above them. The
distances between the surfaces of the fixed and revolving cones can be adjusted by raising or lowering the central shaft, this latter resting at its lower
end upon a movable bearin~ which can be elevated
or depressed by means of the lever and band-wheel
and screw shown in the engraving. The distances
apart to which the cones are generally adjusted for
or~inary work ~re as follows :-Be.tween the upper
pa1r of cones t m. ; between the m1ddle pair ;7[ in. ;
nnd between the surfaces of the lower pair -t~ in.
The central shaft is driven at a. speed of from 280 to
300 re~ol~tiof!S per minute, and the revolving cones
are 30 m. m _diameter at the larger ends by 8 in. deep.
The malt 1s brought to the top of the machine by an
Archimedean screw, which is 11 in. in diameter, 8 in.
pi~ch, and ,makes about from 40 to 45 revolutions per
mmute. 1 he malt first falls on the plate which closes
the upper end of the upper revolving cone, and from
this it is thrown off and caused to pass between the
BOBY'S DOUBI.E 1\IALT SCREEN.
surfaces of the top pair of cones. From them it is
imparted to it. The malt to be screened is delivered from the thin malt, and this latter can thus be collected delivered on to the plate at the top of the second
from the hopper ~t the upper end .of the top scr~en, a and stored until a sufficient quantity has accumulated, revolving cone, which throws it outwards to the cirslide being prov1ded for regulattng the quantity so when it can be passed through the mill and crushed, cumference of the casing and feeds it to the second
delivered. The best malt passes over the top screen, the rolls being set closer for the purpose.
pair of cones, whence it is delivered to the top plate
E N G I N E E R I N G.
[1\1AY
22,
1868.
•
•
of the third revolving cone and passed between the gearing is used one roll can be made sli~htly larger worn. Messrs. Charrington have now a pair of steel
surfaces of the lowest pair of cones of the series.
than the other, and this is a decided actvantage, as rolls at work, and, so far, their appearance indicates
The rubbing action of the cones causes the roots, it tends to produce greater uniformity of wear, the that they will, in all probability, be very durable.
&c., to be thoroughly parted from the grains of malt, opposing surfaces of the two rolls being continually Mt>ssrs. J ames Horn an.d Co., of Whitechapel, the
and the next part of the proct>ss is to separate these changing. 'l'hc difference in the diameters of the two makers of the malt m11l at the City of L ondon
latter from the dust and combings. For this purpose rolls should be prime to those diameters, or, in other Brewery, whioh we illustrated last week, have used a
the malt after leaving the rubbing cones is delivered words, the diameters should not be divisible by it number of chilled cast-iron rolls, both for malt mills
into an incliuerl revolving screen ; this screen, which without a remninder. By at tending to this point it and for mills for c::ushing mustard-seed, and similar
is of hexagonal section, being 7ft. long, and mea- will be ensured that any particular pair of points on purposes, and they have found them to answer adsuring 2 ft. 4 in. across the sides. 'l'his screen sepa- the two rolls will only come into contact once in a large mirably. '£hey have a harder surface than can be
rates the dust and finer particles from the malt, and number of revolutions. Thus if one roll be made 16 in. conveniently given to the Bteel rolls, and have the
from it the latter is del ivered down a short shoot to an and the other 16t\ in. in diameter, any particular pair advantage of being cheaper in first cost than the
arrangement by which it is sorted out according to its of points on the two rolls will only come into contact latter.
As to the time that malt rolls will run without turnquality. This arrangement consists of a series of once for every 256 revolutions of the larger or 263
hoppers placed side by side and enclosed in a case, revolutions of the smaller roll; whilst if the rolls were in g up nothing definite can be stated. The durability
with one end of the top of which the short shoot 16 in. and 1G!in. in diarnete1·, the same two points of the rol ls depends greatly upon the thoroughness
already mc11t.ioned communicates. At the end of the would be brought together every 32 revolutions of with which the malt is screened before being crushed,
case, immediately below the opening of the slloot, the larger roll.
the principal injury to the rolls being caused by stones
is a nozzle, throu~h which a blast of air, supplied by
Theoretically, geared rolls can also be made of and other cxtmneous matters accidentally fed in with
a fan, is admi ~ted, this blast being capable of being different diameters, the "'Caring being proport.ioned tl1e malt. Moreover, although by the excise regulations
regulated by the arrangement of slide shown. The accordingly ; but practicafly there is a difficult.y in the the rolls arc required to be smooth to commence with,
falling malt is separated by the blast, the heaviest way, namely, tlle care required in turning the rolls yet there i3 no restriction on the amount of roughgrai11s being deposited in the first hopper, and those when roughened by wear. We can perhaps best ex- ness caused by wear, and some brewers, consequently,
which are lighter in the next; wllilst any remaining plain this by an example. Let us suppose a pair of allow their rolls to run until they are in a much worse
dust and light particles are carried to the end of the rolls 17! in. and 18 in. in diameter respectively, geared condition than would be tolerated in other breweries.
casing and blown ou1! of an opening provided there. togethet· so that the larger makes 35 revolutions to In some breweries it is the rule to turn up the rolls
The proportionate qualities of the malt deposited in every 36 revolutions of the smaller roll; and let us once every twelve months, and the practice of re-turnthe hoppers can be varied both by altering the force of further suppose that these have become so roughened ing the rolls at stated periods is certainly a good oue.
the blast and by deflecting the tops of tue partitions by wear that the smaller roll requires to be turned It is one of the advantages possessed by ungeared rolls
between the hoppers. 'l'hese last are hinged so that down i in. ·when thus turned its diameter would be that wh~n turned up they need each only be reduced
they can be deflected either way ; if deflected towards reduced to 17k in., and in order that the larger roll in diameter to just the extent required t o remove the
the blast nozzle they cause the proportionate quantity should work properly with it, its diameter should be inequalities, it not being necessary to finish either roll
of malt deposited in the first hopper to be decreased, made 17.61428 in., an uneven dimension. Of course, to llllJ exact dimensions.
whilst, at the same time, the quality of the malt so practically, if the larger roll was turned down to
The rolls of malt mills are generally driven at a surdeposited will be improved. If these partitions are 17* in., the slip which would take place when the rolls face speed of from about 260 to 300 ft. per minute ;
deflected in the opposite direction the reverse effect is were set to work would not be of very great import- and at these speeds they will crush about one quarter
of course produced. If the force of the blast is varied ance; but still it would be better to be withd\lt it, as of malt per hour for every lt in. in length of the rolls.
a proportionate alterat.ion is simultaneously effected in it would cause increased power to be required to drive Thus roils 24 in. long will grind about 16 quarters per
the quality of the malt deposited in all the hoppers. the mill, and would not improve the quality of the hour, rolls 27 in. wide 18 quarters per hour, and so on.
Thus an increase in the strength of the blast causes grist. Moreover, when the rolls were again re-turned, Most frequently the malt rolls are driven from the
a greater proportion of heavy malt to be carried over the amount of slip would most likely be increased; main shafting of the brewery ; but in large establishinto the second hopper, and so on, the effect, so far, and eventually the fact that the rolls ought to differ in ments it is probably better to work them by an indebeing tlle same as that obtained by deflecting the first diameter to the extent of -h of the diameter of the pendent engine. At Messrs. Truman's brewery the
partition towards the blast nozzle; but, on the other smaller roll would most probably he lost sight of, the four malt mills employed are driven by an oscillating
hand, a portion of the malt which would, with a more rolls being turned down just sufficiently to remove en"'ine running at 90 revolutions per minute. The
moderate blast, have been deposited in the second the roughness, and any question of slip between rofis themselves, which are 18 in. in diameter, are
hopper is carried on to the third, whilst if, instead of them being negleded. The greater the difference worked at 60 revolutions per minute, giving a surface
varying the blast, the first partition only is moved, the between the diameters of the two rolls, the greater, speed of about 283 ft. per minute. '£he whole arrangequality of the malt received by the third hopper will evidently, is the objection to connecting them by gear- ment of the malt mills at Messrs. Truman's is particuremain unaltered. The movable partitions thus give ing, and, in fact, we consider that the gearing, if used larly neat, and reflects great credit on Mr. Kino- the
the power of varying independently the quality of the at all, sbould be restricted to those mills having rolls engineer of the brewery, by whom it was plannea' and
malt received by each hopper, whilst by altering the of equal size.
carried out.*
blast the character of the samples received by the
As regards the quality of the grist produced by
hoppers is altered throu~hout the series simultaneously. geared and ungeared mills, some difference of opinion
DIVING- APPARATUS.-Some interesting experiments ha'l"o
The arrangement of a malt mill, such as is in exists; but the majority of the evidence is in favour been
made at Chatham, under official direction, to test tbo
ordinary use, is clearly shown by our engraving on of ungeared mills. So long as a mill is in perfect merits of.a new appli~ation o~ the diving apparatus, invented
page 491 of the present number, which represents such order, it cannot matter greatly whether the rolls are by Mr. Stcbe, submarme engmeer, by which two divers can
a mill as made by Messrs. E. A. Pontifex and Wood, geared or not ; but not only is an ungeared mill likely be sent down in any depth of water, and supplied with air
of the Farringdon Works, Shoe-lane. This mill is, to keep in good order longer than a geared one, but from the same pump. The steamer having the party of diYcrs
board steamed out of the harbour to reach the required
throughout, of very simple construction. The malt it is also less afft>cf ed by an.v inequalif y in the wear of on
depth of water, when the Admiralty di~er employed at
to be ground is fed into a wooden hopper furnished the rolls, and it also, probably, requires somewhat less Chatham dockyard descend~d, by ~eans of the apparatus, to
on one side with an adjustible slide for regulating the power to drive it. As bearing on the question of a depth of 60 ft., followed tmmediately after by Lieutenant
quantity of ntalt admitted to the rolls. These latter geared or ungearcd rolls, we may relate here an anec- Fraser, R.E., who made his descent for the fu·st time. Air was
are of cast iron, and they are both 19 in. in diameter, dote which we lately heard. Some years ago an at- supp~ied to both the divers by means of ono cylinder, and after
wa lkin~ a consid~t·able distance and remaining under water
their shafts being counected by equal spur gcarin~. tempt was made to introduce a form of malt mill some
hme, the div~rs re~ned to the surfa.ce, bo.th stating
One of the roll shafts also carries a piu ion with having rolls of equal size, connected by unequal gear- that they
were furrushed mth abundance of all', while neither
thu-teen teeth, which gears into a wheel with forty-gjx ing, 1he object proposed being to subject the malt to a su!I'cred the slightest inconvenience. Not the least of the
teeth placed on the feed toll shaft. The feed roll is a combined rubbing and crushing action. One of these advantages o.f ~fr. Sie?e's ~vontion is the fitting ~f the diving
wooden cylinder fitted with radial ribs or fins of sheet mills was set up at a brewery where the brewer was a apparatus wtth a selt-actmg pressure gauge, whteh registers
the pressure. in pounds, whi!e the invention: can also be used
iron, these workinj:r in a recess formed in the project- strong advocate for geared rolls; and it was reported, as
a submarme lamp, by which means the diver can be assisted
ing bottom of t.be hopper, which is continued past the after a trial, to turn out even better grist tbau the by a steady light when employed in exploring the interior of
sltde. The bottom of the hopper, we should mention, ordinary geared mill previously used. Shortly after n vessel, or descended to any de_{>th to which the light of day
is faced with sheet iron, this sheet iron being bent the new mill was set to work, the brewery was visited does not penetrate. The Ad.mll'alty diver subsequen tly dedown into the recess just mentioned, so as to form a by a well-known brewer's engineer, who in his own scended to the great depth of 108ft. with tho two cylinders
the air-pump connected, followed to tho same depth by
smooth face opposed to the ribs of the feed roll. Tbe practice always manufactures ungeared rolls, ant.l of
Sergeant Baker, of the Royal Engineers, when even at the
office of the feed roll is to distribute the malt evenly who heard, ~ith considerable surprise, of the good depth
and under the conditions stated not the least inconto the crushing rolls. It is 10 in. in diameter outside performance of the mill with unequal gearing. Much ven:ience was experience~ by either of the di>ers, who rethe ribs, and from the proportions of the gearing by puzzled, be sought out the engine-driver, and inquired mmned down for some trme, the valv~s, gauge re~ster, and
which it is driven, it makes one revolution for about if the new mill did not require a good deal of power to other parts of the apparatutl all workmg most sahsfactorily.
every three and a half revolutions of the crushing work it. " ' Veil," said the man, "it did pull up the T~e officers and m?n at the Royal En~ineer establishment
will commebce theu· summer cow·se of jrnctice in diving
rolls. The shaft of one of the crushing rolls-that "engine a good bit. at first; but I' ve cured that., and operations
with llli·. Siebe's appa1·atus an the improved airfrom which the feed roll is chiven-revolves in fixed " it's all right now." "Indeed!" remarked tho engi- pwnp.
bearings ; but the bearings in which the shaft of the " neerJ " and how did, "OU
mana"'e
it?"
" Oh' easvJ
.;
0
.
Ttrn ARGENTINE REPUDLIC.-Immigration into the terriother roll works are capable of sliding horizontally in " enough," replied the driver. " I just took the key tories of this R epublic appears to be increasing. In 1850
suitable guides, as shown by the dotted lines, and " out of the smalt 1oheel, and the mill's gone ail right the number of immigrant.s who landed at Buenos Ayres was
screws are provided for setting them up so as to ad- " ever since." This explanation perfectly satisfied 4735; in 1860, 5666; in 1861, 6301 ; in 1862, 6716 ; in 1863
10,408; in 186-.1, 11,682; in 1865, 11,767; and in 1866'
just the distance between the rolls to suit the size of tbe engineer, whose faith in ungeared mills has thus 13!959..
Italians form the greater part of the Ew·opean im~
remained unsbakcn.
the malt to be crushed.
nugrnt10n at Buenos Ayres. In thQ second mnk come tho
In the malt-mill which we have just described, the
Until recently the crushing rolls of malt mills have lo"n•nch, then Spaniards, and then English.
shafts of the crushing rolls arc as wc have stated been always made of cast iron, good hard, close-grained,
• W e are compelled, from the demands upon o\ll' space, to
connected by gearing. In many mills, however, this metal being chosen for the purpose. Now, however,
OYer until next week the description of the malt mills
connecting gearing is not employed, one of the rolls some rolls are being made of steel, which is, undoubtedly, leaYe
a~ Messrs. l\1iller's Bt·ewery, St. P etersburg, and t hat at the
being driven by friction; and we ourselves consider a better material than cast iron, although it is more Ctty of London Brewery, of which we gave cngl'nvings in our
that it is better dispensed with. When no connecting costly at first, and more expensive to turn up when last number.
MAY 22,
1868.]
•
.
ENGINEERING .
497
RECENT PATENTS.
hydraulic power. It would require the aid of drawAMERICAN MARINE ENGINES.
THE following specifications of completed patents ings to describe fully the arrang,emenls proposed.
WE copy, below, an able a_r~i~l~ from the New York
(No. 2568, 8d.) Col in Matber, of tbe Sal ford Ironarc all dated withm the year 1867; and that year
should be given in ordering them, at the annexed works, Manchester, patents machinery for washing Ar111y attd Navy Journat, cntiCJStng the performance
prices, from the Great Seal Patent Office, Chancery- ores, wool, grain, &c. This machinery consists of a of a new American sloop of war called .the Co~too·
lane.
hollow cylinder open at both ends and placed in a cook, fitted with engines of the type ~h10h we illus(No. 2515, 10d.) John Ford, of Reading, patents slanting position, the interior of the cylinder being h·ated in September, 1866, as des1gned for the
a method of fastening railway wlteels on their axles, provided with a worm and buckets or lifters. The Hassalo. These engines have 60 in. cyliu.dcrs and 3 ft.
&c. According to this plan a recess is bored on the ore or other substance to be washed is fed in at the stroke. She has four water-tube boilers with twentyouter face around the axle, and, the key by which the lower end, and a stream of water at the higher end of eight furnaces, besides two "superheating boilers."
wheel is fixed being driven in until its end is flush the cylinder, and a slow rotary motion being given to There are 9548 water tubes, each 2 in. external
with the bottom of this recess, a ring is then shrunk the latter the action of the worm curies the ore from diameter, and 30 in. long, presenting 12,498 square
on the axle to prevent the key from working out. A. t.he lower to the higher end, where it. is discharged, feet of surface. The performance would appear to
slight recess is turned in the axle to receive the ring, the buckets, or lifters, at the same time agitating it have been anything but satisfactory, considering the
gt·eat weight of the machinery.
the latter being situated within the 1·ccess in tl1e wheel and subjecting it to the action of the water.
(No. 2572, 8d.) Alexander Melville Clark, of 53,
boss. The plan of securing a key by a ring shrunk
W o observe that in one of the daily papers great wonder
on the axle is not new, whilst, if the ring was applied Chancery-lane, patents, as the agent of Stinson and admiration arc expressed at the fact that the Contoocook,
in the manner proposed in this patent, it would have Hagaman, of Weisfort, U.S., machinery, which it one of our " new Alabamas," has achieved a SJ?CCd of thirteen
Thirteen knots! extraordinary veloc1ty! But now
the defect of decreasing the length of the wheel seat. would require drawings to describe, for grindiug and knots.
Jet us see exactly what this means. We will fll'st observo
polishing
slate
and
marble.
(No. 2510, ls. 4d.) James Baird Handyside, of
what the Contoocook is; and then we shall be better qualified
(No. 2575, 10d.) Joseph Davies, of Bowdon, to judge how fast her machinery should drive h er.
Slasgow, patents a form of railway buffer in which
the resistmg l?ower consists of a number of small patents machinery for rakwg salt in salt pans of 'l'hc Contoocook, as appea1·s from her dimensions, is a
spiral steel sprmgs having cores of compressed wool. rectangular form. In this machinery the rakes arc splendid model, almost as sharp as the Wamponoag. Everyhas been sacrificed to speed, ~ i~ evidc~t from the f~ct
The piston of the buffer is so const.ructed as to dis- attached, in rows, to bars which reach across the pan thing
that she carries a puny battery, qutte msuffic1ent to cope w1th
from side to side, the ends of these bars being attached that she may expect to meet in hostile vessels of the same
tribute the pressure fairly on the different springs.
(No. 2520, l s. 4d.) Alfred Vincent Newton, of to endless chains which have a continuous or inter- class. She is a ship of about SOOO tons displacement; sh_e lS
()6, Chancery-lane, patents, as the agent of George mittent motion imparted to them. For withdrawing 320ft. long, has 4·1 ft. breadth of beam; h<'r greatest un\ Villiam Richardson, of Troy, U .S., arrangements of salt from the pan, rakes are also employed, the pan mersed midship section is 543 square feet. She has a fixed
screw, 17ft. in diameter, and of an expanding
safety valves, which it would require drawings to de- being made with an inclined plane at the end where four-bladed
pitch, with (according to the specifications f:urnis~cd to t~o
the salt. is to be withdrawn, and the rakes being builders)
scribe clearly.
a mean of28 ft. Her steam machinery lS a duph(No. 2526, Sd.) "William Gandly Creamer, of arranged so as to draw the salt up this incline out of cato of that of the Piscataqua and Guerriere, which have
given results so unsatisfactory. This machinery was planned,
Woburn-place, Russell-square, patents the application the water.
even to minute detail, by tho Navy Department, and is
to the wmdows of railway carriages of a particular
known as the Hassalo class of ma.chinery, whereof some
form of wire-gauge blinds or screens, these being used
THE HA.VRE MARITIME EXHIBITION.
dozens of sets are now being piled away in the navy yards,
in conjuiJction with the ventilators described by us
To TIIE EDITOR OF ENGINEERING.
like ?11rs. Toodles's doorplates, " handy to have in the house."
SIR, -May I solicit the favow· of the insertion in
on page 77 of our last volume.
'l'he Contoocook's boilers are, of course, Martin's patent, t ho
(No. 2528, 8d.) Alexander Melville Clark, of 53, journal of the despatch I received from the director o · the condensers Sewell's patent, and the superheaters are Mr.
" Havre International Maritime Exhibition," which will Isherwood's. She has t.hirty furnaces and 685 square feet of
Chancery-lane, patents, as the agent of A.mand open
on the 1st of J uno under the patronage of H.I.M. the grate surface. Tho weight of this machinery is between
Grancher, of 29, Boulevard St. Martin, Paris, a system Emperor of the French and H.I.H. the Prince Imperial?
650 and 675 tons.
of constructing ships with two hulls of different diHavre, May 11, 1868.
, From this schedule of dimensions, it becomes evident, at a.
To
11!.
A.
de
L
avigerie.
mensions placed one above the other, the lower and
glance, that the wonder is, not that th~ Contooco?k is ~ivcn
Sir,-The
jury
will
be
elected
immediately
after
the
smaller hull being completely submerged when the
thirteen knots po1· hour, but that she fails to be dnven stxtccn
o:P.ening
.
.
.
A
list
of
candidates
will
bo
handed
to
the
exship is freighted. We fail to see the advantages of hibitors, who will have the right to choose their own juro1·s knots. She certninly has a sufficient weight of machinery,
and a sufficient q.uantity of boiler and grate surface (if of the
the plan.
and add to the list.
chara.ctcr) to produce that speed. Now, the difference
(No. 2541, 1s. 4d.) J ames Whitham, of the P er- Be kind enough to form a list of gentlemen willing to co- proper
between thirteen and sixteen knots is very great. It not
severance Ironworks, Kirkstall-road, Leeds, patents operate with us, and propound themselves as candidates.
only means thl·ee knots, but it represents nearly double the
The
jury will commence their meetings enl'ly in J une.
machinery an~ furn ac~s for puddl.ing furnaces, which
performance-the cube of thirteen being 2196, and that of
Besides
the annual Havre regatta, it is proposed to have, sixteen being 4096.
it would requrre drawm~s to descnbe clearly.
in August, international regattas.
It is plain enough, from hundreds of examples, that not
(No. 2544, 10d.) Ectward John Cowling Welch, of
(Signed)
NJCOLE, Director.
2000 horse pow<'r is required to drive the sharp ContooHarrow, patents apparatus for pro~ucin~ artificial ic~, I shall therefore be glad to receive applications from over
cook ab the rate of thirteen knots; and it is equally plain
&c. I n this apparatus the refrJgeratmg effect 1s gentlemen willing to volunteer as jul·ors, also from persons that the amount of machinery in her, consh'ucted on tbo
obtained by the evaporation of etbet· or some ?th~r interested in regattas, and add that a maritime and medical most ordinary, the simplest, and most economical plans, would
volatile hvdrocarbon, the vapour from the hqUld congress will take placo during the exhibition, and the com- have developed power enough to have chivcn her sixteen
of H avre desired me to make an appeal to all persons knots.
evaporated being pumped int? an arrange~~nt .where mittee
willing to assist in promoting the same and desirous of
To show that this calculation is not exaggerated, we shall
it is recondensed. The vanous peculianties m the making suggestions.
cite a single recent case in point. At the recent trial at sea.
construction of the apparatus would require more I am also desu:ed by the Chief Committee to thank the made with H. B. M. fi·igate Minotaw·, her machinery
English press for the liberal assistance they havo given to a·veraged 6170 horse power dw·ing the trial, that is within a
space to describe than we can give to them here.
fraction of seven horse p ower to every ton of machinery.
(No. 2548, 4d.) Clinton Edgcumbe Brooman,. of the Havre International Maritime Exhibition.
I am, Sir, yow·s,
Contrast this with the three horse power per ton obtained
166, Fleet-street, patents, as the agent of Cypnen
.ALF. D. DE L A.VIGERIE,
from the machinery of the Contoocook. Nor is the ConMarie Tessie du .i\Iotay and Charles Raphael Ma~·ec~al,
Commissioner Delegate.
toocook an exceptionaHy bad specimen of Mr. I sherwood's
fils of Metz, producing hydrogen gas, by subJecting 6, Crosby H all Chambers, Bishopsgate,
handiwork, but mther an average instance of what the steam
London,
May 11, 1868.
t o 'a red heat alkaline or alkaline-terrous hydrates,
blue-book system of machinery has produced. The Minotawhas but forty furnaces to the Contoocook's thirty (and 890ft.
mixed in a certain proportion with charcoal, coke, or
RAILWAY ExTENSION I~ FllANCF..-ln 1867 the Paris, grate sw-face to the Contoocook's 685), and yet the J?Ower
similar substances.
is as 6170 to about 2000. Instead of bewa a.
(No. 2553, 1s. 4d.) Jacob Eichhorn, of 7, Dela~ay­ Lyons, and Meditenanean Railway Company opened, upon developed
triumph, therefore, the Contoocook adds one more to a 1ist
its
new
concessions
alone,
155
!Diles
of
line.
Various
works
street Westminster, patents, partly as a commuwca- were also prosecuted upon the old concessions, and upon of failures. We see, once more, the spectacle of a fourtion f~om 1:1 eiurich Krigar, of ~an~ver, a metbo~ of that portion of the system the cipenditure on capital account bladed nxed screw, with the "expanding pitch," which, when
constructing furnaces f?t' meltmg Iron or ~meltmg in 1867 was 1,448,288l., while upon the new netw01·k the the ship is under sail, will have to be dragged five Ol' six
knots before it can tw·n around. But it is tbe old story, of
ores. According to this plan, the furnace 1s ma.de corresponding outlay was 2,451,763l.
with an upright body or sh~ft carried ?n some o_f Its P.ETROLEUM.- 4,911,285 gallons of oils, coal, and petroleum, which each new vessel is only a fresh r epetit ion.
4,416,579 gallons of refined petroleum were exported
sides by arches throu~h which th~ fuel1s able to 1ssue and
from tho United States in the month of January last, if the
from the shaft and form a heap I n an enlarged O';lt~r official accounts are col'l'ect)y reported in the Times.
Mnssns How.A.nn's SaFETY BorL:sns.-M<'ssrs. Uownrd's
chamber or hearth. 'l'he air is admitted so that It IS TnE HousEs OF PAltLIAMENT.- ln the cou1·se of a speech safety boiler, wh.ich wo fully described in ENGINEElU:>G somo
free to play over the surface of this incandescent heap tho other evening in the House of Commons, Colonel French timo ago, appears to be rapidly gaining in favour. q uitc a
said that the original estimate for tho Houses was about number of them being now at work. In describing this
before ascending the shaft of the furnace.
and the sum of 2,250,000/. had all·<'acly been voted, boiler we stated that we considered that its construction ga.ve
(No. 2555, 8d.) John Medhurst, of 14, Dr.ummo_nd; 750,0001.,
the result being that you could not in the ~-holo llouse find great safety, combined with a good circulation or the water
road, Bermondsey, patents methods _of mo~ntmg sbtps one good room.
nod facility for the (>xecution of r<'pau·s; nncl our anLicipn.rudders so that they eau be readily shtpped or un- TuE MmLAND RAIT.WAY.-Of the 5,000,000l. of adclitional tions appear to have been fully borne out by the results obshipped' at sea. According to this plan, the " brace~" capital authorised by t ho shareholders, ~. 1 60,0007. is required tained in practice.
which receive the pintels of the r.udder are placed m for the completion of t.he Bedford and London lino and TliE INSTITUTION OF lliciJA.NICAL ENGINEERs.-l t has
1,350,000l. for a junction with the Manchest<'r, been arranged that the annual meeting of this institution
guides, so that the rudder can be hfted up to the deck stations,
Sheffield, and Lincolushire Railway, the Cudwerth and for the present year shall be held in Lr.!ds on Tuesday
of the vessel through a trunk.
