142 



THE CIVIL ENGINEER AND ARCHITECT'S JOURNAL. 



[ArRiL, 



as 



and perfecting a doiiartment, -wliieli, I think, all will aprree is of stieh vital 

 consequence to the cliaracter and inipoitance of our national buildings, and 

 to the success and well-being of our manufactures 



LUBRICATION. 



(From Dr. Ure's Diciiunart/ of Arts, Manufactures, and Mines.) 

 The following simple and efficacious jdan of lubricatiiig the joints and 

 beaiings of machinery by capillary attraction, has been kindly commu- 

 uicatid to me by its ingenious inventor, Edward Woolsey, Esq. : — 

 Fig. 1. Fig. 2. Fig. 3. 



laipja 



Figure 1 is a section of a tin ciip, whieli has a small tin tube a, which 

 passes through the bottom, as shown by tht- dotted linos. Oil is poured into 

 the cup, and one end of a worsted or cotton thread is dipped into the oil, and 

 tlie other end passed through the tube. The capillary attraction causus the 

 oil to ascend and pass over the orifice of the tube, whence it gradually 

 descends, and drops slower or quicker, according to the lengtli of the thread, 

 or its thickness, until every particle of oil is drawn over by this capillary 

 syphon. The tube is intended to be put into the bearings of shafts, &c., and 

 is made of any size that may be wished. If oil, or other liquids, is desired 

 to be dropped upon a grindstone or otlier surface, this cu]) can have a handle 

 to it, or be hung from the ceiling. It is frequently required to stop the ca- 

 pillary action when the machinery is not going; and this has been effected 

 by means of a tightening screw, which passes through a screw boss in the 

 cover of tlie cup, and presses against the internal oriGce of the tube, pre- 

 venting the oil from passing. As I fnid when tliese screw-cups aie used upon 

 beams of engines and moving bearings, that the screw is apt to be tightened 

 by the motion; and also, as I think the action of the screw is uncertain, 

 from tlie workman neglecting to screw it down sufficiently, it answers hest to 

 take out the capillary thread when the lubrication is not required; and to 

 effect this easily, I have a tin toi> to the cup, with a round pipe soldered to it ; 

 this pipe has a slit in it, like a pencil case, und allows a holt n to slide easily 

 in it. In figure 2 the bolt is down ; in ligure 3, the bolt, which is a piece of 

 brass wire, is drawn up, and there is no capillary action between tlie thread 

 and the oil. In figure 3 it will be observed, that the bolt is kept in its place 

 by its head c, resting in a lateral slit in the pipe, and it cannot be drawn out 

 on account of the pin e. One end of the thread is fastened to the eye-hole 

 at the bottom of the bolt, and the other end is tied to a small wire which 

 crosses the lower orifice of the tube at n. By this simple contrivance the 

 capillary action can be stopped or renewed in a second, without removing the 

 top of the lubricator. 



The saving by this plan, instead of pouring oil into the bearings, is 2 

 gallons out of 3, while the bearings are better oili'il. 



When you wish to see the quantity of oil remaining in the lubricator, the 

 bolt must be dropped as in figure 2, and you can then lift the cover a little 

 ■way olf, wilhnnt breaking the thread, and replenish with oil. The cost of 

 figure 2, in tin plate is Id. The figures in the wood-cuts are one-lliird of 

 the full size. 



CALEDONIAN CANAL. 



We are hearlily g"lad to see that a committee of the House of Commons has 

 been appointed on a subject so important to Scotland, and to the commercial 

 interests of tlie kingdom, as the improvement and completion of the Cale- 

 donian Canal, The report of Mr. Walker, to which allusion has been made, 

 is an elaborate and valuable document. Mr. W. inspected the works of the 

 canal by order of the Treasury, in consequence of some suggestions and state- 

 ments made by Mr. May. the resident engineer and superintendent. After a 

 careful suivey, Mr. Walker was convinced that an extensive plnn of repair 

 and improvement was necessary, to give the uuderiaking ajhir chuuce, and lo 

 carry out the original design of the late Mr. Telford. That design was 

 worthy the genius and the fame of our d'stingulshed countryman, but he 

 was thwarted and confmel by what now appears to have been a nn'splaccd 

 economy, and by that " ignorant impatience of taxation" (as Lord London- 

 deny used to term it) which ma^lifL-^led itself so strongly alter the close of the 

 late war. The government of the day was forced to yield to the reiteratsd 

 oppoi-ition wiiich was exi.eriencetl in Parliament, and it was wi;h the utmost 

 diflitulty that means could be oblained for putting the canal in such a state as 

 to admit of it!5 being opened for tlie impeifect m;cominodaiion of thut small 



class of vessels to which the trade has hitherto been confined. From the 

 same niggardly parsimony, the works were hurried over in a superficial and 

 perhaps careless manner, the result of which now appears in premature dilapi- 

 dation, and in frequent obstructions, even to the present limited trafi^c. Mr. 

 Walker proposes to increase the available depth of water to seventeen feet. 

 This is short of what was designed by Mr. Telford, but is amply sufficient for 

 the accommodation of all descriptions of commercial trading vessels. He also 

 proposes (wiiat has been often recommended in our columns) the establish- 

 ment of steam-tugs, on the lakes and estuaries, by which the passage would be 

 rendered certain and expeditious under every condition of the weather. 

