IS-10.] 



THSC VIML I:N(;1N 1:1:11 AND AIKIIITIXIS JOUKNAL. 



27 



propoiiy (ulied with cast ov shod iron, ur otlii_'r jiviipcr inuU'iial, witli si)acc 

 (u iicntiil it to jiass icaiUly, and having a rope, ur cunls, connected with thi^ 

 end of the piston, is worked in tlie manner of a pump nntil -snlliciently charged 

 with the su))stance to I)e removed, wlien it i;^ raised liy a winilhiss, or otlier 

 |")wer. It is partienlarly adapted to the c\ea\ation,s of sliafls for brine, and 

 Avas diseovoreil wliilst excavating wells for that pnrposc, as no instnuneiit was 

 Known wliicii wonhl readily raise the gravel from the hetis withont great de- 

 lay and dillicnlty, and at the same time leave tlio sides of the well liare and 

 |icr\ioiis to the transmission of lirine, tlie ordinary process of drilling merely 

 crowihng the staves from the shaft, and rendering the sides of the well coiu- 

 l)act, hard, and nearly evelnding the [lassage of small streams of brine into 

 the well.'' 



The form of the exterior of the machine is that of two cylinders differing 

 iii size, the smaller standing above tlie larger; tlie lower cylinder is to be 

 aljoiit II or 12 inches in diameter, and 21 in litight; the upper one may he 

 s;, inches in diameter, and 15 in height; they are connected liy an oiriet,are 

 hollow, and made of cast iron ; the upper cylinder forms a pump chamber in 

 w hieh a piston is to work. The lower eyiimler constitutes a receiver to re- 

 tain the sand and gravel drawn into it by the action of tlie pump. In the 

 tiottoui of the lower cyliiuler there is a round opening of si\ inches in diame- 

 ter, and tlic ujiper and inner edge of this opening is surroumlcd by pieces of 

 whalebone, or other elastic material, which rise from it so as to foim a cone 

 somewhat like that of the pointed converging wires ill some rat traps; these 

 may be six or seven inches long. They allow of the pass.agc of stones and 

 gravel into tlie chamber, and prevent their return. This clastic material is 

 surromided by a sleeve of cloth, w hich admits sand to p.iss u]i and around it. 



The claim is to "the manner of connecting and combining the respective 

 parts of the above described machine, for the pur|iose of excavating wells and 

 shiitts, and the removal of sand and gr.avcl thereffom ; that is to say, the 

 coiubination of the exliaes.i.ig apparatus with the cylinder, the conical bars 

 of whalebone or otlier material, and the canvas surrounding the same, con- 

 structed and operating in the manner set forth." 



PRESERVING TIMBER 13Y LIME WATER. 



Specification of a Patent fnr an improvement in t/ie mode of preseri'iiii Tim- 

 ber. Granted to Samuel Rini/yold, of Florida, and Edward liarle, of 

 Savannah, State of Gcoryia, Any. 0, 183S. 



(From the Franklin Journal.) 

 Tlie n.iture of our invention consists in applying heat, by boiling in strong 

 lime-water, to the interior as well as to the exterior of timber, accoriling to 

 the size and kind of timber, and the use in which it is to be empIo\i'd may 

 admit, or rctpiire, for the destruction and prevention of worms in it. ami for 

 the correction or removal of the corruptible sa|), and the occup.ation of its 

 jjlacc by a jirescrvative substance. 



\Vc tirst bore the timber, if it he of a size siiliicieiit to admit of it, through 

 the centre, making the perforation of a calibre projiortioncd to the size of 

 the piece, say from half an inch to an inch and a half, or two inches. Then 

 we boil it in strong lime water for a length of lime proportioiit'd to its size, 

 .as four to six hours, if it be twelve inches sipiiire, and so in ]noportioii to its 

 substance : and when the timber has had the heat and lliiid convc\ed through 

 its whole substance, it is to he removed to a shed, wlicre. protected from the 

 sun and wind, it may gradually dry. Finally, before it is used, the pcrfo- 

 ratitm through the centre is to lie completely tilled with dry lime, or with 

 pclroleuni, or coal tar, as the purpose for which it is iiitcmled may make 

 preferable, and plugged by wood of the same kind, and prepared in the same 

 maiuier. .Mso, if the use to whieli the timber is destined he such as to admit 

 of it, the exterior may be payed, or coated with hot petroleum, or coal tar. 



