1840.] 



THE CIVIL ENGINEER AND ARCHITECTS JOURNAL. 



325 



sailed, all in the course of eight hours. As a place of refuge and shelter it 

 was lately tested, for, with a severe easterly gale of wind in April last, the 

 Steam boats plying to the stone and chain piers of Ne%vhaven were obliged to 

 avail themselves of the facilities afforded at Grauton ; and with the same 

 gale seven or eight steamers might at once have been seen lying snug at, or 

 departing from the western side of Granton Pier. Very shortly afterward, 

 with a similar gale, a vessel in a sinking state, with her crew on board, run 

 for and obtained shelter at Granton at low water, and but for this fortunate 

 escape all hands must have perished. 



In addition to carrying on the pier, wliich has been found to answer so 

 admiraljly, His Grace the Duke of Buccleuch has formed a splendid new road 

 between it and Edmburgh ; and a magnificent hotel and warehouse, and also 

 a pier master's house, adjoining the pier, have been finished lately. It is also 

 in contemplation, if not already commenced, to make a road from Granton 

 Pier to join the Cramond Road to the we'stward ; and a water-work for sup- 

 plying the pier and houses with good fresh water. Indeed, the improvements 

 at' present going forward at Granton with such gigantic strides, may justly 

 be viewed as an era in the history of civil engineering. 



It would be improper to close the present account of Granton Pier without 

 observing the credit which it, as a novel and highly important work of engi- 

 neering, "reflects on its judicious and skilful principal engineer, Mr. Walker. 

 The improvements daily going forward in its detail and parts, so ingeniously 

 and carefully concocted by the resident engineer, Mr. Howkins, as well as 

 the excellent arrangements in carrying on the work without in the slightest 

 degree interrupting the extensive and growing trade of the pier, are richly 

 deserving of praise. 



The Granton Pier will yet, at no distant day, give facilities to every descrip- 

 tion of trade, and have resources which time, together with the assiduous 

 endeavours of its noble and indefatigable proprietor, will only disclose. As 

 far as the work lias now proceeded, and in proportion as it is capable of 

 doing good, the public are certainly deeply indebted to the Duke of Buc- 

 cleuch. — Elffin Courant. 



THE THAMES FLOATING FIRE-ENGINE. 



Hitherto the London Fire Office has had its fire-engines on the Thames 

 placed in vessels or floatsc oustiucted of wood, and although built exceedingly 

 strong, yet considerable loss of engine power was sustained, through the 

 vibratory motion of the hull, in addition to which, the bottom of the vessels 

 or floats became soddened and foul, so that great difficulty was experienced 

 in removing them from their moorings to the scene of action. The fire oflice 

 being about to place another engine-veesel or float upon the Thames, the 

 advantages of a wrought-iron huU were submitted to the committee of ma- 

 nagement, who decided in favour of the same, and on Thursday, 20th ult., 

 (off Blackwall), a novel and interesting trial took pl.ace, on board the said 

 WTOugbt-iron float (built by Messrs. Ditchburn & Mare). The fire engines 

 are by Mr. Tilley, of Blackfriars Road, of larger dimensions and different 

 arrangement than those hitherto used ; the handles or levers are placed 

 parallel to the vessel's sides, leaving a convenient passage in the middle of 

 the deck. Thirty men were placed to each handle or lever, (of which there 

 are four,) two on each side, making 120 men ; every thing being ready, the 

 order was given to start, when one of the fire-meu (holding the branch-pipe) 

 was, by the force of the water entering the pipe, knocked on the deck ; the 

 men were instantly stopped: on starting again, it was found that it required 

 four of the stoutest fire-men to manage the pipe, (the nozle aperture of which 

 measures two inches in diameter,) and a column of water was discharged 

 from it, in a direct measured distance of 200 feet. The hull of the vessel 

 was found, under the most \iolent effect that could be produced upon it, per- 

 fectly free from vibration, quivering, or roUing motion; 18 men propelled 

 her by the means of oars, at the rate of 6 miles an hour. The result was 

 highly satisfactory to all parties concerned ; but we are disposed to ask, why 

 does not the London Fire Office avail itself of the best motive power — steam. 

