76 



THE CIVIL ENGINEER AND ARCHITECT'S JOURNAL. 



DUTY ON GLASS. 



An important case as affecting the manufacture of glass was brought before 

 the magistrates of Sundei'land last month, in an appeal by the Messrs. 

 Hartley, glass-manufacturers of that town, against the amount of duty levied 

 by the Excise. Messrs. Hartley, it appears, have recently tnken out a patent 

 for the manufacture of *' broad glass,'' which bears a duty of £1 lOs. ptr cwt. ; 

 but as the quality was found to rGscinble " Gennan sheet," a superior kind of 

 glass, which is chargeable with a duty of £3 13s, Gd., the excise officers made 

 a surcharge on 80 cwt., amounting to £174. Mr. Wright, solicitor of Sunder- 

 land, who appeared for the appellants, conducted the case with gi'eat ability ; 

 and showed, by a reference to the act of Parliament, the distinction whicli the 

 Legislature laid down as regulating the duties on glass. "Broad glass," 

 chargeable, yviih the low duty of i^l 10s. per cwt., was required to be annealed 

 in an oven iiaving but one opening, and the cylinder was required to be cut 

 hot, whereas " German sheet" was allowed two openings to the oven, and the 

 cylinder to be cut cold. By the introduction of various improvements, with- 

 out infringing the clauses of the act of Parliament in reference to broad glass, 

 Messrs. Hartley were enabled to manufacture glass bearing a close resem- 

 blance to German sheet. After a long investigation, the magistrates remitted 

 the surcharge, thereby allowing the manufacturers to proceed, on payment of 

 the smaller duty. IMr. Johnson, of Durham, appeared <in behalf of the Crown. 

 — Nei9castle Journal, [It is a disgrace to the country that such obstacles 

 should be put in the way of improvements in our manufactures. Ed. C E. 

 and A. Jovrnal.] 



STEAM NAVIGATION. 



Greal We&lcni Slram Ship. — Duriug her stay iu the Royal DoL-k-yard at Milford 

 great alterations have been made on board, all of which, we are assured, will very 

 materially contribute to the comfort and convenience of the passengers. The whole 

 of the lower berths under the saloon have been thrown into cargo space, and the pas- 

 sengers' berths reduced to a number which must ensure every comfort and accom- 

 modation. The house on deck has been removed, and in lieu thereof tiie cuddy has 

 been carried forward more to the middle part of the vessel, and has a range of cabins 

 on either side. The splendid saloon is lighted from upper skylights. Great addi- 

 tional room has been gained by the alterations, and a space under cover is obtained 

 sufficient for a promenade for the whole number of passengers. The whole of the 

 cooking establishment has been very nuicli increased, and several other conveniences 

 have been built on deck. The vessel, on examination, was found to be in the very 

 best order, without even a single strain or so much as a ruck in her copper. 



Sti-am from Glas/j'HV to XfW I'ork. — The mei'chanls and manufacturers of Glas- 

 gow intend to try steam navigation to New York. They meditate, it is said, the 

 building of an iron vessel, of very large dimensions and great steam power, to ply 

 regularly between the Clyde and the Hudson. — Srots/uaif. 



Steam from thfClyilctoXew York. — Glasgow is not to be held nd Bristol or Liverpool 

 iu having a line of steamers across the Atlantic. — ijlas>j>>a- Chroniclr. 



JVie sjdendid sU'amshiii Hecla, of 811 tons, was launched on the 14tli .January, at 

 Chatham. This iaie vessel was built under the superintendence of Mr. S. Head, 

 from the School of Naval Architecture, Portsmouth, foreman of the shipwrights of 

 this vard. This is the tiuest steam-ship e\er built; her cabins, store-rooms, and 

 indeed the whole of her fitments, are superb. .Slie \\\\\ carry two of those tremendous 

 engines, eighty-pounders, on swivels, with four smaller guns. — Maidstouf Guzctte. 



The last letters from Madras by the overland mail (the great irregularity of which 

 has caused much complaint) mention that the association to promote steam navigation 

 with Europe at that presidency has coalesced with the association at Calcutta, and 

 that the united body will endeavotn to promote the omprehensive plan of steam 

 navigation between Europe and Imlia, 



Tlie little wooden steam-boat, I told you some thne ago \\\\& buihling at Cairo for 

 the Pasha's use, was launched the other day there, and has timied out a very pretty 

 boat. Another is ordered to be built immediately, and the enijines to he i/iade in 

 Cairo! — another step in the progress of civilization in this country. 



