PREFACE. V 



Paisley and Ayr, from Ayr to Irvine. Tiie system of galvanic telegraphs on the Great Western Raihvay, established by Professor 

 Wheatstone, has completely succeeded. Several foreign railways have been opened, among which are the Versailles, Amsterdam and 

 Utrecht, Taunus,and Emperor Ferdinand's from Vienna to Brimn. For ordinary roads active exertions are now being ma<le to introduce 

 wood pavements. 



We have already mentioned that a commission has been directed, to examine the harbours between the Thames and Portsmouth, and 

 we may farther state that the hydraulic department of engineering has this year effected many important improvements, and shows an 

 energy wdiich promises much more. The works in the Wash are continued with success, and active measures have been taken for the 

 improvement of the north west coast. The Mersey, Ribble and Wy re have been deepened, and important plans are in agitation for 

 effecting the remaining objects. After many suggestions from different quarters, actual experiments have at last been made on the 

 propelling of vessels on canals by locomotive engines on the banks, and with such success as to leave little doubt of the permanent 

 establishment of this mode of transit. Experiments have also been made on the use of steam vessels on canals. At Cardiff, extensive 

 docks have been formed at the expense of the Manpiis of Bute. One of the finest hydraulic works of the year, has been the river wall 

 for the new Houses of Parliament. In France nmch attention has been directed towards the improvement of tlieir harbours, and a pre- 

 liminaiy grant of nearly two millions sterling has been made fur this purpose. 



Steam navigation maintains the interest which it excited last year, and has received many important accessions. — A vigorous 

 attempt has been made by government to establish over it a spy and job system, but it is to be hoped that the miserably trilling results 

 of their intrigues, will induce them to give up this barefaced attack . no exertion must however be omitted by all parties steadily to resist 

 the obnoxious measure. The utility of iron steam vessels seems to have been fully established, and they \\s.\e been most extensively 

 used, particularly for river navigation. — Many also have been sent to distant parts of the empire, and to foreign countries. Their success 

 has led to the employment of iron as a general material for ship building, and the example of the Ironsides has been followed by the 

 building of many other iron sailing vessels. The experiments on the Archimedes and other vessels have been continued, but have led to 

 no permanent residts, the French steamer Veloce was unfortunately burned, but a sailing vessel called the Vernon, is making a voyage 

 to the East Indies, provided with a new kind of propeller. Professor Jacobi has made some experiments on the Neva, with a boat 

 propelled by electric apparatus, but these like the previous attempts of the Americans have been hitherto inefficient. The steam navy has 

 been greatly increased, and the dockyards improved, at Woolwich a central establishment has been formed. Among the vessels launched 

 are the Cyclops (the largest steam frigate in the world), the Hecla, the Stromboli, and the Prometheus. For the East Indian navy have 

 been built the Sesostris and the Queen. The adoption of large hollow shot as an armament for this class of shipping has greatly 

 increased its efficiency. Sweden, Russia, and Holland, are among the foreign powers who have shown attention to their steam n^\y, to 

 which our Engli»li vessels have served as models. Transatlantic steam navigation has been increased by the accession of the British 

 Queen steamer, and government has entered into a contract for the conveyance of the mails by steam from Liverpool to Halifax, Boston 

 and Quebec. The company for steam navigation to India by the Cape, has been discontinued, and their large class steamer sold ; for the 

 line by the Red Sea, however, the East India merchants have raised a hmidred thousand pounds. Dunkirk and Rotterdam may be 

 mentioned as rising steam ports, and Hull has by this mode of communication, successfully increased her eastland trade. The French 

 have made their steam voyages to Russia productive of great commercial advantages in the sale of articles of luxury, and they have 

 greatly extended their steam commercial marine. 



Engineering literature has been increased by the production of many valuable works, most of which, even in the present progressing 

 age of science, must remain standard works in the library. The mental labours of the profession have not indeed been of less importance 

 than those in the field, and as great care has been shown to leave our successors good instructions asgood examples. We may enumerate : 

 Sections of English Railways, by George Bradshaw ; the London and Birmingham Railway, by Thomas Roscoe and Peter Lecount ; 

 Illustrations of Jlechanics, by the Rev. T. Moseley ; the Practical Treatise on Bridge Building, by E. Cresy ; on Steam Boilers, by Josiah 

 Parkes; the Theory, Practice and Architecture of Bridges, by James Hann and William Hosking; On Oblique Bridges, by George 

 Buck; On Arithmetical Perspective, by C. E. Bernard; On Steam Engine Boilers, by R. Armstrong; On the Construction and 

 Formation of Railways, by James Day ; and on the Construction of Oblique Arches, by John Hart. 



The faculties of Civil Engineering, established in different Universities during the last year have gone on with success, and that at 

 King's College, London, has particularly distinguished itself by improvements in instruction, and by the zeal of its professors. The 

 University of London has announced its intention of granting diplomas for attainments in Civil Engineering, but un what basis the_v 

 proceed wl' have not yet been able to learn. If the previous course required for this be similar to that required for llieir other degrees, 

 it may be very difficult, and very useless ; an engineer would rather have in his employment a working man than a college diplomatist. 

 Attempts are now being made to establish a College for Civil Engineers, which it is to be hoped may be conducted on such principles as 

 to render it useful. 



A monument to Telford, has been complete<l, and placed in Westminster Abbey, and a handsome testimonial has been presented to a 

 living engineer, Robert Steplienson, for whom also a statue is contemplated. Biographies and memoirs have been published of Watt, 

 Telford, Trevithick, and James. 



The proceedings of the several professional societies, this year, have been such as to maintain their previous high reputation. The 

 several architectural bodies, the Royal Institute, the Architectural Society, and that .at Manchester have applied themselves with vigour to 

 obtain a fair system of competition, and have shown every attention to the improvement of tlieir members, bv courses of lectures on the 

 collateral sciences, and by the tlistribution of prizes. The Royal Institute of British Architects has conferred a testimony of esteem on 



