1839.] 



THE CIVIL ENGINEER AND ARCHITECTS JOURNAL. 



27.' 



be obtaiiifd by the iiasseugers. ]5ut the attention of the owners goes stir 

 fai'tiier than this. Even tJie smokers are not forgotten. Near the baths tliere 

 will be (sliiftable to leeward, we hope) a cigar-room, where smokers may 

 congregate, and offer up clouds of incense to each other, till tliey become as 

 smoke-dried as red herrings. The cabins of the captain, chief mate, and sur- 

 geon, are on the after part of the quarter deck, and the roof forms a shelter to 

 the steersman. She is steered with a double wheel, similar to those nsed by 

 the London East lndiamen,orline-of-battle-ships. The petty officers descend 

 to their cabin immediately before the windlass, and the seamen get down to 

 their bertlis choke below the forecastle. The rigging of the vessel is low and 

 and snug rather than taunt ; but her yards are pretty square, and, as she has 

 studding-sail booms fitted on them she will be able, when necessary, to 

 display a good breadtii of canvass to the breeze. Slie will have about oOO 

 passengers on her first trip, berths for whom are already secured. The berths 

 on her return passage from New York were all taken up two months ago. 

 When starting from London she will have about 1000 tons of goods. She is 

 coppered up to 17 feet, and is expected, when loaded, to draw 18 feet aft, and 

 17j feet forward. Notwithstanding tlie great capacity of this magnificent 

 vessel, she does not look so large as many would e.xpect. Probablv the 

 benuly of her mould tends to detract a little from her ajiparent bulk. When 

 down to the depth aforementioned, we do not think she wiW much exceed in 

 appearance a first-class frigate. Start when she will, and go where she 

 may, she will, we tiiink, carry with her abundant proof of that high state of 

 perfection in the construction of nautical steam machinery to which the Clyde 

 engineers have arrived. 



Iron Ship. — The largest iron sailing ship in the world is now building in 

 Messrs. J. Ronald and Co. 's yard, Footdee, Aberdeen. This stupendous vessel 

 is of the following dimensions : — Length of keel, l.'iO feet ; breadth of frame, 

 30 feet ; depth of hold, 20 feet ; length over all, 137 feet ; tons register, 537. 

 Judging from her appearance, she is a beautifiil model, and will carry an im- 

 mense cargo on a small draught of water. She is intended for a company in 

 Liverpool. — Jberdeen Herald. 



PROGRESS OF RAII.WAYS. 



OPENING OF THE EASTERN COUNTIES RAILWAY. 



This railway was opened on Tuesday, the 18th ultimo. A large concourse 

 of persons assembled at the temporary station, Deviinsliire-slrcet, Mile-end. 

 to witness the departure of the first train on tjiis line of railroad. The line 

 commences at Slioreditch, on a viaduct ahont twenty'-,Oi(e feet above the level 

 of the groimd, up to which extensive and commodious carrriage approaches 

 will be made. At the commencement of the viaduct it is provxtsoq to erect 

 the London station, which will be of commensurate extent witli the existing 

 traflic. in it are several bridges, the arches of whiih are faced with stone, 

 which gives them a handsome and nnposing character, especially the bridge 

 over Devonshire-street, the arch of which rises less, ifor the span, than we 

 have observed on any other line of railway, the rise being less than one- 

 tenth of the span. The wdiole of the arching has been effectually protected 

 from the eflects of damp by a thick coating of asphaltum. The line then 

 passes over (lie Regent's Canal by an iron bridge, the general appearance of 

 which has been much admired ; two main ribs of iron of fifty-four feet span, 

 partly on the bow suspension principle, are thrown over the canal, to which 

 transverse girders are fixed, supporting the roadway, on which are laid longi- 

 tudinal sleepers of timber receiving the rails, an ornamental railing gives a 

 finish to the whole. Passing successively over the river Lea, Grove Road, 

 C'ohorn Road, Fairfield Place, and Old Ford Lane Bridges, besides numerous 

 other smaller archways, the railway passes over the Stratford marshes within 

 n few feet of one of the extensive reservoirs of the East London Waterv\orks, 

 crossing the river Lea by an arch of 70 ft. span, rising one-fourth only ; the arch 

 is turned in 10 half brick rings ; the appearance of this bridge (as we expressed 