Bru·nslcy line, and several smaller works, and tbo remainder, 28th July and following days, dmiug the timt' of theN ntionnl
(No. 2564, 10d.) James Rae, of I1ow~r Syclcnham, or 1,500,000l., is required to r eplace the rolling stock of the Al't Exhibil.ion n.t Leeds. All proposal forms !or the elC'ction
patents an arrangement of portable .filter f?r ar~1y use compnny.
of new members to be in time tor the Leeds meeting nro
and other purposes. This apparatus consists ol a. tank TllE ltoYAL AGR'ICULTURAL SociETY.-Thc annual show required to be sent in, complete with the 1·cqubite siguatw-es,
mounted on wheels and fitted with a pair of iilters of the Royal Agricultural Society is this ) N lr to be held at &c., not later than Monday, 6th July.
tcr, and there is every prospcct of its Lcing well supA SYNOPSIS OP .BRITtsn GAs LIGIITING.-A work is
ihrouah which the water is caused to pass upwards Leice
portNL 1'he show will take l)lace in July :l d usual, and about to be published by Mt·. D.VnnNostrand, ofNewYork,
wl1 e11 °being drawn olf by the delivery pipe.
alLhough there will be no engmc trinl~ this yl·ar, thne will, <'omprising tho essence of the Londo1~ Journal of Gas
(No. 2505, 1s. 4d.) .Jamcs. vYLiLtome,. of \iVal- doub~lcss, be many things exhibited of iuteH·~t to engineers, LiJJILti11.<J, from F <'bruaJ·y 10, 184.9, to December :3 I, 1867. and
" orth, patents eonstructmg balm~ pre~ses m such a and of these we shall give an account in due cours('.
nffordi.n~ a succincL r csttmc of the cntirl' pradice of lll"itish
manner Uwt the cotton or. othrr ~ubstance io be_ S.tWING MA.CJU!\.ES.-260.1 se'' ing mach ines 'H'l'l' c-.;ported gns engmeering Letween tbe;;c dates. The <':.-tcerpts will, ns
the United States in the m outh ot' J anuJ t·y Ia~ t. or at liU' as possible, be symmetrically arranged under the h(•llds of
formed into bales is :fir~t subJected lo the. pressure ?I from
the rato of more than 31,000 yearly.
<'Onls, distillation, purification,. volumetry, and photomt•try.
a ram or follower conuected to a steam JH~t?n, ~ud 1s
Got.n.-Tbere arc 'Oow 46,370,000/. of" cash" in the Bank 'l'ho work is being prepared by J am<'s .1{. Smedberg, C.E.,
afterwards finally compressed by the appliCation of of Fran ce and its brnnchcs.
engineer of the San Francisco Gasworks .
•
lour
•
•
•
TH E
•
(MAY z z, 1868 .
E N G IN EE RI N G.
GREEK IRON- C LAD " KING G E 0 R G E."
CONSTRUCTED BY THE T HAMES I RON AND SHIPBUI LDING COMPANY, FROM THE DESIGNS OF MR. GEORGE C. MACKROW.
(For Descrilption, see P age 491.)
F I C.
THE FLYING MAN.
AT the recent meeting of the Aeronautical Society, it was
announced by Mr. W enham, that one of the members of the
socie~y, Mr. Spencer, had already constructed an apparatus
by the aid of which he had accomplished the feat of raising
h!Ulself from the ground level and performing a horizontal
flight of 60 n.; and it was further stated by Mr . W enham,
that Mr. Spencer expected to fly the length of the Crystal
P alace during the meeting of the .Aeronautical Society to be
held there next month. Since the above announcement
was made, we have . received from Mr. Spencer some
p articulars of the apparatus employed by him. I t consists
of a pair of wings of rather small size, arranged so that
they can be worked by the arms; and a large fan-shaped
tail of very light construction connected to the body by
basket work, so that it stands at an angle of about a·
with the horizontal. Mr. Spencer does not profess to fly
in the ordinary sense of the term. He uses his apparatus
by talcing a short quick run, this run being continued
until by pressure of the air against the under surface of the
t aU he is raised from the ground. H e then, by using the
wings, maintains the momentum which he has acquired as
long as possible, and is thus enabled to skim along at a short
distance above the ~~ound. M:· Spenc~r commence~ his
operations by pract1smg long JUmps Without the a1d of
apparatus, and he then commenced usins the wings, and
:finally added the tail. By continued practtce, and from time
•
't.
to time making alterations in his apparatus, Mr. Spencer has
been enabled to extend considerably his early flights or
"skims," and we were informed by him a few days ~go that
he had lately accomplished a :flight of 180 ft., startmg and
alighting at the ground level. Mr. Spencer is now en15ag~d
in completing a new appara.tus, which he hopes to fin1sh m
time for the exhibition of the .Aeronautical Society at the
Crystal P alace, and we look forward with some interest to
witnessing his performance.
TilE PATENT 0FPICE.-ln the House of Commons on the
evening of Thursday week, Mr. Layard asked the First Commissioner of Works whether the Government intended to
carry out the recommendation of the Select Committee on
the Patent Office of 1864, and of the Commissioners of
Patents made at various periods with regard to the library
and museum of the Patent Office, and to find proper accommodation for them; and, if not, why not. Lord J . Manners
replied that a room had been provided for the library, and he
understood that there were no complaints of its insufficiency.
If it should turn out that the accommodation was not
sufficient there would be no difficulty in increasing it to a
consid~rable extent. With regard to the museum, the recommendations of the committee were not so clear and precise; but the Government had considered the question, and
were not prepared to make any recommendation to Parliament on the subject.
•
TilE MoNT CENIS RAILWAY.-The Duke of Sutherland
went over the Mont Cenis Railway, last week, in a train con sisting of twelve carria~es. The time occupied between St.
Michel and Susa- a d1stance of 48 miles-was 4 hours 6
minutes, after deducting the time in stoppages for inspection. The solid steel rocking shafts of t he engines, which
twisted when 5 in. in diameter, have been enlarged to 7 in.,
and are now likely to stand.
THE STA.FPORDSIIIRE I RoN TIUDE.-There is a decided
improvement perceptible in the demand for Nor th Staffordshire iron, and the prospects of t he trade are fair for the
summer. The puddlers are on stnke in South Staffordshire.
A SPANISII l RONCLAD.-An ironclad made by the Thames
L·onworks for the Spanish Government has again shown
what was proved by the Bellerophon, that a comparatively
shol't, broad, handy, plated ship may attain a good rate of
speed when properly engined, and, in the case now in point,
the engines, of 1000 horse power, were by Messrs. J ohn Penn
and Son, and of the identical type of those of the Bellerophon .
The dimensions of the ship are :-Length, 316 ft.; breadth,
57ft. ; depth, 38ft.; burden, 4862 tons. She is completely
armow·-plated from stem to stern with 5! in. plates and 10 in.
teak. On the Maplin the mean of four runs was 14.1 knots;
revolutions of engines, 65; pressure of steam, 23 lb. The
engines worked in a most satisfactory manner, indicating
4500 horse power. The weather was all that could be wished,
but the tide being half ebb was unfavourable to the t.rial.
lVlAY
22,
1868.]
ENGINEERING.
499
S TURGEON 'S SE L F-A Cli!T IN G "DEAD B L 0 W" S TEA M HAMMER.
CONSTRUCTED BY MESSRS. HENRY BAYLEY, SON, AND CO., ENGINEERS, MANCHESTER•
..,.
•
hi
I
•
•
•
•
•
•
-
------
immediate object of self-acting mechanism is to substitute undeviating and untiring mechanical force for the
desultory, uncertain, and never to be depended upon tact and
dexterity of a workman. In this respect most self-acting valve
motions for steam hammers have accomplished absolutely
worse than nothing, inasmuch as they demand from the work·
man more intelligent attention lllld more skill and dexterity
in their management than the band motions. In a hlllld
motion the noise of the blow itself gives warning to the man
to reverse the valve, and the blow is delivered with its full
force. The reversing is here a simple straightforward matter,
requiring n o mental exertion and very little manual dexterity
from the man. In a self· acting motion the man has to watch
the lump of metal under operation, and as fast as its form
and .position chang~ he mu~t set his v~lve gear t? ~uit,
judgmg and companng the distances by h1s eye. This 1s a
· defect common to all valve motions, whether worked by steam
THE
•
or by levers and tappets, and of equal amount in all of them.
Another great objection to them has generally been that the
very nature of the valve motion necessitated that the valve
should be reversed a moment before the blow was actually
struck, and the consequences of this were that not only was
the hammer deprived of the pressure of the steam on the top
of the piston, but its fall was also slowed down, so that 1t
lost the power that it might have derived both from the
steam pressure and the velocity of the fall just at the moment
when it was about to strike the blow, and consequently needed
it most. The reduction in velocity alone resulting from
these causes, even under the most favouxable circumstances,
reduces the useful effect of the blow very considerably.
This will appear clear from the following considerations:Since the measure of the force of a blow struck by a falling
body is its weight multiplied by the square of the velocity
the body has attained at the moment of conta<.'t1 it follows
•
that by mcreasmg the velocity we gain a far greater advantae;e than we would by increasing the weight, and it is also
eVldent that any loss in velocity must affect most seriously the
force of the blow.
It is clear that a hand-worked hammer will strike a heavier
blow than a self-acting hammer of the same size and of any
of the ordinary constructions, since in the hand hammer the
blow can be delivered with the full velocity of the fall, backed
up by the full pressure of the steam ; but the band hammer
cannot be worked as rapidly as the self-acting hammer.
W e are, therefore, led to the following conclusions : 1,
that the motion, to be self-acting in the fUll and true sense,
must be independent of the worlilnan as regards the adjusting of the gear to suit the different thicknesses of metal on the
anvil; 2, that in order to obtain the full force of the blow, it
must reve1·se simultaneously with, or immediately after, the
striking of the blow. .And since the .striking takes place at
(MAY
E N G I N EE R I N G.
soo
22,
warehouse canal, 735ft. in length by 70ft. !n wid th, and two
varying distances from the anvil, according to the thickness THE CORN WAREHOUSES A.T LIVERPOOL on the south side of the canal, each 330 ft. 10 length by 70 ft.
of the piece operated upon, therefore, 3, it must be sue~ th~t
AND BIRK.ENHEA.D.
in width. Each block is divided into three compartments, the
it will cause tho -reversing to take place at whatever pomt m
Ttm following is an 1\bstract of a report recently submitte~ by division walls being carried through the roof.
the stroke the blow takes place.
M:r. George Fosbery Lyster, Engineer, to the Works Comm1ttee
The aegregate a mount of clear storagd area, including the
Mr. Sturgeon accomplishes all these points in a very simple of the Liverpovl Dock Bo~rd .
quay floor but exclusive of the compartments appropriated to
and satisfactory manner by making use of the blow itself as
The Liverpool Corn Warehous~s are what are te~medji:reproof, the silos, ' is 53,199 sq~are z:ards, or. a st~rag~ ~apacity for
the agent by which to work the valve. The shock of the blow and consist of three blocks, bu1lt on th~ ma~gm o! the ~orn 212,800 quarters of gra!o. fhe machme~y IS s1m11ar to that
is made to net on the valve by means of the arran~ement of Warehouse Dock. Th~y are of the followmg chmens10ns, VIZ.: already described for L1verpool. The he1gbts of floors are as
m echanism shown in the engravings on the prev10us page,
East block 650 ft. in length.
follows:
which will be understood by the following description :
ft.
,
West , 650 ,
Upon the tup or hammer block, a, is fixed the fulcrum, b,
North , 185 11
,,
Ground, or quay floor, clear height, 16
upon whic~ works the small dr~pJking lever, c, the ?ther cn.d Total length, 1485 ft. by 70ft. in width, and they occupy an
First floor
,
10
of which 1S attached to the
, d. Another lmk, e, 1S area of 11,550 square yarda.
Second ,
,
10
.
attached to the tup by means of the pin,f, the other ends of
The aggregate clear internal 11rea, exclusive of the quay, IS
Third 11
,,
10
these links being attached to the plate, g. This plate is 48,918 squ&re yards. or, including ~be quay fl~r, 1H acres.
Fourth ,
,
10
swung from the centre, h, by D;leans of the bar, i, t? which it
Over the fifth floor, and runomg the ent1re length of the
Fifth ,
,
1.0
. .
is attached by means of the pm, k, so as to allow 1t to move buildings, there i.s a. pl~form specially appropriated for the
The height of the building to the top of the bnck corn1ce 1s
forward when the ha.mmer rises.
machinery, 24ft. 10 w1dth.
83 ft. 9 in. and to the highest point of the towers, 128 ft.
The plato, g, is connected to the valve spindle, Z, by means
The clear heights of the floors are as follows:
The can~l or small craft basin, in conneltion with the \Vareof the link, ·m, and the lever, n. It will thus bo seen that
ft. in.
houses is 730ft. in length by 55 fr. in width, and the bottom
the plate, g, forms a lever working on the fulcrum, k, one
From the quay to t he underside of girder above 15 3
laid at 'the level of Old Dock Sill; its area is 5293 square yards,
nrm of this lever being commanded by. the dropping lever, c,
First story from surface to
,
,
9 3
and quayage, 1665 ft. In the construction of the canal, a~d
and the other one acting on the valve so as to raise or lower
Secon~ atory ,
,
,
,
9 3
the foundations of the warehouses, there were used 32,000 cub1c
it in obedience to the movement of the dropping lever, c.
feet of timber for piling, 2146 cubic yards of concrete, and
Third ~tqry
,
,
9 3
11
11
The flgw·e shows the different levers in the position they
Four~h story ,
,
,
.,
9 3
51,000 tons of stone, and in the superstructure of the wareassume just after a blow has been struck, and when the
Fifth story to the underside of the macbmery floor 9 3 .
houses 9! milljons of ricks and 3300 tons of stone were used.
bottom steam port is consequently open, and the hammer Height of building from tbe quay to the top of the stone cormce
The' warehouses are not "fire-proof," the floors being entirely
about to rise. As the hammer rises, the relative positions of is 82 ft. There are four staircases in each of the east and west of wood, supported on cast-iron columus. The beams are of
tho levers and links gradually chan~o, t.he links, d and e, blocks and two in the north block. The quantity of bricks yellow pine, 15 i~-+ 14 ~n . The joists a re o~ tb~ same descripdrawing the plate, g, forward in the direction of the arc, o o, used
their construction is over 13! millions, combined with tion of timber, 9 ln.+3 m. The floor board10g 1s, for the most
thereby causing the link, l, to raise the end of the valve lever, 1,100,000 cubic feet of ston~.
.
. .
part, of Baltic red t imber, H in. in thickness.
and so reverse the ;alve. The positions of the lever s when
The total weight of cast and wrought u on of ~11 descr!ptlons
The nltimate strength of the floor was tested by experiment,
the hammer has reached the top of its stroke are shown by used in the warehouses is ()380 tons, and of th1s quaot1ty the and it was found that one beam, carrying 19 square yards of
the dotted lines, the top steam port being then fully open. floor beams alone amo1,1nted to 2884 tons.
.
floor was 61 tons equally distributed weight, which is nearly
The hammer then descends; and if the link, d, were attached
The breaking strain of the girders to suppo~t the floors IS 173 3~ ti~es the maximum load the beam is intenaed to carry. T he
direct to the tup, it is evident that the motion imparted to tons of equally distributed weight, or three t1mes the load that quantity of timber used in the floor is 137,000 cubic feet.
the valve would be exactly the reverse of what takes place in they are mtended to carry. The floor beams are braced together 'fhe total amount of cast ::.nd wrought ironwork of all descripthe up stroke-that is to say, the valve would be grad!uallry by wrought iron tie-bars 1J in. di!'meter: Each beam has b~en tions is 2316 tous.
r eversed. But the link, d, is connected, as above described, subjected to a test of 42 tons applied op 1ts ce.ntre, the deflection
T here are four cranes for lifting the grair. out of vessels, and
to the dropping lever, c, and the rapidity of the descent of ranging from 60-lOOOth to 80-100th of an mcb. The area of landing it in the warehouse. There are also four bucket
the hammer holds back the dropping lever so as to keep it floor surface sustained by one girder is 37 square yards. The elevators for lifting the grain, after it has passed into the wells,
in the position, b bl, .and thus p~events the plate, g, from ac~­ dead weight of the beam and brick arching and floor of one bay in the course of transmission to the several floors. Eleven
ing on the valve until th~ blow 18 actually struck.. Immedi- is 27t tons, or equal to 14i cwt. per square yard.
hoists are provided for lifting or lowering barrels and sacks,
ately upon the blow bemg struck, and the motion of the
By the agreement the Grain Warehousing Company are each hoist capable of carrying six: barrels at a time, and having
hammer consequently stopped, the dropping lever is thrown allowed to load the floors after the rate of four quarters of an extreme range of 66ft. Central hatchways have also been
forward, thus causing the lever plate, g, to work round its wheat to the square yard-four quarters of wheat weigh formed in the floor for fourteen other hoists if required. There
fulcrum, k so as to lower the valve lover, and thus r everse 17 cwt. The aggregate amount of dead weight and grain upon will also be 38 lowering jiggers. The total length of the transthe valve £br the up stroke, and it is ovident that this may the floor when fully loaded will be 58i tons upon each girder, mitting bands is 8800 ft. The vertical shoots for depositing the
take place, no matter at what point in the stroke the blow is or 66 per cent. less than its ascertained breaking strain. The grain on the warehouse floors are 48 in number, or one to about
struck. The thickness of the metal under operation, t.here- total weight of grain and floors, assuming P.ach .floor to be loaded 185 yards of floor area.
fore will not affect the action, as t he motion regulates itself, up to its maximum of four quarters of gram, or 17 cwt. per
Receiving hoppers, weighiug hoppers, spoutR, and all suband' does not require any adjustm~nt whatever. by hand. It square yard, would amount to not less than 77,660 tons. The sidiary appliances are fitted up as 1\t Liverpool.
will also be evident that, mth this valve motion, the valve clear aggregate storage area of all the floors, except quay and
The silo arrangements consist of 46 sheet-iron chambers, each
cannot be reversed until after the blow has been actually silo spaces, is 48,918 square yards, and, at four quarters per 6ft. square and 42ft. in height, and capable of holding 6230
struck. The introduction of the spring, p, renders the motion yard, would give ~ storage capacity for, say, 196,000 quarters quarters of grain. They are constructed so as to admit of their
very quick, easy, and smooth in action. The handle, q, may of grain. Rails are laid within the warehouse forming a com- height being increased if necessary to 60ft., in which case they
be used when it is required to work the hammer by band. munication with the main dock line.
would contain 9040 quarters. In connexion with the silos there
The cylinder is furnished with separate steam and exhaust
The whole of the machinery is worked by hydraulic power, will be an elevator arrangement capable of raising 12! tons per
and consists of cranes for lifting the grain out of the vessel and hour, from the bands under the quay to those over the chambers;
ports, the valve being a piston valve.
landing it in the warehouse.
and also a jowerful blast engine for the purpose of elevatiug,
Of these there are five which raise the grain in tubs from the cooling, an conditioning the grain.
HAVRE Il'fTERNA.TIONAL MARITIME EXIIIBITioN.-The hold of the ship aud discharge it into receiving hoppers (each
Two accumulators for assisting the sul>ply of the hydraulic
town of Havre is essentially a purely commercial city, and _so holding eight tons of grain), on to the machinery floor at the top power are placed in the same building wh1cb contain the silos.
entirely are the interests, and even tho amusements_, of 1ts of the \\'&rehouse. Each crane is capable of raising a ton of 'fhe engine and boiler for protluciog the hydraulic pressure to
inhabitants bound up in the changes and fluctuations of grain at a time at the rate of 50 tons per hour, throu~b an ex:- work the machinery is contained in the tower buildings, at the
cotton and other produce, that, despite its many natural ~reme distance of 136ft. When at work the crane will have an head of the low water basin. The length of pipe within the
advantages, it was an un~enial soil ?t;t which t? ~o~, in 1866, extreme projection of 24ft. beyond the guay.
warehom;es, for conveying the water pressure and return water
the idea of an Internat1onal Mantunc Exhib1tion. After
From tile receiving hopper the grain falls on to the travelling after use, in coooexion with the machinery, is 2440 yards.
havincf~~~~ compelled to make additions. to the orifPno.l pla~ bands, from which, after being freed from dust, it is delivered
the a
· · tration have finally been obbged to reiuse appli- into hoppers, weighing one ton at each operation ; it is then
FLOATING DocK A.T CA.RTA.GENA..-The largest ship in the
cations for space, and the ntunber of exhibitors amounts to delivered into a distributing hopper, from which it is poured on
about 3500. The building, with all its adjuncts, garden, &c., to the traosmitting bands, ot which there are two, running Spanish navy, the Numancia, was lately lifted on the floating
is fast approaching completion, but there is an Unfortunate the entire length of the three stacks of warehouses; and they dock at Cartagena, a dock made by Messrs. Rennie, at Greendelay on the p~rt. of .cxhibi~rs-and partic~a.l'ly of those are so arranged that the grain can be conveyed to any part of wich. The N umancia is built entirely of iron, with the exception of the teak backing for the armour plating ; she is
from Great Bntam-m sending forward theu· s-oods, and, the buildings.
unless they are quick in so doing, they will be liable to be
The total length of the bands is 11,800 ft., and they will 316ft. long, 67ft. beam, draught of water, 27ft. 4 in.; with a
put to great inconvenience through their own ne~lect.. _The travel at a speed of about 500 ft. per minute, and transmit the displacement of 7420 tons (her displacement on leaving for
exhibition will be qpencd on the 1st of J uno, hy tile M1mster grain at the rate of 50 tons per hour. There are fifty-six. the Pacific was 8200 tons), but she was lightened before
of Commerce and .Agriculture; and, as there is no central sbcots, or one to about 175 yards of storage ar<>a, for passing docking to 6600 tons; she is completely encased by 5 in.
space in the building sufficiently largo to hold the pcrso~s grain from one floor to another, each having an area of 72t armour of 1500 tons weight, and pierced for forty 68 pounders .
The port cills, with provisions for 61) 0 men and lOUO tons of
who will be invited to attend, the inauguration ceremony wtll square inches.
be held in a large ha~ belonging to the D ock Compa_ny,
For tbe delivery of grain from the warehouses, shoots are <·oal on board, are 7ft. 6 in. out of water ; h er full speed, 13
which is capable of holding 8000 persons. I t was at one time built in the walls 'on the dock side, in connexion with the knots ; her engines are 1000 horse power, developing nearly
hoped the Emperor would come to the opening, but, although several floors, by means of which the grain can be delivered 4000. The Cartagena dock was the first introduction of iron
he has promi.se~ to visit it, it.~ b~ at a later ~criod. The into the holds of vessels below, or by central shoots into a wagon floating docks; the length is 324ft.; breadth outsiue, 105ft.,
and inside, 78ft. Tho actual lifting CJccupicd 8 hours 13
price of adiDJ..Ssion ~ ~ho Exhibttion 1S ~ed at lt., and 25f. a standin~ on the 1ine of r~il"'ay: ou the quay.
season ticket. Fam1hes can also subscnbe at reduced rates.
Provu.iQn has also beCil made for transferring the grair. from minutes, but it is said that it could be done in four hours on
The original scheme of an E:iliibition exclusively maritime one floor to another, w.hen necessary, for the purpose of ventila- another occasion, now that the strength of the dock is known.
has little by little ex:pand~d, so that n.ow, unde1· the .head of tion. There are also eleven hoi:.ts tor barrels and sacks, each Two days after the Numancia was on the dock a thorouah eximportation and exportation, there will be many things ex- capable of loweriug uine barrels of flour at a time, or a weight aminat.ion was made by the Spanish Engineer-in-Chief, Don
hibited which, if not strictly appertaining to ships and ship· of pue too, to or !rum any tbe floOl'S, aud through an extreme Thomas Thalierie, when there was no perceptible alteration
found in any of the internal bulkheads or bracina, and all
ping, will, at least, be more a~tractivc to that larg~ portion distance of 66 ft.
of the public who are not particularly or p ersonally mtcre~ted
In the upper iloor of the warebonse are fixed twenty jiggers, seemed as truo as when originally made. This sp~aks well
in purel;r nautical matt~: . The ~·go s~l~ water.aqua.num fourteen of which are tor lo\vering purposes only, and six upon for English workmanship, material, :md the good principles
will in 1tself be worth a VlSlt, and, m acldit10n to 1ls attrac- tho dock side are adapted for r aising a.s well us lowering goods. on which the work was designed.
tions and those of the Exhibition in general, there will be
The engine power for working the machinery is placed in the
THE S:noKE OF L oco:noTrvxs.-By the Railway Clauses
races on the 19th and 20th, a reaatta on the 26th and 27th of centre of the north block, and consists of two horizontal high Act of 1845 locomotive engines were " to be so constructed
J uJy, and nU the various out~id'e amusements which iova~i­ pnssure steam pumping engines, of a combined power of 370 as to bum their own smoke." The object of the cla use was
ably spring up on such occasiOns. Among these latter will horse power, of which
clear enough, but it opened the door to a broad field for legal
223 horse power will be necessary for the warehouses, and technical sparring, and it has seldom been enfor ced. It
be bull fi~hts, for which the permission of the authorities has
70
,
,
bridges, gates, was generally easy to show to a bench of county magistrates
been obtamed, and a bull ring is being constructed behind the
11
Exhibition large enough to hold 14,000 persons.
&c.,
that a smoking engine was really constructed so as to burn
MR. E. J. REED.-At a dinner at the hall of the Cloth- Leaving 77
available for any future increase of its smoke, and that n~ smoke could esca~e but through the
worker 's Company on W ednesday evening, Mr. Reed, the
machinery.
carelessness of the dr1ver. The defence m many i£ not in
Chief Constructor of the Navy, in responding on behalf of
mos~ cases was just! for no human power can pr~vent locothe navy, e:s:pressed regret that a military officer of that Total. .. 370
motives from smoking when co.r elessly fed with smoky coal.
service had not been selected to fulfil the task, because he, as
Tbe leogth of piping fol' conveying the water pressure to the An amended clause has passed the House of Lords this week
a mere civil officer of the Admiralty, was not entitled to share machinery is 2800 y11.rds, exclu:.ive of tbat for working the wher~by railway companies will in any case be fined 6l. for
the labours or the honours of the navy. Ho ~ometimes, how- dock gates, bridges, and other dock appliances.
each ~~ance of an~ of thc.ir engines smoking, i\). addition to
ever found it necessary to armour plate himself in order to
the ongma.lfine of ol. for unproper "construction." If the
resi;t newapaper and Parliamentary :fire to which he was
The Birkeuhead corn warehouses have a total external area clause passes the Commons, railway companies will assuredl;Y
unable to r eply; and in t¥s way h e served his country with- of 10,961 square yards, and are five stories in height. They attach this penalty to their drivers, who will therefore find 1t
out being able to defend his own acts.
are divided into three blocks, oue on the north side of the corn necessary to be more CIU'eful than e~er.
•
in
•
1868.
ot
"
- ·- -
•
\
•
MAY
•
zz, !868.]
ENG IN EERING.
sor
==========================================~--~-~----~~======~======~--~==~~--~--------- ~--=~=
nnd the improved indush.v nud more secure cui.CI·pl'ise sum Cl f 0.221 yard, 0.01-(j yard, and 1.04.!') vards, the c
that has attended t.hcru, Luat has created the capito.l subdivision11 followinrr.., no nnf.ural ordc·r or though!. aucl
no clear idea to lhc mind. ll is thus that
NoTICE.-..d ccrtijirate has bef'1£ givm by r~ firm of for addilional works of like character bu i or rar conveying
the l~rcnch, when hardly ouL of a revoluficm, adopl~d
grander
proportions.
