1830.] 



THE CIVIL ENGINEER AND ARCHITECT'S JOURNAL. 



471 



SOCIETY OF ANTIQUARIES. 



At tlic opeiiin? mectinj; hdd on Thursday pvening, Novciiilipr 21 si, 

 William Hamilton, Esq. V. W in the chair, J. A. Simpkinson, Esq. M.A. was 

 (•looted a Fello\v. ,\ paper was read on some ecclesiastical buildings in Nor- 

 mandy, by George Godwin, Jnn., F.R.S, F.S.A. Lower Normandy is visited 

 hy but few Englislimen, notwithstanding its intimate connection witli the 

 early history of our country, botli political, literary, and artistical, and every 

 item of information concerning it from an o]>server, jirovideil he use liis own 

 eyes, is valuable. i\Ir. fioilwiu remarl<s that many of the buildings are fast 

 hastening to decay, tlirougli tlie use of improper stone. Tlie Frencli society 

 for tlie preservation of public mommients are actively bestirring themselves, 

 but their funds are so limited that their operations are necessarily confined. 

 Some of the stone now being used at Caen did not seem to the writer of the 

 ])apcr in question, selected with care. The Caen quarries furnish stone of 

 very iudifl'erent as well as of very excellent quality, as is proved hy many of 

 the comparatively modern residences and walls in the city, which arc fast 

 ileeayiug under the inllucnce of the weather, and discrimination ought tliere- 

 fore to be employed in making selection. The paper consisted chietly of 

 remarks on the cathedal of liayenx, which presents several peculiar features ; 

 it will be followed, it was stated, by other rough notes on Coutances, Falaise, 

 Evreux, &c. 



Royal Acadkmy. — Mr. Philip Ilardwick has been elected an associate of 

 the Academy, and Mr. CockercU to the Professorship of Architecture, in 

 room of the late Mr. Wilkins. We trust there will he no fm'ther delay in 

 giving the ordinary course of lectures on architecture, which has been, of 

 late, very much neglected. 



BRITISH ASSOCIATION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF SCIENCE. 



(From tl/c Rf/iorh of tfif Aihciueum and Litcrarij Gazettv.) 

 ( Continved from page 422.^ 



On Waves, Mr. Scott Russell brought up the Report of the Committee (Sir John 

 Rohison and Mr. Russell.) 



Since the last meeting the committee had continued their researches, and 

 had. in each department, confirmed or corrected llie results formerly obtained 

 by them, and had also extend. 'd their aequainfance wiih several interesting 

 phenomena. The first object of their attention, was the determination of the 

 nature and laws of certain kinds of waves. Of these, the inii.st important 

 species was that called by Mr. Russell tlie Great Solitary Wave, or the 

 Primary Wave of Translation ; the second, «as the Oscillatory Wave, or se- 

 condary species. The recent researches, while they had conlirmed and ex- 

 tended to a larger scale the observations of preceding years, have in no 

 respect altered the views formerly staled by this committee. The form of the 

 wave is lliat to which the name 1 lemicyeUiid has been given; its velocity is 

 that due to half the depth of the fluid, ret koncd from the top of the wave to 

 the centre of gravity of the section, where the depth of the channel is not 

 uniform. The motion of the particles, is a motion of permanent translation 

 in the direction of the motion of the wave, through a space emial to double 

 the wave's height ; the particles of the water perfectly at rest before the ap- 

 proach of tlie wave, were lifted up, translated forwards, and were deposited 

 perfectly at rest in their new locations — the translation taking place equally 

 throughout the whole depth of the fluid. It had been stated by Mr. Russell, 

 in a previous report, that all the data requisite to derive the phenomena of 

 the great wave of translation had been now obtained, and that he him.self 

 had f(jund no difticulty in obtaining the laws of this wave from the ecpiations 

 (if M. Laplace, on the hypothesis, that the motion of the water particles was 

 not inflnitely small, and the oscillations inflnitely small, as had been hitherto 

