268 



THE CIVIL ENGINEER AND ARCHITECTS JOURNAL. 



July 



carry out the Dutch plan of draining works below the level of the 

 sea by scoops. 1 f the revenues derived from the improvement should 

 fail to be commensurate to the expense, which, however, we do not 

 fear, at least the canal will remain in something like a working 

 state; but in a few years the dredging must disappear, and " leave 

 not a wreck behind." On the one side is a great expenditure of 

 time, and a pr-otracted and uncertain operation ; and on the other, a 

 certain result at an established and certain cost, with incomparably 

 less waste of capital or time. In the time that Mr. Russell is dredg- 

 ing out the Dee, a leash of Liverpools may arise ; and the manufac- 

 tures have already passed far from Chester on their pilgrimage to 

 the north, where they are invited by the cheapness of water and of 

 labour. 



CotJiie Omammts draxm and lithoc/raphed. By J. Thomas, Sculiitor and 

 Carver. Loudon: Williams, 1839. 1st Number. 

 The execution of this work is exceedingly promising, but its matter is not 

 selected mtli equal taste. A linial in plate 3 is vei7 good, as also a corbel 

 in the eighth ])late, and generally the designs from the perpendicular style, 

 are better chosen than those from the earUer styles. The specimens are ge- 

 nerally selected from cathedrals in the West Midland district, and will prove 

 an accession to the works on architectural detail. 



The Ascot Grand Stand. Designed by AV. Mcllingab, Architect. 

 This is a drawing of the grand stand recently erected at Ascot, and is ne- 

 cessarily removed from the sphere of our criticism. AVe think the architect 

 is, however, entitled to praise in fullilling a public duty in the publication of 

 his work, too often neglected in buildings of greater pretension. 



Design for the Exchange Buildinys proposed to be erected at Manchester 

 By Thomas Taylor, jVrehitect. 

 This design exhibits a basement on which is raised a storj' of the Corin- 

 thian order, surmounted by a peristyle and dome. The principal front is 

 broken into a portico and two wings. The portico is octastyle, the outer 

 columns being double, a\ul the wings consisting each of four colunms placed 

 double. The other fronts consist of a hexastyle portico and wings, on tlie 

 same principle as the main front. There is a frieze, sculptiu-ed pediment, and 

 statues on the porticos. The double cohnnns seem to be arrange<l so as to 

 be free from the objections generally entertained against that disposition. 

 The proportions and massing of the building are good, and produce a pic- 

 tm'esque efl'ect. 



The London, Southampton, and Portsmouth Railway Guide. Wyld, 1839. 

 Mr. Wyld is, as usual, first in the field, and has produced a guide at once 

 comprehensive and cheap. It includes all the necessary information, nume- 

 rous maps and wood-cuts, illustrative of the progress of a railway. 



The Lectttrer. 

 We are much pleased with the appearance of this publication, which is 

 what it purports to be, cheap and usefid. In the monthly part, for the 

 small sum of sixpence, we have above thirty wood-cuts, and seven lectures 

 by popular men on practical science. 



Hand-book for Travellers along the London and BirmingJmm Raihcay. 

 London : R. Groombridge. 

 This little work is an abridgment of Eoscoe and Lecount's HistoiT of the 

 Eailway, which we have frequently noticed, and from which we have made 

 several extracts. The traveller will, by a perusal of this guide during his 

 flight along the line, be amused with the description of the various works as 

 they pass by him. 



The Chevalier de Pambour's new work on the theory of the steam-engine 

 will be noticed in our next number. 



Mr. Buck's work on Oblique or Skew Arches, is just published. 



PROCEEDINGS OF SCIENTIFIC SOCIETIES. 



INSTITUTION OK CIVIL ENGINEERS. 

 THE president's conversatione. 

 On SatMday evening, the Ist ult., Mr. Walker, President of the Institution 

 of Civil Engineers, held a conversatione at his house. No. 23, Great George 

 Street, which was crowded irith individuals eminent in their profession. 

 Throughout the apartments there were several novel inventions or ingenious 

 illustrations, some beautiful models of works in jirogress on the giand scale. 

 The rooms were chiefly illuminated by the brilliant lamps recently invented 

 hy Parker, and which, from their condiined power and economy, promise to 

 supersede all others for the combustion of oil. They supply the world with 

 desiderata hitherto deemed unattainable, viz., the means of procuring from the 

 by Salter iu paper) was much admired. Much attention was excited by a 



most cheap and common oUs a clear and intense light, hitherto only obtained 

 from the best ! Some of those in use at Mr. Walker's last night were filled 

 with the best sperm oil, and some with the ordinary whale oil, yet nobody 

 could tell by the light from which it proceeded. Several beautiful plans and 

 models of the labours of the distinguished president on railways, bridges, 

 piers, and other pubUe works, were visible. A model of the bridge which he 

 is now building over the river Ouse for the Hull and Selby Railway (modelled 

 series of drawings, upon a large scale, rcjjreseuting Arnold's marine chrono- 

 meter, and several working models upon an equally large scale, explanatory 

 of the details of the work and the action of the difl'erent ])arts. Mr. jVrnold's 

 labours, and tlie success mth which they have been attended, are so generally 

 known aiul acknowledged, that any particular notice of them is unnecessary. 

