474 



THE CIVIL ENGINEER AND ARCHITECT'S JOURNAL. 



[Di';<.;ember, 



Little is it to be wondered at, if those who see no furtlier than im- 

 mediate facts and consequences, now exclaim not against ill- 

 managed competitions, but against the system of competition at all, 

 as necessarily bad and ineliicacious ; delusive to those who enter into 

 it, delusive likewise to the public, and embarrassing to those who 

 invite il ; and moreover no better tlian a cloak to sinister influence, 

 f.ivoiuMtism and jobbery. The proceedings attending the compe- 

 lition lor the Nelson monument, certainly afford room for saying as 

 nuirh, to anyone disposed to look at tlio matter on its worst side; 

 wliilelheone for the Royal Exchange coming so immediately after, 

 and attended with no more satisfactory results, enables peo])le to ex- 

 claim "another failure 1" and then to rail at competition altogether. 

 From the tone in which some of the crilics have spoken of the last 

 one, it is easy enough to perceive that we are quite as well jileased as 

 not, that the result should not have proved more successful. While 

 they are thus left at liberty to indulge in sneering, abusive tirades, 

 they can excuse themselves from ottering any opinions or remarks of 

 their own upon the designs, by conveniently representing them one 

 and all as below criticism, and unworthy of any specific remark. 

 Such was the course adopted by the writer, who dots tlie architectural 

 criticism in the Sunday Times ; but many will think that in the volu- 

 bility of liis abuse, he betrayed his shallowness and ignorance, when 

 he spoke of there Ijeing designs in the Chinese style as well as in 

 almost every other; and allirmed that out of them all, there was not 

 one deserving serious attention or consideration. 



It must be confessed, there were a great many not rising at all 

 above mediocrity, and not a few which did not reach even that point ; 

 which certainly did surprize us, because we had imagined that owing 

 lioth to the size and the number of drawings required, the labour and 

 expense would lune deterred any one from attempting a design, who 

 did not feel that he could produce something either original in its 

 conception, or treated with some degree of mastery : and hardly any 

 one, w"e presume, would set about making a finished set of drawings 

 of the kind, imless he had previovisly satisfied himself in his prepara- 

 tory sketches, and found that he had got hold of a good idea to work 

 upon. Such, however, certain'y docs not appear to have been the 

 case here, since many of the designs too plainly showed that no idea, 

 in- the very poorest possible, was considered sutKcient, and that little 

 else was required than merely to provide the accommodation stipu- 

 lated for by the instructions issued by the committee. It did, indeed, 

 quite stagger us, to see nvany designs of such quality in all but the 

 ujere drawings, as to seem the first ettbrts of beginners, who thought 

 that to be able to draw cohmms and ]]ilasters of the most insipid cha- 

 racter, was a sufficient qualification. One would suppose that some 

 of those persons must have been exceedingly studious indeed, — so 

 buried among their books, as to be utterly ignorant of all that has 

 been doing in architecture in this and other coimtries during the last 

 ten or fifteen years ; for if acquainted with it, they were unable to 

 perceive, how greatly they fell short of the ordinary standard, and 

 could flatter themselves that there was uot the slightest chance for 

 their designs being noticed, except for contempt and derision, they 

 must be egregiously blind indeed ; so ignorant as not to be capable of 

 perceiving that they were only affording proof of their own 

 incapacity. 



Now, as we have seen it lately remarked in an architectural jnaper 

 in Fraser's Magazine, though any one is at liberty to send in a design 

 to an open couq)etition, it does not exactly follow, that because he 

 can draw, a man is called upon to do so, whether or not he possesses 

 any of the talent that occasion demands. Common sense would sav, 

 that the invitation is to be understood as given to those possessed of 

 talent to come forward with it, not for the dull and the stupid to step 

 in and make fools of themselves. 



At present we cannot either pursue tliese remarks any fui'ther, or 

 liere add to them any comments on such of the designs as on our 

 second visit, struck us as most deserving of notice, not as being en- 

 tirely unobjectionable, but as containing many good points and dis- 

 playing considerable ability. Yet, though we find we must now defer 

 uKu-e particular mention of them till our next number, we may here 

 jn>t point one or two of the kind which seem to have escaped the 

 altenlion of others: viz. No. 25, 33, and 51. The first of these was 

 one of the few, in which a circular plan was adopted for the inner 

 area. This cortile was not only very spacious, but in exceedingly 

 good taste, and wovdd no doubt produce a fine effect. The external 

 elevations were also of an imposing character, (in the Italian style), 

 but we did not so nuich approve of the tower at the west end, parti- 

 cularly the up|)er part of it. No. 33 w.is also Italian; and No. 51 

 was a remarkable, and in Tuany respects a very clever and original 

 application of Greek architecture. With respect to the design which 

 obtained the first premium, we must acknowledge, after again looking 

 at It, that so far from being able to delect it in any kuid of merit fha.. 



seemed to warrant such decided preference, for if it might be free from 

 defects and objections occurring in many other designs, beyond such ne- 

 gative recommendation, it seemed to possess no other. Uf course we 

 speak only from a general inspection of it: it nnght have merits, but 

 they certainly did not extend to the general chaiacter of the composi- 

 tion, or the taste shown it. Perhaps it was chiefly on account of its defi- 

 ciencies in regard to these latter qualities, that allhough deemed 

 worthy of the first ]nize, the judges could not recommend it for exe- 

 cution. We think that their report ought to have left no doubt in 

 respect either to this or the other designs pointed out by them to the 

 committee; but should have distinctly stated both the particular 

 merits and the objections against each of those designs. Had that 

 been done, both the public and ourselves might have gained siuue 

 instruction. 



