258 



THE CIVIL ENGINEER AND ARCHITECT'S JOURNAL. 



[July, 



mer, ami plaining machine, (hiving- a g;rind-stone, &c. On Saturday, IStli 

 Mav, we liad the pleasure of seeing one of tiiose engines at work in this neigh- 

 burliood, ou the farm of Jlr. Allan, at Pilton, and in a manner fnlly calcu- 

 lated to test its powers. 



The engine is one of sir-hone power, according to the usual method of 

 computation. The radius of the revolving arm is two feet ; tiie lengtli of the 

 two arms, of course, four feet; ami thev make fiillv .SOOO revolutions in a 

 minute. The cast iron-box in wliicli tliev revolve is rive feet in diameter, 

 and about six inches wide externally ; and this box, witli tlie two revolving 

 arms within it, actually constitutes the wliole macliine, except the boiler and 

 the pump which supplies the boiler with water. The engine has neither 

 beam, piston, parallel-motion, apparatus, crank, nor valve. It could be put 

 witb ease into a parlour book-case ! The boiler is a cylinder two feet in 

 diameter and ten feet long. There are two small cylinders of twelve inches 

 diameter connected with it, filled witli water, but no steam is formed in them. 

 Their use is to economise fuel. Tiiey may be considered as etilnr'^ed yor- 

 tioiiii of the pijie whicii conveys water to the boiler, passed through tiie lower 

 and horizontal part of the flue, that the waste beat of the fire maybe profitably 

 emjdoyed in warming the water before it gets into the boiler. A polished 

 iron cylinder, i* inches long and .S in diameter, is attached to the axis of the 

 revolving arms ; and a broad leather belt passing from it to a wheel, -i feet 

 in di:vnieter, conveys the motion to the thrasliing-mill. The motion of the 

 arois, which constitutes the moving power, is produced by the re-action of 

 sleom, rushing from two apertures, about a quarter of an inch wide, in the 

 opposite sides of the arms, and at their outer extremities. The engine is 

 worked with a pressure of four or five atmospheres. Its ]>rice, including boiler 

 and pumj), witli the belt and wlieel for communicating motion to the thrash- 

 ing-mill, is about £rJO. AVe are thus jtarticular, because many will have 

 forgot, and some will not have seen, the details we formerly gave. 



We saw the fire lighted, the motion commence, and the operation of 

 thrashing and winnowing proceed for a considera!)le time. The engine has 

 been two months in Mr. Allan's possession. He has been using it every 

 week, and has already tlirashed upwards of 200 bolls of grain with it. It has 

 given him complete satisfaction; and tlie following is his account of its per- 

 formance : — 



" Mr. Kuthven's engine thrashes from eight to ten bolls (four to five qrs.) 

 of grain per hour, with a consumption of less tliaii a hundred-weight of coals. 

 It is, besides, easily kept and managed, and there is a great saving of grease. 

 In addition to the thrashing-mill, it drives two .sets of extra fanners, a 

 bumbling-machine, and two sets of elevators.'* 



Mr.vVUau informed us that it required five horses to work the same thrash- 

 ing-machine, before lie procured i\Ir. Ruthven's engine ; and neither the extra 

 fanners, elevators, nor bumbling-machine, were tlien attached to it. Witb 

 this addition, be reckons that the engine (of six computed horse-power) does 

 the work of seven or eight horses. With the apparatus in its present state, 

 he is able, not only to thrash, but to winnow, clean, and send off to market, 

 fifty bolls of grain in six liours, with a great saving in manual labour. We 

 may add, for the information of persons] at a distance, that Mr. Allan is one 

 of the most extensive and intelligent farmers in the county. — Abridged from 

 the Scotsman, Mail 29. 



CORXlSIi HIGH-PRESSURE, EXPANSIVE, CONDENSING 

 STEAM-ENGINE AT C.VBLISLE. 