For
the
hundreds
of
millions
accounltmls to the p1·0J1rietors of The l~ ngineer, sta Iin.r;
upon public works in Great Britain, and by miuul c slandards of wa·hrht and rnina!.!C, although tbc1r
that the circulatiOJL nf that jouruat has largrl!/ increased spent
ndard ol' l t· n ~th i., t•vcn long•·r· 1h:tu our OWl I..
toitltin the last.(eto !/COr.~. '1'/w Jtumbe1· qf copies printNl English capitalists abroad, since 1838, were l1ardl.y iu lltnBut
whil e all wh o deal w1 tlt Ogurc,.; can adnarc the
existence at ~hat l.imc. :M ore, probabl.v, Llnm HIII C1~h e n .fl.lr. Cot/mm Uitdertoolc it:~ <•ditot·iat '111 allll.fJt!IJWilt
sys tem of arithmcLie, it wotdd be hardly less
ut November l 858 1oas 2850. J.'his rose to 3000 i1t Lcnl.hs of these vast sums have, since then, been ab- dccimul
crentcd from the bidden resources of nature rca~onablc to compel every person iu the kingdom lo
Novembn 1859, to 30!)0 in Marc/~; 1860, to 43GO it~ solutely
the latent ener~ics or man. And, important as lcam. and speak the French language, and to 110 longer
Ju,te 18Gl, amt to 5000 i1t June 1802. Its present and
arc the works of the present gcnera~ion , who can speak English, than it would 1o compc·l them to learn
1rerkl!/ issue is 5300. All tmtn~tltjitt paragrap/1. coll- suppose that others still more im portant arc not yet aud employ the metrical sysl.t·m of wt iglt ts and meatinues to appear 1oceld!/ in thr same j otmtat, .~tatitt(J to be undertaken, and that within a compnraf.ivcly sua·es and Lo give up their own. In l'a<.L this '~ould
that its ci1·cutation e.cceeds, b.1J mm1y thousrmds, that early period P '!'here arc good reasons for believing bo nearly us impos::~iblc as th e firs t. Onl.v the w1ll of
of alt tltc otlter C11f)itteeri1~fJ j ourna/.'t combiucct. 1'/te that engineering, which is the great aid to civilisul ion, the pcoi>lc could compel it, and their will i<; wLoll.r
tircttlatiolt of ENGiNEERING 1tow exceeds that of if it be not civilisation itself, is literally but yet in its against it. Were it eveu possible to carry a bill l.hrou!!h
The Engineer a~ut .hlcchauics' Magazine combined, rwct infancy. Great as is the draiu of engineering works Parliament, making the adoption of the metrical -oysit is vcr!/ rapid/!1 illcreasi1l!J.
upon capital, and great as are the sums paid hy the tcm compulsory, the law would remain a dead letter
trading and other interests or the country as a rctum to which nothing could give life or cU'cct.
Advc1·tisemcnts cmmot be r eceived .for i1tSC1'li01t in tlte cur- upon this capital, together with the cost of workingrent 1.oeck later titan G P.M. m~ Tlmrsda.v. The clta1'lle few sums which amounL to 75,000,000t. a year in tuis
alloc1·tisemc1~ls is tlwtJo shillings jo1· t!tojl1·st jou1· lines or
IRRIGATI ON WORK~' I N I N DIA.
kingdom alone, and therefore nearly equal to the whole
und11r, aiLd e(qlttpoltce.fol' eaclt additional li11o.
SINCE the appointrucnt by th e Government of India
national
expenditure-it
is
certain
that
more
capital
The p1·ico of J£NGINEERING to a1mmal subscribers, recao only be created by such works, and certain also of an Inspector-General of J rrigatiou,.now n~orc than
ceiving stamped copies at places tlwco miles away from tiLe
that it would cost at least ten times as much to carry fift.ccn months ago, we have hcen lookmg anxaously for
Gc1toral Post Office, is ll. 1s. Sd. If credit be give", tiLe
some ~ ign of action which should make itself fdt
clta1·ge is 2s. 6d. cxt1·a, subscriptions being payable in on the present trade of the country without them as
with them, supposing even that it could then be carried throughout the whole EmJ>irc, contributing alike to the
advance.
benefit of the people and l.ho increase or the Lmpcrial
Chcq1,es and money O?'dCI'S to be made payable 01~ly to Mr. on at all.
In a country so covered wiLh engineering works revenues. 'rho above appointment was accompnuied
Oha1·lcs Gilbert.
0./Jico for Publicatiol£ a?ld Advertisements, No. 37, as thi~, it is difncult to predict what further large by a ~rcat ilottrish of trumpets ; loans were to be at
1Jeclford-streot, Strattd, TV.O.
undertakin.~s will be carried out at home; but the once anvitcd for tlae express purpose of aiding the
bridging of the Severn, the llun'lhcr, and the Fori h, I mperial funds in the cxrculioa1 of irrigation works,
ENGINEERING is rogistc1·od fol' transmission. ab1·oad. the tunnelling of the Mersey, the cons! ruction of a special appointments were made un<lcr each local
great direct coal line from the west, and of an exten- governurenL in order to assist the lnspcctor-Ocneral
Ls bureau d'ENGINEERING pOtw la Franco est 16, sive system of cheap ngl'iculturul railways must be in his duties, and expedite l.he e:lt'rying out of
Quai Malaquais, Pa1·is, clw: E. Lac1·oix, Di1·ectewr dos among them. IL is not at all uncertain that some sancLior1cd works, no rnor·o concessions wc·rc to be
A.1males d-" Gcnio Ci·vil.
mode of crossing the English Channel other than by given, or cncoura~cment ofl'ercd to private enterprise
S ubscriptionsfor the ANN.U.ES DU GENI E CIV IL arsrccoivcd steamers or vessels of an.v kind may not yet be carried for carrying out tllesc impot tant works, whi ch could
by M1·. Oltarles Gilbert, tlto publislae1· of ENGINEERING, out. !L is even more probable that, as engineers look not only be construe! cd more expeditiously an.d
of wl1o11£ also tlto N OUVE.A.U PonTBPBUILLn Dn L' lNOENIBUR abroad nnd learn how to influence capir al there, th ey cheaper by the Government. ngcnc.v of the Pub he
DES CunMINS DB F.nn 111ay be obtained, price 9l.
will carry a g-reat liuc of water and rad way cou~tnu ­ Works Dll parLmcnt, bul. 1 ht· dilfwull,it·!) in st•pa rab lt~
D. Yan Nost1·a1td, 192, Broadway, Now York, is the BOLE nication ncross British North America, con1plcte a from the 0111pJoyull'llL ol' priva.Lc COlll 1 1f~llil :S for Ih 1t
.American agc~£t for ENO I NEERI NG, and 'is CM'tltoriso(l to grand sh ip caual to connccl. the grcaL Am erican lakes purpose, owia1g, in a meas ure, to l.ho land rcvcuuc
1•oceive all Sttbsoriptions a~td .Atlvo1·tisemenls from A.mo1·ica through Cunada, a railwa.v down the valley or the as-;cs mrnt., and which had been alrrady cx pcricuccd,
for this paper. S1,bscriptim~ price, te1• dollars yearly i1• Euphrates, anotbcr from the sea of Azof to Pr kin would tiH·rch.Y be cntircl.v ohvi,ll,cd. :"\othin.t apcurrt:~tc.v.
(and L ondon is no further from l'ekin tlum from peared 1o be wan ing in all tla is aaraalgl·mcar l. tu acudcr
ENGI NEERING may be obtained in R1tssia, by sub- Panama), a line 140 miles long across th e Mexi- rts succ•·ss complete, and Lhe GovcrnntCI II or India was
scribing for it at any of tlto Post-offices in tlto Empi1·tt. can isLl.unus of 1'chuantcpcc, connecting t.he two givcu all due crcdiL for havin;; at last awakened to a
Tlte price is 10 silver roubles pe1· amtmlt in St. Potorsbttrg, oceans, with a saving of more than o. l.housand sense of its responsibilit ic~, and of hav ing Jimily
miles of distance as compared wit.h the routes resolved Lo oblil.c1·utc al l recollecLio11S of past, in:\C'tiviLy
a11d 12 silver 1•ot,blos h~ othe1· parts of Rttssia.
lo Lhe south, lines across South Am erica, and the by tlw inauguraL ion of a vig1)rous eo ut se of pa·occt·dlhousands of coucomit ant works of public and general ings for Lhc fur ure. JL may fairly be assu11 acd that
:MEETINGS NEXT WEEK.
improvement whicu such vast undertakiugs, once car- upon Lhus entering upon what may almo t be 1trmed
TIIJI: INSTITUTION Ol' .CIVIL ENOINERRS.-Tuesday, !Jfa.1J
ried out, would involve. It is not visionary to have a new line of polic.v, the publre would not lta,·e heeu
26, at 9 P.M. Tll o Prt!Bidonts .4mt1tal ( 'onuorsa:::ion('.
T he new
RoYAL UNITED SunvrcB INSTITUTION.- .ilfonday Jl)vtmin.'J, great faith in the future, so long as the energies of ovc·r-cxactiug lor iLs fulfilmc11 L to 11tc l ~·l.r er.
lfiay 25, at 8! P.M. "On, Ci,·culm· 8/iips of 1Va?' with lm· nations arc not exhausted, nntl who will untlca La.kc to course L1iJ UOWIL UJ 1h..: (J .;, cnuucuL fu1 id "''a. pn>·
mc1·scd M otive L'owor." By J'olm Etdc1·, Bsq.
say that tbcy arc? Wherein arc such works as we have rcrdi11gs, in COlli\CX.IO il Wl1.h l.lv• c mst r11rl i 111 o• irrip-.ahinted at more unlikely of execution within Lhc next 1ion w o rk ::~ on a very. cular•'77 cu ::.<:ale I ht-ou ,...,crhou L the
twenty or thirty years than .was the Suez Canal Lhc Empire, necessarily in volved, in Lhc li 1:;,1, {> al·C, 1be
same length of I imc ago P This great work, now be- formation of a special branch of the l>lth ic Works
ginning to inspire faith in ils success, was tht·n scouted DcparLm cn t; and, sccondl.v, the pa·opcr i111 est irralion
FR I DAY, MAY 22 , 1868.
astheidlest.whimofapolitical orcnginccr·illgvisiollars. of numcro u ' projects for new works, anrl llae ll t'<·par •·
J~vcn were it ccrrain that. th e cutr ing would keep Opl' n, L1011 of dcta11Cd designs auu csL11 n d, :; lh:fon: !.Ire r·
there were a hundred millron cubic yard::! of c·xctwa- con:sLruct.ion could be propcrl.v commcnct·d npou. All
THE DESTINY OF ENGINEERING.
Lion, and yet we actually find I his more than one-half this, of course, occupied a certain :\.IIIOliiiL of ti111c,
IT is hardly more than thirty years since lhe pro- removed already, and the work proceeding at the rate during which il, wa uot to be ('Xpecl cd an.v grcaL addispectus ?f U~e Lon~on and Birmingham Hail way Coni- of nearly a million and a half yurds a mot~tld 'l'lwre ' ion woul d be marlr in lltn ~·x l• ·nr nf IH'W ' 11· ,, hnt it.
puny, w1th 1ts cstamatc of tllr cos t of their propo .. ed were nearly 350,000 cubrc ynrds of concrete blocks Lo uc,·cl nor, 1 h,·rc Ill'•' , llll' t' ,, I' .r ·d 1 ,,
1r · 1 •!! 1r 111"
tmd~rtakiog as ] ,BOO,OOOt., took, not only the general be sunk at PorL Sa'id, a11d vcr. threc-f\JUI t.hs ol rlu·m prO~CCIII iOil Of 1\ 111'1,., ulr old ) I I
11 •·
l • I t\1 , \\,!1' 1
•
p~blrc, but even Lomb:trd-st~eet by surprise. Yet, arc already down. The world is only bt·ginni11g r.o udlic;ult 1o beli eve Lhnt. 1h,; rl· were no., 111 t:.tell I'I'CStwath the exam plc of success ailordcd by the Liverpool lcaru what engineers can do. More eugincers arc denc·y, nmny projects alread.v frdl y nm(tu·cd, tor new
aud Manchester Ra.ilway capital was soon found not. needed in J'nrliamPnt, and n more vigor011S aucl en- and useful "orks wl1 ich 111 igh t tll once h .l vc IH"ru c •Ill ·
only for the L ondon and llirminrrharn, but for' sWl lightened fo rci~n policy is req uired to carry the hlt-ss- mcnccd upou, aud tlw unl.' C\ eu~ablc cau::.t' of d.·ltty
more costly lines, and that, notwi~slauding the esti- ings of cn~inccrin.~, which arc those of civilisation, in carrying them out would be an incllicrcncy in
mate just referred to proved to have been but about over the whole habitable face of the globe.
the strcngtll of the Government cnginecrin){ staff. That
one-third of the ulLimatc outlay, as ascertained within
there has been great. dcla.v we shall prcllcntly proceed to
ci~htecn months after the lino was opened for traflic.
show, and, Lal ing it for g-ranted that Lho l'LLblic
Since that tirno ncarJ.v flve hun<lred mil lions of money DECIMAL AND METRICAL SYSTEMS. Works Estnblishment wus of insuflicient numerical
have been found for British railways alone; and only
TuE convenience of a system of decimal notation strength to enter at. once upon tbc propo cd enthis week the Midluud shareholders sanctioned the is undeniable as respects the arithmetic of science larged scale of operations-for iL is to lle feared 1hat
mising of five millions of additional capital, in shares and of art, but it. is wholly opposed to the natural it IJas long been far Loo weak for the proper performand debentures, as readily as the Stock ton and Darling- binary divisions of general commerce, of which the ance of even its ordinary duties-it rcm:lins to be
ton directors, in the olden time of 1825, would have smaller transactions of tradesmen, shopmcn, market- seen what steps have been taken for giving it such
voted 50,000t. A dissenting sllareholdcr who asked men and fanners make up tho grcaL aggregate. increased proportions as should cnablo it fully aud
that a ~oil mighL be taken, was ncal'ly put down with Whatever Inay be the standard measure of longl.h, fairly to cope with the grca.U.v incrca.,cd amount of
cries ot "Shame," anJ when the poll was taken it was surface, OL' capacity, and whatever tue sLaudard work with which it was to be entrusted. Now it
fouud that ninety-nine hundred th s of the vnluc of weight, none who buy want one-tenth, one-fifth, or must be admitted that the demand for n large increase
shares held directly or by proxy at the meeting were thirLhy-fivc-hundredths of iL. Whatever the st.andnrd, in the scientific branch of the Public \York::! Departin favour of raisin!{ ns much addiLioual money ~s the they are naturally disposed to hnlvc it, quarter it, and ment, for the execution of large and important works
A~yssinian war hns cost.
go on halving and quartering till the required sub - upon which the prosperity of the Empire may be
I.f, when t~e capital ayai.lablc for engi~eering under- division is reached. Multiplying the standard is an- said to largely depend, and the construction of which
takmgs has 1~creascd w1thm ~~~? lust thu'Ly or lhirty- other thing, aucl here we aL onco enter upon decimal involves ofLcn extremely difficult and delicate cngifi~c. years, htcrally from mdhons to. ~undreds of notation, and all of us can understand and add up necrin~ operations, eau never be fairly met hy au
m~hons, what may we not expect Wftlnn. the next 221 yards, 4G yards, and 1040 yards readily enough, immedmtc, or even an annual, increase to the number
thirty or forty years P It has been engmcermg works, I while few would have any notion of the quantities or of junior engineers scut out from this country•
PUBLISHER'S ANNOUNCEMENT.
ENGINEERING.
==============--======:. :. =·-
•
•
502
•
•
These young men who are selected at the competitive examinations periodically held in this countr.v,
or the " Stanley engineers, as they are called in
India, consist almost exclusively of engineering
students, very few of them having ever enjoyed much,
if any, experience of a practical nature before going
out to Indta; on their arrival, they have really to
leam their profession, the rudiments of which they are
supposed already to have conquered in this country.
Such additions to the engineer establishments m
J ndia are, of course, necessary it1 order to keep up
their numerical proportions, hut the result of throwa greatly increased number of students into the Public
Works Department can only have the result of increasing the number of its members at a sacrifice of its
standard of efficiency. The second competitive examination held last year would have, to a certain extent, led to such a result, had not the judicious step
been takm of at the same time sending out thirty
hi~hly qualified engineers for temporary service, whose
profe~sio nal experience will help to maintain the
general standard of the department. Fnllv admitting
t11at the vested interests of all who receive appointments in the Indian Puhlic Works Department are, to
a certain extent, interfered with by the creation of
new appointments to the higher grades of the department, should the numbers in each grade be maintained
only at their former proportion, as that would be virtually to stop :promotion altogether; yet, by making
all such appomtments actual increases of the established numbers in the grades to which they may be
posl ed, would have the contrary effect, and tend to
stimulate promotion. rather than t.o retard it. Un der
these circumsl ances, and provided t.hat the laLter
course be in' ariably adopted in all cases of ext.rllordinar.v appoint111ents to the Public Works Department, all in•erests aa·,..cted demand t.bat the est ab I ishn•t'nts or the department. should be again augmented
by new appointments to I he higher grades.
La t .vear tbe sum of 700,0U0t. was entered in the
Es• imat ·s as the amount to be spent. on works of irrig., , ion; hut it. appears that not much morr. than halt
t.h at sum WiiS likely to have been ~p nt duriug the
pt·riod. This diminished expenditure, it is cont.t'nded,
has 1101 he, n in t.he smatl s• deg1 et· due to any act io11
of t.he Govemment of l 1dia m re::-tr c••ng- t il e gr:11,ts,
hut who ly to t he Wt~nt or ability of Lilt' local Public
Works officer:; to ::.pend the mo 1ey assigned lot· irrigation works to the extent that had been auticipateJ
at t.lte commencem,..nt of t ile year. Here, then, is
divul~ed the only ~pparent cause why irrigation works
ha\'e 110t. been p11shed forw"rd in tue manuer, and to
1 he rxtPII t 'ht> w~·rld ltas heeu lr.d to t·xpect frout tile
past promi-es ol' Governmf'nt.. The btinll polic.v of
,.111 ti11g down est<thtislun 11 s, s 1 t.t1at 1 heir cos• sit lJ
re prc·s· 111 the sm oil est. possible percent a!!e on 1 he ex)JI' ' "' rIll'\' IIICU .., .,, •11 ' ' e D pa tmt>ttt, has r' al ty
f'" lll • d "t " i l"t' ar b (' Jo' l t t tlw ('011111 .V 11 i the bene'' \ r I uud~t·d " " a11d
1 tl 11::>
•
I
,. 11
• 111 i ri atio
1
\\oul lt, \ <: ,
,, '·
., .• r t i.-s• on · yu,
L11 e w·r u .1 ' lu uf 1t <:11 11 IS i " o--ihlt:: to c•sttln ol t· ,
ana which might llave been snved bad t.he r...al p.,siI IOil of thin)!:) been duly apprrcwted in time. The
dema 11ds of the ::.everal local gover11me11ts a11d
ad tuini~t rations f •r utollt'Y to be exp,·nded u 110n
st1nilar wot ks during t • e current. year amounted
to 1, 85 ! ,5 rlOt. ; b" t "p •ll tu e con:-ide1at ion tu at.
it was d•, uhtf1.l whether the "hole of t.hat sum
could be profitably speu t on sudt w<•rks dut in~ tlw
year, 1 he sum of 1,400,000t. only has been allotted, of
which 950,000l., has been sanctioned for extraordinary
or new works, and 450,000t. for ordinary works; at
the same time, however, it has been notified that these
grants fo r extraordinary works are not final, and that
if, in the course of the year, it is shown that more
fu nds ca11 be expeudfd upou them, the Government of
India will be prepared to con:-idel' any application tl•at
may be made to that effect-a very safe promise, indeed, considering that the establishment by which the
expenditure has to be supet·intended has been but very
slightly enlarf!ed since last year, when it was found
impossible to spend much more titan one-third of that
antount on similar works. As we have before shown,
it will be impossible for the Government to utilise
lar~e annual grants for outlay on irrigation works,
unless the establishment at their disposal for constructing such works be also increased in a similar ratio.
Tt is proposed to augment the Imperial revenues from
loans in order to meet the contemplated increased expenditure on this class of work, and it will be found
that a similar plan must be had recourse to for executive engineers-that is by making temporary appointments-if it is deemed unadvisable to increase the
permanent establishments.
ENGINEERING.
•
CENTRIFUGAL PUMPS.
(MAY
22,
1868.
THE LATE MR. ALEXANDER GORDON.
THERE died last week, in the I sle of Wight, at the age of
IN getting up the comparatively high, and sometimes very high, speed of centrifugal pumps, from sixty-six, a member of our profession, who was at one time
known among his compeers as " Lighthouse"
engines of the more usual construction and working familiarly
Gordon. H e h ad not r ecently been very actively engaged in
at moderate speeds, gearing or belting is required. business, and his latest ostensible employment was in conMessrs. Gwynne and Co. were, we believe, the first nexion with the warming and ventilation of the Houses of
to couple a short stroke, quick working engine direct Parliament, of which h e for a year or two had charge,
to the pump shaft, and their large pump in the Inter- during the leave of absence granted to his friend Sir Gold.sGurney.
national Exhibition of 1862, was driven by a. pair of worthy
At the commencemeut of his career Mr. Alexander Gordon
engines having 18 in. cylinders and 14 in. stroke, was the engineer to several portable gas establishments, his
working to 200 revolutions per minute, and sometimes, relative, Mr. David Gordon, havingintroduced improvements
when running light, to 240. The same firm have in the syphon forcing pumps, r eservoirs, &c., whereby the
since made smaller pumps driven direct at about 700 re9.ui.site degree of compression was thought to have been obfor rendering gas portable for the purposes of illuminarevolutions per minute, and we lately gave a brief ac- tamed
tion; and arrangements were made for the adoption of the
count of one of these which had worked at this great system in L ondon, Edinburgh, Manchester, Paris, and other
speed, night and day, for two years with perfect satis- cities and places. Subsequently he became interested in the
faction to its owners.
endeavours to apply steam power on common r oads, being no
Messrs. J ohn and Henry Gwynne, who were for doubt induced to turn his attention to this branch of practice
several years engaged under Messrs. Gwynne and Co., by his intimate associations with thP late Sir (then Mr.)
Goldsworthy Gurney and Colonel Macirone. Ho wrote
but who are now the proprietors of t.he Hammersmith several
treatises and pamphlets on Elemental Locomotion,
Ironworks, have brought out an extremely neat design with a. view to show the fitness of ordinary highways for exfor a high lift pump, driven by a small high-speed peditious and economical internal communication by means
engine, not direct, but through frictional gearing in of steam carriages.
In the year 1840 he, in an elaborate essay on " Photothe proportion of about 2 to l. One of these, which
as applicable to Engineering," directed attention to
has been made for the Havre Maritime Exhibition, was graphy,
the advantages that might be expected to result "from the
t.ried early this week with very satisfactory results. discoveries of M . Daguerre and others, in enabling copies of
The engine, which is horizontal and high pressure, has drawings or views of buildings, works, or even of machinery
a single cylinder 5! in. in diameter, with 4! in. stroke, when not in motion, to be taken with perfect accuracy in a
and with steam greatly throttled from the boiler it was very shor t space of time, and with compar ativelJ small ex Mr. Gordon also made experiments w1th what he
driven at 414 revolutions per minute, as shown by a pense."
termed a " Fumific Impeller," to propel a small boat weighmechanical counter, and threw upwards of 500 gal- ing about two tons; for this purpose he discharged the hot
lons of water per minute to a height of about 30 ft., products of combustion from a close furnace, under and
the pu mp being designed, however, when in full against the water, without the intervention of any machinery.
It is said that the first great sea light on an iron tower was
work, at a highet· speed, to raise this quantity 45 ft.
that erected by Mr. Gordon in the year 1841 on Morant
Richards's admirable indicator was employed for Point,
Jamaica, at the extremity of the low swamps which
taking diagrams at this great speed, and excellent form the eastern end of that island. In the following year
cards were obtained, showing that the engine, pur- he designed, for the Home Government, a similar structure
posely throttled, was working to but about half power. for Bermuda, which was erected on Gibb's Hill in 1845. This
The design of the engine and pump is particularly lighthouse was very lofty ; it exhibited a light of the most
powerful kind, and its total cost was less than SOOOZ. In the
neat and compact, and aL the highest speed 1be bed year
1847 he addresed a letter to Mr. Joseph Hume, M.P.,
plate was as firm to tbe touch as when the engine was on the subject of the " Li~hthouses of the British Colonies
at n·st. The piston and rod are in a sin a-le piece, and and Possessions Abroad," m which he urged the establishment
of stftel ; the crank shaft, crank, and crank pin ~re also of a r egular system of management, the collection of
n a sin~le pie('e, made from Btssemer !'t.eel by the statisti('al facts connected '\vith lighthouses, and that they
Bolton I •Oil a 11d Steel Con• pany. T11e cros, hettd is of should be placed under the control of some po.rticular departof the public service. For many years afterwards Mr.
steel, and 11as a 11e11t arrangl'mr.nt. for wipiug a d o•li11g ment
Gordon was employed in lighthouse work; and in 1861 be
1be smgle broad ~uidc at each s• rake. The uil CU11s again r eturned to the subject of their administration, pointing
on 1he connecting rod aud crossbead are so made that out in a letter to the then President of the Board of Tro.de,
the oil is evenly and slowly ft:d without the chance of what in his OJ?inion was necessary to place them on a.
throwing out. any oil at even the highest speerl, and satisfactory foot1ng.
Intelligent, well-informed, and clear, it is a matter of sur t.he engine has been ruu, li~ht, at 800 revolutions per prise
to some why the subject of this sketch never took a.
minute, or 600 ft. of piston for a 4! in. stroke. The more promin,ent '('OSition. A popular author has furnished
st uffing.b..x gla11d~, which in most other designs have the public with br1ef biographical notices of self-made m:-n,
an oilcup cast lltlon t.l1em, and which cannot, 1here- or rather, it mn.y be said, of successful men. An equally infore, lte fi11 i~hed in a lathe, have tlw oilcup cored out. teresting volume, and possibly quite as useful n. one, might
be written of the lives of clever, talented men w.b.o have been
wi•bin 1he flauge, and cOVt'red by a flush lip, jointed unsuccessful,
pointing out the causes which contributed to
to a binge, aud "hi. h utay be c;~llt·d the caL's claw their failure in life.
'""'er, as it oper~:- ltlllt·lt '" the 111anuer of a CHt's claw,
Mr. AJexandc:r Gordon was elected no Associate of the
·t:thou lt fillS '• " i h L e c·urved surf 1t'e of I he flange Institution of Civil Engineers in the year 1827, before the
ltoyal CharLcr of Inco1·eoration was obtained, and he was
I e11 0\\ D.
Me:-s s. J. aud 11 G" J lllle are t>ll!!agt:d upon a tr11nsferred to the class ot Members in 1835.
pair ,,f vtry lar~e putups, atnong •he largt·st ytt uoade,
ano1 intendtd fOl' D~llm..trk. 'fhc ta~t.:s Ol these pum~s
BRITISH CoLUMDIA.-According to a recent official states~and 8 ft. 6 in. high, the " fans" are 4 ft. Gin. 1n
tl iame ter, anci the iulet and ou tlt-t pipes 3 ft. 6 in. in ment the colony of British Columbia, with which Vancouver's
I sland was last year incorporated, continues to confirm the
d1~meter.
