70 



THE CIVIL ENGINEER AND ARCHITECT'S JOURNAL. 



[Fkbritart, 



en dip \v:itcr. Willi tlio wlioli- of licr mtidiinery. fuel, ikic. on lin^iril, lipr 

 draft of water is only four feet six inches. Slie has two enp;ines of 30 horse 

 power each, nwule i/y >h'ssrs. IX-vonjiort anil Grinroil. of the Caledonian 

 I'ounihy in this to« n, Ojiun a novel anil iniindvc 1 e(jnslniulion. their |K'rii- 

 liarity consists in llie fixing' of the cvtinilers on :m an^Ii' of 'Ij dr^rees in the 

 form of a rectangle, with the hypothenuze at the hase, so that they act as a 

 j.tay and snpport to each other. No side lever.smr required or roiiiiter bnlanrps: 

 ;inil the working parts Ijeing fewer than in ordinary engines, thev arc less 

 liable to derangement, and not so nnudi ex|)osed to wrar :;nd /ei:r. These en- 

 "ines are exceedingly compact, and have realized ; II that was contemplated 

 by tile ingenious maker.s— ample po.ier— ease in working, and great strengtii, 

 eondiined'^wilh unusual lightness. At twelve on Saturday night several gen- 

 tlemen \irnceeded in the vessel from tlie Clarence Dock on a short experi- 

 mental trip on the river. New engines are necessarily stilt, and it reipiires 

 M.nie time to ascertain their prop'er adjustment, M'ith all disadvantages, 

 iuiwever, the ///«r performed her work admirably, from the moment she 

 U'll the linik. A very short trip oidy w.is intenileil on the first occasion ; 

 but the speed of the vess(d was so Ealisfaetnry, and the gratification of all on 

 board conseiiiiently su great, thai she iirneeeded up the river a distance of 12 

 or 11 miles and back— accomplishing the trip "out and home" in about two 

 hoi.irs. Cn her way np she beat several very powerful steamers, and on 

 comin" down sneeessivelv headed two of tlie Runnora packets in gallant 

 style. 'The strokes of ihe'engine averaged thirty-two per minute, but when 

 at her ftdl power they will make thirty-five. — Liverpool Sta)i<l(ird, Dec. 21. 



HALL'.S RKKFING PADDLES. 



"Tut: inventor isMr. Hall, the ingenious deviser of the condenser which 

 goes by his name. By a contrivance of the tilmost sim[.lieity, all the fioat- 

 l.onrds'of boili p:iddle-H heels of a steam-boat, (jr either of them, can at any 

 lime, or in any »eaiber, be 'reefed' in a few minutes; or. in other words, 

 till' liiameter of the paddle-wheels be reduced from their extreme size to any 

 oilier di^iineler. The advantages which will follow this conlrivance arc well- 

 known to all per.'ions « bo have atiended personally to .steam navigation ; but 

 a few words on this point will perhaps not be unacceptable to those wlio may 

 not have had opportunities of studying the subject afloat under varied cir- 

 cumstances. ,-,,,.,, 



lOverv one can nndcrstand that, when a stcam-vesselislo.ided with a lieavy 

 cargo, or has a full supply of coals on board, the |iadille-\\ heels will be sunk 

 til nn'inrnnvenient ilepth'in the water, and that, in order to enable them tu 

 v.iirk villi advantage, the float-boards require to be unscrewed and shifted 

 nearer to Ihe centre of the paddle-wheel — an operation of some trouble, and 

 oflen reipiiring much time. This adjusiment may, of course, be made at ihe 

 beginning of a voyage, aecmding tu the draught of water, but it may become 

 fiifiv as necessary to shilt Ihe paildle-bn.ards during the voyage, either larther 

 liiit'or farther in. If the vessel, for instance, by the expenditure of her coals, 

 beenmes li'diter, the (loat-boards should be rnoved out ; or, if a gale comes 

 on a-heaib^tbey have to be moved in; which oper.atinns. if they have to be 

 done in bad weather, are both tedious and ditiicult. .So that any invention 

 wliiili shall give the power of shifting the float-boaids easily and quietly, 

 must be of great practical utility, especially on long voyages. 