On Satiu-day, the 25tli May, the engine maiutfactiu'ed in Cormvall by 

 Messrs. Harvey and Co., of Hayle, from tlic specifications and plans of that 

 ciniueiit Cornish engineer, •WilU.am West, for the Carlisle Canal Company, 

 commenced working. The directors liaving asseniblcd at twelve, in a few 

 minutes after, the engine was started liy Mr. liaison, the chairman, and Mr. 

 West, who had arrived from Cornwall for that purpose. The volume of 

 water sent forth excited luiiversal sm-prise amongst the numerous gentlemen 

 and artizans whom curiosity bad drawn to the sjiot, and was gratifying iu 

 the highest degree to the directors and projirietors of the company. 



The engine (named the " Eden") is set up for tlie piirjioseof supplying the 

 Carlisle Canal with water from the river Eden. The height the water has to 

 be lifted is about fifty-six feet ; the steam cyhndcr is sixty inches diameter ; 

 that of the pumj) forty-five (tlie largest of the kind in the kingdom) ; length 

 of stroke ten feet. In less than two minutes, the huzzas of those assembled 

 announced the water was lifted to the pmnp-bead, whence it was poured 

 forth in a soUd, coutiuuous, and rapid str-cam, at the rate of 6,624 gallons 

 per minute ; consequently, working at twelve strokes, the quantity delivered 

 ill twelve houis into the camd is 4,/69,280 imperial gallons of water — equal 

 to 765,288 cubic feet — at an expense of fuel under j«. 



The canal from Carlisle to tlic Sohvay Frith is about twelve miles in length. 

 There are sl\ locks, each .about sixty-seven feet long, twenty-two feet wide, 

 and eight feet six inches deep ; and when required, such is the jiower of this 

 simple, yet eft'ective machine, that the quantity of water contained in each 

 lock can be replaced in less than ten minutes — ;'. e., as quick nearly as a 

 vessel can be passed through. In the course of a month, when Harvey and 

 West's new patent \alves shall he suhstitiiled for Ihnse now in use, the work 

 will be done better, .and witb considerably less fi-iction, and the licaxy blow, 

 and consequent vibration coinmoii to all pumpiiig-engimjs WiH (it is Sftit'j Ve 



fiatu.-eiy ^y^x'i<)Si.%,'^diriii<i?d/nm thi (,'ar lisle ^a^)(i; 



AMERICAN LOCOMOTIVE ENGINES. 



It will be recollected that a contract had been entered into between tlie 

 Birmingham and Gloucester Railway Company and Mr. Norris, of I'hiladel- 

 pliia, L .S., for the supply of locomotive for the Gloucester Railway. The 

 contract was conditionally made, on the first engine manufactured by Mr. N. 

 performing certain work agreed upon. As much interest has been felt in tlris 

 country with reference to the contract, and as some doubts were entertained 

 as to tlie correctness of the representations made respecting these engines, 

 we have pleasure in giving the following particuliirs as to the engine sent 

 over to this couiitiT liy .Mr. Norris, and the work it has actually performed 

 on the Grand Junction liailway, in conformity with the agreement to which 

 we have alluded. " The England" weighs about eight tons, without water 

 or ftiel ; she is built much lower and smaller than the engines coiniiionly iu 

 use here, and has six wheels, the driving pair being foiu' feet in diameter. 

