1839.] 



THE CIVIL ENGINEER AND ARCHITECT'S JOURNAL. 



117 



Havre. — The IMiuister of Coimi>eice, it i-^ repi^rtwl at Havns 1ms inluiuieil the 

 Cliauiber ol" Commen-t) ol" tliat place, that Govevnmeiit iTiteu.ls pnnmsing to the 

 Chainbeis a grant of 150,000f. , for the fonnation of two tieiiohes in the new entrance 

 port, in order to enable large steamers to lie there afloat iit luw water. To tiiis plan 

 the7o(/r;u(/ 'la Havre is opposeil, as being a puor substitute for a laige dock, espe- 

 cially devoted to the reception of steam vessels, nliich the town uf Havre ha.^ been 

 anxious to have constructed, in order to be enabled to set up a line uf steamers to 

 New Yurk. 



Havre A few days since a considerable portion of the clitF at Cape La Heve, 



near Havre, gave way, and carried with it iuto the sea upwaid,s of 140 feet by 12 feet 

 wide of land which was in cultivation. 



A chain -Oriih/e over the Allier at Vic-le-Comte gave way for the second time a few 

 days Muce. Tlie first time it sank under the weight put upon it to try its strength, 

 but was rebuilt with greater solitlity. Tlie second broke down while a wagon 

 heavily laden was going over. The \elncle with its contents fell into the river, and 

 wa:^ lost with the horses ; but the dri^ er was fortunately saved. 



La Tour J'Aiivcnfne.—A monument is about to be erected to Corret de la Tonr 

 d'Auvergne, known in the Vrench army as the " First Grenadier of France." The 

 monument to this gallant Breton is to be erected at Carhaix, his native town, which 

 lias voted 200/., the Cuuucil-General of tlie department having added ii)l. 



Tlie French King has a|)proved of a proposition laid before him by the minister of 

 the marine, for comuiencing in the spring a hydrographical survey of the French 

 coast in the Mediterranean. The result of tliis survey, when published, will form a 

 supplement to the Filole Fran^-uis. The operations are to be under the direction of 

 M. Mounier, hydrogiaphic engineer of the (irst class. 



The steam generator of M. Iriraud's sugar manufactory, at St. Saulve-lez-Valen 

 ciennes, burst during tliis month ; and, although it weighed 6,0UUlbs, was forceti up- 

 wards tlirough the ceiling and roof, and carried to a distance of 100 feet, together 

 with the tubes, and other apparatus attached to it. Two of the stokers, who were at 

 the fires, were seriously injured. 



The minister of the interior has granted 2,0U0f. to be applied in the restoration of 

 a tine specimen of tlie statuary of the middle ages, called the Fui/s dc Moisc, in the 

 ancient nionaateiy of tlie Chartreu.x, at Dijon. 



Frettcli t'oiistin'j Trade in 1837. — The number of vesseLs employed in that trade in 

 1837 was 04,900, carrying 2,209,269 tons, and manned by 2o4,lS2. and tlie whole of 

 their cargoes weighed 9UO,000 tons, or I7,y21,09l meti-ical (piintats. The trade of 

 the difterent ports, in metrical quintats, is as follows :— Rouen, 2,U0.>,509 : Marseilles, 

 1,734,820; Bordeaux, l,44ti.t)10 ; Havre, 1.254,777; Nantes, 023,571; Toulon, 

 516,084; Dunkirk, 400,4.12; La Rochelle, 344,480; Caen, 338,290; Libourne, 

 304.200; Cette, 217,550; Aries, 215,728. The trade of the Mediterranean ports is 

 only one-hftli of the whole, and the whole coasting trade is tw ice as much as the 

 French foreign trade, and three-quarters of the whole foreign trade. 



A fine marble statue of the illustrious Goethe, executed at Milan, by Marchisi, at 

 the expense of three citixens of Franktbrt, hius arrived in that city, which was the 

 great poet's native place. I'he statue is to ornament the principal room of the publie 

 library. 



The Milan Gazette gives the following details of the organization of the institutes 

 of sciences, arts, and letters, and the technical schools recently founded at Milan and 

 \'enice by the Kmperor of Austria: — " The institute at Milan will be composed of 

 three classes of members — ordinary, honorary, and corresponding. Tlie tirst w ill be 

 40 in number, twenty of whom will receive a stipend of l,2U0f. per annum i:ach. The 

 objecl of this institute is to encourage studies which may iutluence the prosperity 

 of the Lombardo- Venetian provinces by the cultivation of science. All that attend to 

 the improvement ttf agriculture, the useful arts, and commerce, as well as of letters, 

 will be under its care. It will have to award prizes at Milan and Venice to such 

 Lombardo Venetian subjects as have invented ur introduced any new branch of 

 industry, or fresh source of prosperity. The journal La Bibhuleca Italiuna is to bo 

 made the Journal of U*e I-ustilii/e, in winch reports of its proceedings are to be 

 regularly inserted. The Academy of the Fine Arts, founded by the Empress Maria 

 Theresa, is henceforth to be subjected to fixed regulations, 'liie professors are to 

 have specific ranks and classes, and to be associated with caunsellors, ordinary and 

 extraordinary, honorary members, and artists. It will be endowed wilh an ample 

 revenue for the distiibution of annual prize*. The technical schools are to be esta- 

 blished at Milan as well as at Venice. Such youths as are intended for commerce will 

 be taught in the writing, arithmetic up to its liighest degrees, the Italian, Frencli. 

