IS39.] 



THE CIVIL ENGINEER AND ARCHITECT'S JOURNAL. 



281 



sifted; and something like a verdict founded upon deliberate reason- 

 ing and examination would have been arrived at. Therefore had the 

 ultimate result been precisely the same as at present, at all events 

 some pledge would have been given to the public that every precau- 

 tion had been taken to secure the best design of its kind, and that its 

 rivals had not been rejected until after the most scrupulous examina- 

 tion. 



Instead of this, has there not been a most singular and suspicious- 

 looking precipitancy '. — and after all what plea or excuse is there lor 

 it? It cannot be said that the urgency of the case was so great as 

 to allow no time for the least delay : certainly not. A few weeks — a 

 few months would have made no difference. The column will not be 

 begun this year, that is pretty certain ; that it will be set about next 

 year, is not quite so certain ; for I fancv it is now exceedingly proble- 

 matical whether it be ever erected at all. In all probability the whole 

 affair will now be suffered to die awav quietly, especially as the funds 

 in hand amount to barely half — if half the sum required. The Com- 

 mittee have got out of the scrape adroitly, if not handsomely, nor will 

 they be very anxious to revive any mention of their proceedings. 



It must be owned that, as matters have turned out, competition has 

 received a sad shock on the present occasion. But are artists therefore 

 to sit down despondingly, and say that it is now quite hopeless to look 

 forward to any more satisfactory system of competition ? No ; rather 

 let them be more strenuous and urgent than ever in demanding such 

 pledges beforehand as shall guarantee to them a fair and deliberate 

 judgment. Let them insist upon there being an exhibition of all the 

 designs before any premiums are awarded, or any kind of choice 

 made ; — let them insist that the votes of the committee and the rea- 

 sons for the choice ultimately made be formally given to the public, 

 it will be said that some of these suggestions have already been made ; 

 true, but we find that they require to be dinned into the ears of the 

 profession again and again. Let them be forced upon them until they 

 are shamed out of their apathy. What are the Institute about all this 

 while ! if they do not exert themselves manfully in regard to so mo- 

 mentous a point as that of public competitions, what is there they will 

 consider of sufficient importance to call for their co-operation as a 

 body? It will be answered that they have already taken it into con- 

 sideration, and published a report upon the subject. Let them then 

 consider it again and far more to the purpose, instead of now letting 

 it go to sleep. But there are difficulties attending it: undoubtedly, 

 and that is the very reason why it calls for all their energy, and for 

 unwearied perseverance, until they shall have accomplished the so 

 much needed reform. 



Argus. 



LORD WILLOUGHBY DE ERESBY'S PATENT MACHINERY 

 FOR THE COMPRESSION OF PEAT. 



During a constant residence in the mountainous districts of Scot- 

 land and Wales, where the inhabitants depend chiefly upon peat for 

 their fuel, Lord Willoughby had given much attention to the manner 

 of preparing it for use. From observing the impossibility of rendering 

 it available in a wet season (together with its comparatively smatl 

 value, even in the most favourable,) for domestic or manufacturing 

 purposes, he was induced to enter upon a series of experiments for its 

 compression by machinery. The first of these took place in the sum- 

 mer of 1834. The machine consisted of a powerful screw press, 

 which is represented by Fig. 1. The cliamber which contained the 



Fife'- L 



peat was three feet in diameter, and 11 inches deep. The interior 

 was turned perfectly true, and had a moveable bottom, and piston 

 fitted to it with the greatest accuracy. The piston was moved by a 

 screw 4.5 inches in diameter; and the screw was turned by two levers 

 of lU feet radius. When put in motion by four men, it was capable 

 of producing an effective pressure equal to lOU tons. The water con- 

 tained in the peat was allowed to esca])e through small holes closely 

 drilled in the bottom of the machine, and also round the cylindrical 

 part of it forming the peat chamber. When iinished, the machine 

 was charged with about seven cubical feet of wet peat, and the piston 

 descended upon it by tm-ning the lever in the ordinary way. This 

 forced the water through the apertures in great abundance ; but long 

 befo re the machine had attained its greatest power, the peat also be- 

 gan, to exude; and although tlie holes were only three-sixteenths of 

 an 'nch in diameter, but "little of the original cpiantity would have 

 remained in the machine, had the pressure been continued. 



A second machine was constructed ; and on a smaller scale than the 

 first, in order to avoid expence. It was calculated to press but a single 

 peat at a time. Fig. 3, is a front view of this machine, and fig. 4, a 

 side view. The power is produced by racks and pinions in combina- 

 ion with two side-levers, as shown in the tlrawing. Instead of round 

 holes in the peat chamber, for the escape of the water, it was formed 

 of vertical bars of iron about half an inch wide, and fixed to strong 

 cast-iron plates, one on each side of the machine, and so close together, 

 that a piece of thin paper could scarcely be inserted between them. 

 The peat however, when nnder high pressure, issued through the 

 bars, as it had done through the small circular holes of the screw-press 

 in the former experiment. It was therefore obviously necessary to 

 employ some filtering substance to retain it, and at the same time per- 

 mit the escape of the water. To effect this it was folded in linen 

 cloth, before being placed in the peat chamber. In this manner its 

 escape was completely prevented; but the process of compression 

 became both expensive and slow. 



A third machine was made upon the principle of the second ; but 

 the chamber for containing the peat was somewhat less, and the ma- 

 chine much more powerful. Figs. 5 and G, represent this machine; 

 it has the piston moved by a crank, in combination with levers, marked 

 A, A, in the drawings. B, in figs. 4 and 5, is a short lever for remov- 

 ing the compressed peat from the machines. In fig. 4, the bottom is 

 withdrawn, and the peat taken out from below : and in fig. 6, the 

 bottom is made to rise, and the peat is discharged at the top. This 

 machine worked infinitely better than the one w ith racks and pinions. 

 The peat, however, continued to be folded in cloth. 



The original screw-press was subsequently tried on a jirinciple very 

 different from its original construction. Fig. 2, is an end view of fig. 

 1, after this alteration. The perforated bottom was raised to the top 



Fi;,'. 2. 



of the cylinder, and there secured with a strong cast-iron frame fixed 

 to it, to support a sliding drawer about two feet square, and 4 inches 

 deep. The peat was placed in this drawer, which was made of iron 

 planed perfectly true, and the piston of the press, which was formerly 

 round, was cut 'into a square, and by the aid of a leather washer made 

 accurately to fit the sliding drawer. The bottom of the drawer con- 

 sisted of a layer of ordinary linen cloth, beneath which was a second 

 of hair-cloth; it contained fifteen peats of ordinary size. The ma- 

 chine being ready for an experiment, the sliding drawer, which is 

 represented in fig. 2, was moved into its place, and there secured by 

 two moveable bolts in front; this being done, four men turned the 

 levers of the screw. No portion of the peat escaped ; and the water 

 it contained passed freely away through the filtering bottom. The 

 success of this experiment left little to be desired, except some ready 



