fit 



THE CIVIL ENGINEER AND ARCHITECT'S JOURNAL 



[Febbvar'^', 



limbs produce a gram! aiiH picturesque effecl in the landscape which scarcely 

 any kind »f tree can surpass. The spruce lir deligltts in a light snil and a 

 very moist situation. In such situations, when not crowded by other trees, 

 so as to have plenty of light, it forms a beautiful mass of thick foliage, 

 towering to a great height. It is quite usrlfss to plant it in very dry, shal- 

 hiw, or rocky soiN. I have seen young spiucc tlrs flourishing in stifl'clay, 

 though I l)eli"vp ultimately such soils do not suit it. It often deceives the 

 planter by growing vigorcuisly for 15 or 20 years, and afterwards becoming 

 stunted, exhibiting nothing but a few ragged leaves on the ends of the 

 !)ranches, being then one of the most unsightly objects in nature. It is sin- 

 gular that a native of Norway should seem in our climate not patient of 

 wind or frost. It afl'ords a soft wood, useful for many purposes, but always 

 very full of knots, unless it has either been severely pruned, or grown in 

 »uch close woods as to lose its side branches by natural process of <iecay from 

 want of light. The silver tir flourisbes in sliti' wet clays, and throws up its 

 tall head quite perpendicularly, even in the most exposed situations, appa- 

 rently uninjured by the utmost fury of the wind. It is a tree which the 

 landscape painter never thinks of introducing in a picture ; yet it is not with- 

 out a peculiar beauty of its own, and often produces a grand effect, either in 

 the stiff formal avenue, or when seen towering above other trees. Its tim- 

 ber is much like that of the spruce fir, but of rather better quality." 



OBITUARY. 



MR. HARVEY LONSDALE ELMES. 



It is scarcely surprising that the death of Mr. Harvey Lonsdale Elmes 

 eliould have produced such a strong feeling of regret, as ha« been manifested 

 at Liverpool by so many of its leading men, for the death of a man of genius 

 in the early prime of life is well calculated to awaken sympathy, and most 

 in a town adorned by noble monuments of his taste, in his devotion to 

 which he hastened the progress of disease and death. Our readers will 

 think that such an artist deserves at our hands a more lenythened notice 

 than he has yet received, for there is always a sentiment of personal interest, 

 which attaches to the career of one so young in life, and so rieh in endow- 

 ments. Harvey Lonsdale Elmes was born in 1813, we believe in London, 

 and was the son of James Elmes, Esq., the surveyor of the Port of London, 

 and himself distinguished as a large contributor to arcliitectural liter;iture. 

 With him lie was brought up, and the natural abilities he early showed were 

 fostered by association with the many men of genius with whom his father 

 was intimate, or in connexion. Young Mr. Elmes's talents were decidedly 

 of an artistic tendency, hut chiefly directed towards architecture and music, 

 and he showed a peculiar delicacy of mind, stimulated perhaps by delicacy 

 of physical organization. His zeal was ardent, and bis powers of application 

 great, while his love of fame gave him the stimulus for great exertion. With 

 Buch qualifications Mr. Elmes began under his father's care bis architectural 

 studies, which be afterwards pursued under Mr. Elger of Bedford, and Mr. 

 II. E. Goodridge of Bath. He was likewise employed by Mr. John Elger, a 

 builder in London, until he acquired the charge of works of bis own. — In 

 1836 or 1837, when Mr. Elmes was in his twenty-fourth year, the Liverpool 

 Committee advertised for designs for St. Geoige's Hall, which was then in- 

 tended to be a separate building. The advertisement was put into Mr. 

