1839.] 



THE CIVIL ENGINEER AND ARCHITECT'S JOURNAL. 



<)31 



waste of fuel csues, the flame being tlien apt to divide itself into two cur- 

 rents, one on cacti side of the hoiler, and tlius rnn ott' to tlie cliinincy witli- 

 out taliing much effect upon the boiler bottom ; others again have gone into 

 the other extreme, and built a continued inverted arch from the tire bridge 

 to the end of the boiler, which we need hardly observe, hurries the heated 

 gases too rapidly off to the chimney. 



Fig. 4. 



Dimetisions of Boiler : — 

 Diameto ^5 ^!1* al'l"!!!'} outside. One-half of the convex surface 

 was w'holly exposed to the dii'^ct action of the flame and hot air, except 

 about 4 inches in depth all round along each side and across the ends, 

 amounting to abo>it 1 square yard. The quantity of water worked with was 

 15 cubic yards, which was kept uniformly supplied by means of the ordinary 

 feed pipe and float ; the temperatm'c of the feed water being the same as 

 that of the atmosphere. 



Dirnetmioiin of Fire Grate : — 



Brefdft 5 -^ 6 '— } '^''="'' ^''""" *'"= '^'=='""S '«^^. '-""l ^"W" t'>^ 

 side walls of the furnace. Fire bars in one length. If inch thick, -f^ inch 

 between each, and set sloping, or declining towards the bridge, so as to be 2 

 feet 8 inches from the boiler bottom at the back and 1 foot 11 inches at the 

 front end of the grate. 



The boiler was made by Mr. Falibairn, of Manchester, with the best Low 

 Moor iron -,% thick. It supphed steam to a IC-horse engine, loaded so as to 

 require never l;ss than 24 cubic feet of water evaporated per hour, also 

 steam for heating drjing cyUuders, hoiling water, and a variety of other 

 purposes, amounting at times to nearly as much as the engine required 

 itself. 



The chapters upon the " Deposit of Sediment Incrustations," and 

 "Causes of Explosions," deserve particular attention, more particular 

 since the report of the commissioners appointed by parliament to 

 investigate this subject. We fully concur in the opinion expressed 

 in note 1, page "200, respecting Mr. Josiali Parkes's system of 

 slow combustion, as applied any where, but particularly to a stearn 

 boat, where another objection besides that stated by the author, viz. 

 increased immersion arising from the increased size and weight of 

 boilers and water, would have a very heavy dravvback to the passage 

 of the vessel through the water, but as regards the application of the 

 system of wiredrawing tlie steam, this method has been in use in 

 America for years, the steamers on tlte Nortli River and other places 

 answer perfectly, and are of higher power than have been employed 

 in any other part of the world. 



In conchision, we lieartily recommend the book to all persons em- 

 ploying, or taking interest in steam engines. 



Architectural Remains of the Reigns of Elizabeth and James I., from 

 accurate draieings and measurements, taken from existing specimens. 

 By C. J. Richardson, M. R. I. B. A. Folio, Lond. 1839. 



Even those who regard the architectiu'e of the Elizabethan period as 

 an anomalous fashion of the art, rather than a distinct and well-matured 

 .style, must allow it to be interesting in an historical point of view, 

 and so far to deserve attention. Neither can it be denied that al- 

 though in the best examples of it there is always a very considerable 

 mixture of alloy — much that is poor, mean, and fantastical mixeil up 

 witli what is stately and picturesque, there is also generally some- 

 thing worth notice even in the worst. Yet while we freely admit 

 this, by no means are we of opinion that it is to be recommended for 

 imitation at the present day, because anything approaching to a 

 direct copy of it, must retain all the defects of the originals, at the 

 same time that it must fall sliort of them in many circumstances to 

 which they are mainly indebted for the interest they excite as re- 

 cords of the period to which they belong, and its architectural taste -, 



the satisfaction arising from which is totally distinct from that pi'O" 

 duced by intrinsic beauty, although those who never inquire mto 

 causes, nor analyze qualities, are apt to fall into egregious mistakes 

 in siich matters. What, u])on the whole, excites pleasure in the 

 mind, notwithstanding its faults, because we know it to be a genuine 

 and bona fide relic of former days, becomes offensive when known to 

 be a modern erection, in which, with the most reprehensible fidelity, 

 all the defects of a half-formed, quaint, uncouth style have been ad- 

 hered to ; we then behold little more than the defects alone, the 

 quaint, grotesc[ue trappings of the style itself, without any of that 

 venerableness or whatever else may happen to lend an adscititious 

 charm to the buildings which liave served as models. 