What we claim as our invcution, and desire to secure by letters patent, is 

 the boiling of timber in lime water, as above set forth. We ajiply the fluid 

 to the interior as well as exterior of the timber, by means of the central per- 

 foration, when the size of the tindier reuiiires it. as the most etfectual mode 

 of preserving it from the ravages of insects, and from rot. Wc do not claim 

 the saturating of timber by a solution of lime in water when applied cold, or 

 when heated by that heat which is geiicrateil in the slacking of the lime, but 

 conline our claim to the boiling it in lime water during one, two, three, or 

 more hours. 



Remarks liy the Editor.— "Yhc plan of impregnating timber with lime, by 

 soaking it in lime \vat;r, is ipii^e old, but we have never yet seen any evidence 

 of its utility. This is an a,oi"ned effect, but one which, we believe, yet re- 

 iiiains to be proved. Toe oaly substantial difference in the plan above pro- 

 posed, and that foriiier'y assaye:', is in the boiling process, and this we think 

 of a very doub.ful ul^li-y. Tin-'.er may be rapidly seasoned by boiling, the 

 moisture within it being co.uerted into vapour, and consccpiently escaping 

 through the pores, a condition not the most favourable to the entrance of a 

 solution ; the allowing it to cool in and with the liiptor, might probably pro- 

 mote saturation. There is another fact of some importance in the process, 

 provided the thing itself is of any value, namely, that the colder the water 

 the greater is the (piantity of lime held in solution, and of course more wonhl 

 enter the pores in a cold than in a heated vessel. It is not worth wliilc, 

 however, to extend our speculations upon the best mode of getting the lime 

 in nntil wc have ascertained the fact that whdi it is th"rc it will proaicc 

 some good result. 



IIEK M.\JESTY'S UOCIx-YARl), WOOLWICH. 



l'jXTfc;N;.tvK works are at present in operation at the west end of the yard, 

 for the formation of a large giavingrloek, which is to allord accommodation 

 to the tirst class government steamers. The site for the new dock is the 

 south side of the basin m wet dock, which is principally used for tilting out 

 steamers; the situation thus chosen allows of room for another dock of like 

 dimensions being constructed to the eastward of it, in the event of sncli ex- 

 tended accommodation being rccpiired. The works, which are contracted for, 

 ami being executed by, Jlessrs. (irisscll and I'cio, under the direction of Mr. 

 Walker, the engineer, are of gieat magnitude, comprising likewise the for- 

 mation of a wall across tlic enlrauce to the old concrete dock, which was 

 undertaken by Mr. Ranger, and constructed of bis patent concrete ; this ma- 

 terial was not found sutHcient to keep down the land springs, and has, coii- 

 se<iucntly, been reUiKpiished. For the formation of the new dock, a cotlcr- 

 dam has been constructed in front of the proposed cntiauee, nearly a hundred 

 feet in Icngtii, consisting of parallel rows of close iiiliug driven info the solid 

 ground, as that portion of the basin wall vvilhin the collcrdam will necessarily 

 have to be removed, great strength is retpiircd in the framing of the timbers 

 for its supjiort, which appears to liave been amiily proviilcd for by the excel- 

 lent arrangement of shoring adopted. Considerable progress has lieen made 

 with the excavation foi' the dock, which has been taken out for nearly its 

 entire surface, to a depth of from twenty to thirty feet below the cpiay level ; 

 to prevent the slopes of the excavation from slipping, and likewise to save 

 room, the whole .".rca of the (hick is Ijcing enclosed with sheet piling, which, 

 as tlic masonry of the siile walls advances, vviU be removed if found advisable. 