 Elmes's bands by a Iriend, as being worthy of his notice, and he took it to 

 the late Haydon, one of the earliest friends of his youth, to ask his advice 

 whether he should compete, as Haydon knew many persons at Liverpool, 

 having received commissions for pictures from the Blind School and other 

 institutions. "By all means, rny dear boy," said Haydon; "they are noble 

 fellows at Liverpool. Send in a design, and mind, let it combine grandeur 

 with simplicity. None of your broken-up and frittered abortions, but some- 

 thing grand." Following this exhortation Mr. Elmes set to work, and when 

 he had made his first sketch, took it to a friend's house, where a trifling 

 incident gave him the augury of success, for a little boy looking at the draw- 

 ing very gravely, threw it down, saying emphatically, " Very good, very 

 good, indeed ; it's worth five hundred pounds." When the design was sent 

 in, it was successful against eighty-five competitors, and Mr. Elmes received 

 the premium of five hundred pounds. Afterwards he carried ofl" in other 

 competitions the premiums for the Assize Courts at Liverpool, and for the 

 Collegiate Institution there. He was likewise the winner in a competition 

 for the Assize Courts and St. George's Hall combined. These several vic- 

 tories gave Mr. Elmes the prestige of a reputation, which his own attain- 

 ments were calculated to support. Entered upon a new career, he now de- 

 voted himself zealously to carry 0!it in detail the several designs on which 

 he was engaged, and his professional business greatly increased. He ob- 

 tained the prize for the County Lunatic Asylum, at West Derby, in Lan- 

 cashire, and was employed in erecting mansions for Mr. George Hall Law- 

 rence, late Mayor of Liverpool, for Mr. Hardman Earle, and Mr. Hugh 

 >iornby. 



These labours, borne by a weak frame, at length brought their own end. 

 In the early part of last summer Mr. Elmes showed such strong symptoms 

 of consumption that change of climate became necessary. He wished to go 

 to Italy to study the monuments of his art in that country, but his health 

 was so much shaken that Dr. Chambers urged him to go immediattly to tbe 

 West Indies, and travel from island to island. Before he left he made 



rrangements with Mr. Cofkerell to superintend the architectural detail of 

 St. Georpe's Hall, for which he had finished the whole of the plan". 



In 1841 Mr. Elmes bad married the daughter of C. D. W. T.'rry, Esq., 

 and accompanied by tb.it lady he set out on that journey fiom which he was 

 never to return, for be died at Spanish Town, Jamaica, on the 2Gth of No- 

 vembcr last, aged lil, b-aving on* child. 



Thus he was cut otf in the prime of bis life, and when only heginnin? t > 

 etijoy the honours and rewards due to his exertions. When Prince Allieit 

 visited Liverpind, he was so delighted with St. Georiie's Hall ib;it he sent a 

 gold medal to Mr. Elmes, and the architdt only awaiU'd the completion of 

 his work to receive plaudits on every hand. As it is, those honours niust he 

 paid to his tomb ; and indeed the Town Council of Liverpool on the announce- 

 ment of bis death, gave a public expression of their strong feelings of regret 

 for what they felt to be a heavy loss. 



LIST OF NEW PATENTS. 



GftANTED IN ENGLAND FROM DECEMBER 30, TO JaNUARY 20, 1848. 



Six Months allowed/or Enrolment, unless otherwise expressed, 



Thomas Hancock, of Stoke Newineton. Middlesex, and Reuben Philpps. of Inllri^ton, 

 Rliddltfsex. clifmist, fur " Improveinetits in tlie treating- or ir.anufatture of gultu percba, 

 or iiny of the varieties of caoutchouc." — Sealed December ;in. 



Felix Edwards Pratt, of Fenton Potteries, Stafford, earthenware manufacturer, for 

 "Improvements in manufaclurinj? articles composed of earthenware or ctiiua." — Dec. 

 31. 



Mary Jenkins, of Atton, Warwick, widow, for "Improvements in the aianufactiire of 

 pins, hooks, eyes, and other fiistenines." — Dec. 31. 



Edward Humphrys, of H'llUiid-street, Surrey, engineer, for "certain Improvemen's 

 in steam engines, and in engines or apparatus for raising, extjausting, and forcing liquids ** 

 — January 4. 



William Fromle, of Darlington, Devon, civil-engineer, for " Improvements in the 

 vulves used in closing the tubes of atmospheric railways." — January .'». 



Read Holiday, ot Hudderslield, manufaclunng chemist, for *' Improvements in lamps.' 

 — January 5. 



Charlrs De Bergue, of Arthur street west, city, engineer, for " Improvements in car- 

 riages used on railways." — January 5. 



Alexander Robertson Arrott, manaper of the Union-place Glass Works, St. Helens, 

 Lancaster, for " Imiiroveincnts in manufacturing common salt." — January 5. 



Charles Lambert, of Two-HIile Hill, St. George's, near Bristol, pen^maker, for "cer- 

 tain Improvements in machinery for making nails." — January 5. 



