1839.] 



THE CIVIL ENCtINEER AND ARCHITECT'S JOURNAL. 



191 



Is the Pantheon at Rome either uncouth, inconvenient, or un-architectural ? 

 Do the same condemnations apply to the vaultings of St. Paul's, London, ,ind 

 to those of our other cathedrals ? or, indeed, is ihe new lath and plaster ceiling 

 to the minster of York architectural '? 



It may rather be said, that beauty of form and structure absolutely require 

 them to be made lire-proof. 



10. Roof-trus5cs may be made entirely of cast-iron, as are those to the new 

 choir of St. Saviour's Church, Southivark; and a covering of tiles, of slates, 

 or of metal, may be laid upon horizontal rafters of iron, ivithout the intervention 

 of any combustible material whatsoever. 



1 1, One of the excellencies of vaulting is that in addition to affording the 

 means of rendering edifices iire-proof, it adds very prcat architectural beauty 

 to fabrics. There is scarcely any form which may not be covered in a graceful 

 manner with vaults and domes, so as to fit exactly the walls, and atford the 

 means of spanning every side of an apartment, whatever be its shape, with 

 correct and strong arches, without distortion either on the plan or in the ele- 

 vation, and combining justly with the architecture of the edifice. In fact, 

 when an attempt is made, with deal, lath and plaster to render a modem 

 apartment respectable in its decorations, it is frequently performed but by a 

 costly yet fragile and consumable imitation of fire-proof vaultings. 



We hope to have occasion, at a subsequent period, again to refer to 

 it, and ehall for the present dismiss it -witli a recommendation of its 

 utility and conciseness. 

 Theoretical and Practical Essay on Bitumen ; selling forth its uses in 



remote ar/cs, and revical in modem times, and demonstrating its 



applicability to various purposes. London : Effingham Wilson. 



This is a very useful pamphlet describing the various asphalte, their 

 properties, and its application. Wo shall, in some future number, 

 examine into the qualities of asphalte introduced in London, and see 

 how far that material is applicablo to engineering and arcliitcctural 

 purposes. 



MIXTURE TO PREVENT THE INCRU.STATION OF STEAM 

 BOILERS. 



MEMORANDUM. 



.\dmiralty, 8th Jan., 18-39. 



The Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty, in calling the particular 

 attention of all officers in command of steam vessels to the annexed abstract 

 of a report from Lieut. Kennedy, late commandinEC Her .Majesty's stcatn 

 vessel Spitfire, and Mr. .Tohns, the first engineer of that vessel, are pleased 

 to direct that the mixture tlicnMU described, which has been propo.«ed by 

 the latter officer to prevent incrustation on the inner surfaces of boilers, be 

 generally made use of for that purpose in all Her Majesty's steam vessels. 

 The directions as to the proportions of black lead and talloAV are to be 

 Btrictly followed, and the mixture is to be applied as often as circumstances 

 •will admit of it, every opportunity being taken as heretofore to remove 

 from the boilers the small deposit Avliich will still be formed. 



Report of Lieut. Kennedy and Mr. Johns, enpiiieer of Her Majesty's 

 steam vessel Spitfire. — We beg leave to state that the proportion for a first 

 class steamer should be about sixteen potmds of melted tallow and two of pow. 

 dered black-lead, well mixed and laid on with a common tar-brush over the 

 inside of the tubes and fireplaces, and other inside parts of the boilers that 

 can be got at, every time after a passage of any length, as the more often 

 it is done the better. 77ic boilers arc lo be bloifu out as itsitat eixry tim 

 fiourf, for it is not to be supposed that, without proper attention being paid 

 to this necessary duty, this mixture Avill'prevent the incrustation from form- 

 ing ; the blowing off takes great part of it away while in solution, and what 

 remains, after short trips, may be swept off by" hand with a piece of oakum ; 

 and after long trips, should a thin incrustation remain on the plates, the 

 slightest blow ^^■ill cause it to fall olf in large flakes covered with black- 

 lead on the inner side, without the use of the chipping hammer, which 

 only makes tlie plates rough and more ready to receive and ri'tain the 

 deposit, and otherwise injures the boilers, t'ausing much labour to the 

 men. Ten poimds of tallow and one and a half of black lead would be 

 enough for the smaller steamers after each voyage; or, after a very long 

 voyage, that quantity used twice. 



The Spitfire ran from JIalta to Corfu, from Corfu to Malta, from tlicnoe 

 to Gibraltar, and back to JIalta, with only one application of the inixture, 

 from want of time. 



We consider that the Sdtiimixhn-c, i{ frcrjuoiHy and properh/ applied. 

 ihe same attention being paid to blon-inrj, qjf as before will cause the boilers 

 to last at least n/ovrtl' longer, and will be found a great saving m coals and 

 labour, doing away with the necessity of fresh water, (the Spitfire having 

 had only one supply in her boilers for eighteen months j ; and wo find that 



the longer and more often it is used the cleaner the boilers look inside. 



Nautical Magazine. 



FAILURE OF THE HYTHE BRIDGE AT COLCHESTER; 



Mr. JBraithwaite's Report tliereon to the Corporation. 



This bridge was erected from the plaus of a local architect, over the river 

 Colne, at a place called the Hytb, adjoining the town of Colchester, ,and up to 

 which point the river is navigable for sailing vessels. The structure was 

 completed, and the road formed and open for traffic by the latter end of March 

 in the present year ; although up to that time the centres had not been eased. 