They are guaranteed to thrown 50,000 impression entertained by the ear lier settlers as to its mineral
gallons per mi nule to a. height of 6ft.., but will, it is richness. Although the white population of the mainland
~·onlide• • tl y couuteJ upon, throw, together, nearly twice was only 6000, ana the native about 40,000, the yield of gold
that quautit.y, or, say, 90.000 gallons, or upwards of was 600,000l. the year before last, and is now believed to be
increasing. To obtain this return only 3000 miners were
400 tons of water pP.r minuLe.
engaged, and the average earning was therefore 200l. per
MINERALS IN TA.SMANIA.-A mineral discovery, which
promises to be important, has recently been made on the
banks of the River D on, Tasmania. A lode has been found,
yielding cobalt, silver, copper, and antimony. A few stones
broken from the lode were, a short time since, for warded to
an assayer nt the W allaroo Smelting Works, for analysis.
The result was aa follows :-Cobalt, 4 oz. in the ton; silver,
100 oz.; copper, 14ler cent., and a. quantity of antimony.
The ore is estimate at worth 86Z. per ton. A specimen of
lead, as taken from the same locality, has also been analysed,
and found to contain 82 per cent. of pure galena, besides
several ounces of silver to the ton.
RAILWAYS IN RoUMANIA. -Mr. G. Ridley, C.E., has r eceived an engagement from the Government of Roumania. to
superintend certain railways in the Principalities, which
have benefited largely from the very large shipments of coal
which they have been enabled to make this year to W cstern
Europe.
FRBNCH L oCOMOTIVES.-That enormous undertaking, the
Paris, Lyons, and Mediterranean Railway, does not apl?ear
to have made any material addition to its stock of engmes
last year, although 468 passenger carriages, and 3461 goods
wagons were acquired from various sources during 1867.
A very considerabl e number of locomotives are, however, now
being built for the company, viz., 16 passenger engines, 76
goods en~es, and 20 station engines. Orders have also been
given out for five new passenger carriages, and 2760 m ore
goods trucks.
man a year, which far exceeds any average ever reached
either in California or Australia. Great ho~es, it is said, are
also entertained of the prospects of silver minmg in the colony,
some specimens from the Cherry Cheek Mines having, upon
assay, shown 1300 oz. ~er ton. Meanwhile great advance
has been made in ngnculture, especially as r egards the
growth of cereals and t.he manufacture of ftour from homegrown wheat. In early days the colony waa described as a
barren wilderness, the only resource of which was the gold
hidden in its ina('cessible mountains, and it was only during
the year 1866 that its agricultural capabilities were conclusively established. The facilities for travel afforded by the
completion of the wagon roads and other communications
tended gradually to remove the misconception. Settlers have
taken up farms throughout the whole course of the roads,
and large t racts of l{md have been cultivated and sown with
wheat and other cereals with most satisfactory results. Steam
and water power grist mills, according to the exigencies of
particular districts, h ave sprung into existence ; and home
manufactUred ftour of a superior qualit;r i.s already ta.king
the place of imported flour. Stock rrusing has also been
taken up vigorously and with g reat success.
GREAT EASTERN RAILWAY.-The new general manager of
this system (Mr. S. Swarbrick) has greatly r educed the train
service on the branch lines, and considerable advances have
been made in the fares and goods rates in some parts of the
very extensive but sluggish district accommodated by the
n etwork. It is hoped by this m eans that a small dindend
will be forthcoming next vear upon the ordinary stock.
-
•
MAY
zz, I 868.]
FORTIFICATION.- No. VIII.
THoUGH walls of masonry are now seldom raised as
the only cover in defence works, as temporary defences, obstructions, and cover wben they are tound
in the way of an assailant where he may be obstructed
or repelled with advantage to the defence, they are
never neglected. Our rea-ders will remember how extensively stone walls were ut.ilised in the defence at
Gettysbur~. Park, garden walls, and houses may be
fashioned mto very formidable defences where a post
is to be held, or the chance offers of doing dectded
clamage to the enemy. The opportunities in England
afforded by stone walls and hedges, of giving a warm
. welcome, more hot than wholesome, to an enemy, with
small expendiLure on our own part, are many and important. Let us hope that our volunteers, who in
other respects have given so much proof of energy
and zeal, will not neglect to learn how this ma.v he
done; that tlley will turn with their wonted zeal to
this vital part of the acquiremenls which will enable
them in the day and hour of danger, should they ever
see it, to take full advantage of every means of
utilising every species of cover and obstruction where
they exist or may be raised. If this be neglected, by
far the greatest factor of their defensive power will be
lost. 'l'o any man of ordinary capacit y, who will give
a moment's thought to the subject, this will be
abundantly clear. Let any YOlunteer who has learned
the comp1ete use of his muzzle-loading rifle, think
what damage he could do to n body of assailants
coming in the direction of where he stood, completely
covered, hefore they could come up to him, even if
their road were without obstructions, and, the extra
damage resulting from the delays caused by well
placed barriers, and he will surely not neglect. the
easily acquired knowledg-e that will enable him to
secure the full fruits of these advantages. 'ro every
one in the ranks this knowledge, even from its moral
effects, is most important. But neglect of this acquirement on the part of an officer, whose duty it is
to ut.ilise to the utmost degree of effectiveness the
forces he commands, and one of whose most important
duties is, as far as possible, t he preservation of the
valuable lives of those who, without question, must
obey the orclers he may give, is what he should blush
to own. But this is far too mild. The neglect is
criminal, and should be re~arded as such with a feeling
so general and pronounced, that it could no longer be
endured.
F' I C. 0!2 .
Fig. 22 is the elevation of a wall 1~ or .12ft. hi~h,
which, being prepared for defence, IS . pierced w1th
two tiers of loop-holes. The upper Is formed by
opening narrow fissures in the wall from the top to a
depth, say, of 2 ft., and, lik~ the lower, a~ ~ntervals of
about 3ft., this being the distance men firmg over or
through a parapeL should be placed apart to enable
them to use their rifles freely and effectively. These
loop-holes are rendered quite safe for the defenders to
fire through by placing a stone in each, filling the
upper part of the openings as we have here shown.
They might be secured in this way by logs of wood or
sand baO's. These loop-holes, e1ther the upper or
lower, ar~ not of the precise form they would be if
the wall had been originally constructed for de~ence.
Their degree of approach to ~ regular r?rm Will. depend on the time that can be gtven to. t~eir formatiOn.
If this be not reduced to a narrow lim1t they should
be made 3 in. wide on the outside; on the inside the
width should be the thickness of the wall. The tools
for making loop-holes in walls are cr.owbars, pickaxes,
short iron bars steeled at the pomt, termed hand
borers, mason's hammers and chisels. .
Firr. 23 is the profile of a wall which affords two
tiers" of loop-holes. 'l'he riflemen who fire through
the upper tier stand on a plat.form supported by casks .
ENGINEERING.
A trench is reguired for those who fire through the
lower tier. Care should be taken to prevent the
chance of an enemy cominrr to the foot of the wall
and using the lower loop-h~es for his own selfish purpose. With a view to prevent this perversion of their
original intention we have a ditch, abattis, and palisades in front of the wall in Fig. 23. This is a very
Fl C.Z3.
readily improvised defence. Yet supposing it to be
well manned, and to cover, say, half a mile or even a
quarter of a mile of the front of a position which an
enemy, being unable to seize or pass by a Bank movement had determined to:force with :nasses of infantry,
it is easy to see that the shaLtering they would endure
must be terrific.
The front of the Confederatejositiou at Fredericksbur~ was in many parts covere with stone walls, and
the formidableness of that entire front is recorded in
one of the bloodiest pages of the history of this desolating war. In the words of Colonel Chesney, ((It
was a slaughter rather thnn a battle. . . . . Meagher
led his brave Celts, tbe remnant of the Iri::.h brigade,
which had fought so well at Gain's Hill, and shared
the hot struggle with Jackson at Antietam, nearly to
the muzzles of the guns, but only to fall in such heaps
as to give the spot the gloomy name of the slaughter
pen." Here there is a lesson that should, by every
possible moral force, be impressed upon all our
olficers, and still more upon all those who are, or
should be, respcnsible for their efficiency, which teaches
the absolute necessity for them of the kuowledge, and
a clear and comprehensive knowledo-e, of works of
defence. If General Burnside had had this knowledge
-unless he is strongly at heart a reckless savagehe would not have dri ven his troops, like sheep into
a slaughter-house, as be did at Fredericksburg. To
give, as far as possible, this lesson all the force it
should have, we return again to our unfailing source,
Colonel Gbesney. Referriug to Burnside's resolution,
he says, "There was a general misgiving as to the
result of the experiment. Hooker expressed his feelings with characteristic vehemence; nor can it be
doubted that had the rest of the generals known the
full difficulties tbey had before them, and that the
attack was really to be against a strongly entrenched
camp, guarded by eighty thousand men, and mounted
with the heaviest guns, their remonstrances would
have been so loud as to have changed the purpose of
their chief. But Burnside, in the oelief of the enemy's
dispersal along the river, argued that the assault being
made with numbers so superior, upon a line of such
great extent, some single point would certainly be
carried, and the rest of the defences thus made useless. With the true obstinacy of a narrow mind, he
clung to this idea, thus misapplying a rule good in
itself. He forgot"-we should rather say did not
know-" that to take a continous line of works it is
necessary, not only to enter somewhere, but to keep
the point thus gained within the enceinte. Many are
the instances in war wbere part of the defensive position of an army, ranged on a long line, has been for a
moment carried, but the success not being properly
followed by support, or the defenders having brought
up their reserves more quickly than tbe assailants, the
latter have been driven out again, perhaps with heavy
loss. Such was the fate of J unot's corps at Busaco,
after it bad fairly penetrated the English position on
the crest of the hill. No less unfortunate was the
issue of the bold attack made by the centre of the
allies upon Napoieon's works at Dresden, though it
succeeded for a time. But as striking an instance of
the uselessness of this kind of temporary advantage
occurred more recently on the hill held by the allies at
Inkerman. 'l'here a Russian battalion, having crowned
the heights unopposed, at an unguarded point, de·
played, halted, and melt~d ~way agai~ dou•n the slop~,
without any pressure, timid and d1strustful of their
advantage for the want of support."
Far more striking than any of these incidents are
the results which we have related of the penetration of
the enemy's line by the Confederates at Gel.tysburg on
the second, and also on the third day of the battle.
A parallel incident is related by General Todleben of
the siege of Si.listria.. . On .the 28t~ May, 1.85~, two
Russian hattahons, atdmg m repelling a sort1e, m the
ardour of pursuit followed the Turks into the Arab
'rabia, and, being left without support, were driven
out with a loss of 700 men. But one that should
touch the hearts, and thence more directly and more
effectively appeal to the understandings of English.
men than any of these, is related by Sir William
Napier in his account of the first British siege of
BHdajoz; in the attempt to reduce San Christoval, a
fort on the right bank of the Guadiana, which commanded the ground on which the besiegers intended
to construct batteries for a reverse attack upon the
castle. The day after the English engineer, Captain
Squires, broke ground, the French made a sortie,
w1th their wonted elan, and carried the battery, but
they were immediately driven back by the reserves,
who, in their fury, drove them too far, and, being taken
in front and flank, as in the other instauce we have
cited, they quickly retreated with a loss of 400 men.
This was paying the penalty of ignorance, such as we
have ofteu paid. Had the officers leading these reserv.es k~own the simplest outlines of the principles of
fortlficatwn they would not have led them to such a
bloody and bootless sacrifice. But the blind monster
Ignorance did not here t ermioate his cruel game.
Referring again to Sir William Napier: "At this
time five engineers had fallen, and seven hundred
officers and soldiers of the line had been inscribed
upon the bloody list olfered to this Moloch"-of
Ignorance-" and only one small battery against an
outwork was completed! On the lOth it opened,
and before sunset the fire of the enemy had disabled
four of its five guns, and killed many more of the
besiegers. Nor could any other result be expected,
because the concert essential to success in double
operations, whether in sieges or in the field, was
totally neglected by Beresford"-the general in command. "Squire's single work was exposed to the
undivided fire of the fortress before the approaches
against the castle were even commenced; two distant
batteries, constructed at the false attack, scarcely
attracted the notice of the enemy. To check future
sallies a second battery was erected against the bridgehead; but this was soon over-matched, and tllen
Beresford, having received intelligence that the French
army was in movement, arrested the progress of the
works." The most charitable view we can take of the
conduct of General Beresford is that he acted from
ignorance, and even then it merits a place among the
"crimes crying to Heaven for vengeance." It is a
crime with few compeers, for a man with the lives of
so many performing the highest duties that can devolve
upon defenders of their country's dearest rights, at his
disposal, to remain so ignorant of the most essential
knowledge of his profession that he sacri6ces them in
the wild and useless manner we have described. If
we could hope that this, and the examples we have
shown, and the multitudes that might be added, would
tend to the eradication of the evil we might rejoice;
but hard is the crust and formidable is the resistance
of the vis inertite of ignorance.
THE "FRANKLI N" ENGINE.
THE single-acting non-condensing engine, lately revived, by n youth of thirteen, under the name of the
" Franklin" engine, and which is being most deceJ?tively advertised as one which saves half the fuel, 1s
not likely to die for want of interested support. The
" inventor" (?) finds full scope for his clatms in tbe
columns of a paper in which the now defunct "donkey
injector" was for a long time puffed ad nauseu11t, and
we should be in no "ay surprised to find the same
flatteriu~ discrimination yet extended to the "Franklinh engme. So fat· the lad Franklin, who is more
than precocious in his powers of self-assertion, is permitted to conduct the puffin~ himself in the jourual
in question, but the puff editorial can hardly fail to
follow, and one has already appeared in the JJaily
'l'etegrapll.
I n the so-called Franklin engine, the sole peculiarity
is that for which Newcomen's engine of a hundred
•
•
•
ENGINEERING.
[MAY
22,
1868.
The committco of weights and measures have at length distance occupying 9 hours, at the rate of 30 miles an hour
years ago is still known. The cylinder is open at one
right through. Allowing 32 hours between Nainee junction
end, but as, unlike Newcomen's, the engine has no finished their labours. 'l.'hey do not r eport in favour of the and Calcutta, and 45 for the journey from Jubbulpore to
introduction of the metrical system, neither do they recomcondenser, the piston thus performs, at the utmost mend the unmodified introduction of the English system. A B ombay, the whole distance from port to port will thus be
but half the work which it would if double acting. seer of 2lb. avoirdupois is adopted as the unit, with a series accomplished in 86 hours.
A correspondent of the Timu of India, writing from
Newcomen's condensed the steam after it had done its of multiples containing 100 lb., 200 lb., and 2000 lb. weight.
Kurrachce, states that the Home Government have recogwork in one end of the cylinder, and the piston was The unit of length is the yard with the mile, cubit or half nised
at last the importance of establishing an unbroken
then dri veu back again by the pressure of the atmo- yard, foot and inch; no divisions bein~ proposed between the communication between that port and the Punjab, by conmile and the yard. The sole r esult of their deliberations on
sphere. • 1'he same plan was long employed on two or land
measures seems to be the recommendation that Govern- necting the Sind and Punjab lines by a railway of similar
three steamboats plying between Southampton and ment should adopt the acre. The unit for measures of weight and gauge. Information of a r eliable character, he
Havre, and each of which had three cylinders with capacity is to bo the English ~uart, which contains 2! lb. of says, has been r eceived from England to the effect that tho
their unper ends open to the air. Tfith steam of water, and about ono seer of nee or mixed grain. From the Secretary of State for India will issue instructions for the
construction of the "missin~ link," as the line between
l5lb. ubove the atmosphere, one-half of its force was r esolution of the committee Colonel Strachey has dissented, K otree and Moo1tan is termed, so soon as h e rcc<'ives the rewith him Mr. IIarrison and Colonel Hyde have conof course expended m forcing the air out of the and
Eort and opinion thereon of His Excellency the Governor of
curred.
cylinder, or, in other words, there was an atmosphere
The contract for tho Calcutta Waterworks is being rapidly Bombay.
of back pressure against the steam stroke of the proceeded with, and the concrete is already laid over a con- The continuous stream of passengers, which has been flow piston. But as the air pressure performed the whole siderable portion of the area of the bank in W ellington- ing down t owar ds Bombay for the last two months, shows
t>rotty conclusively that the general verdict as to the preof lhe work on the return stroke there was theoreti- squa.re. 'l'he contractor's engineer has been obliged to ){o- ference
which would sooner or later be given to that part as
cecd to Ew·ope from bad health, and another engineer, r.
cally u? loss ~s compared with a double-acting engine, Aird, has nrnvcd, who is pushing on the works rapidly.
a. homeward l'Oute, is justified already, the missing r ailway
supposmg nctther to work expansively. With expanIn consequence of the suggestion of Mr. R endcll, the work- link, and the terrors of the Great Indian P eninsula and its
sion the steam might be cut off at any point, however ing of the Kurhurbalee coal mines is to be r esumed by t he crazy bridges, notwithstanding. Travellers arc beginning to
early in the stroke, in lhe case of the doubl e-acting East Indian Railway Company with the approval of the lenrn that both these drawbacks have been absurdly mngniti<'Cl.
The arrangements for lhe road between J ubhulpore and
·
engine, whereas the single-acting engiue would not Governor- General.
Nagpore, particnlarly in respect of sound and roomy
The
total
revenue
of
the
Government
of
India
from
the
work at all, because of the back air pressure, if the 1st April to 31st December, 1867, 'vas 31,078,64U. ngainst carriages, do great credit, it is said, to Messrs. Howard,
steam was expanded much below the atmosphere. 34,886,115l. for the corr esponding period of 1866. The ex- Brothers, whose conveyances, though r ecently doubled in
But there would in any case be a large loss of steam p enditure during the same period was 28,9G3,93ll. against number, are even now hardly suffic1ent for the needs of tho
Eublic. As for the railway bridges on the Great Indian
by the cooling of the cylinder, open at every stroke, 33,208,030l.
Madras.-The Madras Go>ernment has passed an order, P eninsula, an occasional divergence from the main lino
and for the whole length of tbe stroke to the air.
carries the unconscious traveller round instead of O\'Cr them,
on
the
authority
received
from
the
Supreme
Government,
for
This is the fatal defect of all engines having cylinders
the commencement of t heN ew University-buildin ~s, that the ancl the uninitiated would fail to observe the danger escaped
open at one eud.
works shall be carried on without delay. The bwldings are if not pointed out to him.
~n the "Franklin" engine, the air in the open-ended now progressing well, and will, it is expected, be finished by
cylinder does no work on the return stroke, inasmuch the close of the year.
AVELING AND PORTER'S TRACTION
From a. r ecent memorandum by Dr. Oldham on the alleged
as the steam from the steam stroke is not condensed at
ENGINES.
all. Thus, except with two cylinders, with the steam discovery of coal on the Kistnah by Colonel .A.pplegarth, it
that the doctor found no traces eitherofbeds of con], Translation of B eport by M. TRESC.A., Sub-Direct<Jr of tiLe
acting alternately in opposite directions in each, or appears
or bw·nt shale in a large or small bed, and did not see any
Oonservatoire Imperia~ des Arts-et-M etiers, on a Series
except with a heavy fl.Ywheel once got into motion, the such rocks anywhere m the field. Colonel .A.pplegarth in
o.f Trials made with a Traction Engine constructed by
en~ine woul~ not work at all. The only engine upon 1868, it is said, found nothing whatever that would support
Messrs . .A.veling and Porte-r, Rochester.
MESSHS. AVELIN:l A~D PoRTER, who have applied themthts plan wh1eh we have seen has two cylinders, wit.h combustion to any extent excepting some old sticks and
all the usual working parts to each, these doing the roots. Dr. 01d.ham r eiterates his denial of coal on tho selves to the construction of traction engines, have already
Godavcry, and says the coal alluded to as large "beds of made a great number fer business purposes ; so, as it was imwork of only one ordinary cylinder, having double- indisputable
coal on the Godavery," is near Chanda, on the possible for us to make sufficiently prolonged trials of these
acting working parts. In no possible case can the Wurdah, 80 miles (120 miles by river) from the nearest point machines at the Exposition, we gladly availed our~>elves of an
double number of parts have any advantage over those of the Godavery.
occasion offered at the Sugar Manufactory of MM. L ullouette
Colonel R. Strachoy has recently prepared a long and and Cie., of Beaurain, near Senlis, to witness a traction experiof the ordinary single cylinder double-acting engine,
but in one most important respect the former work at elaborate memorandum on points calling for attention m the ment with a very he11vy load; and we took the nct::essary 1>teps
Survey of Mysore, ·with referenc~ to the r equire- to r egister all the mechanical elements of the question.
a very great disadvantage. In an ordinary non-con- Revenue
ments of irrigation works, present and prospective. He fir t
These experiments were, moreover, mode in concert. with
densing engine the temperature within the cylinder suggests that the distinction made by the Sw·vey of "wet Professor Fleemin~ Jenkin, Fellow of the Royal Society of
can at no time be less than 212°, for there is always and gnrden" land should be altered into that of" one crop" London, who went into all details, and whose presence gives to
one atmosphere of exhaust steam on that side of the and '' two crop" land, as the charge for water should not be the results arrived at a character of security that increa:,es their
piston from which the steam is escaping into the air. regulated by the crop grown, but by the quantity of water importance.
used. This would do away with the idea that the GovernThe Exposition trials were made with the engine "Pioneer,"
I n other words, no air, and nothing of less tempera- ment
demand on the land in a great measure depends upon and these we were able to appreciate during the jury operations.
ture than steam of atmospheric pressure, is at any the nature of the Cl'OP grown. He also suggest that the rate The one used at Beaurain was called "La Ville de Seulis." I t
time present within either end of the cylinder. But due for the land as dry, and the rate due on the water, should bad been taken beforehand to the works, and it will be enougll
in the "Franklin" engine, as soon as the steam stroke be always distinguished, so that the irrigation might be at to give a summary description of it.
is made, the bore of the cylinder is thrown open to the any time extended without disturbing the settlement. 'l.'he The motive power consists of a single cylinder 0.280 m.
water-rate should be calculated by a comparison of the value ( llin.) diameter, with a piston stroke ot 0.35G m. (14 in.).
air, of perhaps 50° or 70°, or whatever it may be in the of
well-irrigated land with that of dry land of an equally "!'he section of the cylinder, according to these figures, meaengine room. Every engineer knows what the re- good quality and situation. The rates which Colonel Strachoy sures 0.0613 roq. (95.0334 square inches), and tlle volume
frigerating effect of such an exposure must be, and considers as r easonable arc for one-crop land 4 rupees per 0.0218 me. (1330.46 cubic inches.)
The piston rod act~> by means of the connecting-rod and cr ank
that a considerable guantity of steam would be wasted acre for tank, and 5 rupees per acre for river i.rrigaLion,
in condensation. But we have ourselves had ocular doubling these rates for a second crop. The higher rates upon a horizontal shaft, which we will designate the first
be charged for water from tanks fed from rivers, as driving shaft, and that ont>, through the medium of geared
proof of what this loss really is. In the "Franklin" should
the supply is more certain. No remissions would be a1lowed wheels, t~pon a second shaft, relatively parallel, by menos of li
engine shown to us at I slington, and which was work- in consequence of any deficiency of supply caused by the chain, with the axle of the driving wheels, which can thus work
ing "light.," or without the load of any machinery, it fluctuations of the rain-fall, unless the supply of water 'vas at two different speeds with the same spt>ed of piston.
For the slow speed the pinions in \VOrk have respectively 12
required 40 lb. steam to start the engine, and 30 lb. to not sufficient to keep the crops iiow-ishing, but the rates
keep it working, or five times what any other good should be made uniform, as far as possible tor the same dis- and 61 teeth, the chain wheels 6 and 24, which r educt's the
trict. As in-igation extends the increased production from number of revolutions of the driving shaft in the ratio of
engine ~ould require. When the cvlinder cocks were irrigated
landS would tend to lower the rates of produce, con~ X ~ z= 1
opened, a considerable time after tlie engine had been sequently the maintenance of very hig h rates could not last
61
24
:iU.33
at. work, the escaping steam was mixed with a great for any long time. The liability of the Government in
deal of water, representing, of course, a great waste of respect of the maintenance of the works should be clearly For the quick speed the wheels have 16 and 57 teeth, which
fuel. All this is no more than every engineer would laid down, which liability, Colonel Stl·achey r ecommends, reduces this ratio to
1~ X 3 =
1
expect, and he would naturally resent any attempt to should consist in maintaining the river bunds and masonry
works; the whole cost of the distributory channels and of the
57
24
14.4!5
palm off such a wasteful engine as one which will save dist1-ibution
and control of the water being borne by the cul- But in OUl' trials, with full loads, we have not had to make use
half the fuel. 'l'his attempt is being made, however, tivators, with the aid of any village allowances at present in of this second mode of transmission.
but more particularly upon bankers, ciLy men, speca- existence. If the channels arc maintained by Government, The diameter of the driving wheels being 1 m. 95 (6.50 ft.)
lators, and others, having little or no knowledge of the a higher r ate should be charged. Powers should in a11 cases the ground gone over by every turn of the wheels should be 6 m.
steam engine. If they :find themselves disappointed- bo reserved for tnk.ing up the contJ:ol of the channels by 12 (20.07 ft.); and we slatll see, iu fact , by the numbe!'s shown
Government, as such work might become necessary for the on the wheel indicator, that the actual ground passed over
as they certainly will be, if they have anythmg to do introduction
of a thoroughly efficient system. Tbo rnt<'s differs very little from this number. The width of face of the
with this hopeless scheme-they will have only them- should not be fixed for any long term, certainly not moro thnn driving wheels is 0 m. 457 (18 in.) Tbey each form a veritable
selves to thank.
Jive years, in the case of all larger works. 'l.'ho small tanks roller, bearing upon a great surfact>, aud preventing t he de-
NOTES FROM INDIA.
•
B cn,qal.-Governmcnt has lately ordered a set of instructions to be pr<'par<'cl for the formation of a standing com mittee charg<'d with the du ty of experim entally investtgating
the subj cc~ of torpedoes ns a m eans of aiding in the defence
of rivers and hnrbours. The committee arc to be given a
considerable discretion; the m a in point insisted upon being
that, with a view to e£Ic ctive application in time ofwar, delicacy and complexity of nrran~cment shall b e as much as
possible avoided. The instructions are said to have ixf'new
a systematic preparation for the employment, in case of
necessity, of this method of rendering enterprises against
harbours and rivers dangerous to hostile squadrons. The
Hooghly, with the available means that the Government
dockyard and nrs<'nal can afford, presents many advantages
for such experiments; and whatever succeeds in thaL difficult
river can hardly fail to be applicable to such rivers as the
Mut1ah, tho Snlween, or the lrrawacldy, and may also be
useful in the case of some of the harbours on the Indian
coasts.
11
will remain under the present system, but in case of any
improvements the 1·yots will have to provide the whole, or a
portion, of the expense and labour. If the ryots provide the
whole expense only half a water-rate should be charged, but
if only a part of it, then a proportionate reduction only
should be m ade. To induce the ryots to keep these small
tanks in good order, the average annual expense, calculated
for the last ei~ht ycar a, should be deducted from tho revenue
assessment. 1'ho works would all ha•e to be done under the
sup('rintendenco of the irrigation officers, or the ryot named
by them :to s uperintend the 1·epairs. The supply of water
available for irrigation is to be applicable to all lands in equal
proportions, without admitting any claim to prionty on account of position or otherwise, the intention being to exk nd
the benefits of irrigation to the largest possible area of ]and.