Josiah George Jennings, of (Jreat Charlotte-street, Blackfriars-road, for " Improve- 

 ments in cocks or taps for drawing off liquids and gases." — January ft. 



George Bell, of the city of Dublin, merchant, for " certain Improvements in the ar- 

 rargemetit of wheels and axles for steam and other carriaj;es, which facilitate travelling 

 on ryilw;iys ;iii>i comtnon roads, parts of which nnprovemfuts are applicable to other mA- 

 chinery."— January 7- 



James Montgomery, of Salisb-iry-s'reet, Middlesex, for "certain Improvements in 

 piauofortfs and other simdar linger-keyed instruments." (Being a communication ) — 

 January 11. 



Alfred Augustus de Reginald Hely, of No. 11, Cannon-row, Westminster, and Joseph 

 Emmett Norton, of Saint Maiy-le-Strand-place, Kent-road, Surr. y, wine-merchant, tor 

 " certain Improvements in bottles or vessels for containing liquids, and in the mode of 

 and machini ry or apparatus for ti ling and stopping the same."- January 11. 



Gardner Stow, late of King-street, Cheapside, but now of New York, gt»ntleman, for 

 <' Improvements in a;>parai,us for [jropellinij ships and other vessels."— January 1 1. 



William Thorold, ot Norwich, engineer, for " Improvements in tura-lables." — January 

 13. 



Robert Wiliam, M.A , Greenock, for " Improvements in certain kinds of rotatory en- 

 gtnes worked by steam or other elastic fluids, part of which improvements are api)lic!tl'le 

 to rotatory engines worked by water, or by the wind; also, an improvement in sately- 

 valves for steam boilers." — January 13. 



Sydney Edwards Morse, of Ampton-place, Gray's-inn-road, for " Improvements in the 

 manufacture of plates or surfaces for printing or embossing," — January 13. 



Kenjamin Mitchell, of Huntingdonshie, farmer, for "Improvements in the manufac- 

 ture ul manure." — January 13. 



Robiirt Heath, of Heathtield, Manchester, gentleman, for "certain Improvements in 

 the method of applying and working friction brasses to engines and carriages used upon 

 railways." — January L^. 



Job Culler, of Spurk Brook, Birmingham, civil engineer, for " certain Improvements 

 in welded iron pipes or tubes to be used as the flues of steam boilers.*' — January 13. 



John Gilmore, Lie itenant in the Hoyal Navy, for " certain Improvements in ventilat- 

 ing ships and other vessels." — January 17. 



Charles Crane, of Stratford, Essex, manufacturing chemist, and James Thomas JuUion» 

 of the same place, analytical chemist, for " Improvements in the manutacture o cert.iin 

 acids and -alts, and a new appuratus applicable to the said improvements."— January IH, 

 Four months. 



Samuel Canliffe Lister, of Manningham Hall, in ihe parish of Bradford, esq., for " Im- 

 provements in sioppmg railway tr. tins and other carriages, aud generally where a lifting 

 power or pressuie is lequirtd.'* — January IS. 



John Hickman, >if Birmingham, for " Im| rovements in the means of constructing and 

 connecting parts nf bed.^tetids. couches, and other articles of furnitur- to which such im- 

 provements may be appticalde, and also in the means of attaching knobs or handles to 

 drawers, doors, and other parts of ft.rnituie." — January Irf. 



William Newton, ol (Jii. Chanct-ry-lrtue, Middlesex, civil engineer, for "Improvements 

 in the maoufactine of sugar from the cane." {Being a communication.) —January IS. 



John Frederic Bateman, of Mamhester, for " certain Improvements in valves or plugs 

 for the passage of water or other fluids."— January IS. 



Thomas Robert Sewell. of Carrington, in the parish of Basford, Nottingham, cbemlsl, 

 for " Improvements in preparing fljiir."— January IS. 



Joseph Clinton Robertson, of Ififj, Fleet-stteet, London, civil engineer, for "certain 



Imtiruvemenls in the manufacture of textile fabrics, stufl's, and tissues, and of certain new 



products obtained by tlie aid ot such improvements." (A comiuunication.) — January 19. 



John Duncan, of Urentwood, Essi-x, gentleiuan, for " certain Improvements in tanning 



of hides."— January 20. 