Since writing the ])receding remarks, we arc informed that Mr. 

 W. Tite and Mr. George Smith have been requested to advise the 

 committee on their selection of a design from the eight now before 

 them; the former gentleman, we understand, declines to act, conse- 

 quently the onus devolves on Mr. Smith, who is Architect and Sur- 

 veyor to the Mercers' company. We lielieve Mr. Smith to be re- 

 spected by all who know him, but to say the least of it, in whatever 

 way his decisicm may be made, it will be placing him in a most in- 

 vidious and unpleasant situation, in the first place Mr. (irellier who 

 obtained the first prenniun, was, as is well known, pupil of Mr. Smith, 

 therefore if he give judgment in his favour, it will be immediately set 

 down as an act of favouritism, and if he decides against the design, 

 it will bring him in collision with the three former architects named 

 to examine and select the best tlesign. 



THE BUDE LIGHT. 



A serious accident took place on Friday evening, the 8th ult., at the costly 

 premises of Jlcssrs. Hancock and Ilixon, Pall Wall ICast, caused by the ex- 

 plosion of a bag of oxygen gas, «ith wliich some experiments were being 

 fried, in order to show a few scientilic gentlemen the effect of tlie Bude light; 

 the force of tlie explosion was so great as to dash to atoms nearly every 

 article in both the upper and lower warehouses, many of which were of the 

 most valuable description, cousisting of beautiful chandeliers, lamps, lustres, 

 vases, decanters, &c., all were in an instant completely destroyed, the counters 

 rent asunder, the sashes torn out and broken to pieces, and the report 

 so loud as to alarm the whole neighhourliood. The company present about 

 seven or eight in munbcr, narrowly escaped with their lives ; some of them 

 were seriously bruised, one being thrown into the shop window from a cou- 

 sideral)le distance, another up the staircase, and all more or less injured. 

 We have thought projicr to give publicity to this accident, as it is most 

 desirable that every fact connected with so imjiortanf a subject as the " Bade 

 Light," should be fully investigated, and we trust that the proper authorities 

 superintending the expci-inients for hghting the Houses of Parliament, will 

 make such inquiry into this serious matter, as to fully satisfy themselves n|)on 

 the safety of tliis or any other light, before a decision is made ujion the one 

 to be ultimately adopted. We believe it has uot yet been satisfactorily ac- 

 counted for, what caused the oxygen gas to be so very explosive. 



OxFORD-sTRKKT ExrKiiiMENTAL WooD Paving. — Tho Settlement of this 

 almost interminable question is completed. Out of the many competitors 

 for laying down s|ieciincns of wood pavement within the space allotted by 

 the vestry of St. .Mary-lc-bonc for the additional experiment in Oxford-street, 

 but one paity has acceded to the terms of the vestry to do the same at their 

 own cx])ciise and risk. A contract has been effected by the Mary-le-bone 

 vestry, to lay down 4,000 yards in the sjiace from Charles-street to McIIs- 

 street, after the mode invented by the Count de Lisle, called the .Stereotomy 

 of the Cube. This singular plan of pavement will, from its peculiar con- 

 struction, possess the property, by finding an abntmcnt, on the curb-stone on 

 each side of the street, of forming a self-supporting bridge without the aid 

 of a concrete liottom ; and by the mode in which it is inteniled to lay down 

 the blocks, the complaint prevalent against wood iiavcmcnt, of its being, 

 under some atmospheres, exceedingly shppcry, will, in a great measure, be 

 remedied, if not totally avoided. The vai'ious models which have been pre- 

 sented to the notice of the vestry, afford a strong instance of the accom- 

 plishment of art and ingemiity over the riale mode mider ^^■hicb this project 

 was first sidjmitteil to the English ]iublic as a carriage-way paving at once 

 surprising and pleasing. The whole of this contemplated work is to he 

 conqileted on nr before the first of t'ebruary next; and although it is to re- 

 main, if the vestry require it, twelve months as an experiment, yet the 

 general opinion entertained by that body, of the efficacy of wood pavement, 

 renders it more than probable that the whole of Oxford-street \\ill he com- 

 plticd liy the next sununer, and thus reniler this important thoronghfarc free 

 from noise, nnul, or dust, and the first street as a promenade for carriages in 

 London. — Tiiius, 