 A 10-horse engine would propel such a vessel 10 miles an hour in Stillwater, 

 and double the eft'ect, they can at present produce with manual labour; would 

 be witliont cessation, and under entire command ; the steam could be raised 

 at any time in 15 minutes, and all this for the trifling smu of dtoOO. 



STEAM NAVIGATION. 



THE EARL OF HARDMKKE EAST INDIAMAN. 



On the 8th ult. we had the pleasure of steaming down the river with a 

 select naval and scientific party, who had met on board tor the purpose of 

 inspecting this beautiful vessel ^^ith her new improvements, which, to the 

 great credit of her spirited and entei-prising owners Messrs. Green, has several 

 cf considerable value and importance, but the one with which we were most 

 interested was that of a steam engine ofSO-horsc power, manufactured by 

 jMessrs. Seawards, employed to rotate paddle-wheels placed in the usual 

 position, but without paddle-boxes, and having a skeleton like appearance ; 

 these arc to be used as auxiliaries to the vessel during light winds and calm 

 » eafher, or for the purpose of keeping off a lee shore, or on any other occa- 

 sion when the sail fails its duty ; and in order to render these padd'es less 

 objectionable, they_ are constructed so as to be thrown cut of gear at a minute's 



notice, and made to revolve upon their own axis, independently of the ma- 

 chinery, and prevent that resistance in sailing that they would otherwise 

 render. They can likewi.se be disengaged altogether by willidrawin;; the 

 several floats separately, that are attached to the shaft of the paddle by arms, 

 similar to the levers of a capstan,an;l secured on their boundary by a lonj 

 linked chain which is easily disconnected, ami the whole of the paddle-wheel 

 removed in case of stormy weather. The shaft ami arms are of iron, and 

 the floats of wood, the latter material being considered easier to handle than 

 if made of iron. The engine works horizontally, and occupies but little 

 space, being 24 feet in length, and but 10 feet wide, in that part of tlie vessel 

 which is but of little consequence, namely, between the fore and main hatch- 

 way, and being entirely between decks, neither part appears above deck, nor 

 in the hold. The boiler is jacketted with two coat.s of felt, over which is a 

 thickness of two-inch deal planking, which being an excellent non-comluctor, 

 entirely retains the heat, and prevents the wood-uork in the neighbourhood 

 of the boiler being injured by excessive heat. The fuel used was that patented 

 by Oram, made of pitch, small coal and muil. moulded into the form of bricks, 

 which are stacked up close, and by their compact form appear to occupy but 

 little room ; the consumption was 120 bricks of 4 lb. weight each, in 2 hours 

 12 minutes, or at the rate of a little more than 2 cwt. per hour, burning with- 

 out smoke — and, according to the patentee, with a more intense heat, and 

 much more economically tlian that of its rival, coal. The Earl of Hardwicke 

 is of 1000 tons burihen. draws 17 feet of water, bound for Bengal, and is full 

 of passengers, troops and cargo. She left the East India Docks on the 8tU 

 ult.. worked her engine down to Gravesend. but owing to a strong easterly 

 wind was assisted "by a steam-tug, accomplished the distance in two hours 

 and a half, going at the rate of six knots, with all her yards square ; upon 

 heaving round at the end of Gravesend Reach, the tug was cast off, and she 

 steamed to the town again by her o«a engines at the rate of four knots.^on a 

 strong ebb tide. On Monday at noon she weighed anchor, light airs W.b.W., 

 steamed down to tlie Nore L'ght in three hours by her own engine, and ar- 

 rived at Spithead at 3, 50 p.m. on Thursday the 13th, beating the M ellington 

 (which she passed on Monday night) by 12 hours. The steam engine being 

 of the most essential service, working upwards of 40 hours. ,She tookhec 

 departure from Portsnumth for Calcutta, and is expected to peiform the dis- 

 tance in 75 days. On the Friday previous to her departure she was visited 

 by Admiral Bouverie, Sir E. Codrington, Mr. Blake, master shipwnglit ot 

 Portsmouth Dock-yard, and many other naval officers and persons connected 

 with the navy, who expressed themselves highly pleased with the plan. 



