192 



THE CIVIL ENGINEEB. AND ARCHITECT'S JOURNAL. 



[May, 



proCjEedings of scientific societies. 

 institution of civil engineers. 



March 19, 1839. The I'resident in the Chair, 



Oh Mr. Smtaton*s " Estimale of Animal Power, fxlrartrd from hi.-i il/.S'. Fitpera." By 

 John Farey, M. Inet. t'. E. 



The amount of mechanical power lias been frequently overstated, in conse- 

 quence of the conclusions being drawn from efforts continued for too short a 

 time. Desaguliers estimated the power of a man as equal to raising 5507 lbs 

 one foot high per minute ; this was found by Sracaton to be too high ; several 

 experiments are recorded, in which dififerent values are assigned to the power 

 of a man, and he ultimately fixed it at about two-thirds of the above, or 3672 

 lbs. Several experiments are recorded of the estimate of the power of a horse, 

 and of the quantity of water raised by various maeliines. 



The communication is accompanied by a letter in Mr. Smeaton's hand- 

 writing, dated ^ilst Feb. 1789. 



"Account of the firing of Gunpowder under Wuter, by Ihe Volttiic Balleiy at Chathaiiif 

 March \Ch ISS9, under the Direction vf Col. Pusley." By F. Bramah, Jun., 

 A. Inst. C. E., and C. Manby, A. Inst. C. E. 



Exp. I A tin canister containing 40lb3 of powder was sunk in deep water, 



and the coil containing the conducting wires, one-fifth of an inch in diameter, 

 by which the powder was to be fired, was vered out to its whole length of 

 500 feet from the boat in which the voltaic battery was placed. The con- 

 nexion being made the explosion was instantaneous, and the concussion was 

 felt very sensibly on the shore. 



Exp. '2. — Three canisters, each containing a charge of 5 lbs., were sunk at 

 a distance of 50 or 60 feet from each other, and a pair of connecting wires, 100 

 feet long, were attached to each ; the ends of tliese wires were soldered togC" 

 thcr by threes, and on the connexion being made only one of the canisters 

 was fired. The wires in this experiment were of common copper bell wire, 

 about one-sixteenth of an inch in diameter. The voltaic battery used was one 

 of Professor Daniell's improved construction. The preparation of the con- 

 ducting wires, and the manner of discharging the battery, appeared the tame 

 as described in Mr. Bethell's communication of last Session. » 



M<(rrh 2(i, 18o9. Tlic President in the Chair. 



The following were ballotted for and elected ; G. A. Oldham, as a Gra- 

 duate ; Sir John Scott Lillie, Captain Vetch, and J. C. Shaw, as Associates. 



** Description of a Sawing Maciune for cutting of)' Ratlway Bars.*' By JoSErH 

 Glynn, M. lost. C. E. 



The advantage of having the ends of the railway bars cut as nearly square 

 as possible, that they may truly abut against eacli other, is so great, that many 

 attempts have been made to effect it. The author in this communication de- 

 scribes the method which is adopted at the Butterley Works in the manufacture 

 of the rails for the Alidland Counties Hallway. In general the ends, rough 

 and ragged as they come from the rolls, are separately reheated and cut off by 

 the circular saw; but the accuracy in this case depends on the workmen pre- 

 senting the bar at right angles to the plane of the saw. As this cannot be 

 insured, the difficulty may be obviated as follows : — The axis of the saws and 

 the bed of the machine, which is exactly like that of a slide lathe, arc placed at 

 right angles with the line of the rolls in which the rails arc made ; the saws 

 are fixed inhcadstocks and slide upon the bed, so as to adjust them for cutting 

 the rails to tlie exact lenji:th, and aro three feet in diameter and one- 

 eighth of an inch tliick, with teelh of the usual size, in circular saws for 

 wood, and make lOUO revolutions per minute ; the teeth are in contact with 

 the hot iron too short a period to receive any damage, but to prevent all 

 risk the lower edge of the saw dips in a cup of water. The saw plate is secured 

 between two discs of cast iron faced with copper and exposed only at the 

 part necessary for cutting through the rail. The rail on leaving the rolls 

 is hastily straightened with wooden mallets on a cast-iron plate, on which it 

 lies right for sawing and sufficiently hot; thus a considerable saving of time, 

 labour, and heat, is effected. The rail is brought into contact at the same 

 time with the two saws, and both ends are cut off by one operation. If 

 the saws be sharp and the iron hot, the 78 lb. rails are cut through in twelve 

 seconds. The rail, on leaving the saws, is placed in a groove planed in a 

 thick cast-iron plate ; thus all warping is prevented. The author then de- 

 scribes certain mechanical ariangemcBts', which are exhibited in detail in the 

 drawing accompanying the communication. 



"A Description of I lie Turnhridges on the Herefordshire and GMctSUrsHire Canal," 

 By Stephen Ballarb, A. Inst. C. E. 



In taking to pieces the old turnhridges on the Herefordshire and Glouces- 

 tershire Canal, the author observed that the spikes used to fix the planks down 

 to the carriers had caused the decay of the timber ; that the balance weights of 

 stone confined in a box under the planks kept the limber very, moist ; that the 

 timbers near the ground where there was not a free circulation of air, and 

 the wood wherever it was pierced with iron, were decayed. 



