1S3!).] 



THE CIVIL ENCINICEU AND AUCHITI]CT.S JOUKNAL. 



30!) 



six hundreil yards of woollen cloth, thirty-six inches in width, per day of 

 twelve hours. — Leeds Mercury. 



TusTiMONiAL TO RoBKHT SxEPHENsoN, Esa. — Thc subscrihcrs to the tes- 

 tinioiiinl to Ik; iiresented to Rohert Stephenson, Esq., civil engineer, having 

 <ie(ennined Ihat it shall consist of a handsome dinner service of plate, with a 

 cainlejal)runi, or other centre-])iecc, of api)ro])riatc and charaetciistic design, 

 a committee of taste was appointed to select thc design, representing every 

 class of the s\iliseribers, viz., Sir John (iuest, M.l'., and .\lr. Crawshay, the 

 iron trade: Mr. IJramah and Mr. Maudslcy, thc engine mannfaelnrcrs ; Mr. 

 AV. Freeman, Mr. Uagley, and Jlr. White, the stone and cement trade; Mr. 

 Dowsan and Jlr. Holland, the timlier trade; i\lr. Uavid M'lntosh and Mr. 

 Thomas .laekson, the operative railway contractors. The committcu; met on 

 Tuesday at Riilcr's hotel, Salisbury Square, and, from several designs submitted 

 for their consideration, all possessing niofc or less of merit, they uuaniuiously 

 decided in favour of the one furnished by Mr. Benjandn Smith, of Duke 

 Street, Lincoln's Inn Fields. It consists of a superb candelabrum, with a 

 triangidar base, surmounted by three figures, one at each angle, descriptive of 

 Wisdom exhibiting to Genius and Plulosopliy the application of steam to the 

 ]turposes of locomotion. At the coiTesponding points of t lie base are tbn^c groups 

 of boys ; one is occupied with the origin of the steam-engine, another w ith thc 

 ordinary stationary engine, and the thinl holding up a shield bearing upon it 

 the perfect locomotive engine, shown in pcrsjiectivc, travelling iq)ou a rail- 

 way, and modelled after Mr. Stephenson's latest improvements. To this ob- 

 ject Minerva is directing the attention of the group, as thc triumjib of science 

 ami the mechanical arts in the application of this mighty power. One of the 

 comj)artinents of thc pedestal will be appropriated to the inserii)tion, anotlicr 

 to Air. Stephenson's arms, richly embossed, and the third to a hnii relief Ae- 

 scriptive of the progress of a railway in its several stages of construction. Thc 

 stem is composed of three vine brandies, gracefully intertwined as they ascend, 

 carrying nine brandies for lights, and snrmonnted by a basket composed of 

 the leaves and fruit of the vine. The branches have moveable tops, for the 

 occasional substitution of cut glass for fnut or flowers, when lights arc not re- 

 ipiired. The height will be about twenty-eight or thirty inches, the weight 

 between seven hundred and eight hundred ounces, and cost .')50/. About 

 bOOl. remains to be applied to the dinner service, the details of which have 

 not yet been decided upon. It is understood that the testimonial will be ]u-e 

 seiitcd at a public dinner, to which Mr. Stephenson will be invited, about the 

 first week in October. — Railway Times. 



The Nel.son Memorial. — On Monday, the Sth nit., the nnmbers of the 

 Nelsoii memorial assembled at the Thatched House Tavern, St. James's 

 Street. Mr. Railtoii, the architect, was also in attendance. The following 

 is a correct list of the noblemen and gentlemen ap|)ointed to form the suli- 

 committee to superintend the erection of the nionunieut : — The Duke of 

 Wellington, tlie Duke of Northumberland, thc .Manpiis of liansdownc, Lord 

 Colborne, Mr. S. Rice, Mr. llerries, Mr. Croker, Sir U. Inglis, Sir J. Harrow, 

 Mr. Wood, the Duke of liucclcugb, and Sir G. Cockburnr. On the following 

 morning the sub-committee were occupieil in consulting Mr. Railton on his 

 design, wliieh the general committee h,ad determined should be adopted. 



Notice or Ai.akm Gong. — A very ingenious instrument has been in- 

 vented by Captain George Smith, R.N., intended to give warning of the 

 approach and to aimounce the course a steamer is sailing on in a fog. It 

 consists of a gon.i;, on wliieh a hammer is made to strike, every ten seconds 

 a certain number of blows, by a very simple machinery, according to the 

 course the vessel is saibng on. For example, if she be sailing north, the 

 gong is struck once; if east, twice; if south, thrice; and if west, four 

 times every ten seconds. By this systematic method, the i;osition, course 

 and pro.ximity of a steamer will be clearly announced to any other vessel. In, 

 rivers Ga|itaiu Smith projioscs the vessel to emit single sounds every ten 

 seconds, wlueli woidd be sutticient to give warning. 



REVIE^VS. 



E.rperiiiieiilal Essays on the Principles of Conslrucliun in Arclies, Piers 

 ISnllrtssts, S^c, by William Bland, Esq., with wood-cuts. London 

 Wcule, IS'3'J. 



These essays originally appeared in the Architectural Magazine., 

 and are now republished in a collected form. The experimeiits ex- 

 liiliit much iiigemiity, but t1ie means of correcting them and eiisuriiu' 

 llu'ir ajuilicaliilily lias not been given. 