 The dock will be constructed of granite, eitlicr from the New Granite Co.'s 

 (piarries, near I'lymoutb, or from the Uaytor ipi.arries in Ucvoiishire. A 

 large quantity of stone is now upon the ground partly worked. The length 

 of the dock will he 2ti."> feet from the semicircular bead to the inside of the 

 gates, the width at top HO feet and at bottom 37 feet, the clear width at the 

 entrance 05 feet, the ilcpth 2li feet from the ipiay level to the invert, being 

 cfpnil to 22 foot dc|Kli of wafer at high water. Trinity standard ; the entrance 

 gates and plan of working them will be according to the most approved con- 

 struction. 



The sides of the dock will be formed in steps or altars, varying in height; 

 from nine to sixteen inches, and in width from nine to liftcen inches, with 

 the exception of one called the liroad Altar, about midway down which will 

 be eighteen inches in width; the object of these altars is for the convenience 

 of placing the shores against the hull of a vessel at any height, and for rest- 

 ing the ends of spars for staging; that called the Broad Altar is made wider 

 than the others, for walking upon in examining the sides of the vessel under 

 repair; the curve given to the .altars is caleulatcd to suit nearly the form of 

 a vessel, and likewise all'ords, as Iieforc stated, the opportunity of shoring at 

 any height, which is precluded by the common form of docks where very 

 deep altars are used, and they will also enable the workmen to get up ami 

 down at any part of the dock with great facility, but for general purposes, a 

 staircase of more easy ascent will be constructed at the head of the dock; 

 slips for letting down and raising timber, iSve., will be formed at the head, 

 and likewise on each side of the dock. The stones of the invert forming the 

 bottom of the dock will radiate, as likewise the altar stones as high as the 

 Broad Altar, the whole thus forming an arch to resist the upward pressure, 

 and the masonry above, as likewise the coping, will be in stones of large 

 dimensions, tlie whole backed with brickwork and concrete. The walls at 

 top will be four feet thick, and at bottom 25 feet ti inches, and the total 

 width of the foundations will be ti8 feet, under which a body of concrete 

 three yards thick will be carried down to the gravel. The a]iron at the en- 

 trance will be supported upon bearing piles, and protected in front with sheet 

 piling made water-tight. As an engine and pumps will be required for emp- 

 tying the dock, a pumiiing engine is now being constructed by i\Icssrs. Bolton 

 and Watt, and will be fixed ready for working by the time the dock is finished, 

 Large brick culverts, furnished with iirojier penstocks, will be formed for 

 drainage to the engine-well, and also for filling the dock when required for 

 floating a vessel out. During the works, the large area excavated for the 

 dock will be kept clear of water by a temporary engine and pumps, which 

 are in course of erection. From the above some idea may be formed of the 

 magnitude and importance of the works now in progress at Woolwich Uock 

 Yard, which, with other improvements now being executed under the direc- 

 tion of Captain Brandrcth ami Lieut. Dcnnison, of which we hope shortly to 

 give an account, will render this yard a vciy complete establishment for that 

 miportaut department of Her Majesty's navy, the steam marine. We will 

 endeavour, at some future opportunity, to give further particulars of these 

 interesting works during their progress. 



Prierhiirn'. — The .lustiees fm- this liberty.' at their meeting on .Salurday the 

 .3O1I1 u!t.. adopted the phuii of Mr. Dunlliuroc, of Hanover-street. Loiulcn. 

 for the new gaol .about 10 be erected lor ibis liberty. Many very meritorious 

 plans were sent for the insiieeticm of the.liisaes; and anioniAsi ibem. those 

 of Mr. Sililey, ol tlreat D.inond-slieot. and Mr. Alexander, of Adam-,>treet, 

 Ailclphi, London, and ol i\lr. \\"aller, of Cambridge, elicited ihe grralcst ap- 

 prolatiou. Mr. Blore. «ho is crnmcuuslv stated by a cotemporary to have 

 been the successful candidate, did nut send in a design. — SlainJ'i'rd Mercury. 



% 2 