We trust, therefore, that it is but a passing vagary of taste' wliich 

 is just now turning attention to the stately deformity, bedizzened 

 lumpislmess of what we conceive to be almost the very worst school in 

 which an architect can study, unless he has previously formed himself 

 upon purer models, and looks at those which it otfers him, merely for 

 certain elTects and qualities, good in themselves, but requiring to be ex- 

 tracted out of the dross in which they are buried. That any should 

 now think of reverting to sucli a school for models of any kind, — that 

 the possession of the Elgin marbles should as it were have inspired 

 us with a sudden affection for the hideous carvings and patterns 

 which constitute Elizabethan decoration, seems at first siglit rather 

 puzzling, and yet we ourselves are inclined to attribute this capricious 

 revolution to the architectural puritans ; certainly, nor at all de- 

 signedly on their part, quite the reverse, but because their spiritless 

 and monotonous transcripts of Greek porticos, or rather rows of 

 Doric or Ionic columns, have at length satiated the public, and led 

 them to welcome any change from the chilling insipidity of that so- 

 called classical style, as one decidedly for the better. And if change 

 was to take place, to what could we revert with greater propriety than 

 one which has a claim upon us as being strictly national and coeval 

 with a brilliant period in our annals and our literature. Unfortunately 

 though such reason sounds plausible enough, it is when fairly ex- 

 amined, b\it a very silly one. It would be just as wise to extinguish 

 our gas lights and break up our rail-roads, as now after the lapse ot 

 two centuries or more, to fall back upon what is at best the exceed- 

 ingly imperfect and half-wrought style of an age, which presents a 

 sad declension in architectural taste, compared with its predecessors, 

 and one moreover as much at variance with all our habits and feel- 

 ings, as the farthingales and ruffs of those days are with our modern 

 notions of elegance in dress. 



Yet, although whim and the love of singularity, together with 

 a confusion of ideas as to picturesqueness and beauty, (w-liereby they 

 are supjjosed to be identical,) may lead some to adopt the style in 

 question, just as they find it, without any attempt to purify or emioble 

 it, we have very little apprehension of its becoming at all general. 

 In fact, it is by far too expensive for such purpose ; if buildings in it 

 are not upon such a scale, both as to magnitude and decoration as to 

 be stately, they appear only heavv and uncouth, fantastically old- 

 fashioned withal. Hardly does it admit of being simplified without 

 requiring to be also greatly purified ; since the mere omission of or- 

 nament tends only to take away all the character derived from it, and 

 to render its intrinsic deformity all the more apparent and repulsive. 

 Unless richness or even a prodigal magnificence can be indulged in, 

 this style supplies nothing for interiors; since if it be divested of its 

 carpet- patterned ceilings, its cumbrous fire-places, its elaborately 

 carved wainscotting, nothing remains but rude and heavy forms, and 

 proportions absolutely revolting to the eye of taste. In order to ac- 

 commodate it, therefore, in any degree to general purposes, it would 

 be necessary to do a very great deal more than merely compose from 

 extant examples; nothing less, in fact, than to puiif'y it of all its 

 defects, and supply all its deficiencies, retaining only just so much of 

 it as would furnish the leading ideas for something similar, yet greatly 

 improved in character. We are of opinion that here would be a 

 good field for any one to exercise his talent in, and assuredly a series 

 of studies showing what is and what is not now available in Elizabe- 

 than, would be likely just at the present to find favom- with the public. 



It is time for us, however, to break off from our general remarks, 

 and to speak more immediately of Mr. Richardson's work. After 

 what we have already said, it would be quite idle in us to profess any 

 particular admiration of the subjects it contains, further than as 

 curious documents, not without their historical value as such, but in 

 no wise tending to contradict what we have just been urging. Among 

 them are one or two designs and plans by John Thorpe, copied from 

 the originals in the Soanean Museum; and that which l\n-ms the 

 frontispiece, strongly confirms what we have said as to buildings in 

 this style when divested of the fantastic ornament peculiar to it, 

 since scarcely anything can be more mean and quaint than that design, 

 intended to have been executed by Thorpe for his own residence. To 



2 K 