Bombay.-IL is stated that the boon of the new weekly
overland mail is to be enhanced by improved arrangements
for transmission across lndia. The express, leaving Cnlcutta
every Tuesday evening, wi11 be r eforwardcd from the Naince
junction, 4 miles below Allahabad, on the following Thursday
morning by special train to Jubbu1pore; the intermediate
struction that m1ght be found from the passuge over them of so
great a weight of macadamised roads.
. These wheels work fre~ upon t he axlf, an? are only keyed to
1t b,r ~eans of a st:on~ P.m of 0 m. 06 (2.36 m.) diameter at the
proJectmg end, whtch tt 1s necessary to draw out a few centimetres, to unlock the wheels when going round curves. This
mo~e of connexion, ns simple as it is stron~, is exceedingly conytment, and appeared entirely to answer the purp~se intended.
fhe two front wh7els a~e only 1 m. 12 (3 fr. 8 in.) in diameter,
and 0 m. 304 ( 12 m.) w1de on the face, but when the engine is
on a level roa~ _they only carry 7 -29ths of the total \'\eight;
those on the dnvmg axle accountina thus, for 22-29ths of this
weight.
o
T he locomotive is, besid~s, provided with a fifth 1 steering
wb~el in fron t, or rather a thin d~c of 0 m. 762 (2! ft.) diameter:
w~Hch acts on the road by its own weight and by that of a
tnangular frame, fixed, by means of a horizontal j oint on the
front r.nrt of the engine. T he we1ght of all this appa~atus is
325 ktlog. (6 cwt. 1 qr. 16lb.) only. This fifth wheel cannot
exerci~e. au~ i~j~rious a_ction upon the ground i but slight as
the f1"1 Ct1on 1S1 1t JS suffic1ent for moving the fore cnrriag'3 wh.~ h
MAY 22,
1868 .]
ENGINEERI N G.
carries it, guided by t he hand of the ste~rer, and by a very
sli~tht effort, in any r~:quired direction.
This eutirely l!flectunl arran~ernent is not one of the least
intl'resting features of the engine in question.
The engine is strongly built, and to answer its intended
purpose, !t is connec.tec.l with a powerful boi.ler, which, l1owever,
has t\oth1~g otl~envtse remarkable. a~out 1t. I t is n s1mvle
tubulat· bo1ler Without return flu e, s1m1lar to that of a locomotive
and the principal dimension11 of which are as follows:
'
Sq. metres.
...
Grate surface
...
...
...
Total beating surface
•..
...
45!
25.3848
278t
This ltealio~ surface of 2i'3t t~quare feet can, when necessary
prod ';lee a conl$1derable amount of steam, and it will be observed
t hat 1t represents more tbun thirty-five times the grate surface.
cwt. qr.
T he weight 11f the locomolivo without
water anu fuel is .. .
.. .
.. . 14,010 293 1
The tanks contain 400 gallons or
1817 litres ...
.. .
.. . ' ... 1,817 35 2
The boiler holds 218 gallons (9DO
litres)
990 19 1
Lastly, the firebox when fully charged
contains 60 kilog. of coal .. .
...
60
1
0
H.
...
...
...
lb.
26
18
25
20
1- - - -1-- -- - -
G_:Io:!:!g..:..._ _:·~..
.. . l7 ,'ii7 34 9 3
5
- - : : - - - - -- I..:..
T~us, the weight of t he engine when louded, but without incluclmg a supply of coals, should be estimuted at 17,800 kilog.
(171- tons), and only at 16,000 kilog. (15i tons) when t he tenders are empty ; or 16,900 kilog (16! ton11) on an average.
The wagons that the en~ine had to draw had been constructed
in F~ance, with t h~ except_ion of one built in England, from the
drawmgs of, anu With the Ironwork supplied by, Messrs. Aveling
and Porter.
The wago~ built in England weigh~d 3320 kilog. (3t tons);
those made for MM. Lallouette and C1e. in France were rather
heavier; they w.eighed 3370 kilog. (3j t~ns). Each wagon was
4 m. 95 (16.23 h.) long and 2 m. 26 (7.38 lt.) wide· the hc·igbt
of the bottom of the uody from the ground wus l m. i9 (3.90 lt.),
the distance between each waeon was 1 m. 38 (4.52 ft.) and the
couplin6 at the height of 0 m. Db (3.11 ft.) and 1 m. 20 (3.93 ft.) ·
~?e line of draught. rising u little from one wagon to aooth«:~r:
I bey are each camed by fou r wheels, of the respective diameters of 1 m. 23 and 1 m. 04 (4ft. and 3 ft. 4 in.) · the width ou
face is in every case 0 m. 226 (9 in.).
'
I n order to form a load six such wagons were filled with coal.
t.wo of the~!! were .w~ighed on the weighbridge of the es tab~
ltt~bment. I he we1gbt of the four others was estimated accordin~ to the height of the coal compared with the two which
wer<l weighed.
Particulars of the Load Draum.
Average
ui
Weight of Wagons
Height of Weight of Wngons
1:1
Loaded.
Loaded.
Load
~
from the
>""
Kgrmes. T. c. q. lb.
Top. Kermes. T. c. q. lb •
•
No.
1
2
v"
-
4
5
6
-
-
10,773
10,0413
10,481
10,o4:i
10,Gl!7
8,730
10 12 0
9 17 2
10 6 1
!.1 17 2
10 !J 0
811 3
60,G97 50 14
-
---
0
18
18
18
20
10
8 0
Om 50
o, 55
o, b2
0, 55
o, 51
o, 64
3,370
8,370
3,370
3,870
3,370
3,320
3 6 1 !)
8 6 1 !)
8 6 1 9
a 6 1 9
8 G 1 !)
3 6 1 11
--
20,170 19 17 0 0
The wagons Nos. 4 and G are t hose which were weighed, and
which served for determining the weight of the rest.
It results from tllese figures that, t11lcing the mean weight of
t he engine at
...
...
...
.. .
... 16,900 kilog.
and adding to it t he total w~igbt of the six wugous 60,697 ,
we arrive at a load of
...
...
.. .
... 77,697 kilog.
(76 tons 7 cwt. 1 qr. 17 lb.), which is apportioned as follows:kilog.
tons per cent.
Weight of moving apparatus ... 16,900 = 16H = 0.219
Dead weight of wagons
... 20,170 = 19~k = 0.261
Nett load (cargo)
...
••• 40,527
39U
0.520
=
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
- ----·1- - - -
Kilog.
-
-
1
0.7209
Heating surface of firebox
.. .
. ..
4.2501
Tube surface in 79 tubes, each 1 m. ·
6764 (5~ ft.) h' ng, in tern a I diameter 0 m. 0.443 Oi in.), exernal dia- > 21.1347
meter u m. 0.0008 (2 in.)
_
-
Sq. ft.
upon the intermediate shaft, enabled os to fin d the number of
Indication
DynamoTime of
revolutions of the main shaft, by multiplying the direct result of
Bnundary Coo nter
meter
of
I
ncline
Observathe ol>servation by t he factor 61.12, which expresses the ratio
B.
Posts.
or
Debcent.
Tracings.
tion.
of the number of teeth in the two spur pinions of the slow speed
gear. A large t~ix.pl ate regislerinJ! dynamometer, previously •
Jf. l\f.
a.
cont~tructl'd from the designs of General Morin, was fixed
16, GGG
Descen t. J
between the locomotive and the first wagon. I n order to econo- 1 20 0
Instant stoppage to replace the paper of the dynamometer,
mise tho paper this instrument was only used from time to
which is torn.
time to measure the resistance on the level, or on an incline.
Lnstly, a steam-pressure indicntor, of Richards's principle, 1 24 15 Des. 0.0006
16,716
D No. 5
was fitted ~o tbo. cylinder of !he engi~e, and it wo11 proposed to 1 25 15
1G,772
l fj .0
" 0.0006
take suffic1ent d1agrams durmg the JOurney to obta1n the mean 1 28 10 I nc. 0.01
1G,904
15.2
value of the indicated work.
15.4
17,04 0
1 31 5 " 0.01
The water and fu el had to be, besides, weighed on the de- 1 3 ! 13 11 0.01
17,170
15.6
parture and on arrival of the train, so as to check the consump- 1 36 0 Top of Lill.
tion of each, the one by the other.
D No. G
1 as o I nc. 0.0028
lG.O
17,443
1 39 a~.J
11
0.0028
Table of Obse1·vations.
1 42 40
Level.
During a first journey, on the 27th of September, 1867, all 1 44 45 I nc. 0. (t028
17,708
16.4
the details of the triul were prepared, the wagons weighed, each 1 47 12
I ncline.
one drawu into a line so as to form a train, and the en~ine was
The indicator counts double for some revolutions, owing to
taken to trst the instruments from Beau rain to the llarberyvi bra Lions.
road, a distance of 7 kilom. (4.35 miles). Ni~ht prevented it
going into s~nlis, \(here the train only arrived the following 1 50 0 I nc. 0.033
0.010
1G.8
18,008
moming. All care was t hen taken to in11ure each instrument 1 51 14
Finished.
recordiug exact indications. The engine was watered from the 1 53 26 "Level.
Descent.
L 54 15
town reservoir.
1R,282
...
17.2
At 11 A.l\1. the train was attarlted, the engine in front, 20 l 57 0 Des. 0.02
18,114
0.0~
17.4.
metres ( 65.6 ft.) below the post !Jk. 8h ., with a good fire, the 1 50 35
18,/550
"11 0.014
17.6
state of which was noted in ordor to compare it with the stat o 2 2 15
17.8
18,668
...
on nrrival; and at 11.15 A.llf. 've starleo, drawing the six wagons 2 5 5 11 0.009
2 6 30
DNo. 7
loaded the day before.
11 O.OH
18,827
...
18.0
2 8 8 I nc. 0.03
Conditions asce~·tai1ted on Departure.
.Finh1hed.
2 D 40
18,062
18.2
Fuel on the locomotive, 255 kilog. (5 cwt.); waLer in the 2 ll 50 Des. 0.001
Level.
tenders, 1705 litres (375.47 gallons); level of the water in the 2 16 59
19,228
18.6
boiler, 1 centimetre (0.39 in.) btdow the bra~s ca11e of the glass 2 17 13 Des. 0.008
•••
HII 36V
tube.
11;.8
0.008
2 19 4.8
steam pressure on startmJ,:,
· 97 lb. per square inch, equal to 2 21 0 "Level.
l 9.0
10,512
D No. 8
2 22 26 D<>s. 0.01
7.60 atmospheres (French measure).
2 24 0 Jnc. 0.0025
I ndicator A marking 0
19,()41
1!1.2
2 25 8 11 0.0025
•••
B
13,206
11
11
•
10.4.
10,780
0.0025
2 27 52
11
19,923
Obstn·valions Dwri11!J tlto Run.
l !J.6
2 30 25 11 0.002
10.8
20,062
2 34 5 " 0.002
Finibbed.
I ndication
Dynamo- Bound2 34 15
Level.
Counter
Time of
20.0
20,195
meter.
ary
2 36 68 I nc. 0.0026
of Incline or
Observation.
B.
20.2
20,226
0.0026
Descent.
Tracings. Posts.
2 39 40
20.4
20,470
----1---- - -·- - 2 41 25 11 0.0026
O.OC)l
20.G
20,600
](, l\1.
s.
2 44 BD
11
20,743
20.8
2 27 20
0. 0001
11 15 0
I ncline
D. No. 1
...
13,206
21.0
20,893
2 49 44 "11 0.0001
...
Counter B failed to act dur ing some revolutio ns.
21,025
2 52 20
D No. 9
21.2
0.0001
11 18 55
...
•..
...
13,300
21.4
21,157
2 55 15 " O.O L
11 19 6
.. •
Finished
.. .
.. .
2 58 0 "
Finished.
11 21 20
Descent
D. No. 2
...
13,400
ll 23 45
...
...
. ..
13,600
a 2 0 Level.
21,4!)4
Stop.
21.8
11 24 25
I ncline
...
10
...
8 2 5 Des. 0.064
11 25 30
...
Finished
.. .
.. .
Conditions ascertained on Arrival.
11 26 0
Des. 0.009
...
...
13,600
Fuel remaining on tbe engine 71 kilog. = l e. l q. 16 lb.
11 28 10
...
...
...
13,700
Ashes and cinders
... 67.50 kilog. =le. Oq. 141b.
11 30 0
11
0.009
...
10.4
13,790
Water in the tender after having refilled t he bo1ler to the
ll 32 20
.. .
...
.. .
13,900
level at startir.g, 125 gallons or 567.132 litres, which gives a con11 aa 48
I nc. 0.005
...
10.6
...
11 34 52
...
...
.. .
14,000 sumption of 12ti5.94 litres (278.78 gallons).
Pressure on arrival 90 lb. per square inch, corresponding to
11 36 3
, 0.005
...
10.8
...
7.12 atmospheres (French measure).
11 36 30
...
D. No. 3
...
.. .
Indicator A marking 2037, counter B marking 21,454.
11 87 40
...
...
...
14,100
The facility with which this journey of 12 kilom. (7.45 miles)
11 89 10
0.015
...
ll
14,16D
11
11 40 25
...
.. .
...
14.200 was accomplished, led us to suppose that the limit ot traction
power bad not been sufficiently attained. It was believed th:1t
11 41 30
Top of hill
Fir,ished
...
.. .
the two additional wagons might still be I:Lttached, which Mr•
11 42 30
I nc. 0.0025
...
11.2
.. .
11 45 8
.. .
...
...
14,400 Aveling bad gone to fetch witll the locomotive, from the sugar
factory at Beaorain. Be set out at 3.25 P.M. and returned at
ll 45 l!i
11
0.0025
...
11.4
...
11 47
7
...
...
...
14,500 4.15 P.l\t . with a fresh load, which was yoked behind the
11 48
0
" 0.0025
.. .
11.6
14,540 principal train, and the estimate of whiclJ. is 1111 follows :
11 49 35
...
D. No. 4
...
14-,600
Av~::rage
11 51 25
0.008
Finished
11.8
14,671
11
height
Weight of Wagons
Weight of Wagons
11 53 15
Level
. ..
...
...
ot the
empty.
loaded.
11 54 14
Des. 0.007
...
12
14,803
load
11 56 15
...
...
.. .
14,900
from
•
0
11 58 30
...
.. .
...
16,000
Kilog. Tons cwt. qr. lb. the top. !Wog. Tons cwt. qr. lb.
:4
11 58 50
Inc. 0.0007
...
12.4
15,0G6 - -1- - -1- -- -- - -1- - - - - - - - -- -S~oppage on account of a startled horse.
7 10,278 10 2 1 60m.575 8,370 3 6 1 !)
12 3 0
I nc. 0.0007
...
12.6
15,196
8 10,278 10 2 1 6 Om.575 3,870 3 6 1 D
12 4 0
Descent
.. .
...
...
1
·
-1
----12 5 59
Des. 0.007
.. .
15,825
12.8
6 12 2 18
20,556 20 4 2 12
12 8 55
I nc. 0.00 16
.. .
15,460
13
In consequence of this addition, the total weight of the train
12 11 40
11
0.0016
.. .
15,580
13.2
12 14 14
11
0.0016
.. .
15,719 wus raised to 98,163 kilog. (96 tons 12 c. 0 q. llb.) of '"bicb the
13.4
15,863 load drawn cnmprises 81,253 kilog. (70 tons 19 c. 1 q. 12 lb.),
13.6
12 17 59
" 0.0016
.. .
12 21 27
.. 0.0016
.. .
15,980 and is thereby ruised to 4.81 times that of the locomotive.
13.8
12 24 10
Des. 0.01
16,110 The adherent weight consisting of only 22-29ths that of the
14
16,240 locomotive, \VC may call the totul load eq11al to 7.65 times the
12 26 52
11
0.01
14.2
adherent weight.
12 30
0
I ncline
.
...
In spite of these unfavourable conditions the engine started
12 32 36
I nc. 0.007
14.6
16,500
...
12 35 45
Des. 0.0006
16 I 636 very well, and hauled her load on level ground and up slight
H.8
12 36 20
...
16,G6G inclines with a fall of Om. 004 (1 in 250).
The dynnmomete1· had bt!en detached prior to the commenceA stoppage was now made to take in water and to break fa~t ment of tll is trinl, for which tho co-cffici«:~nt of traction cannot,
at the corner of the Barbery-road.
in consequence, be men11ured.
The pressnre on tu rival was 78 lb. per square inch; the watl'r
Every circumstau~ of t hu tri •1 h:n ing thus been recorded,
in t he tender bad sunk to tho div1sion marked 250 gallons, or we will now study the rc:.ult:., maki:1b a:. mccb use as pos~oible
1135.2!) litres, which gives a coubumption of 560.75 litres of the observations obtained.
( 125.'17 ~a lions).
•
( 1'o be continued.)
ThCI indicator A of the wheel registcr<>d 8!J4. rcvolut.ions.
At 1.15 J.>,Jir. the men are at thei r posts, tlte dynamometet·
Fno~r TilE N ORTII.-A contract for the '!'cam V alloy Railpaper is replaced 1 and all ready Ior departure.
way was expected to be le~ to-day (Fridny). The 'l 'ync lmprovcmtmt Commissioner!$ ru·c also about to proceed with
Asce1·Lcrined Condifious on .Departure.
certain bridge works at Newcastle. 1.'hcrc nrc now 86 furnaces
in blast in Lho Clevelnncl district, while thero are 47 out of
Water in the trnder 403.78 gallous, or 1833.56 litres.
l' rCSI$uro, 1 OG.5 lb. per ~>quare inch, corresponding to 8.21 blust.. The q unnt.ity of pig mnde in Cloveland in t.ho ftrst
atmot~pherct~ (Frcucb mcusure), co'Jntet· A markin~ 8!H, counter four monf hs of this year was 311,060 tons, ueing at tho rato
B I 6,GG6.
of 1,023,207 tons per annum.
=
77,597 = 76{ = 1.000
The paying load dou not represent much more than half the
total loa(\; and the load drawn represents 3.59 times tbe weight
of the motive power. Wll sball see !tow thi!$ enormous loud ha!!
been enabled to be drawn on level roads•and up inclines.
Plan of T1·ial.
The wright of t bc various portions of the load having t hus
been dete1mined, the Lri..&l con,.isted in drawing tbi11 load in the
first place from Beaurain to Senlis, then from SenliBto .Ueau: •tin, up~n the ~epartmental ro~ld 1 No. 4, froJ_YJ Senlis to ~res~y,
m Valots, a dustunce of 12 k1lom. (7.46 m1les), pre~>enttng tncline~> and d('scent~, which will be indicated furtb er on, but
which are in no in&tance greater than 0 m. Oo3 ( l in 30). The
distances run were noted by pobts placed along the routo every
ultcrnate bcctometre, s:ty 21~! yards ap11rt1 and a revolution
counter. A, placed upon one of the driving wheels, incJicuLcd
for eacb pa.·t of the road t raversec.l tbe number of revolutions
of the dril'ing axle. Another revolu~ion counter l3, placed
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
,
-------1-------
...
...
...
...
...
...
..
...
...
...
...
ENGINEERING.
(MAY
1868.
the London Engineering and Iron Shipbuilding Company, internal flange of the Bombay pile, and immediately upon
whose extensive works are on the I sle of D ogs, near Popla"r, their br eaking the pile split up in two par ts of its circumUPON the line of the Bombay, Baroda, and Central India were the principal makers of the girders (about two thou- ference, commencing from tho two bolt h oles and terminating
Railway there is a total length of about six miles of double sand in number) upon the Baroda.li.ri.e. These gentlemen have a few inches from its scr ew ends, the distance being about
line iron bridges, all of them formed of Warren's girders in lately introduced a coupling joint, for cast-iron piles, which 8ft. The calculated strain to cause this fracture was about
60ft. spans. These girders are supported upon large cast- has no bolts, a nd in which, therefore, the evil of corrosion, to 250 tons. Upon taking apart the patent joint no marks were
iron screw piles, of which immense numbers are thus em- which wrought iron in water is always liable, is avoided, as visible on the stops; the fracture in the Bombay pile d1d not
ployed. These piles, 30 in. in diameter and 1 in. thick, are well also as the difficulty and delay of making the ordinary show any weakness in the m etal, which was of a very good
cast in 9ft. lengths; and the lengths which enter into the bolt fastening. Their invention is a peculiar form of socket colour and tough.
river beds are cast flush at their upper ends, and h ave internal joint, the socket being of but little depth in proportion to the
end :flanges, with holes in each for ten
in. bolts for fasten- diameter, and the parts are so arranged that by entering the
ing the piles together, end to end. Above the wator exter- plug end (or nearly plain end) of one pile into the ~tocket of
LIQUID Jt'UEL.
nal flanges are employed. After the piles are screwed down the other, and then turnin~ the former, around its own axis,
:Mn. ANDREW LAMB, the engineer of the Peninsular and
a little to the r ight or left, 1t locks perfectly, so that the two Oriental Steamship Company, has addressed the following
piles can neither be pulled apart longitudinally, elided apart letter and annexed copy to the Editor of the HampsMre A.dlaterally, nor further moved upon eacb other in the direction vertiser:
of their circumference. The idea. is much the same as that
To t!te E ditor of the H ampsldr e A dvertiser.
embodied in a well-known form of air-tight stopper employed
P. and 0. Offices, Southampton, April 28, 1868.
for closing bottles of preserved fruit and other articles of food
Sir,-In a. late number of the Adve1·tiser I noticed an
re9,uiring to be .Protected from the air.
article on liquid fuel for steamship boilers, which was brought
The illustrat10ns will convey a good idea of the joint, forward as something ~uite new, but in order to show you
showing as they do the series of external equidistant dove- that it is not a new apphcation, I send you a copy of a letter
tailed projections on the end of one pile, which are entered from John Bourne, Esq., C.E., author of the "Catechism of
between tho corresponding internal projections (also equi- the Steam Engine," and other standard works. By thls you
distant and dovetailed) of the socket of its adjoining pile. will see that he was the inventor of the liquid fuel, although
Once entered, by merely d1·oppiog the upper upon the lower he never followed the subject up. I can testify to all that is
length of the ptle, tho urper length has only to be turned stated by Mr. Bourne, as the t.rial of his invention was con.
round, to the right or left, through a distance equal only to ducted under my personal supervision.
the breadth of one of the projections in question, and it is
I am, Sir, yours obediently,
locked beyond any chance of pulling the two lengths apart.
A. LA).[B.
But as the upper length might be turned too far, so as to
(Copy.)
bring it where it would again unlock, two stops are placed in
Berkeley-villa, R egent' s-park-road, April 18, 1868.
the socket, and two curved slots are so formed in the upper
My dear Sir.-! have been looking through my papers to see
length that, once fully locked, either to the right or left, the if I had any drawings of the apparatus introduced into the
up,p,er length can be turned round no further.
City of Londonderry steamer-! think in 1834-when you were
1'he illustrations show two short lengths o! a pile in which engineer of that vessel, for burning liquid fuel in the furnaces
the int~rnal surface is flush throughout, the joint bt>ing in lieu of coal, but I have not been able to find any drawings of
formed in an external enlargement of both lengths; the the arrangements adopted, which, however, I very distinctly
socket of the lower length bemg moulded with a bead or r emember. On each side of the steam chest there was a large
ornament of any desired form. But the joint can be as tank introduced for holding coal tar, which being a r efuse
r eadily, cheaply, and satisfactorily formed by an internal material was the cheapest fuel that could then be obtained.
•
swelling around the end of each pile, thus leavmg the outer Pipes communicating with the steam chest enabled the steam
surfaces flush. The only finishing required upon the rough to press upon the top of the tar, and force it through a pipe
castings moulded for this joint is cheaply performed in a running across the front of the boiler above the fw'Daco
lathe, and in this respect it 1s cheaper than the flan~e j oint, doors, nod short vertical pipes, with cocks, led from the horiand it involves also somewhat less weight. In crectmg piles zontal pipe into each furnace through a notch cut in the top
jointed in this manner the work is, of course, greatly expedited of the door, so formed as to be made tight by the pipe when
as compared with flange joints, since ther e is hardly more the door was shut. A similar vertical pipe and cock conto do than to place the separate lengthli one upon the other. ducted a small jet of boiling water from the boiler into
F'IC . 3 ,
As each length goes upon the one below it it receives a slight the furnace, and the two converging liquid jets were vaporised
turn to the right or the Jeft and the fastening is complete. in the fore part of the furnace and ignited at the after part,
The direction of this turn, whether to the right or Lhe left, a sufficiency of bot air being made to p ass through the
depends, in the case of screw piles, only_upon whether the fire-bars to accomplish this ignition. In this case it was
screw thread is right or left handed.
a jet of tar and a jet of water that were introduced to.
A very important advantage of this joint over flanges and gether into the furnace, whereas in the arrangement menbolts is 1ts power to r esist torsion in screwing down piles, in tioned by Mr. Selwyn, I understand that a jet of tar or
which respect it is ~eatly su.Perior to the old form, as the petroleum is used with a j et of steam ; but the effect is the
r esults of the followmg experunent conclusively showed.
same, whether the steam is generated in the boiler or in
Recently at the yard of the London Engineering a!ld Iron the furnace, aa it is the vapour of both liquids that is
Shipbuilding Company, four 9 ft. l en~ths of 30 in. piles, each ultimately dealt with. I made a great number of experi1 in. thick, were secured end to end, m one 36ft. length, the ments on this subject at Lynnbury in 1834, 1835, and 1836,
end lengths having the u sual Mitchell screw. There were as you will no doubt remember, and I had a boiler constructed
thus three joints. The middle one was a flange and bolt for testing the evaporation and generating steam, and
joint, the flanges being external and strengthened by stout also a boiler-plate r etort for rising the tar into vapour,
brackets. To one side was an internal flange joint made with the hydrocarbon vapour being conducted through hollow
ten lt in. bolts, while to the other side was the new locking furnace bars, and em~tted through holes at the s1des. Tho
socket joint. The object being to see which joint would first fire- was, in some cases, made without coal, of pieces of firegive way under great torsional strain, such as might be applied brick, which were kept in an incandescent state by the ascent
FICi . ~.
m screwing down a pile, a girder, 56 ft. long, 3ft. deep, and through them of the inflammable vapour, mixed with a
weighing about 6t tons, was fastened, by one end, and at proper proportion of air. A great number of experiments
right an~les to, each of the outer lengths of the pile, one were made by me, the result of which showed that gas tar
girder lymg to the right of the length to which it was fastened might be made an efficient fuel ; but though then a waste
and the other to the left, like the opposite arms of a rocking material I did not see then, nor do I see now, how it could
shaft. As both girders were of the same length and weight, cease to be a waste material so soon as a m ode of burning it
and were fastened to the pile in the stUDe m anner by means was introduced, and the conclusion arrived at by me was that
of a half hoop oft in. plate iron 24ft. wide, and secured by a in the end it would not be more economical than coal, and
number of strong bolts, one girder could onl7 descend by would be somewhat more dangerous from fire.
raising the other, and the strain upon all the jomts was alike.
Certainly we now have petroleum springs which we had
H ardly one-half of the wei~ht, with its long leverage, of each not then, yet it is not, I believe, asserted that a ton of petro.
girder had been applied (by lowering from a tripod) to the leum is cheaper than a ton of coal, and I distrust all statepile before the internal flange and bolt joint gave wa1, and ments which make it much more powerful in evaporativo
the outer length on that side was cracked along two lines of effect. I did not arrive at any such result.
fracture, for nearly its whole length. The soclcet joint and
Yours truly,
its cor responding length were umnjured, and on separating
Andrew Lamb, E sq., C.E.
