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THE CIVIL ENGINEER AND ARCHITECT'S JOURNAL. 



|_Decemb£»,- 



PROCESoiKras op scientific societies. 



ROYAL INSTITUTE OF BRITISH ARCHITECTS. 



Nov. 20— Earl De Grey, President, in the Chair. 



This was the opening; mee'ing. The President, in presenting tlie 

 Royal .Merlal which had heen awarderl to Mr. Cockerell by the Institiile, 

 in Febrnary last, — but which, in consequence of the time required to pre- 

 pare the dies, made expressly for this purpose, had not been presented ;it 

 the closing meeting of the last session — complimented that gentleman on 

 his being the first individual selected by his professional brethren to receive 

 the honour which the Sovereign had placed at the disposal of the In- 

 stiiute. 



Prof. Do\ALnsoN then gave a description of the Cathedral Church of 

 St. Isaac, Petersburgh. 



SOCIETY OF ARTS, LONDON. 

 Nob. 22.— J. Walker, Esq., C.E., in the Chair. 



A letter from the Royal Society of Edinburgh was read. It was accom- 

 panied by a medal bearing the liligy of Napier of Merchiston, and was 

 olfered as a mark of respect for the Society of Arts. 



The Secretary read an address from the Council, which concluded as 

 follows: — "It is proper, however, that the Council should direct special 

 attention to a new feature in the exhibitions of the present session. It has 

 been complained, that for a couple of years the Society has directed atten- 

 tion too exclusively to the Fine Arts, to I he neglect of the Mechanical Arts 

 and Manufactures. This may, perhaps, be in part true. But in reforming 

 the opprations of the Society, it was necessary to do one thing at a time. 

 The Council have postponed the mechanics — not lost sight of iheni ; and 

 have availed themselves of the past vacation to prepare the large room on 

 the ground floor for the reception at Christmas of an exhibition of the 

 models of large inventions of recent date and of a mechanical nature. This 

 they hope will allord the public the gratitication of having laid systema- 

 tically before them all that is most important in the records of modern in- 

 vention." 



" 0:i a plan for cnnstructing a Malkahle Iron Lever Bridge." By 

 Mr. T. M. Gladstone. — The advantages which the author considers it to 

 possess over other plans, are that of enabling bridges of any span to be 

 built without a centering, whereby a saving is effected ; also enabling a 

 flatter roadway to be obtained while a higher waterway is insured than 

 can be got by any plan in which the arch springing from the pier is made 

 use of. The paper concluded with a detailed account of the comparative 

 cost of constructing bridges on the various plans hitherto used, and also of 

 the weights of metal employed. 



INSTITUTION OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERS. 



At the last quarterly meeting of the members of this institution, held at 

 Birmingham, the recent death of George Stephenson, the lamented Presi- 

 dent of the Society, and the intimation that a paper relating to his character 

 and life would be read at this meeting, invested the proceedings with an un- 

 usual degree of interest. 



After the minutes had been read and confirmed, Mr. M'Connell, who 

 occupied the chair, said that in consequence of the absence, from illness, of 

 Mr. Scott Russell, the duty devolved upon him (the chairman) of reading 

 the paper on the character of their late worthy and much-iaraented Presi- 

 dent. They had met for the lirst time since the death of the great man who 

 had lately presided over them — an event which the society greatly deplored, 

 and their grief was shared by all who could appreciate honesty and genius. 

 In his death the world had lost one of its brightest ornaments. He had 

 risen by the force of his own talents from a humble rank in life. He was a 

 kind friend, and not less distinguished as a man than as a great mechanical 

 genius. As long as railways existed, the name of Stephenson would live 

 with them. 



The Chairman then proceeded to read Mr. Russell's memoir, the length 

 of which precludes tlie possibility of insertion here. 



At the conclusion of the paper, Mr. Gbach then said he rose under feel- 

 ings of no ordinary kind to propose that the society should, at this the earliest 

 possible moment, place on their minutes an expression of their deep regret 

 at the loss of their much esteemed friend and President, Mr. George Ste- 

 phenson. Really when they remembered his last appearance amongst them 

 at their last meeting, in high spirits, good health, and indomitable strength 

 and activity of mind, it was not easy to realise the full extent of the cala- 

 mity that had befallen them, nor to speak of the bereavement without feel- 

 ings of strong emotion. He (Mr. Geach) had not known their late Presi- 

 dent so long as many present; but the peculiarity of Mr. Stephenson's cha- 

 racter was, that one did not require that time should elapse before he was 

 known and loved. It was impossible for any one younger than him to regard 

 him with any other feelings than those of deep affection. There was some- 

 thing in his manner, in the very tone of his voice, which endeared him to 



all. He was open, honest, manly, and stroightforward in all his dealings; 

