254 



THE CIVIL ENGINEER AND ARCHITECT'S JOURNAL. 



[July, 



(Icririg it tluiil, wliicl], upon again cooling, becomes solid and hermetically 

 seals the valve. Thus each train, in passing, leaves the pipe and valve in a 

 fit state to receive the next train. 



For the jinrpose of exhausting the tuhc a steam engine of IG horse power 

 is emplovcd, whicli works an air-pump or exhauster IS"' inches diameter, and 

 '>'>\ inches stroke, malung from 40 to 43 strokes per minute. The air-pmup 

 is connected with the exhaust tube in tlie centre of the railway, by means of 

 a Inancli pipe 9 inches cUameter leading from the air-pump. 



To calculate the power of this kind of apparatus, it is iiescessar>- to ascer- 

 tain the state of vacuum and the dirt'crencc of the jn-essure of the atmosphere 

 which forces the piston forward; in the present experiments the vacuum was 

 C(piivalent to from 13 to 'JO inches of mercury, which will give for the useful 

 pressure of the atmosphere on the piston about 9 Ih. on the square inch. The 

 arc:i of the tidie, 9 inclies diameter, is equal to C3-G2 square inches, and this 

 iiudtiplied bv the pressure, will give 



9x63-62 = 572-58 lbs. 

 for the pressure on the back of the piston, or the moving power. 

 The load conveyed at each e.xperimeut may be taken as follows : — 



Two carriages = 4 tons. 



Apparatus attached = 1 ton. 



Forty-five passengers = 3 tons. 



Total load convejed =8 tons. 



The stationary engines and air pumps on this system may he fixed in dis- 

 tances varying from one to four miles apart, to suit the traffic and convenience 

 of the line of road ; each section or length of pipe acted on by one engine is 

 confined between two valves; the vacuum is created to about 18 to 20 inches 

 of mercur\ before the piston enters the pipe, and is maintained during the 

 passing of Ibe train by the engine being kept at work ; having passed through 

 one section of pipe, the momentum the train has attained, senes to carry it 

 on to tlie next section, which commences at aljout 100 or 200 yards beyond, 

 and the entrance separating valve of the second section being opened by the 

 carriage immediately after it has entered, allows the vacuum prepared in this 

 section to act upon the piston ; thus the train can pass from section to section 

 without end, and without any stoppage. 



F.rperimcnfs. — For the ]nirpose of ascertaining the relative velocity on 

 various jiortions of the half mile, it was divided into 20 sections of 2 chains 

 or 44 yards eacli. The carriages were started from a state of rest at the foot 

 of the inclined (ilane of one in 120, and allowed to run up the incline of half 

 a mile before the break was applied to arrest the progress of the carriages. 

 ■Wlicn two carriages were attached, they run over the ground, after passing 

 the first 5 divisions at the velocities of 7, 6, 5, and 4 seconds to each section, 

 which is equiv.alcnt to 13, 15, 18, and 221 miles per hour; and when one 

 carriage only was attached, it run over the ground at tlie velocities of 6,5, 4, 

 and 3 seconds to each division, which is equivalent to 15, 18, 225, and 30 

 miles per hour. The last dirision in each experiment was done at the greatest 

 velocity, wldcli clearly shows that had the experiment been made on a mile 

 run instead of a lialf inile, the experiment would have been far more favour- 

 able and satisfactory ; and if the experiment had been made on a level, about 

 lOUr times the above load might have been conveyed at the same velocity. 



We noticed that it took about 11 minute to raise tjie vacuum each trip, to 

 about 18 inches of mercury. 



From the aliove experiments, tlie loads drawn, and the speed attained, will 

 be as good a criterion of the success of the undertaking at we can have, and 

 when we consider that in producing these results, the patentees must have 

 been wholly unassisted by any previous examjilcs, w^e think that the greatest 

 credit is due to the talent and ingenuity they have displayed. The system 

 appears to us to possess many advantages which must insure it the serious 

 consideration of the engineer. The carriages travel without noise, and with- 

 out the risk of explosion, or of getting off the rail. It does not seem possible 

 that a collision of trains can take place, for two trains cannot receive power 

 from the same section of pipe at the same time, neither can they receive 

 power in opposite directions on the same rail. The speed on this system 

 must be proportioned to the capacity of the air-pumps used to -maintain the 

 exhaustion in the tulies, and therefore any rate of travelling that may be 

 deemed desirable may be easily attained. 