Onthe 1st of .4pril, on their attempting to remove the centres, the arch 



followed it ; and in their cutting away a bracing-piece the whole structure 

 iuddenly fell in — the centres being then unable to sustain the weight thrown 

 upon tlieni. The dimensions of the bridge were as follows ; — Span of the arch 

 (which was segmental,) 58 feet — the rise or versed sine being ten feet tliick- 

 ness of arch throughout 1 foot 6 inches ; and from face to face of ditto 23 feet. 

 The longitudinal depth or thickness of the abutments 10 feet; vertical 

 thickness of the abutments b feet— resting on planking laid transversely 

 insills, which were bedded in a foot and a half of concrete, below which, 

 was a loosibh strata of gravel. The arch was turned in four half brick 

 rings in cement, with about ten pieces of hoop-iron, bedded longitudinally 

 between each ring, and four iron tye-rods with washers placed tiansversely 

 through the arch ; the spandrells were filled up with loose earth, and 

 two small counterfeits, which were carried up in spandrell walls (with 

 the addition of the face walls) bad to resist the whole thrust of the arch. 

 Mr. Eraitliwaite, the Engineer in Chief of the Eastern Counties Railway, was 

 applied to by the corporation to report on the cause of the failure ; and, after 

 minutely examining the plans and remains of the structure, ha gave it as bis 

 decided opinion, that the former were so radically bad that it was impossible 

 for the structure to have stood ; and on the other hand, that the workmanship 

 was so defective, that with Ihe best and most carefully prepared plans, it must 

 have fallen. Mr. Braithwaite's estimate for a new bridge is £2,'200— the cost 

 of that just destroyed, was about £1,.^00. 



The reverse quoins of the abutments have subsided about an inch and a 

 half; the cement in the arch, it is apparent, was quite killed by the too great 

 admi.^ture of saud ; at the keying-in of the arch, such a monstrous want of 

 care was exhibited, .as to be worthy of notice, — it appears they did not guagc 

 their courses, or if .so, did not work to it : as, when they arrived at the course 

 of key bricks, there was a space of .about 4j or 5 inches left: now instead 

 of taking out about half-a-do7,en or more courses of bricks — picking out the 

 largest, laying them dry, and then grouting them in — they keyed-in with 

 three-quarter ragged batts, laid longitudinally ! 



PUBLIC WORKS IN BELGIUM. 



The public woiks projected in Belgium in the course of this year are nu- 

 merous and of great utility, both in Brussels and the principal cities. The 

 capital is to be embellished with four remarkable monuments ; the new 

 pakace of justice, the plans for which promise one of the finest buildings 

 of the kind in Europe ; the glassed gallery of the passage St. Hubert, which 

 will surpass in aichitectural beauty .any thing of the kind either in Paris or 

 London ; the new public hospital of St. John; and the house of industry in 

 the ciuartier Leopold. This last-named district is likely to be ornamented 

 with a great number of hotels and first-iate houses, especially if, as may be 

 expected, the P.alais de Justice is erected in it. The new streets opened 

 during the last year to the Faubourg of Saint Josseten Noode will be entirely 

 finished this year, and at their point of union the new house of industry of 

 the Faubourg will be built. 



The construction of the station des Boyards, and that projected in front of 

 the rue Neuve, will give birth to two other quartiers, traced on a regular 

 plan, and ornamented with spacious squares and wide streets. A fourth 

 quartier will be formed beyond the Boulevard of Waterloo, and several new 

 streets are maiked out in the fauxbourgs d'lxelles, de Scharbeck, and de 

 Flandre. Finally, it is proposed to complete Ihe Boulevards, the abatloire, 

 and, generally, all the public works which the state of the finances of the 

 city have hitherto suspended. Twenty thousand workmen will not suffice 

 to execute all the plans proposed to render Brussels one of tbefinest capitals in 

 Europe. 



At Ghent a new casino is to be built, which will not yield in beauty to that 

 built two years since after the plans of M. Roelaudt. The new Palace ol 

 Justice and the new theatre will be completed, and in fiont of the railway 

 station a new and large square will be constructed, in which several new 

 streets will terminate. It is probable also, that the foundation for a new 

 iio.spit,al will be laid Ibis year. 



No city in Belgium, however, will profit more by the advantages of peace 

 than that of Liege. Vast plans are projected for the enlargement and embel- 

 lishment of this rich city. A great number of new streets are to run through 

 the old quartiers, and the works for the extension of the Mouse will ,add 

 a new cjuartier, and constitute one of the finest parts of Liege. Among the 

 public establishments which will be erected in the course of this year, are the 

 new botanical garden and the conservatory of music in front of the facade, of 

 which will be raised the statue of Grctry. 



At Antwerp the quays on the Scheldt are to be finished, and a new lish- 

 mavket will be built, together with the interior station of the railroad, and 

 several streets leading to it. The colossal statue of Rubersh will be cast thi.i 

 year, but will not be raised on its pedestal before ISIO. 



At Louvain the public hospital will be entirely rebuilt, and replaced by an 

 edifice as remarkable for its extent as the beauty of its architecture. The 

 wide extent of land at present in cultivation, which extends from the Porte du 

 Pare, to the Porte de Diest, is already being covered with buildings, and will 

 shortly become one of the most populous frontiers of INIetonia. This new 

 feature will be principally owing to the railroad. 



At Mons a new theatre is projected, also an abattoir, covered markets, and 

 the opening of several new streets, which will afford the necessary communi- 

 cation between the different parts of the city. At Couitui also, numerous 

 improvements will take place, and without entering into any further enumera- 

 tion, we may say that the confidence produced by the approach of a settled 

 order of things, will sufficiently manifest the wisdom of that division, which, 

 leaving Belgium integrally free, leaves her at the same lime the mistress and 

 the architect of her future glory.— Coiirie'' Beige, 