J. BoURNE.
the
two
adjoining
lengths
at
this
joint,
hardly
the
least
eviFIC . S.
dence of pressure was visible upon the two s~,PB by which
SHIPBUILDING AT SoUTJLUIPTON.-Messrs. Day and Co.,
the whole resistance to torsion was afforded.
e subjoin an
of the N ortham Ironworks, have r eceived an order from the
official account of this trial.
Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company to build
Particular8 of the Test of Westwood and Baillie's Patent an iron screw steamer of about 3000 tons, builders' measureJoint for Screw or other Piles against the Screw Piles in m ent, and to be fitted with direct-acting engines of 600 horse
use on the B ombay, B aroda, and Central India Rail!way, power. Her dimensions will be, length between perpendicuat London-yard, P oplar, on 'Fuesday, April 28th, 1868, lars, 345ft. ; breadth, 42ft. ; and depth of hold, 34ft. The
in the pre8ence of Oo~el Kewned;y, engineer of tiLe rail- P eninsular and Oriental ComP-any's screw steamer Northam,
way, G. P1·eston White, O.E., W. Gavwey, Esq. , O.E., which was built at Messrs. Day's, and which recently reM essrs. W estwood and Baillie, and other gentlemen.
turned home from the India station, where she has been
The test was as follows :-The screw end and next length employed for several years, is under~oing a thorough refit in
into the river bed, they are filled with concrete, and this effectually protects the bolts from corrosion ; but the bolts through of the Bombay pile, with an external flange at one end, were the Northam yard, including entirely new engines and
the external flanges have been sometimes found to be eo cor- connected by means often H in. bolts through the internal machinery.
SJIEFFIELD.-The state of bul'iness affairs has, if anything,
r oded, after only four years' exposure, as to be wholly useless. flanges. Two corresponcli.Dg lengths of pile of the same
Apart even from this consider ation, the work of putting in dimensions aa above had been cast, but Wltb W estwood and something improved during the past week . Ther e is a pretty
the bolts, and screwing home the nuts nt each of the internal Baillie's p a.tent joint in place of the internal ftan~es and good demand for rail,vay materiel, and a better inquiry has
joints, the workmen descending throue-h a 22 in. opening, bolts. The lengths of Bombay pile and the patent pile were also been experienced for steel.
RAILWAYS IN ALGERIA.-The Paris, Lyons, and Mediterand working within a tube of only 28 m. internal diameter, arranged in one r ow, being connected to each other by the
is not altogether easy, nor is the result always satisfactory ; external flanges with ten li in. bolts. After being thus ranean Railway Company appears to be pushing forward
for no work, except under the closest oversight, stands a united, they were carefully levelled on a strong bed of timber, with energy the works of the lines which it has on hand in
better chance of being " scamped." Yet the security of no and at each end next their screws a lever 56ft. long, and Algeria. The works of a line from Al~ers to Oran are now
other work in the bridge is of more importance, for the lateral weighing 6! tons, was fixed at right an~les, but in opposite in pro~ress throughout; and one section, from R elizane to
strength of the entire structure depends upon the proper directions, by means of a band of iron 2ft. 6 in. wide by tin. Oran, 1s ex~ ~:ed to be opened for traffic in July. A second
fastening of these bolts, and so, too, does the resistance of the thick, secured through the body of the pile by a number of line, from P · ·ppeville to Constantine, is expected to be comcoupled lengths of every pile to torsion in screwing down bolts. The other ends of the levers were elevated by a derrick, pleted for traffic in the course of 1869. No less a sum than
and on lowering the ends a twisting or torsion strain was 1,004,74.0l. was expended upon these Algerian lines in 1867,
into the river bed.
Messrs. W estwood and Baillie, the managing directors of produced on the piles, which broke two of the bolts in the and they have now absorbed altogether 2,744,947l.
COUPLING JOINTS FOR CAST-IRON PILES.
======
la
.•
22,
1
ENGINEERING.
BRIDGE
•
RIVER
OVER THE
OHIO
AT
L 0 U I S V I L L E.
•
1\iR. ALBERT FINK, ENGINEER.
I N 0 I A N /1.
C H A H N E L,
•
FIC.2.
I
Fl C. I.
•
SPAN310
IUCU W ATER
LlftC ~
FJC. 5.
~
F"IC . 4 .
I
------ -------------------
--- --- ---~--1
~EI'ICJH
OFTRfiS$
;!05
FEE1 . 1
-- -~ --w---·- -------------- -- --- - --- -- --
f'IC: .3 .
CABRIJ\<: E
IOtJD 4WI
.,
I ... L•• •• l
ltJ IJ~
t
HALZ:
Xtl
-
1m
.:J~
'•
• OOJ
1
AND RAILWAY.
SOOC C2fD fi:-1 M/IF
. I •.;
•
•
TnE bridge now in course of construction over the river
Ohio, at Louisville, is the longest iron bridge yet erected or
commenced in tho United States, and it will include amongst
its openings two of the largest spanned by trussed girders as
yet constructed in America. It will, when completed, carry
across the Ohio a line connecting the Louisville and Nashville '\vith the Jeffersonvillo and Indianopolis railroad, the
line, as shown in the general plan, forming a connecting link
between two immense railway systems, tho northern and the
southern, at present divided by the river. The bridge will
consist in all of twenty -seven spans, twenty -six over the river
and one over tho New Albany and J effersonville Railroad ;
and these sl'ans, with the abutments, will make up a length of
5280 ft. , or JUSt one mile. The length of the various spans,
measured from centre to centre of piers, are as follows :
ft.
K entucky abutment ...
•••
•.•
...
20.0
2 Spans of 60ft.
. ..
...
...
•.•
100.0
1 P1vot dra.w of 264ft., over canal...
•.•
264.0
4 Spans of 149.6 ft. ...
•. •
...
• ..
698.4
2 Spans of 180ft.
.. •
•. ,
...
•..
360.0
2 Spans of 210 ft.
• ..
• ..
...
.. • 420.0
2 Spans of 227 ft.
.. .
•..
.. •
•..
454.0
1 Span of 370ft. over Middle Chute
...
370.0
6 Spans of 246.6 ft. .. •
.. •
.. •
•.. 1473.0
1 Span of 370ft.
•..
.. •
•.•
...
370.0
1 Span of 210ft.
.. •
•..
• ..
•••
210.0
2 Spans of 180ft.
.. •
•..
•..
•••
360.0
1 Span of 149.6 ft. ...
...
...
. ..
149.6
1 Span of 60ft.
•..
•..
.. •
•..
60.0
Indiana. abutment .. •
...
.. .
.. •
20.0
Bridge over New Albany and J efferson- }
61.0
villc 1~. R. ...
...
...
Total length
•
•
...
•••
...
6280.0
[;vJAY 22 7 1868.
ENGINEERING.
so8
been ablo in tbeso clnys to apply all tbo grand physical laws
The briclgo will carry n single lino of rnilway at tho centre been laid, yet, owing to the cxtraordina~y season of lo": water, that ho has taken the trouble to study and fathom.
of its width, nod two strct't track&. ope on each side, these being the most difficult foundl\.tions for tho ptcrs wero put m at n
IX.
arranged so that lh<'Y, nro <'ach tormC'cl by one rail of the less expense of timo ancl money tbnn thoro was any reason to
Tho shnpo of tho wings, their texture, thoir number, tho
railway linl' oncl on nddltionnlraillaid outside. '1 his nrmnge- expect. With t.he proper efforts on the part of Messrs. Nasb,
mont, togothot· with othN· dotn.ils, is shown by tho trn.nsvorsc FlannC'ry, nnd Co., wliich no tloubL will be mnc1.o by the~o matter of which they nro composed-all tboso elements, which
section, lt1g. 3, which wo ~ivo on tho preceding pa~c. It, of gentlemen during the coming year, the completiOn of then·. of course form a part of tho phenomenon of llight, can only
course, follows that when a locomotive noel train 1s crossing work may be expected, as agreed upon, by tho 1st o{ have, in my opinion, a very secondary importance. ·
Nature, m vnrying, so lo speak, infinitely the construction
the bridge no strC'et cars or other whiclcs will bo able to September, 1869, noel perhaps nt nn earlier clay, ne in that.
cross at th<' same timC'; but when the bridge is not occupied case the Dridge Co~pany havo agreed to l?ay a l~bernl bonus. and material of the wings of all flying beings, seems intent
The cost of the br1ago and app~oac~ee, mcludwg th~ thrco on mnkin~ us unclorsLnncl t bat, in our researches, we must
by n railway train, ordinar.Y street cars and carriages can pass
ouch otbN· 'on it nt any pomt.. Tho time occupied in cross- and seven-tenths miles of conncctmg lmo, has bC'cn esttmntccl not ta.ko mto nccount Lho dillcrcoccs bot\voon one wing-ed
animnl and another, but only the gren.t common charnct<•re,
ing the bridge by a locomotive and h'ain running ut twelve as follows :
... S47G,9G2 00 the great general properties, which aro invnriably the same
...
mil<'s per how· will be f1vo minutes; noel as at present the Masonry, including foundations
... !)G,OOO 00 amongst all, and whtcb we constantly find through all tho
...
J cffersonnllo Railway Company run but six trains daily each Graduation and macnclnmising
... i 7G,Ofl0 00 modiii<"ations of details.
.. .
. ..
.. .
way over their line, tho bridge would be occupied by them but Supe1·strueturo .. .
70,000 00
These great g<'neral characters of tho wings nro two in
ono hour in the twenty-fow·. or the twelve trains above Tl·ack on bridge nnd connecting road
15,000 00 number· tbo first, which wo have nlrcndy ment.ionccl, and
... ...
. ..
mention<'d, seven will cross ovol,' the bridge during tho fourtC'en Toll-houses and fences .. .
fiii,OOO 00 the chief' importance of which we hnvo seen, is tho extension
...
hours, from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m., and occupy tho bridge thit·ty-flvc General cx~cnscs and engineering ...
65,!>48 00 of surface. Tbo second of these characters resides in tbo
...
...
...
minutes during that time of the day auring which the traffic Contingenctes ...
articulation of the wing at its point of a.ttachmcnt, rc•!nti~cly
is the heaYiest, leaving the l'Cmnining time free for the cross1,500,000
00
... ..
Total
...
to the body, that is to say, to the mov1ng body, wh1ch 1t 1s
ing of the street cars and wagons.
... •• • 100,000 00 designed to sustain and transport.
As will bo seen by tho Table which wo have given above, Right of way nod depOt grounds
We shall l1nve to study carefully that mechanical ,fn~t
the bridge will include two spans of tho great length of
1,GOO,OOO 00 which plays in aviation n part of the first order, but 1t ts
.. .
Total
...
370ft., and a pivot bridge 264ft. in length, this bridge giving
neccssaq, flrst, to cxnmino rapicUy tho external form and
two cleor opcnin~s of 114ft. Gin., ono on each siclo of Lho
pivot pier. Tho boo will not cross the bridge on the lrvcl.
construction of the winged animals.
In tho chnptC'r which trca~s of tho Rurfaec, wo hn.Yo ~o ­
On the Kentucky side the line approaches the bridge with a
rising graclicnt of 82ft. per mile, or 1 in 6-M, ancl on reach- ON THE FLIGTIT OF BIRDS, OF BATS, AND mcntarily looked upon the wmg as n. flxN~ surfnco. pl~y1~S'
ing the first span it is Gl ft. nl>ovc tho low-wat<'r l<'vcl. The
OF l NSEC'fS, IN REFERENCE TO TilE t.ho port of a parnchutc, in order to sustmn the bu·cl m 1Ls
gradient wo havo monlionccl is continued until pier No. 13
descent, ancl ovorcomo, through tho resistance of tho air, t.ho
SUBJECT Ol!"' AERfAL LOCOMOTION.
on tho south side of the mtcldlo chute is l'enohcd, at an elevaincreasing in{)u<'nco of. gravity. ~e hnvo seen. tbo bu·d
tion of 95 ft. above low water in tho middle cbutC', nod at a.
descend ,crlicnlly, or ghdo away obliquely, according I? tlw
By M. DE L ucY, Pa1·is.
distance of 2500 ft. from Tiigh-strcct, and 2Hl6 ft. from tho
horizontal or inclined po~ition of its ~nge,, and supl>ort. 1t~clf
(Tl·anslated by Co,·nelius B. Fo:r, M. D., M.R. C.P.,
thus on the stratum of tur beneath 1t, wbJCb susta1ns 1t l1kc
face of tbo southern abutment. From this point the bridge
Scarborou,r;lt.)
an over tcnso spring. Such is not, wo know, tbe usual action
is level for a distance of 2213 ft., until pier No. 21 on the
( Oontiwttedfrom pago 488.)
north sido of tho Indiana chute is rC'achcd, crossing tho
of tho wings. Armed with powerful l!lus.cloa, which cl opr~ss
VIII.
Indiann chute at a. level of 10H ft. above low water. .From
them with ~rent force, they bent tho a1r Vlolcntly, and cxc1to
this point tho grade descends at the rate of 781~• ft. per mile,
AFTER what we havo en id of tho prodigious force of insC'cls, in that flu1d a reaction increasing as the square of the
reaching the northern abutment at a distnnco ol' 805ft. from must W<' conclude that the forc·l' necessary to roiso oneself velocity with which th~y movo thc~sclves. But '\~hen, nf~f'r
pier No. 21, and at an elevation of 35ft. above the surface of in Lho nit· ought to bo eonsidcrabl<•, nncl sho~lcl 've, rclyi~g sevN·al Jlappings, the b1rd has ncqull'cd, by ~ho wctghL of 1ts
the ground.
on this fact decide in favour of tho calculnt10ns of N n.v10r body, a ccrt a in vcloci ty of propulsion, t.ho wing resumes
The grado of tho approaches continuca to descend ·u ntil it and Bore11i? Although it may be very difficult, not to say from time to t.imc its horizontal and fixccl position to gliclo fiR
strikes the surface of' the ground, at Lho crossing of tho impo11~iblo, to cstimnto oxpcrim<'ntnlly the musc~lar force of n plane on the air, and thus avail itself of the acquired
J cfl'crsonville n.nd New Albnny Dirt-road.. The low<'sl point tbo winged animals, the observation, the rntionahty, a.~d Lho velocity. Besides, tho wing is not tl1o only organ in the
of the supcratru.cturo ovC'r t.he middle cbut.e is 00! ft. above theory of flight which I hn.vo cndl'nvourcd to ~ovelop .m Lhe winged nnimnl that plays tho pa1•t of a lixccljlnnc. Tllo
low water, nod over the lnclionn. cbute 9G~ ft.-th<' low wnlcr couxso of this essay, will suffic<', J hope, to gwde us lD the whole body, the bend, tqo abdomen, tbo tail, an often oven
in the Indiana chute bring 6! ft. low~r than in tho middle invC'stigaLion n_nd u,rprcci~tion (if ~ot perfectly exact, at l e~t the beak and tho feet amongst tho great wading birds;
chute. 'l'hc extreme riso ol' the river at Louisvnle, abovo low a goocl approx1mat10n) of tho mn.xmmm of force that a. bll'Cl n.mongst the bats, besides tho bQdy, iho cnrs, which nre in
some of them considerably developed; and in the clnss of
wat<>r, is, we may mention, 40~ ft.
mu11t develop in Ol'de!r to mOY<' itself in the nu·.
Tho general character ot' the superstructure will bo seen
If the render will rrcaU to his mind the fact thnt the bird, insects, the bend, the co1·eelet, the belly, frequently the legR,
from the outlino diagrams Figs. 1 nnd 2, the former compris- in extending ils wings, finds itself by this single action fuJ'· when of great length, the nntcnnm, th~ clytrns. of tho C!>Ic.ng tho fivo spnQs nearest the northern bank of tho rivC'r, and nishcd with a natural parachute>, which, owing to the resist- optorro, of tho Ortboptcrro, nod llClDlpterm; m sllOrt, 10 n
the latter showing the two small spnns on the southc1·n side, ance of the air, counteracts tbo direct action of gravity; so winged animal, the whole uocly, and all the horizontal Ot'gans,
together with ihd pivot span alrcndy mentioned. As will bo that tbo bird does not fall, os I bo law of g1·avity would re- become, after Lho spring has been given, tnJo gliding surJ'nccs.
sePn by these figures the roils nrc, except in the caso of tho quire nearly 17ft. io lho first SC'cond, and during tho other
All thcso parts, working together with the wing1 co870ft. spans, ~nrried at the 1ovcl of the tops of tho girders, seconds this number multiplied by the ectunr<' of the time: operate, then, in tbo production of flight, and even the back
these bc10g of the class known as the Fiok trusq. As this but that, on th<' contrnry, it h·avcrs<•s dw-ing the first second itself, during the ,.&hoek of tbo wing, supports itself on tho
truss is compnrat~voly little known in this country, we hnve a space much less on the one hand, and on tbo other hand, this superior stratum of the air, to change the nt~cending vertical
given an enlarged half elevation of n span of this kincl, and space passed through does not increnso with the ~quare of the movement into an ascending oblique or progl.'essive movement.
we may quoto hero a description of it given in a pnpcr on time, remnining nlwnys equal to what it was clurwg that first
If this is tl1o case, the whole winged animal may lJo con"Americnn Iron Bridges" read by Mr. Colburn boforo the second. licnco wo must nn.tm·a,lly conclude, 1st, that n. sidered as a gliding plane, a part of which is !ixeclnncl tho
Institution of Civil Engineers some lime ago: " In this winged nnimnl has not, as Borolli and Navier thought1 to other mobile, tho whole maintained in a stable equilibrium
bridge o. pair of dis~~nnl tension bars connects the foot of the develop force in order to prevent itself from falling about by n mass, moro or less heavy, placed a little below the point
principal strut, or 'King post,' in each truss, with tbo ends of 17 ft., bccn.ueo this fnll cannot occur; 2nd, that a force neces- of suspension, and oxnctly at the centre of the surface. This
the top chord. This pair of diagonal bars supporta one-half sary to stop tho fall during only n. fraction of a second is q~ito heavy pat·t, wb.ich is rcqui.eito for tho total equilibrium, and
of tho wholo weight of the truss nnd its load. Each half eudicicnt for it. Now, what IS tho spnco travcracd durmg which, moreover, p1aya tho important part of the fly-wheel,
span is subdivided by a strut, and two dingonal tension bars ono-tenth of n BC'eond by a body IC'ft to itsC'lf? This space is by storing up the acq uil'ecl force to dtsponso it during tho
extend, ono to tho n earest end of tho top chord, and tho other {19.29) in.; and if the body is supplied with o. largo surfuce transit of the winged animal, Nature hns disposed in the
to the top of tho centre post. Each q unrtcr span is again of suspension, wo can undC'rstancl that it will no lon~e r bC' most ingenious and economical manner, in turn in~ to account
subclividcd into eighths, and these again, for spans greater 19.29 in., but a. space much less, nncl which wo may cst1malc, for that purpose the vital organs of tho nnimal, 1ts hcru·t, its
than 100ft., into sixteenths. In a truss of this kind, having if wo will, at a moiety only of this omount, it mny be 25 ccnti- intcs~incs, and its ltLDga, aa w<'ll as the large muscles of tbo
sixteen panels, the weight at the bottom of the strut nearest motrcs (9.84in.) It is llCCCSRary, then, in this cnso, for a bh·cl wings and thighs.
to either of the piers 1s distributed as follows: Calling t.he weighing 1 kilogrnmmc (2lb. 3 oz. 4.428 clr. nvoirclupois, 91·,
As to tho p oint of attachment of tho wings and <l<'prl'ssor
weight ono, one-half is transferred dire('tly through a tension 2lb. 8 o.z. 3 cl wt. 2 g1·.) to possess a force necessary tl) rntso tendons, wo hnvo seen that, amongst all wingccl animals,
rod to tho nearest end of the top chord, and thus upon tho itself 26 cC'ntimOtrcs (9.84 10.) n.t el?-ch flapping of tbo wing, Nature hns taken care to placo them abovo and close to tho
pier. 1'he other half is carried up to I he top of the> !lC'cond which would produce, if wo suppose ton strokrs of the wins- centre of gravity, and we sec that, in consequence of that
strut from tho pier, noel is received at tho bottom of that strut during the second , a force of 2 to 3 kilogrnmmbLrC's.• But 11' disposition, nothmg can alter lhc c9.uilibrium; DC'ithcr feC'blo
ly a pair of tension rods, which subdivide this half between we rc!IC'ct thnt between each stroke of tho,wing there is ono- and soft movon1onts, nor violent cflorts, as woulcl inevitably
them, ono-fourth being t akon directly to the nenrrst pier, tcnt.h of a srconcl durin~ which tho bir:l does not fall, but hnvo ocourrt>cl with any other arrangement. l3e~idcs, tho
whildho other fourth is transferred to tbe top of tho strut clcvntcs itselfumlcr the unpulsion that is given to it, we shall point of attachment of tlle wing, or plane of traction, c·orrea lthc quarter span. This fow·th is again subdivicleclllt the aeo thn.t there will be no moro ten strokes of tbo wing, but aponds in an identical mnnncr in the winged nnimnl with the
foot of this strut, one-eighth being transmitted through a five only, which tbo bird will hnvc to make during n. second, J?Oint of attnchmcnt of the cord of traction in the kite; this
tension rod to tho nearest pier, wh1lo the other eighth passes nncltho force which will bo requisite for this work will not bo tnct, being moreover perfectly natural nod logical, deRC'rvcs
to the top of the middle strut of tho whole span, and is re- mor<' than 1 or 1~ kilogrammotres.
to bo noted, for wo shall have h ereafter to moko uso of it.
ceived at tllo foot of this strut by tbo main tension rods,
'No ha.vo sni<l tbn.t, after some fla.pping11 of tho wing, tho
I h!tvo said requisite, beca.uso it is unquest.ionablo that the
which I bus transmit, each ono-sixteenth of the originnlloacl, int1-insic force 01' this bird. is gronler, and may be ('Stimated at winged Mima) a.vaUs itself of the acquired vclocit;r. to glide
to each pier. Thus the weight at the foot of the first Rtrut 3 kilogrnmnH')l\·cR, for it must not bo forgotten in whnt 11ofLiy on tho air without effort, withouL fatigue. l 'hi11 glid from tho l'ncl of tho trwHI is distribuleclns follows: Onc-bnlf, elrm<>nt and in thC\ midst of what dangers nncl p<'rils tho ing movement is found gcnC'rnlly amongst all birds, nod
one-fourth, ono-eighth, and onc-sixtcrnth, or, in all, fift<'C'n- winged animnls pnas their lives. Soml'timcs thC'y 8.1'0 rocked amongsL moAt insects, but in very vru·iatblc dcgrf'eR. Somo
sixteenths of that weight rC'nch the top of tho nrarC'st pier, by tho wind "b1ch sustains bh<'m without their making tho glid(ll tor a. long timo, either in directing thomselv<'s stmight
through four cnnvergiug sets of tcnHion rods, while the t·c- least clfort to support thcmsclvrs; now, on tho con1xnry, they to thqir destination, or in describing in tho nir V<'ry oxtcnstvo
maining si.xt.eenth rcrtchcs the opposiLo pier, al'lcr lHtving havl' to struggll' ngninst thia wind, in ordor to nclvnnco nnd cul'Vcs. 'fbe 11wnUow, tho fn)con, nod tbo frigate bird, possC'ss
been first brought to tho foot of the CC'nll·o strut, tlnough the r<'ncl\ their dC'stination, and, in such a case, tho work thttt to a very great dcgrco lhis so1·t of flight. Others, on tho
intervention of three separate systems of tension bnrft. With they bnvc to endUI'(I fnr excocds tbnt which is euffieient in contrary, enjoy but little of this power, nncl their fiigbL couthe exception of the load at the foot of the centre strut, which oNlinnry calm weather. In addition to thi11, lho wingrd RiRts chiefly ot rrgular and steady flnppingl!. Among~;L the
load is transmitted directly to tho piers, the loads at the animal lives in n. state of pcrpt'l.ual .warfnr<', in pur11uit or little birds, tho Fringillidro, the Grnnivorre, tho flight is
bottoms of tl1o vct·ticnl struis ru·o more or lees subdivjd<'d, in pursuC'd: from I he powerful cnglo l'vcn to Lho minutestineC'ct, jdl~ccl; it, cons~sts of si. rnpid ns<'ending flnppingt~ of the
the manner j uRt describNl, bcforCI l'cocbing Lbo Clnds o£' t.ho 1t ia nlwnys on I he nlert, ulwny11 oo tho look ouh, 1\Dd prepared wing~, follow<' cl by n descending gliding motion; this kind ot
truss. It may be mentioned that n few yN\rs after 1\J r. Fink 1o nLt11Ck an enrmy or !IC'O fl'om it, to exert at n gi von flight rccnls to ono's mincllhe k'C'th of tl enw, or tht' zigzngs of
bad ex<'cutC'cl brid~<'R upon this sysll'm, it w·as inll·oduccd to moment all the str<'ngth lhnt nature haa given to it in sloro. n festoon. H ie observnble thn.t, nmongfit the birds which
the noticr of EnghAh cnh>incers by Mr. Pittar."
We have b<'rn studying successively tho tbt·eo component gliclo best, the wing is tmninnl<'d hy n tapering point,
Tho bridgc over tho Ohio, ot' which wo have, above, ~ivcn clC'mcnts of fiigbt,-..tho weight, I bo surface, and tho {orco: in nnd pt·e~:~ents nn almost completely flnt sUJ-facc, whilst nmongst
some pnrLiculnrs, is bc·ing constructrd for tho LoUJsvillo n succC'Clding n.rf ielo wo ahull follow tho wingNl auimnl in to other birds tbo wing is rounclccl o.t it11 o tt:<'mity, an cl hollowed
Bridge Company, tbo cbicl' C'nginccr to tho work lJI'ing Mr. SJ>£tce; wo shall examine tho mnnnor in which be employs out in the shape of n spoon. IL is clecn· to all that tho latter
AJbert Fi nk, and the assistant cnginC'er Mr. F. W. Vnughnn. his marvellous powt,rs, nnd P.Qrhnps wo mny hn.I.'pon to con- form is so1no"ho.t unt'tl\'Oilrablo to g1iding. Almost every
The contract for tho mnsonry was let to MC'esrs. .Nnsh, vine£~ ourselves of tho possibility of a man npplylllg the laws ono kno\\s Lbt' rdcrnnl conformation of the bats.
Flanncry, nnd Co. on the 20th of April lost year, and, after of ltight to indll.!ltrinl pw·poses, in tho sa'llio mauncr ns ho haa
~hceo st\·nngo mammifcrro, covC'l'N\ with hair liko nll tho
some delay in making preparations, the work was comnnimals of their clns!l, lly by the aiel of a vast mC'mbrnne
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menced, and tho fust stone laid oo tho let of August follow• A kilogrnmmoiJ·o is t;ho forco DC'cossnry to raise a. kilo- which coverR Lho wholo space bet wcen t.l1oir arms and legs,
ing. Sinco that Lime Ll10 work has prog1·cssecl f'avourn.bly. grnmmo (21b. 8 ov.. 3 clwt. 2 g1·., 01', 2lh. :} oz. 4.428 <h. nvoir- !\Swell as the entire spnco between their cxcessivelJ long
Although it was contemplated that n Jnrgcr quantity of ma- dupois) to tho height of tt motro (3!>.371 in.) ill a second of digiti!. Thii rocmhrnno, which is very supple, bul. of a.
eonry would be executed during tho past year than has actually time.
very great 13trongth, is formed of tho skin of the animal
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auporiruposc<l and doubled, onolosir..g botwoon the two (\pidC'nues, n gt•cat number of blood vessc> ls noel nervous fiiam ents, the bones nod tho muscles of tho nrms nod legs, ns
wt>ll ns tho lon_g phn~anges of thn digits. V cry frequently
th!s membrn':e 1s contu~ucd befwecn the legs enveloping the
tml ns far ns Its cxtremtty. M oreovc>r, these animals possess
very large cnrs, and amongst some kinds this organ is so
much dcYelopecl thnt theit· surface is cqunl to a fourth of
that of _the bod;y: of the nnimal. It is evident thnt, amongst
these wmged nmmals, the ears play an important part dunna
the ~et of. flis-ht; . they are. true inclined planes whicl~
altenog then· direct10n accordmg to the motions of the head,
me em ployed as a 1·udder, and even contribute to the ascending flight.