The distinelioii between the properties of Roman and G-iothic arches 

 is well marked, and shows the principles which led to the development 

 of Gothic architeettU'e. The latter part of the work is devoted to ;ui 

 'examination of several churches and chapter-houses, principally in the 

 south of England, and contains much matter worthy of perusal. 



The work is got U]) in a portable and convenient form, with many 

 illustratiiuis, uiul maybe advantageously referred to ;is throwing iiiueli 

 new hglit on the theory of this important subject. 



,/i Practical and Theoretical Essay on Oblique Rridges, by George 

 Watso.n Buck, M. I. C. E. London, John Wealc. 



This wurk lnw Ijctn iong lyyktid for by the profession ; but the autlioi- 



very properly deferred its publication, " in consequence," he observes 

 "of tinding'that his knowledge of the subject was daily increased by 

 the experience aft'orded in the construction of a variety of bridges." 

 This delay has given jMr. Buck a better opportunity of laying before 

 the profession complete inslructiims on tliis important branch of en- 

 gineering. " During his engagement on thc Lmidon and Birininghain 

 railway, and his subsef|uent occujiation on tin" Manchester and Bir- 

 ininghain railway, he had charge of several bridges of this description 

 contided to his care. These being of In'ick, stone and iron, have 

 oil'ered liim excellent opportunities to see liow far his theoretical cal- 

 culations w'ere verilied by practice, of which he was so far satisfied as 

 to feel conlidenee in jiublisliing liis ex))erienee for the benefit of his 

 brother engineers ; he lias reduced tlie suli|eet to forinuliE as simple as 

 it would allow, and from the inslrnctions and drawings given, an en- 

 gineer of common practice will be able to construct an oblique or 

 skew arch witliout any difficulty. 



,/i Practical Treatise on Railways, by Lieut. PetEr Lecount, R.N., 

 F. R. A. S., C. E. Edinburgh, Adam and Charles Black. 



This treatise originally appeared in the seventh edition of the 

 Encyclopifidia Rritannica, and is now published ina distinct vohnne, with 

 very considerable additions. Lieut. Lecount is well known as being 

 one of the resident engineers of the London and Birmingham railway, 

 and from his connection with that work during its progress from the 

 eommencement to thc conclusion, is peculiarly fitted for such ;i 

 task. He has collected a v;ist mass of valuable information, both prac- 

 tical and theoretical, rendering the volume well deserving of the 

 attention of the engineering student. 



We have not time to enter more fully into this treatise, but will 

 take an early opportunity of again referring to it. 



Hosmer's Tables. London, John Weale. 



We are by no means favourable to the use of tables for simply find- 

 ing superficial or cubical quantities, as we feel convinced from our 

 own experience, that they are to be found equally as quick by mental 

 operation, if the mind be kept in constant and wholesome practice. 

 To tliose, however, who are not of the same opinion, we recommend 

 these tables as deserving of their attention. The author has given 

 two tallies, one for the land surveyor, and the other for the engineer 

 or surveyor, they are each concentrated in a circle lU inches diameter, 

 and composed of a series of circles ami an index. By the first table 

 any quantity of land may be found in acres, roods and perches, and by 

 the other table any superficial quantities in feet or yards. 



The Principles and Practice of Leixlling. By Edward Joxes, Archi- 

 tect and Civil Engineer. London : Williams, 1S39. 



This work is a useful compilation, but by being too condensed is 

 rendered difficult to the learner. It is open also to the objections 

 which we had occasion to make in noticing another work on this sub- 

 ject on a previous occasion. 



LITERARY NOTICES. 

 We have been favoured with the Introductory Lecture for IS.ig of Mr. 

 Baltard, Professor of the Theory of Architecture in the Royal Academy of 

 Fine Arts at Paris. The professor is a vebcment classic, and inveighs sorely 

 against the Gothic and the present rage for thc medieval stjles. He shews 

 very strong symptoms of the old regime, and bis lecture, if not a sermon, 

 seems dii'ccted to very little boys. It is quite Freiicb, and little more. The 

 professor gives some licence to the Italian, but makes a just distinction 

 between its best specimens and its dccbue. His oliscrvatioiis on the progress 

 of architecture in France since the Gothic era, art'ord, however, some just and 

 interesting criticisms on the modern buildings of Paris. 



.Vmong the additions to the professional jiress may rank the new periodical 

 which is on the point of ap|iearing in Paris, under llie title of lieviie (ienerale 

 dc r.Vrcliitceture ct des Tra\aux Publics (t/eiicral Review of Arehitectm-e 

 and Pidjlie Works). It is to appear moiitbly with engi-avings and btliographs, 

 and reckons among its promised coutrilmtors Chevalier Leon Dehiborde* 

 Labrouste, Lemoyne, Albert Lenoir, Pidoiiccaii, Raoul Roehctte, Texjer and 

 many other French and Fnglisb avebitects, engineers, and anti(ma'rians 

 The chief ethtor is M. Cesar Daly. 



THE DESIGN ACT, Cac. .Wll. 2 VICTORIA. 

 jVn AiiSvaACT OF an Jet to secure to Pmpriclorn of Desiqm for articles 

 c/mmmfactiire the cojii/riyfU iif such Desiijnsfur a limited lime. ' Ulh Jane 

 1839. 



1. Enacts, that every proprietor of a new and original design made for any 

 hetvUgwiiig purposes, nuU not pnl/lislied before the ht day oiJulij, 1831), 