 supposed, but that they had the magnitude and nature actually found in these 

 experiments. During the past year, considerable progress has been made in 

 this examination, and highly satisfactory confirmation of the truth of these 

 views had been obtained, by the labours of Prof. Kelland. Prof. Kelland had 

 also adopted the method of introducing the hypothesis of the particles of the 

 water having the motions observed in the experiments — viz. a motion of per- 

 manent translation in a given course ; and although his results did not per- 

 fectly accord with Ibi' experiments, they b.ad presented a much closer appnisi- 

 matioii to them tlian previous investigations, and were to be regarded as 

 additions to the theory of the motion of waves. The second subject of inquiry 

 by this committee regarded the connexion which existed between the motion 

 of waves, and the resistance of fluids to the motion of floating bodies — a sub- 

 ject closely connerted with practical navigation. In the continuation of this 

 inquiry, the committee had received many confirmations of their former 

 views, while they had been exteniled beyond their former means of observa- 

 tion. The phenomenon of vessels at liigh velocities riding the wave, had been 

 exhibited to an extent never before w itnessed. It had been formerly observed, 

 th.at when a vessel was, by any means, ,drawn along the surface of water 

 with a high velocity, it proiluced a wave, which was a wave of translation, 

 moving with the velocity due to the depth ; and that whenever the velocity of 

 the vessel becomes greater than the velocity of the wave, the vessel is carried 

 along on the top of the wave with diminished resistance. This phenomenon 

 had been last year exhibited on a scale much more striking than formerly. 

 The wave, divided in two by tiie pruw of the Vi'ssel, had risen on each side to 

 a height far greater than that even of the vessel itself; it expanded on each 

 side of the vessel, from stem to stern, in a broad unbroken sheet of water, 

 bearing along the vessel between what seemed to be a pair of extended gossa- 

 mer wings, giving, at extremely high velocities, a resistance very much less 

 than had hitherto been observed. The third point of inquiry concerns both 

 the theory of hydrodynamics, and the art of practical navigation. What is 



the form of a solid of least resistance, is a question which has been much 

 diseusised since the days of .Sir Isaac Newton. What is (he shape to be given 

 to a vessel or ship, so that il may be driven by sails, or propelled by oars or 

 steam, with the greatest velocity, or at the least expemlilure of power P i.s 

 the same question, asked by the practical ship-builder, in relation to his art. 

 ll had been inferred by Mr. Russell, from certain theoretical considerations, 

 that a certain form, which be called the Wave Form of vessel, woulil be the 

 form of least resistance, and the form of grealcst velocity. This form was. 

 that the lines of anterior displacement should correspond to the outline of 

 the great wave of translation anteriorly, and to the outline of the posterior 

 wave of replaceni"nt. towards the stern. This form had been the subject of 

 experiment from 1834 to the present time; and the expcriiii'Mils i/f last ye;ir 

 confirmed the truth of the original supposition, that this form was I hat of 

 least resistance. A very curious and gratilying confinnation of the truth of 

 the hypothesis had been received during the course of last year. A clergy- 

 man in the north of .Scotland — the Rev. Mr. Hroilic — had seen an account of 

 these experiments in the Reports of the Association, and had deduced from 

 theory, without a knowledge of Mr. llussell's process, results almost precisely 

 the same, so as to give them the most gratifying confirmation, although de- 

 rived from grounds'somewhat diflerent. The views formerly submiited Hi tlu' 

 Association on the form of vessel best soiled to the practical p;ir|iosc's of na- 

 vigation, had, during the past year, received very remarkable praclic.il cmi- 

 firniation. A large steam-vessel had been built" on the wave principle, — a 

 vessel of GCiO tons, with an engine of 220 horse power, — and it had turned out 

 th ,t this was the fastest vessel now in Great Britain. This vessel, built as a 

 ple.asure-yacht. combined the qualities of sailing fast, and carrying a large 

 cargii : she was named the Fire Kiny, and belonged to Mr. Ashton .Smith, of 

 Wales. The last point of iiiipiiry in which this committee had been engaged 

 cluring the past year, was the question of the nature and laws of the tidal 

 wave, as propagated along our shores, and up the estuaries of our great rivers. 