 Another valuable work of art, in the same important department of mecha- 

 nism, was produced by Mr. VuUiamy. A regulator movement, with Graham's 

 dead-beat escapement, executed as described in Nos. 28 and 31 of the Journal 

 of Science. The advantage of tliis construction consists in the whole of the 

 work connected with the escapement being executed by turning instead of 

 fihug, and thus insiu'ing greater precision and accuracy. There were also ex- 

 hibited some ingenious contrivances and models by Air. Cow|)er ; one in par- 

 ticular we noticed for its simplicity, it being an apparatus to ascertain if the 

 lines of a railway are in guage, in another part of the jomnial we have given 

 a drawing of it. \\e must leave undeseribed the ingenious mechanical inven- 

 tions of Bramah and others, and devote a few words to the fine arts, with 

 specimens of which the tables were covered. The most interesting was a 

 foho volume of the original drawings of Wel)ber, wlio accompanied Captain 

 Cook in his voyage round the world, which has lately been ])urehased by the 

 President, and now displayed, we may say for the first time, to the admiration 

 of the pubUc. The picturesque fidelity of these sketches (the principal part 

 of which were taken in Otaheite) cannot l)e sufficiently adnured. Owen 

 Jones's rough ^iews in Egyiit,and Ids splendid restorations and illustrations of 

 the Alhambra formed an instructive contrast, each faithfully accm-ate to the 

 character of the scene, yet apjiarently the production of pencils the most dif- 

 ferent. The latter volume is, perhajjs, the most gorgeous specimen of illu- 

 minated printing in existence, and bears the impress of years of patient re- 

 search and devotion to art, as well as of unique talent in aehie%ing such a 

 work. It certainly raises our ideas of the Saracenic style of architecture for 

 magnificence of decoration] as well as elegance of proportion, and the 

 coml>ination of graceful forais with brillian and harmonious coloiu's. A bronze 

 vase, the work of B. Cellini (the property of Mr. Denlle), was justly admired 

 for its exquisite workmanship and the delicacy of its relief. A series of 

 academy figures from the life, iu oil, by Mr. .lohn Woods, were attractive, and 

 the sketches of J. B. Pyne were also highly praised. Nine faithful jjortraits 

 of the late Charles Matthews, in the most fanciful characters of his " Comic 

 Annual," for which he sat to Mr. R. R. Scanlan pre\ious to his trip to Ame- 

 rica, were recognised with pleasm-e hy his old adndrers. Some sketches of 

 Cornish miners, "taken under ground," by the same artist, presented features 

 of a very curious character. 



The honours of the house and supper-table were done in person by the 

 president, assisted by the secretaries, ilessrs. Webster and Manby, and every 

 l)ody seemed to feel highly gratified by the judicious combination of social 

 and scientific arrangements ; and the select, yet abmulant materials for intel- 

 lectual, as well as hospitable entertainment provided by the president for his 

 guests. 



Among the numerous distingiushed individuals present we recognised — 

 Su' John Ilerschel, the Earl of Shaftesbmy, Sir H. Painell, Sir John Bar- 

 row, Su- Thomas Dyke Acland, M.I'., Colonel Fox, Mr. Ilandley, M.P., Lord 

 Blaney, Mr. Emerson Tennant, M.P., Mr. Bramston, Jlr. Dunbar, Mr. Fox 

 Talbot, Mr. Pollock, Professor Barlow, Mr. Ewart, M.P., Captain Brandreth, 

 Sir Stavely Clark, Mr. Milne, Mr. Chawner, Mr. Burney, Sir Charles Price, 

 Gen. Sir Duncan Macdougall, Mr. Angerstein, JI.P., Mr. Mylne, Mr. Ilard- 

 wick, Mr. Philpots, Dr. Ure, Professor Wallace, Mr. Adolphus, Mr. John 

 Wood, Mr. Jerdan, Mr. Blexie, Mr. Henderson Macdougall, Mr. Ameyet, Pro- 

 fessor ChiiUis, Colonel Wells, Mr. C. Fowler, Professor WUlis, Colonel Pasley, 

 Sir William Symons, Dr. Todd, Colonel Churchill, Jlr. BaiTV, Mr. Povnter, 

 Mr. T. Wyatt", Mr. Chartes Wood, Mr. ILinis, Count Lubinsky, Mr. W. 

 Cotton, Mr. Tooke, Mr' Arnold, several Prussian noblemen, with Mr. Ilebeler, 

 the Consul-General, Sir D. Wilkie, Mr. F. Hodgson, M.P., Professor Wheat- 

 stone, Professor Kiemian, Mr. Wrangham, Mr. Joy, Captain Locke, Sir Chaiies 

 Price, Mr. Baxendale, Dr. Bowring, Mr. Scanlan, Mr. Wood, Mr. Stone, Mr. 

 Briekwood, the Presidents and Councils of the principal scientific societies, 

 the Council, and about three hundred members of the Institution of Civil 

 Engineers. 



ROYAL INSTITUTE OF BRITISH ARCHITECTS. 

 May 2". — Edward Blore, V.P., in the Chair. 

 Samuel M'are, Esq., was elected an Honorary Fellow ; Richard MoiTisou, 

 of Dubhn, was elected a Fellow ; WilUam Clerihew and Addington Artis 

 were elected Associates. 



Among the donations announced was a copy of the first part of a work on 

 the Pyranuds of (iizeh, presented by Colonel Howard Vyse ; also a copy of 

 the second part of the Architektonisches Album, presented by the Arcliitec- 

 tm'al Association of Berlin. 



A commimication iiom Messrs. Smith, of Daruick, was read on a failure in 