 The cylinders ai'e ten and a half inches in diameter, and are enclosed in cop- 

 per cases to prevent radiation — stroke eighteen inches. The niachiiicry is of 

 the simplest construction, and consists of a much smaller nmiilicr of parts 

 than we have been accustomed to see. The cyhnders are placed on the out- 

 side of the framework, which allows the advantage of a straight axle; and 

 the general appearance of the engine more nearly resembles that of the old 

 " Rocket" engine thau of any other with which we are acquainted. The 

 engine is got up in a most superior style, iind is finishod, even to the minutest 

 particular, in a very beautiful and workmanhke manner ; every part having 

 been executed with perfect accuracy, by means of self-acting machinery. As 

 a proof, indeed, of the mathematical coiTectness of the work, we may mention 

 that the steam-tight joints are formed simply by the bringing into contact of 

 metallic surfaces ; the workmanship of whicli is so tme, as entirely to super- 

 sede the necessity of packing of any kind. The boiler is similar to those used 

 in engines inaiiufactiued in this couiitiy, but it contains only seventy-eight 

 tubes, instead of from 10(1 to 1 10, the number commonly used in those on our 

 railways ; and the consmnption of fuel, compared with the work ]ieiformed, 

 is, we imderstanil, very small. The task undertaken to be perfonned by 

 " The England" was to run from Birmingham to AA'anington, fourteen jour- 

 neys each way. earning 100 tons in the gross, and pcrfonnhig tlie distance, 

 eighty miles, at the rate of twenty miles per hour, which tlie engine has ac- 

 coinplibhed considerably within the specified time of four hours; the average 

 time having been about 3 hours 30 miii., or the actual running time, without 

 stoppages, from 3 h. 9 niiu. to 3 h. 19 inin. On one occasion, it is stated 

 that the engine brought into Bh-muigbam the enormous load of 120 tons, 

 th'awing it up the inchncd planes without any assistance ; and on no occasion 

 has it failed to peiform the required duty, nor has even the least derangement 

 of any part of the machincrv- taken place. It shoiUd also be mentioned, that 

 the various parts were never put together until its amval in t.his country, 

 when they were first fitted at Liverjiool, the day previous to making a trip ; 

 nor has a tool been applieil to the engine since she was first set up. We 

 understand the comhtional order to Mr. Norris for ten enguics, of similar 

 capability, has been confirmed. — Midland Counties Herald. 



REVIEWS, 



The Suburban Gardener and Pllla Companion ; comprising the choice 



of a .Suburban or nila Rtsidtiice, 4x. Sfc. By J. C. Loitjo.n', F.L.S. 



H. ,S., &c. Illustrated by numerous engravings. Svo. London, 



Longman, Ornie, & Co., 1S38. 



By no means does its title — we do not mean the title-page, but the 

 mere name — do justice to this vvorli, it being so partial a.s to exclude 

 the idea of there being any thing, except, perhaps, quite incidentally, 

 connected with architecture ; whereas the hist mentioned subject 

 forms no inconsiderable portion of the volume. Indeed we hartlly 

 know of any single work wliich contains so much relative to domestic 

 architecture, taking the term in its widest sense, comprehending 

 every thing that relates to private residences, iittings-up and furnitme 

 not excluded, besides a vast variety of other matters, respecting which 

 books by architects themselves do not atl'ord any instruction or infor- 

 mation whatever. So far from being made up out of other books, the 

 volume — and it extends to 75(J closely printed octavo pages — contains 

 a great deal of matter that has hardly ever been touched upon before, 

 notwithstanding that it is in itself highly important ; besides which, 

 it is communicated in a very agreeable style, familiar ;uid intelligent, 

 without the slightest tinge of pedantry on "the one Iiand, and etjually 

 free from all twaddle on the other. It may very fairly be described 

 as a book for the many, at least for all who are in easy circumstances, 

 and who can afl'ord to study the comforts and the luxuries of home in 

 the true English meaning of the terra. To descant upon the moral 

 influence of home, would be here rather out of its place, yet we may 

 be allowed just to remark en pasHanI, that those who ha\'e a taste, or 

 cultivate oiie, for order and elegance in the objects whicli surroimd 

 tliem, are, aetirie paribus, if not actually more moral and intellectual, 

 more in tlie way of becoming so than those who attach no importance 



to what does iwt iiiiw'tl iiJiy 3irci.-t gratification either to geiisuiJity or 

 to YiiiJit;-, 