 Vessels would thus be enabled to pass from one side ©f the kingdom to the 

 other in two or three days. If we consider the immense and daily-increasing 

 traffic which takes place between these extremities, such a facility of commu- 

 nication must be reckoned an important national benefit. 



The leading: object of the Caledonian Canal is, briefly, to save in the com- 

 munication between the opposite parts of the kingdom, the present circuitous 

 and dangerous passage by the Pentland Frith and Land*s-end, on both of 

 which the most serious delays and losses are well knov\n to occur. This 

 range of internal navigation includes on one hand the intercourse of the 

 eastern ports of England and Scotland with America ; and on the other hand 

 it embraces the tratfic of the western ports with the Bah ic and the east of 

 Europe. A similar object is attempted by the Forth and Clyde Canal, on 

 which the trade is very extensive, but only for small vessels, and these subject 

 to heavy rates. Yet high as the rates are, they are not considered an obstacle 

 when compared with the safety and certainty of the passage, for vessels not 

 exceeding eighty or a hundred tons burden. Now, it is precisely to extend 

 the same advantages to all classes of maritime traders that we desire to see 

 the Caledonian Canal completed. Mr. Walker calculates that in order to 

 accomplish these objects effectually an expenditure of nearly 150,000/. would 

 be necessary. This is a large sum, but it must be remembered that the works 

 absolutely require repair, and the completion of the design would be attended 

 with great and permanent public benefits. Indeed, the money already laid 

 out must be considered as entirely thrown away, if the objects which the canal 

 was designed to secure be not realised to the public. It is like building a 

 house without roofing it in : however magnificent be the outline — however 

 excellent the original plan — the superstructure is useless, and must crumble 

 to decay. Another important consideration is adverted to by Mr. Walker: 

 from the extensive changes in the physical condition of the valley, caused by 

 the construction of a canal of so unprecedented a magnitude, and its connec- 

 tion with the extensive inland lakes, it would be attended with nearly as great 

 an expense to shut the canal as to complete it ! It would be necessary, in fact, 

 to undo almost all that has been done. ** Dams and outlets,'' says Mr. 

 Walker, *' would have to be made, permanent bridges to be built, the locks 

 filled up or fenced, other works done, and compensations to be made which it 

 is extremely diflficult to calculate, and which might equal in amount the 

 expense of a proper repair" — and all this independent of the public inconve- 

 nience, the cessation of intercourse and traffic in the west Highlands, and the 

 breach of faith which such a proceeding would involve. Mr. Walker adduces 

 various reasons in support of his decided opinion that the canal, if properly 

 finished and supplied with the requisite facilities, would realise all that its 

 most sanguine supporters have anticipated. One of these illustrations is to 

 be found in the case of the Forth and Clyde Canal, of which the expense also 

 fai" exceeded the original estimates, and which for thirty years remained in 

 that unfinished and unserviceable state in which the Caledonian Canal is at 

 present, until a public loan of 60,000/. was eventually obtained, by means of 

 which it was completed and brought into beneficial operation. This sum has 

 long been repaid with interest, and the undertaking- has proved one of the 

 most profitable concerns in the kingdom. May we not fairly hope for the 

 same result in the case of the Caledonian Canal? Mr. Walker expresses 

 himself with the utmost confidence on this head, and we agree with him in 

 the favourable opinion he entertains of what the canal is likely to be at a 

 future period. It has never been placed in a condition to insure success — it 

 has not had even a chance — and all its bearings and prospects are completely 

 altered by the introduction of steam. " The evidence given previous to its 

 formation, and much le:^s its workings since it was opened," says Mr. Walker, 

 " have but little to do with its present prospect "— an opinion so rea- 

 sonable in itself and baekcd by the high professional character of Mr. Walker, 

 that it must have considerable effect on the committee, and on the nation at 

 large. We shall rejoice to witness the full completion of a design so honour- 

 able to the country, and to the eminent engineer by whom it was planned, 

 and so likely to be fraught with permanent national advantage. — Jnrenitss 

 Cuiirier. 



The Trtffry I7ur/M(7.— On Wednesday, tlie Gtli uUiiuo, the first stone was laid of 

 the intended viaduct, which is to cross Rucks' Mill "\'allt;y, it was pcrlurmcd by J. 

 T. Trefl'ry, Esq., in the presence of a large and highly respectable company. The 

 viaduct is for the purpose of canyiug a line of raibMiy across the valley from the 

 terniiimtion of the I'ar canal, (which canal is about three miles long from Par 

 brealiwater,) to Roche, a distance of about seveu miles ; and the whole is undertaken 

 at the sole expense of Mr. Trefiiy, wliuse piiblic-spiiited esertiuus in works of utility 

 to the county at an extraordinary outlay of private wcaUh and individual sacrifice, 

 are the theme of every one's praise and athniration. Tliis viaduct will extend 

 ■ across Rocks' Mill Valley, in the parij-hes of Lixnlivcry and Luxuliau. Its length is 

 to he 010 feet helwoen the abutments, and it will coiisist of 10 arches, the span of 

 each of which v,\\\ be 40 feet. I'he height from the lumulution will be about 95 

 feet, and the width of tlie base of the piers will he 20 by 10 leet G inches. The top 

 of the viaduct will he 10 feet wide ; an. I the whole, -ft hen complete, will present a 

 very beautiful appearance, and be a great relief to \he otherwise rugged but ex- 

 ceedingly picturesque and romantic valley which it is intended to cross, — Mr. Pea&e 

 is the engineer, and Messrs, Uennett and Kowe arc the contracturs. 



