17-2 



THE CIVIL ENGINEER AND ARCHITECT'S JOURNAL. 



[May, 



who arc to be the judges ? — Whether a strict adhereneo to the 

 instructions is a necessary preliminary on the part of tlie architects, to 

 secure his ])lan, an inspection f — Whether all designs, wiiieh cannot 

 be executed for the sums estimated, shall be laid aside ? — 'W'liether a 

 public exhibition shall precede as ^vell as follow the decision of the 

 judges? — And, v.hethcr the autlvir of the chosen design shall be 

 allowed to superintend the erection of the work, provided his staniiing 

 in the ]>rofcssion, and experience as an architect, entitles bis so doing ? 

 And, till these in(|uiries are falisfaclori/j/ answered, let it be the 

 «na«(;HOHS resolution of the Architects of England, that thei/ trill /.-ut 

 enter into tlie present competition — that they n-ill not lend it their xrinc- 

 tion — nor c/ive it the benefit of their talents and support. And if tliey 

 thus act firmly and unitedly, a better system ot things will be ultimately 

 adopted, and the cause of truth and justice must eventually triumph. 



In conclusion, 1 have only to add, tliat I feel quite assured, that 

 some such proceeding as this, would not only tend to raise British 

 art'sts in the estimation of the public — and secure, in a great measure, 

 a fair and free competition — but would also induce many of the leading 

 architects to contribute, who at ])resent — being fearful of unfair deal- 

 ing — have no such intention ; and would moreover be the means of 

 obtaining a design for the Royal Exchinge, worthy of the metropolis 

 it is to adorn, and an honour to the taste and genius of the age. 

 I remain, Sir, your oljedient servant, and constant reader, 

 April, 1839. An Architect. 



FLOATING HARBOURS OF REFUGE. 



Sir — 1 do not recollect that I have seen any observations in your 

 interesting work relative to the principle of floating harbours or break- 

 waters, and I am led to notice the subject Trom having read with great 

 pleasure the article by Hyde Clarke, Esq. C. E., upon Isolated Harbonrs 

 of Refuge, in your last number. 



No question can exist upon the advantages of natural harbours as 

 described to be at the island of St. Michael, and I am induced to think 

 that observations made upon Porto do Ilheo, led Admiral Sartorius 

 to think of making a floating harbour at Terccira, upon which lie cor- 

 responded with the patentee of the floating breakwaters, but which his 

 expedition from the Azores most probably'prevented his attempting to 

 carry into execution. '1 he principle of harbonrs of refuge is advan. 

 tageous in proportion to the practicability of carrying the protections 

 they afford into deep water. 'Ihe construction' of masonry, or the 

 accumulation of stones, is expensive in a progressive proportion to the 

 depth ef water — hence the saving attending flouting substances secured 

 so as to form harbours in deep waters must be very great. 



The successful experiments which were tried in 18-J(— though dis- 

 countenanced by the Admiralty on account of the apprehension that 

 they were favourable to smuggling — demonstrated that no objection 

 ought to be raised against a floating harbour, if composed of rafts 

 situated in a position where they could never ground. Julius Ca;sar 

 found out their advantage when he employed tliem, as described in 

 his Commentaries, as follows : — 



'' Cassar sat down, on the 9th of March, before Bluudu^iluu, with six 

 legions, three of which were composed of veteran soldiers, and the rest 

 of new levies drawn together on liis march. i!e had sent Domitian's 

 troops directly from Corfininm towards Sicily, liot caring to bring them 

 near Pompey's quartc.--. The Consuls had sailed on the 4th with 

 thirty cohorts, and there were still twenty in the town with Pompey. 

 Nor was it certainly known whether he continued there for want of 

 shipping to transport Ids troops, or with the design to keep possession 

 of Brundusium, th.at he miglit be master of the whole Adiiatic Sea, 

 the farthest parts of Italy, and the country of Greece, in order to make 

 war on both sides the gulf. Csesar having lost all hopes of an acconi- 

 niodation, and fearing that it was his intention to keep footing in Italy, 

 resolved to push the war with vigour, and to deprive him of the advan- 

 tages be might reap from the port of Brundusium. The following 

 works were contrived Ijy him for this purpose. He carried on a mole 

 on each side of the haven where the entrance was narrowest, and the 

 water shallow. But as this undertaking could not be carried quite 

 across the port by reason of the great depth of the sea, he prepared 

 double floats of timber, thirty feet square, which wei-e each secured bv 

 four anchors, to enable them to resist the fiuy of the waves. These, 

 which were to extend all the way between the two moles, were covered 

 over with earth and fascines, that the soldiers might pass and repass 

 with ease, and have firm footing to defend them. The front and sides 

 were armed with a parapet of hurdles, and every fourth float bad a 

 tower of two stories, the better to keep the enemy's ships at a distance, 

 and to guard tiie work from lire and the shocks of vessels." 