 sometimes rough, hut that peculiarity never could hide the inherent kind- 

 ness of his disposition, Peculiarities he had, undoubtedly, but in his long 

 battle with the world he had so often found himself right, that he was, as 

 it were, privileged to speak authoritatively ; and, moreover, what in other 

 men would have been unpardonable, if, in him, noticed at all, only made 

 him the better liked. There was another peculiarity that was remarkable : 

 he was never ashamed — nay, he was proud of his early life. He never at- 

 tempted to gloze over his struggles with an unfavourable position ; and 

 while he was the associate of peers of the realm, he looked hack on his 

 early associations with pleasure and pride. And this was almost the only 

 pride he had, for his greatest delight was in meeting with the son of some 

 early friend who bad laboured alongside of him, and gladly acknowledging 

 the claim such a man had upon his kindly aid. He (Mr. Geach) could not 

 refrain from giving these feelings expression; and, in conclusion, he would 

 propose the following resolution : — " That the members of this institution 

 desire to express tlieir deep regret at the decease of their late President, 

 George Stephenson, whose early support of this institution has greatly con- 

 tributed to bring it to its present state of success." 



Mr. ForHERGiLL briefly seconded the motion, which was carried nnani- 

 mously. 



Mr. M'Connell remarked, that immediately after the death of Mr. Ste- 

 phenson, the Council of the institution met at Manchester, and drew up 

 aufl forwarded a letter of condolence to his widow for the great loss she 

 had experienced. They at the same time thought that the best tribute thf y 

 could pay to his memory, and the best service they could render the society, 

 would be the selection of Mr. Robert Stephenson as a successor to his 

 father. Accordingly, Mr. FothergiU and Mr. Buckle had put themselves 

 into communication with that gentleman, and the result was, that he had 

 consented to accept the ofBce of President. The announcement was re- 

 ceived with loud applause. 



Mr. Fothergill detailed the steps they had taken to bring about this de- 

 sirable consummation. 



Mr. M'Connell then formally proposed the election of Mr. Robert Ste- 

 phenson. A better choice could not have heen made, and the active connei'- 

 tion of that gentleman with their society would give their proceedings addi- 

 tional lustre. 



The motion was seconded by Mr. Fothergill, and passed by acclamation. 



" On the Adaptation of the Cambrian Engine to Locomotive Purpofies.''* — 

 A paper on this subject, accompanied by drawings, contributed by Mr. John 

 Jones, of Bristol, was then read by the Secretary. The advantages claimed 

 for an engine constructed on this principle are the obtaining a long stroke 

 in the crank, without the disadvantages of a long-stroked c\linder, where 

 high velocities are required, the arrangement of the levers which balance the 

 engine, the entire disappearance of any oscillating motion of the engine, 

 and doing away with all centre pressure. — A somewhat lengthy and inte- 

 resting discussion followed the reading of this paper, in which the Chair- 

 man, Mr. Cowper, Mr. Slate, Mr. Peacock, Mr. Crampton, Mr. Humphries, 

 Mr. Beyer, and others, took part. Considerable diflference of opinion 

 existed as to the value of the engine described. The weight of the argu- 

 ment, which we have not space to follow, was against the presumption that 

 the adaptation would be advantageous ; but at the suggestion of the chair- 

 man it was proposed to reserve any decision on its merits until thei'e was 

 more information before the meeting. — This suggestion was adopted, and 

 the discussion terminated. 



" On a Railwaij Elevator." — Mr. Fothergill read a paper contributed by 

 Mr. W. L. Kinmond, of Glasgow, on an elevator erected for the Glasgow and 

 Ayr Railway Company. Several members stated that they had seen the ma- 

 chine at work, and it was an admirable piece of mechanism. It had been 

 erected in 1840, and had never required repair, except in one instance some 

 few years ago. 



" Brockeilon's Patent India Rubber Joints." — Mr. Cowper brought this 

 subject before the meeting in a brief explanation of the application of vul- 

 canised India rubber to pipe joints, and their economy compared with those 

 of lead, the cost being about half. — Mr. Fothergill apprehended that the 

 practical objection to the adoption of the joints would be the difficulty of 

 repairing them. — Mr. Richards, of Worcester, said he had had more than 

 twelve months' experience of the joints, and he could speak in confident 

 terms of the great value of the invention. They had withstood the influ- 

 ences of ammonia and other gases, and did not seem to be at all alfected by 

 the changes of temperature. He considered that the repairs could be done 

 even more easily with joints such as those than with lead, for there was no 

 use for the shoulders with which the spigot in the drawing before them was 

 encumbered. He intended to adopt the joints extensively. — Mr. Fother- 

 gill said that Mr. Richards's explanation had removed the objection stated. 

 — .\fter a few other commendatory remarks, in which the value of the adop- 

 tion of India rubber was unanimously acknowledged, the Chairman re- 

 marked that they seemed to be agreed as to the usefulness of these joints, 

 their durability being the only point on which the society could not give an 

 opinion. 