" ft is well-known to those who have attended to the subject that no steam 

 vessel can be said to work to the full extent of her power unless her engines 

 make a given number of strokes in a given time— say in a minute ; the elas- 

 ticity of the steam being supposed to continue uniformly of a certain deter- 

 minate strength. Now occasions constantly arise when, in consequence of 

 the paddle-wheels being too deeply immersed, or that the sea is high, the 

 Hunt -lioards are made to impinge oii the surface atsuch an unfa vouraiile angle, 

 .and again on leaving it, that a considerable portion of the power is lost in 

 production of what is called back-water. The cimscouence is, that the p,ad- 

 dle-wheel is virtually so over-loaded, that Ihe steam though generated of the 

 proper degree of elasticity is not .adequate to turn them round Ihe given 

 number of limes. When 'this ha]i]iens, as the engine does not make the 

 nunil er of strokes per minute which it oughi to do when working at its 

 maxinium speed, one ot two things must happen, either steam must be 

 blown oil and power wasted, or the fire must be low ered in order that no 

 more steam may be generated than the engine, at its reiliiced number of 

 :j|rukes, can consume. In consequence of this state of things, it happens 

 nut unfrcqiiently that vessels whose paddles are too deeply immersed, ihoiigh 

 carrying a high nominal power, are obliged to work witlia power really 

 much inferior. — Vnileil Si-rvire Journal. 



Thr (h-eal H'rxlrrn. — We are happy in being idde to .say that the examina- 

 tion of ibis noble vessel since her laying up shows thai liiere is neither spot 

 nor blemish in her, that she does not require caulking or coppering, beyond 

 a few sheets to rejil.ice those which hive been rubbed olV by the coal vess(ds. 

 or have licen removed for the purjiose of a thorough eNaminalion. All the 

 pails of Ihe engines which are not fixtures have been taken out and thoroiiglily 

 evamineil, imd are now in progress of replacement. Thr |)1 in of the dircclors 

 i.i to overhaul her coin|ilelely once a year; andweshould s;iy after 3').000 

 n.inlieal miles steiuning per annum, an almost indisi ens.-ible one, it confi- 

 dence is to be m.dnlained wilh the public. M'e understand that the poop 

 deck is to be Icnglheneil 1 (i feet ; and tliat Ihe whole of llieoflicers. engineers, 

 sinker.-;, and ser\;ints. wliose berths below were a great inconvenience and 

 annoyance to !lie hire cabin passengers, arc to be aecolnlnodal^d on deck ; 

 .also that the fares are to be all equal in the fore and ;dtcr accommodalion, 

 the fore slate rooms having been consider.ibly enlarged. Mie will sail on the 

 2Ulli of I'uhrwmy ■— Ilrislul Mirmr. 



'J'he J'rrsidrul Siniui-.shiii.—Oa .Sund.iy the .'ih ult., Ihe Knyal William 

 steamer, on her pass.i^e bum Linidon to I'lymoulh, li'll in with, oil the 

 Start, Ihe magnificent steamer President, on her voyage frmn Linidon to 

 Liver|ionl,(lo lake inhcnnacliiiiery), in quite an unman.ige.ilile sl;ite, having 

 rollid away her foremast, maintopniast. ite. The Kiiy:il W'illi.am took her 

 in tow, ami brought her iulo the .Sound during Sunday night. On Tucsikiy 

 she was towed up to the dockyard by Her Majesty's ste.amev Carron, and the 



same evening one of the directors of the British ;ind Amerienn Navigation 

 Company, for whose service she is built, arrived from London to suiierintend 

 her refitment. — Phjmoulh Journal. 



The Armed Steamer, A'emesi.w — Tliere is now lying in the Half-tide Basin 

 of the Clarence Docks, (ireenock. a very be:uit!ful iron steamer, cnnslrueted 

 hy Mr. .lohn Laird, of North liirkenhead, bearing the above name. She is 

 fitted up wilh one engine of 121) horse power, and armed with two 32-pound 

 caiTunades, the one fore and the other aft. which move on Solid swivel car- 

 riages. Her draught of water is umier four feet. Her crew will consist of 

 40 men. She will, it is s:dd, clear out for lirazi', lr.it her ullimale destina- 

 tion is conjectured to be to the l'',;istern and Chinese seas. On Monday last she 

 made an excursion as far as tlic Floating Taght, for the pnrpn.se of trying 

 her machinery, which was found to work admirably. — EdinhurgU Oh.wn'er. 



T.eitli llnrhmir and Dorks. — Messrs. Walker and Cubitt have given in their 

 reiiorl. and the Tre;isury have decided on adopting Mr. Walker's pkin. 



PROGRESS OF RAILVTAVS. 



Sheffield and Manehester Raiheai/. — Mr. Vignoles lins resigned his ofTiee as 

 engineer-in-ehief, and Mr. L- eke has been appointed to sueeecd him. The 

 directors, we understand, intend pushing forward wilh all possible vigour the 

 works between Cdossopand the Manchester terminus, so as to be able to open 

 in the first instance through that very populous and productive district. The 

 works at the summit tunnel are making very satisfactory progress. — llailwaij 

 Times. 