Norel Mode of Xm iijadon. — Tlie French GoM-riniient steamer Veloce has been 

 (ittedouton a new principle forworkiugthe ves;-t:hvith eillier sails or steam, and is now 

 on her voyage from Uochefort to Mexico, fur the purjiose of testing this import;inf 

 invention. AV'hen fallen in ^rith of late by a Spanish ship, north lat. 40"^, long. W. of 

 Paris ll*-', the captain reported that her rate of sailing under topsails, studding sails, 

 and royals, had been for two days and a half upwards of eleven knots an hour. 



France and America. — According to the plans proposed in its report by tlie 

 committee of merchants of Bordeaux fur the steamers to run between that port and 

 New York, the vessels are to be 320 feet in the keel, width from 32 to 30 feet in the 

 beam, and 21 to 22 feet in depth ; they are to measure from 2,000 lo 2,tio0 tons, are 

 to be moved by engines of -iSO-horse power, and ax'e to carry a crew of (37 individuals. 

 The report calculates on an average of 60 passengers each trip, which would generally 

 occupy IG dajs, and the charge of passage is estimated at l,OO0fr. The total capital 

 rccpured for the constructing and establislung one such vessel is estimated at 

 l,-100,000fr., and the annual net profit resulting from seven voyages at from 

 SJ0,000fr. to 280,000fr. 



Spain. — A Barcelona letter of the 21st December states that the French merchants 

 in that city had just presented a handsome sword to M. Gautier d'Arc, the French 

 Consxd, in testimony of the good services he has so long rendered them. This 

 gentleman, the letter adds, has tbrwarded to the Government at home a project for 

 establishing a line of steamers to run from Marseilles to Barcelona, Cadiz, and the 

 Canaiies, thence to cross the Atlantic to IMartiniijue and Cuba, and so to return home. 

 Each vessel would carry engines of 200 horse power, woidd start the first day of each 

 month, and, according to his estuuate, would only cost 2o,000f. on its voyage out 

 and home. 



Gvrntany. — Arrangements are being made for extending tlie steam narigation of the 

 Danube from Ratisbon to Ulin. IT the undertaking succeeds, and there appears little 

 doubt of it, the distance between these two cities may be performed in a single day, 

 and from Ulni to Vienna in three days. This operation will open the Danube from 

 itb nearest navigable point to the Khine, and thui olfer the readiest mode of conmiu- 



fticatiou betiYeen L^uUva ftutl Ct/uetautinople,— /cur/tfli ik Fmncfort, 



Holland. — Amsierda7n,Dfc. 29. — We hear that the English steam-boats will soon 

 be obliged to come to Scheveningen. It is to be lioped for the sake of travellers that 

 measures will be adojited to prevent the ground of complaint which existed last year. 



Tlie Busk Gazette says a second line of steamers is to be setup next spring between 

 thatcit}' and Strasburg. 



Goilingcn. — A German paper gives the speech of the King of Sweden in reply lo 

 one of the numerous addresses presented to him in the course of his progress through 

 his dominions. His Majesty told the authorities of Gotlienburgh that he only 

 awaited the concurrence of the British Government, to establish a regular communi- 

 cation by steam betu'cen Sweden and England. 



PROGRESS OF RAILWAYS. 



Soiilh Eastern Railwai/. — In the neighbourhood of Tonbridge the cuttings and em- 

 bankments are proceeding with vigour, and a considerable quantity of brictwork, iu 

 culverts and occupation bridges, is completed and in progress. The culverts vary in 

 (hameter from 2 to 12 feet. At Dover the works are proceeding with great vigour. 

 In another page of our present number will be found some particulars of the manner 

 of carrying on the operations at this place. 



Great JFesttrn Iiuilua>j, — To make up for the time which has been lost on the 

 Great Western Railroad near Reading, upwards of 100 extra workmen are now em- 

 ployed, who work at night by iiredight. 