In the bridges now described, no spikes are used to iix down the planks, but 

 the planks are held in their places by two fiat ro.ls extending the whole length 

 of the planking. The author then describes in detail, by reference to the 

 drawing accompanying the communication, the peculiar method ef construc- 



•« See "WinuteB," April Si, 1838. 



tion which he Ijas adopted. The planks are three-eighths of an inch apart, so 

 thai dirt and wet may not lodge in the joints. The bridge is balanced by two 

 stones hung at tlic ends of the swing poles of about six cwt. each. The four 

 principal carriers are supported by tlirce cast-iron bearers fixed to a grooved 

 circle, which rests on cast-iron balls running in another grooved circle. By 

 this construction no planks are pierced with spikes ; the box of stones is got 

 rid of, and a free access of air is obtained ; and the peculiar causes of destruc- 

 tion to which turnhridges are exposed, are, it is conceived, in a great measure 

 obviated. 



" Description of an Instrument for setting out the T^idth of Ctiftinffs and Emhanhni^nti 

 of Raitways^ Canals, or Eaods, as particularly appUeahk to falling or side-lying 

 ground." By Henry Carr, Grad. Inst. C. E. 



The object of this instrument is to facilitate the operation of determining the 

 distance of the outer lockspit from the centre line of a cutting or embankment, 

 by avoiding all calculation, and reducing the usual threefold operation into one. 

 The principle of its construction is the formation of a half cross section, 

 which may be easily altered to suit all cases witli regard to base, side 

 slope, and inclination of surface. The construction of the instrument is 

 described in great detail by refercnoo to the drawing accompanying this 

 communication. The author states that he set out a portion of the South 

 Eastern Railway with this instrument, and found it answer exceedingly well. 

 The experience of the first instrument has suggested some improvement in its 

 construction, which is represented in another drawing, 



Observalions on the present Mode of executing RaUways : with Siiggestiaas 

 for It more ecottomicat, ijet equally efficient System of both e.recuting and 



ivorhini/ them. By Francis Whishaw, M. Inst. C. E. 



The author, at tbc commencement of this paper, alludes to the principal 

 causes of the great differences between the original estimate and cost of 

 railways. Among these he enumerates the imperfect knowledge of the 

 strata, which occasions the cuttings and embankments to be formed with 

 slopes, which arc dangerous, and add to their cost; the imperloct forma- 

 tion of the embankments, especially in clayey soils, which, in the opinion 

 of tlic author, ought to be carried up in layers or courses of from one and 

 a half to two yards in thickness, sufficient time being allowed for subsidence 

 before the next layer is added ; tlie cost of stalions, which, in somo of the 

 great lines, forms a considerable proportion of the whole cost. 



The author then proceeds to suggest means for effecting a considurable 

 saving in the original cost of railways ; a certain method of preventing ac- 

 cidents by collision; a saving in the annual expenditure; and a better adap- 

 tation of the locomotive engine to its work. 



\\'itli these views he proposes a single line of rails ; that the line should 

 be divided with intermediate engine stations (three on the Loudon and 

 Birmingham, for instance), the engines at each being suited to the prevail- 

 ing gradient of each. Thus a line of railway may be more easily laid out, 

 as one or two unfavourable inclines will not affect the working of the 

 whole. At each station there must be a small portion of an additional 

 line of rails, and also at other convenient intervals. The mode of work- 

 ing such a line is as follows : — Engines start simultaneously in each direc- 

 tion for the terminal and intermediate stations. These engines will pass 

 each other at one of thf portions of the double line, and the engine being 

 turned, and taking the other train, will return to the station whence it 

 started, when anotlicr exchange of trains takes place. Thus there is a 

 regular interchange of loads throughout the day, and each engine is con- 

 fined to its own portion of the line, and then it is impossible that a colli- 

 sion can take place. Equal accommodation would be afforded to the pub 

 lie, and tlic engine-man, from being always confined to the same small 

 portion of the line, would be perfectly conversant with every part of it. 

 The saving which would on this system be effected on tho original cost, is 

 estimated at more than 500/. per mile. 



ROYAL INSTITUTE OF BRITISH ARCHITECTS. 



At an ordinary meeting, held on Monday, Sth April, 1839, H. E. Kendall, 

 fellow, in the chair. Monsieur Zocher, of Haerlcm, member of the Institute 

 and Royal Academy of Fine .'Vrts at Amsterdam, pursuant to the recommen- 

 dation of the Council, founded on the application of Jlonsieur Rcijers, of the 

 Hague, was elected honorary and con'esponding member. 



The following donations were announced ; — From Cavalier Pictro Biancbi, 

 honorary and corresponding member, a drawing of the plan and section, and 

 engraved view of the great church of S. Francesco de Paolo, at Naples, 

 erected by him. From Signer Nicolini, of Naples, specimens of Nictoli 

 Litofagi. By II. Gaily Knight, Esq., JI.P., a copy of his illustrations to 

 the Normans in Sicily, entitled Siracenic and Norman Remains, folio, &c. 



Mr. Donaldson read a description of the Breakwater at Plymouth, by Sir 

 John Rennie, accompanied by drawings at large, illustrative of the subject, 

 whicli we have inserted in another part of the Journal. 



Mr. Smith, of '25, Great Charles-street, Birmingham, attended, and ex- 

 plained several samples of locks and other furniture. 



Mr. Richardson continued his series of lectures on Geology— subject, the 

 tertiary formation, geographical extent and distribution of the tertiary depo- 

 sits; classification of Mr. Lyell ; Eocene; Miocene; Pliocene; basins of 

 London, Paris, and the Isle of Wight; organic remains of the English and 

 Paris basins ; Cuvierian Pachydermata ; Palaeotheria Anoplothenia ; deposits 

 of Aix yEnin^en, Monte Bolca ; extinct volcanoes of Auvergne ; of the 

 Rhine ; tertiary deposits of North and South America, &c. &c. 