I have not the advantage of having seen the Port of Brindisi, but 

 the extract sufliciently explains the nature of the works. There are 

 numerous positions on our coast which we .well suited to »uch ftn ope- 



ration, and if a harbour were constructed with stone jetties in the 

 sluillow water, and floating breakwater's moored seaward, there can be 

 little doubt of the purpose being ell'ected. 



I have the honour to be, sir, 



Your humble servant. 



An Akchitect. 



[The employment of floating harboui-s is very important, and by 

 means of Mitchell's screw moorings might be applied in many posi- 

 tions.— Ennoii.! 



HARBOURS OF REFUGE. 



'I'lie counter run. 



Tire true run of ilio tide. 



<ifi, The liorn-work. — lib. Pier-heads. — c.c, Jetties, — rf. Harbour. — ee. Bays. 

 — -/, Quay. — (/I/, Beach or Shingle. 



Sir, — Seeing by the public papers that the Lords of the Treasury 

 have sanctioned the constructing of Harbours of Refuge for her 

 Majesty's smaller vessels of the Royal Navy, against the easterly 

 gales on the coast of Essex, Suftblk, and Noi'folk, in these wcu-ks of 

 the government, it is not intended to prevent private companies from 

 making inner basins or inland harbonrs. 



I have sent you a Plan, which I shall feel obliged if you can find 

 room for in your next Joui-nal : it is entirely new, and adapted 

 principally for a coast whicii is composed of beach or shingle, and their 

 construction would be about half the cost of harbours as they are now 

 built. By this plan you will perceive that it is in the formation of the 

 Pier-heads which locks up a body of beach or shingle against their 

 sides, and causes the tide to be embayed by whichever pier it sets 

 against; this, with the run of the true tide, would propel all the sur- 

 plus beach or shingle which was in motion several fathoms out sea- 

 ward beyond the pier-heads, and prevent any bar forming at its en- 

 trance or around it: a large body of beach, <S:c., will be accumulated 

 at the foot of botli sides of the harbour, and form the best barrier in 

 protecting it. These harbours of refuge would be very beneficial 

 arouiid our coast, for the protectioir of our seamen, ships, and com- 

 merce ; and an encouragement to our fishei'ies, independent of the 

 protection it would give, or afford, to her Majesty's steam-vessels. 

 I am, Sir, your humble servantj 



W. KrNGSI'OBD. 



Buckland, near Dover, 

 April 10, 1839. 



BRITTON'S DICTIONARY. 

 Sir, — There is a. homely proverb, which says, " the proof of the 

 pudding lies in the eating," and it applies exceedingly jvell to Britton's 

 Dictionary of Architecture, for whatever commendation the book may 

 have obtained as soon as it comes to be fairly tested it will be found 

 most cgregiously deficient and defective, nor least of all so where 

 information is most wanted, and where there was, consequently, 

 ample opportunity to supply what previous works of the same kind 

 had neglected to do. Undoubtedly it was pertectly optional on the 

 part of the compiler to limit its plan as he pleased, or as might best 

 suit liis own convenience, however he might, by so doing, lessen its 

 usefulness ; still, whatever he bad once adopted, he ought to have 

 consideredhimself bound to adhere to consistently throughout. Now 

 this, most assuredly, he h;is not done with regard to terms coiuiected 

 witli classical aichitecturG ; since, besides being very insuflicient and 

 unsatisfactory in themselves ; what there are, amount to no more 

 than a meagre sprinkling of them, and precisely of those of which a 

 mere explanation will hardly be sought by any one. It avails not to 

 say that this Dictionary is intended to elucidate chiefly the architecture 

 of the middle ages, such excuse being altogether nugatory, and ahuost 