Hull and Selhy Railwni/. — Vte understand that Mr. Walker, the companj's 

 chief engineer, lias been in Hull this week, and after examining the various 

 Works on the line, has reported very favourably as to the progress which is 

 being made in them ; the bridges over the rivers Ouse ;ind DL-rwent are in an 

 advanced state of forwardness, and will both be completed in a few weeks ; 

 nearly the whole of the line is liallasled, and several miles of the permanent 

 single way, on longitudinal bearers and cross sleepers, are already laid ; large 

 fiuantities of these are being conslanlly forwarded to the various portions of 

 the line. The depot- and other buildings at .Selhy are in a verv advanced 

 state ; this is also the case w ith those at the Hull terminus ; .and, although 

 the past seasint Ins been a most unfavourable one for all railw.ay works, it is 

 still hoped that ibis underiaking will ho ready to be opened fair the whole 

 length ah ut Midsummer next. With respect bi finances, we understand that 

 the whole of Ihe amount to be taken npuii loin has been obtained without 

 .advertising, and Ihe last call, notwithstamling the pressure upon the money 

 market, has been remarkably well paid. We may congratulate our townsmen 

 especially, and the inhabitants of the manufacturing districts of Yorkshire 

 and Lancashire generally, on the prospect of speedily being enabled, by 

 means of the Hull and Selhy Railway, (connected as it is with the Leeds and 

 Selby, the York and North Midlaml Counties, Manehester and Leeds, Man- 

 chester and Liverpool, Grand ,Iunction, and London and Birmingham Rail- 

 ways,) to travel by this cheap, safe, and expeditious mode to all tlie principal 

 towns in the kingdom. We are h;ippy to learn ihal the price of shares in the 

 Hull and Selby Railway is rapidly advancing in the market, and that before 

 the opening of the line, as above stated, tliey arc likely to be at par. — Eastern 

 Counties Herald. 



Edinburgh and Glasgow Rnilwai/. — M'e are gl id to learn from a correspon- 

 dent who lately visited the Kdinburgh ,anii Gl.isgow Railway works, now in 

 progress, especially those through the Almond Valley, about eight miles from 

 Kdinburgh, under contract by Messrs. John Gibb and .Son. on wliiidi there is 

 one bridge of tiiirty-six arches, of fii"ty feet span each, besides numerous 

 smaller bridges, extensive earth-cutlings. S;e.. that these gentlemen contem- 

 plate employing on these works, early in the spring, a vast number of masons, 

 quarriers, earth-workers, and waggon-drivers. We have no doubt that this 

 will be good news to many, especially as trade in the manufacturing districts 

 is in such a depressed state. — Aberdeen Journal. 



Dundee and Arbroath Rnilwai/.— This great public nndert;iking is nearly 

 completed, the embankment lias been formed up to the Gas Work, and in 

 the cour.se of two or three weeks the eml):nikments from the east and west 

 will have neiirly met. As an arrangement has now. we believe been made 

 with the Harbour Tiaistees, the public will soon have tlie full benefit of this 

 conveyance from Trades-lane to Arbroalh, ;ind the inconvenience and trouble 

 occasioned by the omnibuses will be avoided. It is said there will be a grand 

 opening on the completion of the line ; .and it is not indikely that Lord Pan- 

 mnrc. who has all along m:inifesled Ihe greatest interest in ihc work, will be 

 present. There are four vessels in a dangerous situation, as they will be 

 closed in unless they get launched at the next stream tide ; the parties will 

 have themselves to lilame if such an event takes place, the vessels being ah 

 ready fur lauiudiuig. — Dundee Courier. 



Maryjmrt and Carlisle Uaiheay. — At a meeting of the directors of this rail- 

 way, held iiu Satuiday last, there was a repnri, iqain the stale of the works, 

 &c.'. 1-7 .lohn Blaekmiire. Ksij., lalely appointed engineer to the company. It 

 appears that about seven miles ot tiie radway will be re idy for the carriage 

 ot coal and lime .about the first week in April ne.\t. Arrangements were en- 

 tered into wilh parliesdesirons ol taking coals along the line lor sluiiment at 

 Maryport, from which it is evident iliat an income will at once be reidlzeil 

 suihcient to pay ten per cenf. U|niii the amount of capital tluit will then have 

 been eipended. and this withuiit taking into account any other source of 

 tralTic or the i;icre;ise of coal that will undoubtedly t;ike place. While upon 

 lliis subjecl we beg leave to warn those shareholders, \Mr( cularly the distant 

 ones, who have not the opportunity of gaining correct informaiion about the 

 proceedings of tlie company, ag.unst a practice that has lately become too 

 common of parties who ealumniale and depreciate the value of property of 

 the above description for the purpose of getting shares from the timid or 