 in oLic review id'C'rcsy's work on bridges in which drawings of it appear), is at 

 once Tight and elegant, although sufficiently massive to prevent any idea of 

 w eakness. 'I he embankment beyond the river Lea is 25 feet in height, in the 

 formation of which considerable difhculty occurred owing to the very unstable 

 nature of the ground on which it was raisi^d. itlieing, hi foct, amass of spungy 

 vegetalde matter to a very consiilerable depth. Much assistance was derived 

 in tlie execution of this part of the w ork by the formation of a staging on 

 roiigli piles in advance of the embankment, and onwhicli the wagons were run 



iiiii tipped with great rapidity; of course by this means the earth wasde- 

 osited over the suljsoil to any required height, and the tendency of Ihe 

 round '■ to spew up" preventetf On this part (d' the line there are numerous 



1)0SI 



bridges over the various streams and rivers which the railway intersects, 

 some of which are (jf considerable magnitude, such as the Stratford viaduct 

 of five arches, each thirty-six feet span, Etnt"s Mill 13ridgc. of four arches, 

 and Ihe Abbey River Bridge, all of which are over tidal curren!s, hi'sides 

 numerous other .small archv\ays. Tlie Stratford station is erected after the 

 style of a plain Italian villa, fitted up with waiting-rooms, carriage-shedding, 

 engine-house, and rep.airing workshops for the engines. The depth of the 

 cutting whieli immediately follows this station varies from ten to twenty feet. 

 Tlie llford station, wliicdi is only now being erected, is obviously incomplete. 

 The tunnel or bridge at the crossing of the gi'eat Essex road evinces great 

 jiiilgment. it is 130 feet long, witli iron girders resting on the abutment walls. 

 fVum flanges im their lower parts small arches in cement are turned, carrying 

 the turnpike road above ; ti little beyond this are spine well cxccvited culverts 

 lorijicd \^ith ir9n pipes 3 fse). dtaBipttrr. .The portion of the raihwiy now open 

 to ihe public iMiniunU-s at Banack Lane, immediately adjateut to llj'; liiwH 



of Romford : the total dislaiicc is aljoiit ten miles and a-half. which the trains 

 will Hccomplisli in less than lialf an hour. 'Ihe whole of the gradients are 

 favourable. It may not be generally known that this line is laid down to a 

 5 feet guage, wliicli without greatly increasing the weight of the engines, gives 

 them great mechanical advantages which tlii>y have not failed to turn to 

 account. 



The engineer to tlie line is Mr. Brailhwaite, to whom ijnich praise is dilc 

 for the generally efficient manner in which the works and engineering diffi- 

 culties (not a few'J have been exccuteil. 



The Diimlee and Ahroath Raihray. — This railway is ahont fourteen miles 

 in length, vitli a capital of .fl 00,000. The greater part of the line is 

 carried along the sea shore, through jirojierty presented by Lord Panmure to 

 the company. This railway is remarkable for the limited works required 

 in its construction, and they of scarcely any magnitude except at the end 

 next Dundee, where there is a cutting about half a mile in length tluough 

 different stata, composed of gravel, sand, and rock. The greatest difilculty in 

 this place is the disintegration of the rock, or rather its slipjiing dowii upon 

 the line, in consequence of tlie oliliqnity of its bed. Numerous instances of 

 this sort have occurred. The greatest depth of cutting is about twenty feet. 

 The mateiials prodvced by this excavation are made use of to form an em- 

 bankment across the sea next the Dundee terminus. This embankment is 

 about tliree -quarters of a mile long, having a slope of 1 to 1 next the sea, and 

 2 to 1 next the shore. The sea side is protected by a wall of rubble masonry, 

 laid dry, carried up with a straight batter, and lia\ing a parapet upon the top. 