'£he bats have a surface relatively g1·eater thtm that of
birds. I s their membranous and bare wing less fflvOln-:tblc
to flight than feathers? I am inclined to believe it; but we
must not forget, also, thnt the bat is a mammiforous nnimnl;
thnt, throughout the whole of Hs gestation, it :flies with a
supplementn.r y weight; moreover, when the young ones al·c
bo1·n, they hang on to their rnothct·s' breasts, nod she bears
them nlong in her flight without appearing cmbnnassed.
iThe flight of the bat is generally regarded as awkward,
rregulnr, j erked, but that estimate is a fnlso ono, and proceotls from incorrect observation.
1'he bat spends the whole dny in its retreat. When the
twilig ht ndvances, it goes c ut sta1·viog, and thinks only of
chase. The nir nbounds wit h insects of all kinds; it rushes
right and left upon those which pass before its eyes. H ence
thn.t divergent., Jerked, and apparently indecisive movement
which, to t<hc observer, is, on the contt·ary, t he sigu of a
great steadiness of flight nnd agility in rlircctincr itself; but
when hunger is nppeased after an amnlc chns~, nbout te-n
o'clock in the evening, for instance: the fiiaht of t.hc
Chiropterro assumes 'W-ite a different chal'ncter; "it is calm,
regular, rectilinear.
e know, besides, that the Rousscttes
(fox bats); and all the large frugivorous kinds of bats which
live in tropical countries fly to a great height in numerous
troops, and trnverse space like real flocks of birds.
Shnll I be allo\ved to endeavour to r everse the opinion
entertained r especting this poor bat, so disdained, so despised,
and yet so worthy of our interest and study?
We often have compared rhe monkey w1th man; we have
made it a type, a living symbol of our physical an•i material
powers, nod we cannot, in truth, resist such thoughts whilst
looking nt n female monkey holding in her arms and pressing
on her bosom h er young offspring. The waters, also, contain their human symbol, and the traveller, who sees far on
the sea the powerful torso of a Phoca or bearded Manatee
holding betwee n its fins n.nd prossing upon its breast the
young one whic!l it suckles, tbc astonished trnvcllcr thinks
of the marine man.
W ell, the air itself possesses also its h\tman type; man
has his sy'mbol nlso in the ethereal r egions.
Ne-xt to the monkey the ChiroJ,>terous auimal is the animal
which most resembles man in Its physical and anatomical
conformation; it is, with the monkey, the only animal in
which certain external organs are similar to t.hose in man
and woman. Moreover, it carries its offspring in its arms,
and suckles them on its breast. But-nod it is t!;\e point at
which I want to arrive-the monkey, a type of flexibility
and physical agility, h as been surpassed by man in nU
the exercises of the body, and the clever gymnast, the
rope dancer, the dislocated mountebank, leave far behind
them the gymnast of nature. As for the Phocre, Amphibiro,
Cetacere, if we have been unable to equal them in the exercise
of natation, art noel science have given us ships, diring
bells, ancl cork jackets-the first, to pursue nod overtake
them in their frozen retreats; the seconcl, t.o plunge into the
waters and live there for a longer time than the Cetace:E
themselves can r emain. Should we not conclude that the
flying man or the Chiropterous animal will be one day not
only equalled, but surpassed by us, and that by the aid of
science and mecha.nics ?
The class of insects is a fruitful mine for the patient observer. w·e already know that the insects, relatively to their
size, possess the largest surface and the greatest muscular
for ce. We have given to this double phenomenon the explanation whirh we thought the most exact, sensible, and
logical; but:, whatever may be the cause, the fact n evertheless exists, and I intend hereafter to chaw from it some important deductions.
Desides that very remarkable singularity, we find also,
among the insects, n very great variety of locomotive or~ans.
It is not my purpose here to enter into n.ll the detads of
construction that prt?sent themselves in the wings of insects;
that subject would lend us too far, and, besides, I confine
myself in this dissertation to the exposition of the great prop erties common to all winged animals, without taking into
account the details of execution and the peculiar form of the
wmgs of particular individuals. Let us observe, merely,
that in this class, as in that of birds, Lhe best fliers have long
:flat win~s (Dragou-flies, Flirs, Ichneumons), and that amongst
the Leptdopterro, those which have the smallest wings, tmd the
l argest body fly the best (Sphinx, Moths); whilst the butterflies, which, with a. very light weight, presrnt enormous
surfaces, have an unsteady flight. This fact wiU not
astonish the r eader if he brings b~tck to his m emory what
wo have said nt the commencement of this essay on the
cCjuilibrium necessary ancl obligatory between the three
terms of flight-the weight, su1facr, and force.
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Is it possible to discover between these three terms tho
relation, if not mathematical at least approximative, which
it is advisable to establish between them, in order to bring
about the .industrial res1.tlt of ilight?
,
.Any weight whatsoever being given, can we, in accordance
with the laws wruch we have explained in this CllSay, find by
calculation the surfn.ce and force necessary, ~1 order to 1·aise
that weight and bear it along in the air P I do not know i£
all my readers will be of my opinion, but, f9r my own part,
I cannot perceive any impossibility in it. I will say more,
t.his result appears to me to be readily obtainable.
Lot us suppose, for exnmplc, t.hc weight of a mnn and of
a.ny apparatus whatsoever designed to sustain him., to be
altogether 100 kilogrammes (220 lb. 7 oz. 11 clr. avoirdupois,
2G71b. 11 oz. 8 dwt. 8 g r.) ; the surface requisite for this
weight will be given us by the law of surface in inverse ratio
tomnss.
If the reader remembers what we have stated on this subj ect, he will r eadily acknowledge that the surface necessary
for a man should be d~tnrmined neither by the swallow, nor
by _the pigeon, nor by nny other winged animal of inferior
we1ght, but by the larg~st Md heaviest bird. Now the crane
of Australia, which weighs 9l:ilogrammes 500 grammes, (20 lb.
15 oz. 2; dr. avoi1·dupois) or nearly 10 kilogrammes (25lb.
5 oz. 9 d wt.), and gives for each kilogramme a surface of 899
cent. car, (139 square inches) l'Pprescnts for 100 kilogrammes
(267 lb. 11 oz. 8 dwt. 8 gr., or 220 lb. 7 oz. 11 dr. avoirdupois)
only 9 metres of surface (10 square yards 6 ft.126 in.), provided,
lot it be clearly understood, that we employ for the traction
a force proportioned t0 that of tbc,crano, that is to say, ten
times more conside-rable. ~0w what may be the force of the
Australian crane? The reader knows by what reasonings we
have come to attribute to a bird of 1 kilogramme a maximum. for ce of 3 kilogrammetrcs'~, a .force which we hn.ve
exaggerated on account of the vital necessities and safety
of the animal; but it is cCJ·tain thnt the winged animal which
is not hm·riec1 or disturhed by anything h.ns only to develop
for the work of an ordinary :flight a force of H or 2 kilog rammetrcs.
An Australian rranC' weighing- about 10 kilogrammes will
be obl i&"ed, according to the same 1·casoning, and without
taking toto account the lnw of the decrease of the forces in
proportion to the weights and volumes, to possess an average
force of 20 kilogrammctrcs; whence it follows that for
100 kilogrammes, and, apart from the law of decrease, the
force requisite to be obtained would be 200 kilogrammetres.
I s there n.n1thing in these figures of surface nncl force which
may shock common sense and reason? and may .we not
ac:l.rilit, without being guilty of mechanical heresy, the possibility of constructins- a motive body sufficiently powerful
with a volume and weight relntively very small ?
Placing on one side steam nod its encumbering train of
water, boiler, n.nd coals, it will be sufficient for me to recal to
our memories either alcohol, carbonic acid, ammonia, infl.ammnble powde1·s, prroxylin, and as many other powerful subst~nces, Qf which mdustry has not availed herself, an~l which
Will be, ~1thput doubt, aerial motor forces.
We have seen that in fixing at 20Q kilogrammotres the
force reqlJi~ito to tl·nnsport a weight of 100 kilogrammes 'vith
a surface of 9 mett·es, I have not taken into account t.h o law
of the forces and surfaces in inverse mtio to the masses.
If in om· calculation we take that law into account, the
logical results which must flow from it will appear so impr0bnble that I hardly dare to submit them to the l'cadcr.
And yet is it not permissible for the inq_uirer, the conscientious and convinced observer, to dccluce from his studies
all the results t.hat they may nnd must yield? I s it not per missible, in a. science so obscure as that which we study, in
the midst of the obscurity which envelops us, to follow step
by step the least gleams that reach our eyes, on t.he condit.ion,
however, tl;la t we go back and r ctUJ·n to our starting point
so soon as we perceive that we have lost om- way?
The law of the sm·facc and force in inverse ratio to the
mass reigns in the most exact and absolute manner over
all winged animals, n·om the minutest insect to the
largest bird. Should it stop there? Hns N a.ture, who has
maae h er laws general and universal, Cl'Cated this One only
for the r estricted compass of t.he winged nmmate beings ?
The Jaw which sustains on the water the leaf nnd the stl·aw,
is it;. not the same for the gigantic Great Eastern ? And. the
m echanical law of the f01·res which drives the wheelbarrow,
does it not also conduct on its iron line the locomotive and
its endless train.?
L et us suppose, then, for a moment, that the law of decrease acts upon all weights noel volumes, and let us sec
what would be in this case the surfaces and forces requisite to
trn.nsport in the air extraordinary ma$ses.
I have been able to demonstrate in my r esearches on the
compared weights and surfaces that a winged animal, weighing from eight to t en times more than another, has always
two times less of suxfnce.
Thus the pigeon weis-hs about ten times more than the
spru:row ; it has two t1mes less of sm·face. It is the same
in the case of the stork when it is compared with the pigeon,
in the case of the tu1·tledove when contrasted with the
swallow, in that of the falcon as compared wit.h the colies, &c.
Now, applying this observation to apparatuses of a superior
weight, and takmg ns a starting point the Australian crane,
we sec that n. wei~ht of 100 kilogrammes, r epresenting ten
times the weight of the crnne, should not require a surface
ten times larger than that of this bird, but, on the contrary,
two times less relatively to thekilogrnmmc; it would not then
be in that case 890 squar e centimetres, but 11.50 cent. car.
( 69~ square inches). which we should ta.kc as a point of dcpart.ure for OUJ' calcula.Lions, nod which would give us for
surface, at the weight of 100 kilogrammes, 4 metres f?O centimet.rcs ( 4 square yards 7ft. 15~ in.) only . Pl'ocecding fur ther, and seeking for the surface r equisite for 1000 kilogrammes (2212lb. 12 oz. 14 dr. avoirdupois), we should again
take a half of the sm·facc fo\md for the 100 kilogrammes, a.nd
not argue on 450 square centimetres, but upon 225 cent. car.
(35 square inrhes ), whence would r esult tor t he 10~0 kilog rammes a swfacc figm·.c of 22 metres 60 centunetres
, ( 31 squai:c yards 2 ft. 123b m.)
Accor~mg to th-e same argument, we shoul~ have for
10,000 kilogrammes, llS metres, and for 100,000 kilogrammes
3GO metr('s.
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.As to the for?c, 1t ts o):>edicnt also to t~e ln;w of decrease
amongst the a.w.matc bemgs, nod everything mduces me to
* Vide page 486.
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bcJjcvc that it will be the sam(' nlso fo1· the greater weights;
but being unable to seize on any positive iact on the proportion of tho decrease, I do not presume here to hazard ~ny
figUl'e, even approximalively; but I have every r eason to think
that this decrease must be considerable. I hasten to add
that I give these calculations only as simple sketches; ~be
most sound and rigorous logic authoris~s me in accep~mg
them; the fear of being looked ~pon as ?ncompetent obliges
m e to make my r eserves. Expenence 'vill de01d~.
Experience, that is the great word ! There 1s the grca t
rock, against which have been smashed to pieces ali ~he
inquirers, all the investigntors, all those poor waifs of gcnuts
who have been so laughed at up to the present day, and for
whom I feel a pt·ofounclrespcct.
. .
There is one thi.Iig that Lhey did no~ kn?w, and wh1~h 1s
not sufficiently known yet amongst the mquu·crs of our tune,
who exert themselves to construct small machines, and are
always astonished at not seeing them elevate themselves; it
is, that an apparatus, designed to support a man, and to be
moved by the force of that man, will be always too h eavy for
its volume, and for the force which should make it move. In
this case the term weight is not balanced by the two other
terms.
Aerial locomotion can be, and will only be accomplished,
provided that we operate with large machines.
The smofaces and volumes increase as t he square and cube,
whilst the weight of the materials increases only in a simple
proportion, whence it follows that, whatever may be the
weight of an aerial appantus, if it is constructed in gigantic
proportions, this weight will always become insignificant in
relation to its volume.
. A silk b_nlloon, with a diameter of 1 metre, cubin&" 0.52, and
mfiatccl mth the pm·est hydrogen, cannot elevate 1tsclf; the
ascending force of the gas does not counteract the weight of'
Lhe cnvelo.Pe· But a balloon with a diameter of 10 meb·es,
covered w1th a silk of the same quality, possesses an asct?nding supplcmenttu·y force of 550 kilogrammes. What occm·s
in the case of the ascending force of the hydrogen is identically produced in the case of all the forces that it shall please
us to substitlltc for :it. What you ca.n not do with the force
and weight of a. man in a small appnratus, you can do with
the force, and in spito of the weight, of ten men, and, still
better, with the foree, and in spite of the weight, of one hundred m en, in machines of proportioi!ate volume and capacity.
As to the mecha.nical m overs, it is quite evident that by their
aid the problem will be .much moro easily solved, the weight
of the machines ne'l'cr increasing in proportion to their force;
it is clear, in fact, that SJo!lnnchine of ton horses weighs a great
denlless than ten mach~cs of ono horse each.
It is understoocl that I cannot enter here into very long
details regarding the construction of an experimental apparatus. m my opinion the aerial mechanism will be of extreme
simplicity. The form of the wings or movable planes will be
of litt le importance, provided that their point of attachment
is, as we have observed it in N n.turc, placed directly on a.Jevel
with the fL~ed plane, and very little above the balancing
mass. L astly, the apparatus should be of considerable size,
and constructed on a very ltu·ge scale. The more voluminous
the experimental ap~~:atus shall be, the lighter it will become
for the force at ow· · posnl.
Too great an expense, some will say to me, for the isolated
inventor, who has generally but Jeeblc resources (a. circle in
which he will unceasingly tum), and who, consequently,
either manufactures useless and fruitless small machines, or
abstains in presence of expenses that he cannot incur.
I know it, and can offer no remedy. ' 'V hat I ha.'l'e endeavoured to demonstrate h ere in t.his essay is, the possibility, I
may say the facility, of obtaining mechanically a flight
capable of adaptation to inclustria.l purposes. I have attempted
to 's how that the great nn.tural laws, far from opposing the
solution of the p1·oblem, all concur in n striking m anner to
facilitate the r esearch.
Science is ripe, industry is ready, everybody is in expectation; the hour of nerial locomotion will soon arrive.
From what intelligent country will the first car sail? Will
it come from England-thc country of speculation and cal culation? from America-the country of dollars and feverish
initiative ? Will it go out of Franco? No ono knows. But,
wher ever its cradle may be, that invention will be-l cannot
say the last word of science, for science DCV<'l' stands stillbut it will be, without contradiction, one of its most glorious
conquests, and one the most fruitful for the futu1·e of mankind.
KRUPP'S WORKS AT ESSEN.
I N the able and inter esting r eport, "On the Production of
Iron and Steel, in its economic and social r elations." prepared by Mr. Abram S. Hewitt, commissioner of the U uited
States at the Paris Exhibition ; that gentleman speaks as
follows concerning Krupp's works at E ssen. He says :
"The establishment of Krupp occupies about 450 acres of
which one-foUJ·th are under roof. T·he number of men ~m­
ployed in the works is 8000, besides which 2000 more arc
employed in the coal-mines, at the blast furnaces, and at; the
ore mines. The prodtlct.ion of those works in 18oG was
61,000 tons more ~han the entire production of cast st.ccl in
the worlcl at the trmc of the first English exhibition. The
value of this_product was over $10,000,000 in cmTcncy. It
was accomphshecl by means of 412 smelting reverberatory
f urnaces, 195 steam engines,' ranaing from'
.
an d cementing
0
2 t? 1000 horse power, 49 st~am hammers, in the largcst of
which the hammer block w01ghs 50 tons, 110 smiths' toracs
318 l~thes, 111 ~la~ing machi?es, 61 cutting and shaPing
machmes, 75 grmding mn.chmes, 26 S:{>ccial tools. One
thousand tons of coal are consumed daily m Lhe manufactw·o
of steel alone, and 120 steam boilers are in use evaporatina
1~0,900 cubic feet of water daily. Fifteen miles of rail ar~
la1d m the works alone, and 6 locomotives and 150 cat·s arc
r equired for its use within the limits of the establishment.
"In order to appreciate the eminent justice with which
t~e grand pr~z~ of the E:s:position \Vas bestowed upon Frcdcl'lCk Xrupp, 1t 1s not merely necessary to study these mn.rvel-
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ous figures, but to consider that this establishment, by far
ANEMOMETERS.
the m ost extensive ever produced by the energy of man, and
T o THE EDITOR oP ENGINEERING.
these processes, the m ost difficult ever attempted by his inSrn,-As, in your paper of the 1st instant, you do me the
genuity, are the offsRring of a single life, begun almost by honour to request some further particulars of my anemometer,
the side of his fathers humble forge, and rising through the I send a brief description.
various stages of poverty, trial, discouragement, and final
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success, to the very front of the industria1 achievements of
the world. Such a n establishment, such results, and such a
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man, have special interest for the United States, where the
natural r esources of the country, the rapid progress of population and civilisation, and the genius of our free institutions,
all invite a generous emulation in order to equal, and in the
course of time even to surpass, these ma~nificent achievements, which, if Krupp, the great captain of modern industry,
had not lived in our day and generation, might well have
been deemed impossible."
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STEEL RAILS.
To TH& EDITOR oF ENOINKKRt No.
SIR,-Presuming that you wish to show forth all the facls
about steel rails, I think the following may interest you:
On the 27th ult. there was taken to the steam shears in
the rolling mills of the Lacko.wanna Iron and Coal Company a lot of old worn rails to be cut up and r eworked.
I n this lot was a piece about 6 ft. long, which, when
sheared, presented an unusual appearance, and on inspection was found to be marked m small raised letters
on the stem, "John Brown and Co., Sheffield, Atlas Steel.
1865. Sec. No. 4{)." Rails of this pattern were laid on the
Delaware, Lackawanna., and Western Railroad-a road transporting large amounts of coal-in the spring of 1866, and it
was among ,old rails from this road that the piece was found.
The enclosed sketch shows the section of the perfect rail (as
t ak en from a piece saved by one of the directors of the r oad)
and the end of the broken one, the sides and top of the head
being broken off for some inches from the end. The side of
the head for the entire length of the piece was worn, and
showed slivers adhering but slightly to the rail. I enclose
one to show the fractm·e. The pieces are preserved at the
offices of this company.
Respectfully,
JR.
Scranton, Pa, May 4, 1868.
THE "FRANKLIN" ENGI NE.
To TirE EDITOR oF ENGINEERING.
Srn,-Your remarks upon the so-called invention of a supposed novelty in steam engines, which consist.s in coupling together a pair of single-acting cylinders, calls to mind an extinct
form of beam-condensing engine, which once enjoyed considerable local repute and favour, "'hich never seems to have
been described in print, and which is probably unknown to
most of your numerous readers.
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It was known as the " H eslop en~Pne," and was pretty
largely introduced, chiefly among colheries, both for pumping and for winding, by the inventors, Messrs. H eslop and
Co., of Lowca Ironworks, near Whitehaven, in the early part
of the century, and consisted of a. single-acting or opent opped atmospheric cylinder placed at each end of the beams
In some of the rotative engines the centre of the flyshaft was
immediately under one of the cylinders, as shown in the
sketch, the connecting-rod being curiously curved in order to
clear the cylinder. .An engine of this description was for
many years employed to drive thei1· own establishment, and
within the last twenty years several were still at work.
These engines were ori£inally devised to compete with the
double-acting engine of Watt.
Yours, &e.,
May 9,1868.
L. E. W.
•
...
I n Fig. 1 a is a solid slate, 12 in. square and 1 in. thick, on
which is cut a circle, 5 in. radius, graduated. Into the centre
of slate a. brass pm, with a. shoulder , drops easily, and upon
this centre pin work three connected "'nl'es, each having a
conical wheel at tlw end, as shown in the figures. To the
slate, as a base, is attached a zinc pyramid, b, closed with a
shutter in front; c is a brass ~ube, working in a ,pmbal at d.
On the brass tube i.s a copper sphere, e, 8.56 in. m diameter,
which is l'cady to r eceive the wmd, come in what direction it
mal ; and, uaing the-~imbal as a fulcrum, it r aises a leaden
weight,.f. W orking m the tube, under a proper pressure, is
a lead pencil, when paper is used, or a common slate pencil
where only the slate is used. The deflection of the pencil
from the centre shows the pressure of the wind, and the
degree of the circle to which the stroke of the pencil points
gives the angle of the current of air with the meridian.
Upon the tlll'ee wires, and r ound the centre, is stretched a
small elastic band, against which the returning pencil strikes,
and by which oscillation is prevented.
Now comes the pith of the question. The sphere is made
8.66 in. in diameter, because that is the diameter of a circle
containing -lths of a square foot; and therefore, according
to Sir I saac Newton's demonstration, the pressure of the wind
upon this sphere will be equal to the pressure on H h of a
square foot.
In m akin~ the sphere, a. small loop of wire is p1·ovided on
each side of it, to which strin~s are fastened, temporarily,
and when tied into one strin~ 1t passes over a pulley, p, and
has a weight, w, attached to 1t. Now, suppose w to be 5lb.,
the weight, f, is so adjusted that the point of the pencil shall
just reach the outer circle engraved on the slate; and then
if the pressure of the wind on the sphere should cause the
pencil to deflect to that cx~nt, it shows that the wind was
blowing with the force of 26 lb. on the square foot.
When once adjusted in the way shown, the little instrument may be placed anywhere ; and all friction is taken into
account by the mode of actual adjustment with weights, as
shown, for the wind only repeats what the weights had determined.
The sphere is made to slide up and down the tubular lever,
so as to give di1I'erent scales for experiments; and there are
several httle contrivances to make the instrument work conveniently, which it is not, perhaps, necessary to describe.
The action of wind is very r emarkable. When it is made
to record 1ts own action upon paper , the problem it presents
is a. puzzle. The pencil strikes out from the centre and
almost instantly r eturns, leaving a loop on the paper ; then
after a lull it strikes out again, perhaps in a direction varying 10• or 20• from the first, and so on, as shown by the
black max·kings in Fig. 2, which is a. plan of the slate, a, in
Fig. 1.
In the course of a. day we get a shaded diagram, seldom
occupying more than a segment of about 40", the salient
points of the shaded diagram being the principal currents.
Now, as the distance between the concentric circles in Fig. 2
22,
1868.
represents 5lb., we can at once read the direction and force
of' the principal cm·rents as there shown. We see that the
principal curr ent crossed the meridian at an angle of 250",
with a. force of 25lb. on the square foot.
Looking at the currents shown in Fig. 2, it seems impossible to avoid discussing the conclusion that they are the
paths of passing circles, thus opening out a. n ew field for
discovery.
I would remark that the instrument has a small error ,
always in excess, and which increases in proportion to the
velocity of the wind. This is o~g .to a sma~ vacuum
behind the sphere, the effect of which 18 as nothing when
compar ed with the effect produced by the vacuum behind the
fiat pressure plate of the anemometer at the Royal Observatory, as pointed out in my letter, at page 433 of your paper
of t,he 1st instant.
I have the honour to be, Sir,
Y our obedient Servant
SAMUEL B. H owLETT.
Pulham H ouse, New Bromley, Kent.
ELECTRIC Lwnr.-Some recent correspondence between
the Trinity House and the Board of 'l'rade shows that the
electric light at Dungeness can now be worked by either of
the two engines, so that no disturbance occurs when one
requires repair. The services of the high-class engineers
and firemen have been dispensed with, and the. Elder
Brethr en have since been enabled to do that which the
conne:cion of the men with the trades' unions prevented
-viz., to have their own ordinary keepers trained to drive
the engines, as well as to attend to the lamps, a steady old
experienced keep er being placed at the head of the establishment. The magneto-electric apparatus shown at the
Paris Exhibition presented several improvements. The
workin~ by either of two machines showed that the power
of the light can be duplicated in thick weather; ~d the
engines were utilised for working the pumps of an all' fogtrumpet. 1'he electric light was compared with the flash of
a first-order revolving oil n:P.parat~s belonging to. t~e French
authorities; and at 15 miles' distance the Trinity H ouse
engineer, Mr. Douglnss, estimated the p ower of the fixed
electric light at twice th~t of the flash of the. o~ lig~t.
The superiority of penetratmg p ower of the electriC hght m
fog was shaken by some experiments made by the . .Royal
Engineers, but it turned out that this r esuJt, so d1ff'erent
from all other experience, arose from a. settlement in the
wood-work supporting the electric lens, causing the lens to
be out of its proper position. Since the alterations made at
Dungeness the light there has worked with g reat regularity
and efficiency; and the Elder Brethren hu.ve proposed to
place similar lights at the South Foreland, Lowestoft, and
Souter Point. "The Board of 1'rade approve the extension of
this mode of illumination to the South Foreland and
Lowestoft, but at present susi,>Cnd their decision respecting Souter P oint. The Comm1ttee of Elder Brethren who
attended at the Paris Exhibition say : " As far as the eye
is any test, the power of the E nglish fixed light was considerably in excess of the French, and when botb. machines were
in use and there was a good current the fixed beam of the
English light did not contrast unfavourably with the r evolving one of the French, the flash of which is of great power.
The contrast of the electric fixed light with the French firstorder oil dioptric revolving light was very marked; indeed,
the one may be said to put the other out. But the most beautiful feature of the electric was the extraor dinary beam it
gave. It shone night a.f~r ni~ht, large, steady, and lustr?us
as a. planet, and you could see m the darkness a. beam passmg
as far as the eye could see. From the tower, with the light
at our back, it was ver"f ma.rked, and quite lit th~ bills round
Paris. The whole hor1zon m the plane of the hght showed
the white beam, and at the distance of four miles it shone
upon the windows . of ~o~e houses, ~aki?g the~ appear to
be lit up. By extmgUlshmg and r elightrng <J.Uickly several
times this was very plain. Altogether the light was very
r emarkable, and the committee are glad to be able to report
such an advance as the powers of the light show over that at
DWlgeness ; indeed, the latter gives to the observer no conception of what the present one is, and it is satisfactory to
know that the r esult of five [ears' work and observation,
with imperfect and ill-arrange apparatus, has now borne
such good fruit, and that as England was the first to test
and adopt this adjunct to the sources of lighthouse illumination, so she still retains her superiority. I t is clue,
however, to Mr. H olmes to say, that great as are the improvements already effected, he states that be is confident
he can yet greatly increase the illuminating power before the
present apparatus is re-erected at a permanent station."