The " 'V^ernon,'' asistership. upon which the experiment of auxiliary steam 

 was first tried, made the voyage from Calcutta to Spithead, in a very bad 

 season, in 86 days, notwithstanding she had calms and light airs all the way 

 down the Bay of Bengal, when she used her steam consecutive y for eiglit 

 days and nights, and slie came from the Cape to Spithead m 42 days, bein<j, 

 we believe, the shortest ^ ovage upon record, during which time she used her 

 steam nine days. Mr. Green, the spirited proprietor of a fleet of these splen- 

 did East Indiamen, intends to apply generally auxiliary steam, and there can 

 be little doubt but it must soon be adopted in our men-of-war. Ihe space 

 occupied by the machinery being the same amount as that formerly occupied 

 for a cable tier. .,, 



It is a rather curious coincidence that the day on which the \ emoti will 

 sail for India, the 10th instant, is also the day fixed for the sailing ot the 

 " India" steam vessel of .320-horse poH cr, thus an excellent opportunity will 

 be afforded for ascertaining the comparative advantages of the two plans. 

 Many bets have already been made at Lloyds, that both the " Veirnou 

 (which is the only steamer that has ever made the voyage to India and back), 

 and the " Hardwicke," of 30-horse power each, will make the passage out 

 in less time than the '■ India" of 320-horse power. Shoidd this prove to be 

 the case, it will satisfactorily establish the superiority of steam applied as an 

 auxiliary over large steam power applied in the usual way. 



Iron Boats.— Oa the 15th ult. there were launched from the building yard 

 of Messrs. Ditchburn and Mare, Blackwall, lu-o wrought iron steam vessels 

 at tlie same time, an occuiTence we believe never before witnessed on the 

 Thames; one was named the "Swallow," intended tor the Baltic, the other 

 •' Elberfeld." for the Rhine. Messrs. Penn and Son, ot Greennich. are the 

 engineers for Ihe former, Messrs. Miller and Ravenhill, Blackwall, tor the 

 latter ; the engines in both vessels are oscillating. 



Bnthh Steamers on the A'lYc— The Oriental Steam Company have purchased 

 the iron steamer Dahlia, which is on the point of starting tor Egypt to ply 

 on the Nile, under license of the Pasha, to convey the East India mails and 

 passengers through Egypt. 



Tlie British Queen steam ship, which sailed from Portsmouth on the after- 

 noon of the 1st July, arrived at New York on the morning of the IStli, hav- 

 ing made the passage in IGl days. The Britannia steam-ship, the first of 

 Mr. Cunard's Royal mail steamers, wliich sailed from Liverpool on the after- 

 noon of the 4th July, for Halifax and Boston, reached the latter place on the 

 evening uf the 18tli, having accomplished the passage, including a stoppage 

 at Halifax, in 14 days and a half. 



The Oricr.tal built for the Peninsula and Oriental Steam Navigation Com- 

 pany, is believed to be one of the finest specimens of naval architecture. She 

 is frigate built ; her engine^ are equal to 450 horse power, and appear to be 

 of the best construction. The elegance with w hich she is fitted up. and the 

 accommodation which she offers in every department, must render her ac- 

 ceptable to the most fastidious passengers. She is stated to he of 1,6(3 tons 

 burden. The great cabin is beautifully ornamented with panels oi papier mache. 

 Tliere are 48 tablets on the doors and sides of the compartment, made of 

 the material by Messrs. Jennens and Bettridge, of Birmingham, prepared la 

 a manner that renders them more durable than oak : they never can decay 

 from dry rot, or become worm-eaten, nor are they combustible, or capable of 

 being broken. The tablets are ornamented in arabesques a I'orient, in bronze 

 scrolls of the acanthus, with gold tendrils and leaves, with sea -weed on a 

 primrose grotmd, which supplementary colours accord well with the black 

 moulding, which is richly covered with burnished gold matted tracery work. 