 and Gejman langimges, histoiy, geography, book-keeping, and the whole system of 

 commerce. Those wiio are destined for the useful arts and manufactures, will be 

 instructed in physics, natural history, and chemistry, as appUrable to the ai'ls. 

 For sucb as devote themselves to the Ime arts, drawing schools are to be esta- 

 bli^hod." 



The Sctwon governmoU are about to construct a theatre at Dresden, upon a scale of 

 magnificence hitherto une(|uallcd, and MM. Semper and de I-uttichaw, of Dresden, 

 have been sent to London, Paris, and Italy, to ascertain what improvements have 

 been made in this department. Mr. Stephenson's machitiery is expected to be adopted 

 in this theatre also, Frofessor Semper having proceeded to Paris to meet Mr. Stephen- 

 son, who was in attendance upon the French commission. 



Swedish Navy. — Orders have been given to build an armed steam-boat of 100 or 

 120 horse power, after the drawings of Lieutenant Sommerfeldt, on the model of the 

 Medea, winch is acknowledged to be the first ai-med steam-boat in Kurope. 



The Ruhsian journals announce that Prolessor Jacobi, of St. Petersburg, has suc- 

 ceeded in txausferring engravings on copper to other plates, formed of a certain com- 

 position, by means of a galvanic process, reprodueing, with exaotituue, the most 

 minute lines. The emperor, it is added, has grunted suliicient funds for perfecting 

 this discovery. 



Turkish Optra — The theatre at Pera is buihling by two French architects, and is 

 to be liuished towards the end of next summer. In the mean time, a house has been 

 rented near the place of Atmeidan, where Italian operas are performed three or four 

 times a-week. Tliere is acoommoilatiou in this temporaiy theatre for about l,fiUO 

 spectators, and it is said to be (jlwf^y? full, notw ithstiuiding the dearuess <if the prices, 

 which vary from Klf. to SOf. The Sultan has already honoured this place of amuse- 

 ment with his presence. The performers, tbi- the must part, belong to an Itfthan 

 company who have acted at Odessa. The Prima Donna, a Milanese lady, appears to 

 be making a good thing of it at Constantiuople ; for, being well skilled lu the Turkish 

 langiuigf, she is engaged to give instrui'tions in singing in the first Mussulman fami 

 lies of the Turkish capital, and is stated to be carrie4l about to lier pupils' residences 

 in a splendid litter, covered with gilding and crimson velvet curtains, and carried by 

 foiu- black slaves, who are preceded or followed by eight others,— J^rt^nc/t paper. 



Conntaiitinople Medical School. — On the lOtL December, the Sultan visited the 

 new building just terminated at Galata Serai, in Pera, for the MeiUcal School, The 

 establishment is intended to be very complete, as there is a dissecting. room, library , 

 museum, botanical, chemical depai'tmeuLs, hospital, and everything necassary lor the 

 education of young doctors tliere. The students are to take up their quarters there. 

 shortly after the bairaro. 



A line of telegraphs Ls being established at Constantinople; and a successful triul 

 has already been made on the liosphorus. It is intended to extend to the Dai'da- 

 nelles, and subsequently two more branches will convey intelligeuce to and from the 

 extremes of the Kuropcan provinces, whilst nlheis aie to lead far- into Asia Minor. 

 The best part of tlicui at jiresent is. that they tire not expensive. 



A letter from Bucharest stales, that the projucl of cuttin*^ a canal from the Danube 

 to the Black Sea is to be carried into execution during tlie sjjring, by the common 

 consent of England, Austria, and Turkey; and tliat the last of these powers has 

 issued an order for a levy of 20,000 workmen for this purpose. 



Upper Syria. — M. Eusebe de Salle has just returned to Beyrout. from a tour 

 through Upper Syria, us far as the Tamiiin Chain and the Desert of Palmyra. This 

 country is a species of Syria Petrea. The plains of Antioch of th« Turkomans, and 

 the valley of the Oroutes, present at every step nuns, sometimes of entire towns, 

 which date either from the mo.st remote antiquity or from the By/.antine period. In 

 the Upper Oroutes alone, Prince Pucklcr Muskau professes to have discovered up- 

 wards of ten cities or towns omitted on the most accurate maps. M. de Salle has 

 discovered at lca.st as many between Antioch and Alejtpo. The constructions wilh 

 which he was most struck are Iloiuun camps or redonbts, built probably between the 

 times of Crassus and Trajan, duriug the warn of the Purthiuns. These antique 

 piles, which aie still remarkable for their Jiolidity, were retouched by the Byzantines, 

 the Turks, the Saracens, and the crus.vders, winch has no doubt hitherto prevented 

 them from being recognized. 