 There will be altogether a quantity of about 800,000 cubic yards in this em- 

 bankment, but much more is requisite to secure it against the turbulence of 

 the sea, and to ])rotect the weakest parts from being washed away. During 

 its construction considerable difficulty has been experienced fi-om the influence 

 which the sea has had o\cr the retaining wall, not sinndtaneously furnished 

 with the embaiiKinent, but when these have been carried up together no 

 damage has occmred. The terminus next Dunilee is carried along the north 

 quay of the new dock, from whence it is the intention to lay rails round the 

 other side of the quays. The other termiiuis is near the harbour of Ahroath 

 and light station. The rails weigh 48lbs. to the yard parallel, and are secured 

 to east iron chairs by a small wooden wedge. The chairs rest upon stone 

 blocks, fom- cubic feet each in the cutting, but upon the embankment timber 

 sleepers are employed. The greatest inclination is 1 in 1,000. The rails are 

 5 feet six inches apait, with a space of six feet between the two lines. The 

 locomotives weigh ten tons each, having 13-inch cyhnders, IC-inch stroke, 

 and upon six wheels, the driving wheels being six feet diameter. The 

 cylinders are placed outside the fire-box, and the boilers are furnished with 

 105 brass tubes. The carnages are divided into 1st and 2d class, and are of 

 peculiar construction. The former are enclosed and in the centre, the others 

 are open and are placed on each side, and hold together thirty-four passengers. 



London and Croydon llailwiiy.—Oa SatuiiUu'. the 1st ultimo, this line was 

 opened by the directors, together with deputations from the London and 

 Brighton and the Grcenw ich Railway Companies. At a little after one o'clock 

 the trains, two in number, started. The journey down was accomplished in 

 twenty miimtes. The station at New Cross is fitted up with every conve- 

 nience for passengers. &e. ; at the back there is a most spacious engine-house, 

 of an octagonal shape, and is calculated to hold, exclusive of tenders, six- 

 teen engines. The building is very bjfty, and supported by massive stone 

 pillars. The light is refiected not only from the side, but from a cupcda also, 

 the advantages of which must be ajiparent to all who understand the naturi' 

 of these works. Alter leaving this station there is an incline nearly tiu) 

 miles in extent, the gradients of w liicli are aljout 1 in 100 feet. Of the bridges 

 (which are peculiarly constructed), and of the cuttings also, we can but speifk 

 generally, and we must add. favourably. 



Brandling Junction RnUwiiy.— An experimental trip was performed on 

 the Brandling Junction Railwiiy on Thursday, May 30. with three beaulitiil 

 locomotive engines and waggons attached, which ran with a numljer of pas- 

 sengers from the Monk Wearniouth station to Boldon, where they took in 

 water and then returned. The experiment was in ail respects most satisfac- 

 tory ; the railway stood the test to admiration, and the engines performed 

 their work as steailily and smoolhly as if they had been used to it. Tlie 

 grand opening of this promising and useful undertaking will take place on the 

 18th, being the anniyerspry of the glorious battle of yis.l<:x\oo.— Newcastle 

 Jounial. 



Birmingham and Derbi/ Junction Railwrnj.— On Wednesday, the 29tli May, 

 Ihe directors of Ihe above railway ins|)ected Ihe line between Derby and ihe 

 junction with the London and Birmingham R-iilway at Hampton-in-Arden, a 

 distance of about thirty -eight miles. The proceeded from Ihe bridge over the 

 river Dove, a distance of seventeen miles, towards Tamworth. with a train of 

 passenger carriages, drawn by an engine built by Messrs. diaries Tayleure 

 and Co.. of Warrington. The line is generally and on many portions remark- 

 aljly straight. The gradients are so extremely favourable that it may almost 

 be said to be a level, and the motion, we are assured by a gentlem.an who ac- 

 companied Ihe directors, was easy and smoolh to a degree which Ihcj' liad 

 seldom experienced on any other niilway. By Ihe simplicity of construction 

 and stability of the bridge over the Tame and Tri'Ut, at their junction near 

 Alrewas. over which the train passed at speed. Ihe directors were strongly 

 impressed, it is near this point that Ihe intemled junction with the branch of 

 the Manchester and Birmingham Extension Line is to be effected, by which 

 tlie traffic from Lancashire to Derby, Nottingham, and the eastern parts of 

 the kingdom, will eventually be brought along the line of this railway. 

 Though some portions of the line were not in so complete a state as to render 

 the further passage of the tr.ain advisable, the greater portion of the perma- 

 nent way was laid, and in a few weeks the engines will lie able to [ass along 

 the wholfi distance. Cgnsideritld.e progress is n)a(u«g in the stMion aj:com- 

 nwdatigns fw the cwnpany's tia.ffii; at Derby and Byrlcn-vH'on-TKnt ; tlw 