MancJiestcr and Birmingham Railnuuj. — The viaduct across the valley and river at 

 Congleton has been let to Messrs. Nowell and Sons, Dewsbury, for £110,000. The 

 length is 1030 yards, and the greatest height 98 feet inches. It is to be finished in 

 two j'ears and a half. 



Liverpool aJtd Manchester Itaihvay. — At the last half yearly general meeting of 

 the proprietors of the Li\ erpool and Manchester railway, which took place on Tuesday, 

 22d January, in the Cotton Sales' Room, Exchange-buildings, the report stated tliat 

 there had been an increased tratlic in every branch as compared with the correspond- 

 ing period in tlie preceding yeai'; and that in the department of merchandise this result 

 had been contributed to by the revival of trade from the depression under which it 

 had laboured. Between Liverpool and Birmingham the traffic had also increased, and 

 since the 31st of October last, the North Union railway had been opened for the con- 

 veyance of passengers, though arrangements for the transportation of goods had not 

 yet been made, and perhaps no correct idea could yet be formed of the extent of the 

 coach traffic from what had taken place in two months of the worst period of the 

 year. The report concluded by stating that the directors intended to apply to Parlia- 

 ment, in the coming session for a bill empowering them to form a junction line, 

 through the town of Salford, to Leeds. A draft of the bill would be drawn up and 

 submitted to Paidiament; and after the bill had been once read, the whole subject of 

 the extension of the railway to Leeils, will then be brought before the pr<»prietors. 

 The receipts for the half-year were : — 



Coaching department ..... X 79,277 



Merchandise ...... 54,2 lo 



Coals ....... 3,200 



Total receipts .... 

 The total expenditure for the same period was 



Leaving a balance of . 



£13(1,692 

 80,978 



i- 00,714 



The largest items amongst the disbursements were — coach department, i"ll,051; 

 cai-rying ditto, £] 1,189; coals, i;743 ; engiueering department, ,C26,427 ; carting 

 £\i,07-2. The accounts further stated that to the net profit of X55.714, there was to 

 be added the sum of .£8'53, being the balance after providing for last year's dividend, 

 and thus making a total of £56,dti7. The total amotmt of shares were eipial to 10,495 

 £100 shares ; and the directors recommended that a dividend of £o per cent, should 

 be paid, which would leave a balance of i;4,092. 



ENGINEERING WORKS. 



Tht: L'oj}'er Dam of the new Houses of Parliament was enclosed on the 24th of 

 December last, since th;it time the men have been actively employed in clearing away 

 the silt within the cofl'er; a tine stratum of gravel covers the whole site, and that 

 part where tlie river wall is to be erected is now being excavated down to the clay 

 substratum for the foundation, the dam stands remarkably firm, there are very little 

 signs of leakage in any part of it. We shall, in our nest number, ^ve some ac- 

 count of the works in progress, 



Dover, Jan. 13. — For the last few days past om harbour's mouth has been so com- 

 pletely choked up with shingle, in consequence of the prevalence of southerly and 

 westerly gales, that all ingress or egress of vessels, foreign or domestic, may be said 

 to have been entirely cut oiF. Even the small class of government packets have been 

 compelled either to put into Ramsgate hai-bour, or to anchor iu the Downs, there to 

 await the precarious chance of our ineflicient sluicing power wnabling them to eti'ect 

 an entrance by the next tide. The sluices have been run to night. The only ellect 

 these playthings seem to have is to throw the beach in a heap a few yards beyond 

 the pierdiead at low water, that it may be thrown back into its old position each 

 succeeding surge as the tide returns. 



Caledonian Canal. — We are happy to learn that R. Steuart, Esq. , one of the Lords 

 of the Treasury, visited the Caledonian Canal lately, and we believe government 

 seriously contemplates completing this great work, and rendering it suitable to the 

 puqtoses originally contemplated, ^iz., to afford facilities of U'ade between the etisteru 

 and western coasts of the island, and the means of speedy and safe passage to 

 vessels from the east coast of America, and the west const to the Baltic. Even in 

 its present state, we learn a good many vessels of this class have passed lately, aud 

 the trade is daily increasing. When tug steam boats are estabUshed, we have no 

 doubt it will afford government an ample revenue. It should be recollected llio 

 Forth and Clyde Canal tlid not pay the original speculators for many years after it 

 was opened, but it is now one of the most profitable public works iu the country. — 

 Jnvcrnass Herald. 