French Railwai/s.—'nw Railway Committee held another meeting last week 

 in Paris, and afier hearing parties interested in the five companies affoeted 

 ijv the (lovernmont Ijill, took into special cunsidcration that part of tlie mea- 

 sure which reUlcs to the lines frc.in LiUc and Valenciennes to the Belgian 

 fronliers. The Commiltec approved of these two lines being executed Ijy 

 GuvernmeiU, not only on account of precautions that might be itciulered ne- 

 cessary by llic defence of the frontier; but also because the .'ormation of 

 trealies with Belgium iniglil lender it ilcsirablc that ibese lines should Ije in 

 the bands of the .Sfalc. 'I'hc t'onimittee was of opinion that ibe terminalion 

 of these lines was the more called fur, since ibe Beli^ian lines to the frontier 

 were already executed. The line from Lille to the frontier near Mouserun is 

 14.125 meiers in length, or 47.000 English feet; and that from Valenciennes 

 lo Ihe frontier near tijuievrain is 03,128 metres, or 43,000 feet ; the first is to 

 cost I.OOO.OOOf, tbc latter 4,000,000f The Committee adopted this part of 

 the bill almost unanimously, as also the lines and surveys as approved of by 

 the administration of the Punts et Chaussees. — Railwiii/ Timrs. 



IJmiclhi Jtiiilimy. — The present state of the new line is as follows : — From 

 the Dock at Llanelly to Parkrhyn (main line) eleven miles, and from thence 

 up to the terminus of Cwm Amman branch, six miles, altogether seventeen 

 miles, the line has been completed .and open for traffic, over uhicli the loco- 



motive engines of the Company are travelling. — From that point, viz. Parkrhyn, 

 up to Dultryn Lodge (aljout a mile and a half further on the main hue) ibe 

 same is nearly completed, the rails having been laid, and the filling in in 

 progress. — From that point on the main line, viz., DuIlVyn Lodge, the branch 

 li'ading to Mr. L(mg Wrey's collieries, and Messrs. Morris, .Sayce, and Cu.'s, 

 is in c(,urse of forward progi-ess, and will be completed by 1st Jimnary next, 

 tliis Ijrancb is altogether about four miles in length, and leads lo sever.al 

 eolleries of capital coal. The Company have entered into a ctmlr.ict with 

 Mr. M'rey, to bring for seven years at least 10.000 tons yearly down this 

 braneli. which will yield railway and dock dues, .as a minimum amount, the 

 sum of 1.000/. per annum — The two new locomotive engines to which re- 

 fereui-e was made in the last annual Report as then ordered, are now at 

 Llanelly, and one of tlieni. the Albert, is engaged in traversing the line, in 

 hauling coal down to Llanelly. The Committee are persuaded that the carry- 

 ing trade » lii. h will thus be secured to them by locomotive (Xiwer, will be a 

 source of profit when the quantity of coal, iron, &c., shall be increased : 

 whilst as an auxiliary to the general traffic the use of steam pi-mer is un- 

 questionably of great importance. — Directors ileport. 



Preston mid iVijrc Iliii I wa;/.— The Directors have made an ;u-rangemeiit for 

 one year with the North Union Railway to supply this Company with loco- 

 motive engines at 2.'.'. id. per mile per train, and with the first-class carriages 

 at a penny per mile each, and with second-class at a halfpenny pi-r mile each. 

 This Avill prevent the present outlay of a con.sider;ible capital, a circumstance 

 particularly desirable until the extent of the traffic on the line has been ascer- 

 tained. 



Great North of England Railwai/. — The works of the Great North of England 

 Railway between York and Darlington, are in so forward a state, that the 

 Directors of the Company have employed Mr. Green, of Darlington, architect, 

 to furnish designs for depots upon the line. — Leeds Intelligencer, Mnij 30. 