Road to the Rfd »SV</.— We learn by letters from Alexandria, that 800 £urop«aas 

 crossed the isthmus of Suez last year, on their passage to and from ludia ; and that a 

 regular coach conveyance will be soon established between tlte shores of the Levant 

 and the nearest points for embarkation on the borders of the Red Sea. — Bath 

 ii'uardia/i. 



ENGINEERING WORKS- 



Pure Water, — Four of the Water Companies of the metropolis, viz., the New 

 River, tlie East Middlesex, AVest Middlesex, and the Grand Junction intend to apply 

 to Parliament for power to draw their water higher up the Thames, so as to improve 

 its quality. — Moriioiy Advertiser. 



The Portland ferry bridge has been opened with a grand procession, both of civil 

 and military. 



River Lnne Navigation. — We find by the Lancaster Guardian that a discussion on 

 this important .subject is occupying the peojde there. Mr. Rooke, the author of 

 " Geology as a Science, applied to Engineering," in objecting to the plans adopted by 

 the Messrs. Stevenson, adopts their own data, that the force of the flux of spring-tides 

 in the River Lune exceeds that of the reflux more than two-fold ; and th^u goes on 

 to prove that it is the backwater which is the cause of the setting up, and that instead 

 of shutting out the tidal action, as ret uniuiended by Messrs. Stevenson, that it is 

 necessary to allow it gi-eater play. Ku^lnteriiig subjects like thisand the Morecambe- 

 Bav subject form the staple material of the Iniiil papers in the north-west counties; 

 and while the profession must benefit by tins excitement of public uiterest, so the 

 cause of science is promoted by directing the atteutiou of enguieers to the laws of 

 natural action. It is perhaps the misfortune t^i engineers that whereas in other 

 cases they have only to deal with inert masses, in the cnnstruction of harbours they 

 are drawn from their old liabits to a new competition with the active forces of nature. 



A'cH) Docks at Liverpool. — A capacious <Iock, to W- called the Egerton Dock, is 

 benig now constructed at the south end of the town, adjoining the Herculaneum 

 Pottery, for the use of the immense and still increasing carrying trade of Lord F. 

 Egerton. The dock trustees also contemplate the enclosure of the strand to the west- 

 ward of Treutham-street, and the formation of two docks, running east and west, in 

 lieu of the present Saltliouse Dock. This central position, adjacent to the New 

 Custom-house, and within a few minutes' walk of the Exchange, will be of immense 

 advanUige to the eoumierce of the port. It appears also, that by removing the present 

 graving docks to the extremities of the town, a further addition of 10 or 12 acres may 

 be obtained to meet the increa.sing wants of the port, together with a large entrance- 

 basin, in lieu of the present inconvenient old dock gut. The land to the westward of 

 the Salthouse Dock now produce's a very trivial rent, being principally occupied by 

 shipbuilding yards; and by carrying out tbese bold designs, dock space will be pro- 

 vided feu- many years to come in the very centre of the town, and tlae necessity of any 

 further extension will be obviated to the noitUward, more especially where the diffi- 

 culty of docking vessels in bad weather is severely felt — Livtiyool Titnes. 



llow Bridge On Thursday, the 14th ult, the new bridge erected over the river 



Lea, at Bow. was opened with ceremony bv Mr. Alderman Thomas Wood, the sheriff 

 for Middlesex, and Mr. W. Colten, the sheiifl" of Essex, atteiided by a numerous train 

 of the magistrates and gentry of the two counties. 



MISCELLANEA. 



St. Saviour Sonfhwark. — The demulition of the nave of tins ancient collegiate 

 church is about to commence; the old materials have been sold, and directly tljey 

 are removed, the building of a new church ou the site, at an expense of 8,000/. , to 

 be connected with the present tower and the choir, in which divine service is now 

 perloniied, will be proceeded with. 



Geology . — A few days ago a tremendous fall of chalk took place at the facing of the 

 rock forming the entrance of the west tunnel through Sluikspeaa-e's Cliff. By this fall 

 the geologists have a treat, as the vertebrK' of an immense animal has been laid bare, 

 and it is expected that the remaining piwts of the skeleton will be found on the re- 

 moval of the fallen rubbish. 



A Sheet of Paper. — There was lately sent from the paper manufactory at Colinton 

 a single ^heet of paper weighing 55aib., and upwards, of n mjle and a b^f in length ; 

 the breadth was only 50 inches. Were a reani of paper composed of similar sheets 

 made, it would weigh 3fle,6001b., or upwards of 123 tonfi.^Scotman. 