 But the nature of its propagation along our shores, after it ceased to be 

 aflected by the celestial influence, formed a terrestrial mechanism, with which 

 we were still very imperfectly acquainted. To this .subject, the committee 

 had devoted their attention, ;ind they had made simultaneous obsery;itions 

 for this purpose, at ihirteen dillcrent station, along the Frith of Forth. The 

 Board of Northern Lights, and Mr. Stevenson, their engineer, had afforded 

 every facility for the observations, and results of a very remarkable nature 

 were obtained. It was found, that there were four tides a day in the Forth, 

 instead of two — four high waters and four low waters. Mr. Russell exhibited 

 drawings of these tid.al waves, and gave, what he conceived the explanatiim 

 of a phenomenon, which is, he thinks, much more common than hitherto 

 supposed, [t is well known, that the tidal wave which brings high water 

 from the Atlantic to the south-western shores of Great Britain, becomes 

 divided into two parts, one of which passes upwards through the English 

 Channel, and the other passing round the west and north of Irebmd and Great 

 Britain, brings high water to the east coast of Scotland anil to the Frith of 

 Forth. Now, it appears not to have been recollected, that the other wave, 

 after coming up through the English Channel, and bringing along with the 

 former, high water to London, must pass on nin-lhwards, and in doing so, 

 will enter the Frith of Forth considerably earlier than the northern wave 

 passing southwards. Now. this southern wave, smaller, but earlier than the 

 other, appears to enter the Frith, and may be traced at every station. It is 

 followed up. however, very rapidly, by the great northern wave, and the 

 former moving more slowly than the other, according to the law of the great 

 wave of translation, is overtaken by it at the higher parts of the Frith, and 

 being both greatly exaggerated by the form of that chinuel. produced the 

 two tides oflhe Frith of Forth. Mr. Russell expressed his opinion, that the 

 tides in the upper part of the Frith of Forth would be found to rise as high 

 above the mean level of the sea, as the tides of (he Bristol Channel. I he 

 observations on this subject were not, however, completed, but would be 

 finished in the course of next year. , ,, r> 



Mr. Byrne asked what was the exact form of the curve which Mr. Russell 

 considered to bound the solid of least resistance? or what was the mathema- 

 tieal formula (or e(|naUon) of the curve?— Mr. Russell replierl. that it was 

 stated at length in the published reports of the Association.— Prot. Forbes 

 asked, whether the double culmination of the wave might not arise rather 

 from the circumstance of the two waves not coming simultaneously to the 

 mouth of the Frith than to the separation of the waves, to wh ch Mr. Kusell 

 h id asiribed il ? In fact, the waves, as he considered, must lie dissimilar m 

 period, en- one could not overtop the other; after they had blended into one, 

 the ellcet would be either to cause the ordinate of the joint wave to be the 

 sum or difl'erence of the ordinales of the waves or waved depressiou. aeeord- 

 ingly as ih.-' two waves or waved depression coincided.— Prot, Whewell saiil. 

 No ; they n ill separate.— Mr. Russell observed, that tlie waves were touiid 

 freiiiiently to separate, ami the instances he had cited were remarkable cx- 

 emplilications of this.-Prof Stcvelly helieveil the difficulty Prot. I'orbes 

 laboured umler, arose from his not having been present at the Men castle 

 meeting, when Mr. Russell gave a very minute .account of the sttaicture of the 

 wave of translation, which dillered from a common undulatory wave in this, 

 that every particle of the fluid had not only a rising and tailing motion, but 

 also a motion of translation, sometimes forwards, sometimes backwards. 

 Now, the mere undulatory motion would exactly produce the effects 1 rof. 

 Forbes expecteil. and had so well explained ; but the motion of translation ot 

 the particles would, from its very nature, cause the wave to separate, even 

 alter blcmling into one, as explaiiierl bv Mr. llusscll.— Lieut. Morrison asked 

 whether Mr. Ku.ssell had investigate! the eflect of the descending current ot 

 the river, particularly in the time of freshes, on the tide w.aves ? It bad been 

 well ascertained by observations on the Thames, th.at .at such times the de- 

 scending force of the current exercised a very decided influence on the tides; 

 and he could testify the same from his own experience in other places .-- Mr. 

 Ru,ssell said, the cominiltee had found that effiDct very decided, insomuch that 

 in the time of freshes in the Fritli, it occasionally obliterated the tide wave. 



Experiments upon the effects of Weights acting for an indefinite time upon bars 

 of Iron, by Mr. Fairbairu. 



8 T 2 