The Cheltenhnm /fn/Vici/;/.!.— ^Vithin the last few days the bank which sepa- 

 rated the Birmingham aiid Gloucester works from the Cheltenham and Great 

 AVestcrn, between the station and Lansdown Bridge, has been cut through, 

 from which circiimst nee we should infer that a satisfactory arrangement has 

 been entered into by the two Companies. The gieatest exertions are making: 

 to complete tlie work up to the Lansdown bridge, and from the number of 

 bands employed, and the activity displayed, we should fancy that a very 

 short space of time will suffice for the atta'inment of that oh'iect.— Cheltenhnm 

 Journal. 



Locomotive Carriage .—'Wit . Hills lately made a very successful trip to and 

 from Camberwell and Brighton with his patent locomotive carriage, the dis- 

 • tancc from Camberwell to Brighton was performed in 5 hours and lU minutes, 

 out of which time one hour 21 minutes was lost by delays in obtaining a sup- 

 ply of water at the inns, and 10 minutes delay on the road. Tlic return trip 

 » as accomplished in 5 hours 22 minutes, out of which time one hour four 

 minutes was lost by delays in obtaining water, and 26 minutes delay by 

 stoppages on the road ; the delays in obtaining water will be reduced very 

 consid(?rably, when proper stations and stated periods for arrival are made, 

 the whole of the stoppages need not occupy more than 12 minutes, which, 

 according lo the speed the carriage ran on the road, the journey from London 

 to Brighton might be very well accomplished in about three hours and a half. 

 Our correspondent, who accompanied Mr. Hill on his trip to London, states 

 tli.at the form of the carriage is a handsome britzka, that there is scarcely 

 any noise from the working of the engine, or escape of steam, and no aii- 

 pearance of smoke ; on descending hills it is easily regulated by powerf^ul 

 retarders. and griided with the greatest facility. We hope at some future 

 time to be able to give some additional information connected with the cost 

 of a carriage, and the «'orking of the same. 



NJiMV CHURCHES, &c 



Pli/monlh. — On Tuesday 20th May the foundation stone was laid of a new 

 Church in Southside-streel. in this borough, and which is to be calleil 

 " Trinity Church." From the peculiar circumstances of its locality, itdilTera 

 greatly from the usual fiirm of New Churches. Its interior may be described 

 as a square of about 70 feet, diviiled into tlu'ee parts by t« o parallel Tuscan 

 colonnades, each surmounted by an attic range of semicircular windows, 

 forming a r/cre.t/on/ as in our cathedral churches. The traverse section of the 

 building, therefore, exhitjtts a nave of aljout 35 feet high, by 37 feet wide, 

 and two aisles, each about 23 feet high, bv Iti feet wide, the galleries being 

 constructed along the latter. The building being surrounded by houses. Sic. 

 on the north, south, and west sides, the only light, in addition to that of the 

 clerestories, is derived from three windows at the east end, the central one 

 being a large three-light Venetian window over the altar, which terminates a 

 recess extending about 14 feet eastward from the main body of the church : 

 on each side of the altar projection is an entrance porch ; and there is a third 

 porch in the centre of the north side to allord an entrance from Soutbside- 

 street. The bell turret, surmounting a pediment over the great east window, 

 is'in the simple form of an areli ilanked by pilasters, and crow»ed \vith a 

 small pediment, a repetition of the larger one below. It is anticipated that 

 the perspective of Ibe interior looking from the western end will be Ijoldly 

 pielurest|ue and ecclesiastical ; that the ellect of the loftv clerestories will be 

 not less striking, than novel, as a modern application of Italian architecture ; 

 and that the altar-piece, with its triple Venetian window over, will form an 

 imposing termination to tile vista. The church is calculated to allord accom- 

 modation for .about 1100 sittings, of which 630 are free. George Wightwick, 

 Esq., is the architect. 



Nartliamptonshire.—'lihc Hon. H. Watson, brother of Lord Sondes, with 

 praiseworthy munificence, intends erecting anew church at Guilsijorougli, 

 entirely at his own expense. The cost of the building, it is said, will amount 

 to upwards of 5,000/. 