AMMONIA IN CoAL GA.s.-Dr. Gunning, of Amsterdam,
calls attention to the fact that coal gas, however well purified,
is by no m eans free from ammonia. 1'~e r esult of s?me
experiments b e haa conduct~d, shows the ~Xl.Stence of a litt.le
over 1 cubic foot of ammoma, or ammomacal substances, m
every 1000 cubic feet of gas. Attention is called to the fact
that where wet gas-m~ters.are in use, the :water , being rar~ly
if ever changed, must m t~me become fall'ly saturated With
ammonia. A meter u sed for two years in the laboratory at
Amsterdam with a capacity for 57 gallons of water, held no
less than 9 ib. of these bases. Since coal gas also contains
sulphur compounds, there is formed sulphate of ammonia,
which, converted by the inli<'nse h eat mto bisulphate of
ammonia, attacks the glass cylinder s, or chimneys, placed on
the Argand gas burners.
TIIE SouTH-EASTERNRAILWAY.- ltappears that the SouthEastern Railway Company have resolved to convert their
4 OOO,OOOZ. of debenture debt into a debenture stock, to be
i;sued from time to time as the debentures fall due during
the next four or five years, and that the whole sum has
already been subscribed for by pt?-vate capi~lists in ~e the
ordinary stockholders should decline to exerctso the optton to
which they will be entitled, of taking it up themselves under
o. ra~able allotment•
MAY 22,
TROPHY,
5I
ENGINEERING.
1868.]
I
CU T BY B AN D SA W S, AT THE LATE P AR I S E X H I B I 'f I 0 N.
EXHIRITED BY ?!T. t PERJN,: ENGI NEER, PARIS.
W E give, above, an engraving of a trophy which was exhibited by M. Perin, the inventor of the band saw, at the
late Paris Exhibition. This trophy, which is of wood, was
cut out entirely by band saws, and it will be regarded with interest as an excellent example both of the power of those useful
instruments and of the skill of the workmen who used thsm.
THE EuRoPEAN AND NoRTH AMERICAN R.uLwAY Coru:PANY.-Subscriptions have been invited by Messrs. J . S.
Morgan and Co. for 4 11,000l. first mortgage 6 per cent.
bonds of the European and North American Railway Company . The line is from St. Johll;, the princiJ?al p~n·t of the
British province of New Brunsmck, to the tr~nt1er .of the
State of Maine, where it will come into conne:x1on mth ~he
en tire railway system of the United Stat~s an~ Canada, while,
in like manner, it will form the connectmg hnk between St.
J ohn and H alifax, Nova Scotia, and thus command a share
of the general. traffic between Eu~ope an~ the whole of the
American contment. The length 1s 88 miles, and the company have been subsidised by the Go:ernment of New
Brunswick to the extent of SlO,OOO per m1le, or an aggregate
sum of $880,000, the city of t. J ohn at the same time in its
corporate capacity subscribing 8 '300,000 on the stock, a total
of Sl 680 OUO be1og thu-. pro,·idecl of the entire capital of
$3,520,000, for wh•ch the undert.aking: is to be completed.
It is stated that moro than 65 miles ot the permanent way
are finished, and that the remainder is in course of rapid
execution by contractors of high character, on whom stringent
conditions have been imposed by the provincial authorities.
The line is to be opened on the 1st of J ~nuary next, and the
estimates made by the Government engmeer of New Brunswick show a net revenue of 80,000l., being 56,000l. in excess
of the 24,000l. required for the interest on the bonds. The
bonds are to be secured by a fu·st mortgage under a deed
from the company to Mr. S. L. 1'illey, Minister of Custo~s
for the Dominion of Canada, and Mr. J. E. Thomson, P resident of the P ennsylvania Railway, and a. sinking fund of 10
per cent. of the nett profits of th<: line after ~he paymen~ of
the interest is to be annually applied for theu· redemptwn.
The price of issu~ is to be 75 (or 73!, reckoning ~t per cent.
interest to be patd on the 1st of July) and the lDStalments
are to extend to the 1st of September next.
THE INsTITUTION OF CIVIL ENGINEERs.-At the closing
business meeting for the Eresent session, held ~n Tu~sday,
the 19th inst., Mr. Charles H utton Gregory, president, m the
chair, nine candidates were balloted for and duly elected, including as members Mr. Thomas Login, F.R.S.E., executive
engineer of the first class in the P ublic Works Department of
the Government of India; Mr. W illiam Teasdel, resident engineer, Great Yarmouth P ort and Harbour; and Mr.
Edward Williams, general manager of the Mines, Collieries,
and Ironworks of Messrs. Bolckow, Vaughan, and Co.,
Middlesborough; and, as associates, Mr. Henry Samuel
Ellis, Exeter; Mr. Charles Higgins, surveyor, I slington;
Mr. Willinm H urst, Paddington; Mr. Samuel Joseph
Mackie, Bayswater ; Mr. John P almer Smythies, assistant
engineer, Furncss and Midland Railway; and Mr. Arthur
John Whalley, Monte Video. It was announced that )fr.
Nicholas Charles Sz<'relmey had been admitted a student.
The total number of elections during the session 1867-6 has
been 150, viz., •15 members and 105 associates. The register
of the institution now contains the names of 16 honorary
members, 641 members, 914 associates, and 123 students, in
all 1694, as against 144-9 of the various classes at the same
date last year, incluclio~ at that time 20 honorary members,
591 members, 834 associates, and four graduates. The class
of students has been created during the session just concluded,
to take the place of tho old g raduate class, which is now
abolished.
NOTES l!'.H.O.M
TB.~
KOR'l'll.
G LASGow, 'W ednesday.
State ofthe Glasgow Pig Iron 1lfarket.- The prict~ of pig iron
has now attained a lower level than it has bad for many month!'.
A week ago 52::s. 3d. casb, and 52s. 4~d. a month were obtained
by sellers, and even on Thursday last a few thous~nd tons of
warrants changed hancls at these prices. Since then the market
prices have fallen lower daily. Yesterday they were at 52s. ld.
and 52s. casb, at which several thousand tons were sold, and today the market is again easier with the prices at Sls. lO!d.
casb, and 52s. sixteen days. No change has taken place in the
price of No. 1 Coltness and No. 1 Gartsberrie. The Cleveltmd
pig iron is m akio~ itself felt, and it would seem t hat no improvement is likely to happen in respect of the demand for
Scotch pij:! iron until the ironmasters in Scotland follow the
example of their Cleveland rivals, and employ the most aperoved appliances that science has placed at their command.
f he follo,viug are the imports of l\liddlesboro' pig iron into
Grangemouth:
For \Veek ending May 16, 1868... .. . . ..
1,9i7 tons
Do.
.May 18, 1861... . . . .. .
1,176 "
DPcrcase ... •••
T otal shipments till l\Jay 16, 1868 . ..
Do.
till May 18, 1867
• ••
•••
•• •
801 "
36,64 ,,
13,460 "
Total increase for 1868 ... 23,188 ,
Aberdeen Harbour B ill. -A bill to extend and improve the
hArbour of Aberdeen was before a Committee of the House of
Commons yesterday. The cost of the new works is estimated
at 350,000[. T he only opponents to the bill were the owners of
salmon fisheries on the tiver Dee, and adjoining the harbour.
Their opposition was limited to a question of compensation for
damage which it was alleged would be done to the iisb~ries by
the projected works. The committee, after hearing evidence,
•
' kM.AY 1.-a,
ENGINEERING.
found the preamble of the bill to be proved. The question of
compensation was reserved for arrangement when the clauses
come under discussion.
Clydo Navigation B ill.- This bill, the object of which is to
authorise the Trustees to construct a graving dock on the Goutb
side of the river, and to erect quays, walls, and streets in connexion with the harbour, was pa::~sed by the Sel.ect 9!>mmittee
of the House of Commons oo Monday. The cost of the dock is
estimated at 99,280l. ; addetl to which is sn estimate for additional "'orks on the north side of the harbour, amounting to
49,6001. There is a. Jur~h er sum of 16,0001. for workmen's
houses. The grolls amount is thus 149,8SO/. The committee
declined giving ~n opinion on the question of compensation.
Messrs. A. aud J. lnJ,!lis, Messrs. Tod and Macgregor, and the
trustees of the late 1\Ir. Robert D.trclay, were tl1e only objectors
against the bill, ~ nd even their ovposition was limited to that
portion of the bill which relMcs to the construction of the
graving dock. The proposed dock will haye a floor 503 !t. long
and will be capable of tal~iug _in the largest. vessel afloat, escl•pt
~he Gr~~t Eastern. Whsle Liverpool has s1s:teen graving do<:ks,
1n udd1t10n to the three nt ll1rken!1ead, it does seem strange
that Glasgow should have been content to remain so Ion••
without having at least one of its own, in additiou to the prim!~
dock owned by Messrs. 1'od and Mucgregor, considering that
th.e numb.er of vessPls annually arriving in the Clyde is about
l G,OOO, w1th a total tonnage of 1,800,000 tons. The witnesses
examined in favour of the bill were Mr. Reitb the present nod
1\lr. K~ight, the late m~nager of the Clyde Tr~st; Mr. lle;1der·
son, of Messrs. Hand1s1de and Henderson the extensive shipowners ; Mr. Duncan, engincet· to the Trust; and Mr. J . F.
B~teman, consulting en~ineer to the Tr1,1st. There were no
Witnesses heard for the objectors.
Govemment G1·ant for tlze• New University Buildings
Glasgow:-T.he Go~l!r!'ment grant of 120,000/. to1vards th~
new Un1vers1ty BUJldmgs, Gllmorehill, was on Friday night
passed by the House of Commons. This munificent ~rant
secures tl.'e speedy and St\til>fuclory completion of a great n;~.tJOnnl
under~akmg-t~le total cost ~f which, including the site, the
finest m the neighbourhood of the ~ity will be not le's than
400,000/. The deficit is now, thcreforP 1~ed uced to some 30 OOOl.
or ~~,OUOl., which will, doubtless, s~e~dily be forthcoming:_the
n obth~y an.d gentry of. Lanarl<slnre llod the neighbot~ring
count1es b~mg eql>:ally W'1th the merchant princes of Gla~gow
nterested m carry~n g do~ to th.e Jat~st posterity the chamcter
and renown of th1~ anc1ent un1vcrs1ty. The payment of t1lis
sum of 1<!0,000l. WJll be sp1eud equally over six years, including
the present.
Wllil~ on un~v~rsity matter~ I may mention that the Chancellorship of Edmburgb U01versity is rendered vacant by the
death ot Lo~d Brougham, ~nd that a meeting was held on
Monday )as~ 10 order to. take steps to secure a successor. Sir
J ames Y. S1mpson preJilded, and Dr. Ale::tander Wood and Professor Lyon l:'layfair respectively proposed and seconded a
motio1~ tha,t, Mr. W. E. Glad11tone, M.P., shouiQ be proposed for
the office. I he Duke of Argy)l.wus men~ioned, but he is already
the occup~nt of ~he ~ame office m the Uu1versity of St. Andrew'll.
New £me oj Razlway bettoeell Edin~w·gh and L eith. -The
new line of railway to Leith was gone over on Thursday by the
managers and a party of the direetors and will it is expected
be opened to the public early next week. A se~ of very hand~
some tirst, second, and third-clttsscarringes have been built for the
t raffic, these carri_a~es bt!in~ provi~ed with short buffer s~rings,
to shorten ~be trams, ~d fitt2d With powerful lever cout1nuous
brakes, wluch greatly mcrease the retarding torce1 so that tho
trains may be speedily b1·ought to a stand. The line has thi!>
great advantage ~ver t he old route, that it' is nearly all~tbove
ground after passmg through the Calton Hill tunnel, runniug
~nostly tu rough pl~asan t nurse1x and. garden ground, and openlOg up a succe:ss1on of beau,LJful v1ews of Salisbury Ct·a~s
Acthu~'s Seat, ?estal~ig, Locbend Lc.ck, &c. The time occupied
m the ;ourney, mclud10g stoppag.es at Leith ·walk aod Bonniogton, will be c,nly about twelve mmutes. The trains will depurt.
from the new passenger platform at the bottom of Canal-street
and will arrive at the one. now erecting on the portion of tb~
Green ~lar~et r~c.e~tly acqu1red by the company. No time has
been. Ios~ 10. u~1hsmg the ground so lately obtained, and the
pubhc will w1thm a few days have the accommodation of three
sepa.rate arrival and four departure platforms at Waverlt~y
Station.
E_xpe1·iments with Dynamite, o1• Patent Blasti119 Powder.Dunng the last few day11 a numuer of interesting and important
experim~nts .have ue~n performed in Scotland by Mr. Alfred
Nobel With b.111 dynam1te or patent blustiog powder. .Mr. Nobel
spent some t1me last week at the Ken way Granite Quarries
ue~r Ab~rdeen, and so mt~:ch did be interest Mr. Fyfe, the pro~
pnetor, 1u the new blasung material, that he has determined
upon getting a large quantity of the substance with which to
make trial blasts at his own convenienc('. On another occasion
Mr. Nobel &howed tbe power of the dynamite to one of the contractors on the tunnel for the Gryfe Waterworks1 Greenock and
on .Mood~y ~nd yesterd~y he performed a nun1ber of ex'pari~ents wtth 1t upon whmstooc in the Lauywell Quarry, in this
c1ty. As I '.'assisted" at the etperiments last referred to, I
can spe~tk '~1Lb some degree of confidence of the new blasting
~gent. I t IS welt. c.alled dyna'!l'ile (dynamos, Gr., power), for it
IS the most surpr1smg explos1ve material known when we take
it.s safety i~to consideration. I have long been familiar with
mt~o-glycerme, .as made by :1\fr. Nobel, and am quite convinced
of 1ts comparative safety ; but this new m~terial while it has
about 76 per cent: of the explosive force of nitro-'glycerine, has
none of tho o:cas10nal treacherousness of that liquid. It will
not explode '.vtth heat or fire al~ne, nor will it explode by ordnary percuss1ve force. One m1ght safely stand by a mass of it
whJCh has been set on fire. It requires a combin~~otion of fire
and percussion, at the same moment of time. Monstrous blocks
of. whin:~to~e.were shattered and .broken at the Ladywell Quarry
w1thout dnlhng any holes, and sunply by placing the dynamite
on the face of the blocks and covering it up with a piece 9f clay.
Mr. McLeod, tbe manager of the quarry, a "travelled" mun,
and a man of considerable intelligence and sharp-sigbteduess,
seemed to be quite stunned with the extraordinary result~ so
flimply effected by means of a handful of Nobel's .blasting powder, notwithstanding his tbeoreti9d and prac tioaU~no,vledge of
'
- I understand that Mr.
the chemistry and physics of blasting.
Nobel intends to have some, .experiments performed on a large
scale in tbe vicinity of Londciu very soon.
Impo1·tant to Sliipbuild~,s-Dobie and Co. versus Bt·yden
and Bm·t·i~.-Mo,ntgorl}et)"j nryden and George Barric, two
journeymen blackSmiths, ,\·ere brought before Mr. Sheriff Galbraith, a few day:s ago, on a complaint at tbe instance of Do\>ic
and Co., shipbuilaetil, Govun, for desertion from their service
while under an engagcmeftt to c.xecute certain smitb work on
two of their vessels. They pleaded guilty and were each tined
10s. of penalty and 20s. of expenses. In passing sentence the
Sheriff-Substitute remarked tuat. as this was tbe first oase of
the kind which had come before him under the recent Master
and Servant Act, he was inclined to deal leniently w:th the
accused, and inOict only a small Line, in the hope that it might.
prove a sufficient wnrning to th~m and others in t.heir position.
Yachts and Yacltting.- The schooner yacht which .1\lessrs.
Stcele and Co., Gt·t·enock, are building for the Mar9nis of
Drogheda, is nearly completed. Ill r. li'ife, the fa~cd bmluer at
.l<'uirlie, has two yachts well auvanceu , and haS jtiSt COntracted
for a cutter of the smaller class for a Newcastle-on-'fyne yucht!im·tn. Of the yachts built by Mr. Fife no fewer than eight were
prL-.e winners last ye:tr; th('y won 9391., which is gaid to be
the largest sum won by the yachts of any one builder. The
Clyde-built cut~er Fiona won a l~trger sum tl1110 any otber yacllt
in the .British seas ; her winnings amouoteu to 470l.
G1·eenock.-Albe1·t llat·bour.-It is stated that the Alhert
flllrbour is now completed, nnd only waits inspection by the
liarbour Trustees.
LIVERPOOL NOTES.
Thursday.
The Live1-pool Cattle Ma1·ket Company.-1'ho affairs of
this company arc in a llourishing condition, and the directors
hnvo declared a dividend of about 9 per cent. per annum.
Tho market is unequalled for ready access and general
accommodation. Tho railway accommodation afforded b,r
tho London and North-\Vcstcrn, and other companies, 1s
certainly the most completo I htwo seen. The wagons come
u,p close to the market, and the gates open across tho plnt·
form, so that thoro is the utmost. facility for taking catt.lo to
and from the market stalls. During tho past year the
uumbor of cattle whlch entered tho market was 120,000,
boing about 70,000 more thun during the year of the cpidem.jQ.
The number of sheep admitted to the market in the past
year was 583,000, being largely in excess of lhc numbN·
achnittecl in any previous year. 1'be raihvay companies luwc
further additions and improvements in contemplation, iu the
way of slaughter-houses and so forth, which wiJl make the
cattle market at Old Swan still more complete.
Another Oolliet·s' Strikc.-It is said that the colliers and
drawers employed at the California pit, Aspull, belonging to
tho Wigan Coal and I ron Company, have ~trudc to the
number of 250, on account oC the mastcrs h nvirJg made
certain deductions from !.heir wages, for sending up Lubs short
of weight, and ptnlly filled with dirty coal.
Sale at tlte No1·t!t F or,rJo 1Vo1·ks, Bootle.-In consequeucb
of the banlo-uptcy of Mr. Robert Hutchison, the whole of
the stock-in·trade, plant, and 1oachincry, of the North Forge
·w orks, was brought to tho hammer a few days ago. There
was a large attendance of gentlemen from all parts of Yorkshire and other places, besides a goodly number of local shipbuilders and others. There were no fewer than 868 lots
offered for sale, comprising iron, steel, stud cables, anchors,
and unfinished work; all Lho machinery necessary for con.
ducting such a business, including a table weighing maehmc,
and various l?ortablo machines. Good prices were obtained,
and tho biddmg was moat brisk and spirited. Mr. J oncs, of'
Rowley, near Dudloy, was tbo largest purchaser. Tb.o break
up of these works, has, of course, caused Messrs. Jack, and
one or two firms in J3irkcnhead, to have a. little more business
to do.
Tile W elsh I1·on, Tinplate, a1ul Coal Trados.-Thero is not
much change to notice this week in these trades. There is
no increase in employment at the various works, nod tbo
engagements that have como to hand are few in number and
for small quantities. There :sa fau·inquiry for rails from the
Unitocl States and Canadn, and the clearances for that q uartcr
nt the local ports are said Lo be mther large. I t is considered
Lhat ere long there will be a goorl demancl for rails, as the l'Oqui.rements of the Amodcan and Canadian railways arc ox.
ceptionally heavy. The demand for India is very slllAll, and
the South American States arc only limited buyers. Russian
orders come in only slO\fly, anclft:om the Conti.):l.ental markets
there is about the ordintu·y inq_uiry. Th~ homo tJ:adc is gra·
dually improving; but the mtlWJty CO!Fpanies ba.ve not yet
bogun to purehase to any gt·eat ex.tent, and, 40til they do so,
no important change can be expected. An order has boon
received at Dowlais fot· steel rails for the Metropolitan Rail·
way. Bars nre in slightly better req\Jest, an<l for pigs quotawoos aro well maintaJned. Prices in the tin.plate lrado still
continue in buyers' favour. 1'hore is a. tolerably goocl foroign
demand for steam con.l for the mail packet stations and the
;French mru·kcts. l:)hipmcnL!! to the E ast arc reduced, pcncling a.uthcntic information M lo the supplies at tho clcpGts.
There is a good supply sent to J3u·kenheacl for srupm<mt.
House qu:mtitics commQQd a better sale, coasting JUN·~hnnts
having begun to )a.y in stocks.
IIousc·buildin,rJ il~ Livr:rpool.-Tho borough ongincer has
compilccln '11.luabl<' mRss or stat.istics to show tho progress of
house-building in Liverpool. 1'hc numbct: of new tenements
being erected nt proscl;lt is not q_uito 110 largQ as in former
yeM'll; but this iB no doubt fl.LLrlbutablo to tho comtnol'cial
<l(•prcssion from which tho 'town ia only recovering. l!n 1867
thoro were 124~ dwelling houses built, tho gr<later proportion
of which ranged between l ~l, nod 25~. rontl\l. Tho number
in 186G was 1098. Those iigw·cs are exceptionally low, and
arc the smallest for lh<' lnst tow·tcen years. The erection of
labourers' dwellings, wh.\ch has been grqdually diminishing
of late years, has now totally ceased, llo houses of. tbiJl class
ha,•ins been built since 1,86!.. The totaL numbot' of houses
built m the borough <tudng Lho Jast. twenty.sevotl. years is
LIYERPOOL,
-
I
-
868.
-
41,903, of which 16,863 aro situate in Kirkdale and Evcrton;
7718 arc in tho W e$t Derby district; and tbo nc;J.t largest
'contributor to the aggregnto is Scotland W ard, in which
4!H3 houses have been erected since 1841. Tho districts
named are of cow·so tho most populous m tho borough, and
it is worthy of noLo that of tho 640 houses built in Everton
and. Kh·kdalo last year o.o.ly one was of a. rent above 35l. a.
year. The bottpr cl~s p£ RQ\\r.houscs seem to bo in South
Toxteth and North Toxteth towards P rince's Park. I n W est
Derby a:superior class of hoWiC$ socms also to be pt>pular.
A NE\V PROJECTILE.
CA'PTA.tN CnAllU>S
DAsEn, of the Royal Artillery, at pre-
sent shltionccl at J acouabad, in Sind, gives the following
description of n now i'orm of projectilo recently invented by
him, and which, thottgh espuciallJ intended for smoothbored ord:nanco, can also bo used ,vlth small arms, and even
with mortars so long as the latter have not cylindrical
eh<tmbers. Tllis pr.ojcctilo is elongated, says Captain
Bascvi in a letter to Uw Times of India, "thcrcby posses~ing
tho same advantages as those in uso with rifled guns.
Furthermore, it ill made to rotate on its major axis like unto
tbdse, hub by n cliffcront method. 1'ho projectile is composed
of three separato parts, Yiz., a conical head, a flat ring, and a
cylindrical body. 'l'hus it is of the snmo outward shnpe as
the majority of' shot or shell in use in Europo and .Americn.
with t·iflcd guns, with tho addition of n ring, the use and
position of which will be hereafter described. The cylinder
or bo4.y of thO shot has a system of spira l gt·oovcs bored
through it near its 6uter cireumferenco, tho number and
dimensions of these being cloterminod by tho calibre of the
gun for which tho projectile is made. On the top of the
cylinder lies the ring, cov01·ing the front end of the gt·ooves,
and abovo this again comes the conical head, firml;r fastened
by a projection at its base., passing through the rmg to the
cylindrical body, but so placed as to leave tho ring a slight
play between it and the cylinder. On firing this projectile
from a. smooth bore, tho elastic fluid, seeking a passage
t.h.rough the gt·oovcs, causes it to rotate; tbo ring is forced
f6rwarcl against the head of the ~'\lot, and its diamcLcr being
made a little less than that bf tho cylinder, also the base of
the conical head being slig htly bevelled, the gas is enabled
to escape round tho licacl of the shot after performing the
work required of it. But 01). the projectile leaving the mouth
of the pteco the pressure of the n.tmosphere in front forces
the ring ba:ck to its orig-inal position against the cylinder,
ancl thus prcveJltS the atr tl·om acting on the grooves, and,
ns it were, untwiating the shot. The bevelling at the base of
the conical head allows the air to act freely against tho front
of tpe ring. · Tho twist bcin~ on~ obtained as above described is 1·etained by tho J?l'OJectile during the whole length
of its flight. The ring, 1t will b~ perceived, acts as an
orcli.naJ:y valve.
• " I may a.s woll hero stn.to ~ha~ ,tho question as to whether
the shot actually travels point foremost has boon decided in
its favour by experiment. Guns a.ro rillcd to enable them to
fire elongated projectiles; the twist givcu to these projectiles
during fiight secures a certain amount of accuracy, owing to
the pressure of air being equally distributed arouncl them.
My projectile, fired from a smooth·borc, participates in these
ad vanta~es.
"A rtfled gun has a clisad•nntage which a smooth-bore,
when .fired with my projectile, or with n special ono, does not
share. The charge for the guu has to be reduced consequent
on the inereasod strain it has to bear; a Joss of velocity 1s the
natural1·esult. N o'v the penetration of a shot is iu proportion to its sectional ru·cn, multiplied by the sqtta?·o of its
velocity; this disadvantngo is thcroforo very great. My
projectile ovin be D.~ cheap, probably cheaper, than those fired
u:om rifled ordnance; and the g-un required for it is evidently
a more economical ono; this ts ono unquestionable advantnge.u
In concluding Ills letter, Captain Bascvi alludes to an
objection raised by certain friends whom he had consulted on
tho subject of his shot. They were of opinion that there
must be a great loss of power in its use, consequent on the
large escape of gas through the grooves. If this were the
case, he says that it would only prove that the grooves were
unnecessarily largo, nud not that their prinoiplo was dofoctivQ.
lNTRODUCl'I ON OF STEAM PLOUGIIING INTO FBANC.E.-
During the la.to Universal Exhibition in Paris, great int-erest
was taken by agricultw·ists, and careful trials made of sleamploughing machinery; the inquiries and experiments then
made have not been unfruitful ; several rich proprietors have
introduced steam ploughs on their es~ates, but the other day
the steam plough mny be said to hnve mnde its triumphal
entry into l!"'rance. On the last day of March htst, some ten
thousand fnrmers assembled in the plains of Beny t,o whness
the inauguration of steam ploughing. A stcrun plough, purchased by 'MM. Dlibois, t)uard, and Cic., of Messrs. Johu
Fowl(}r and Co., awaited the bt:nediction of tbo Bi:~hop of
Bourges. ~'he enterprising firm named above is snid to include several of the best friends of ngricultlU'C iu F ranc<'.
The object of tho company is to introduce a sterun plough
iuto each district where lnbow· is difficult, such. as tbo L!mdcs,
Gascony, Brilany, lbo Sologne, and Berry, and to establish
a. fi~ed tarill' of prices per clay and per acre, so that each
farmer may avnil himself of the steam labourer if ho please.
Tho l'ate at present fixed is 22 francs per hectare, little more
than seven shillings per English acre, and the applications
arc said to bo munerous. ~'hb proceedings terminated with a
gt·ancl banquet of 160 covors, at which the profet of tlhe dopttrLment, and many of t.ho most infiucntialpersona in' the
district were present. IL was announced by M.:. Cornu, VicePresident of tho Agricultural Society of Chllteauroux, that
tho Emperor hod, at the instanco of tho presidenL of the
society, presented a. ~old medal to )fM. Dubois, Suard, apd
Cio., tor their patriottc action. Enthusiastic speeches were
made, and amongst the lonsts drunk was one to the memory
of the late Mr. J ohn Fowler.
•