302 



THE CIVIL ENGINEER AND ARCHITECTS JOURNAL. 



[October, 



intrusti'il miIi i1k- cK-iailt. ul' ihe strvke, respccliiig tlu- c:irriage ol passcn- 

 tters merchanilize. biillioii, ami the mails. 



5 The articles of'tlic title 4 of hook 2 of the Code of Commerce, deter- 

 mining the responsibility of sea captMins towards the consignors and their 

 assi"ns. will apply exclusively to the commissioncil a-ent. 



e" Ordinances, published in the form of administrative regulations, will 

 determine all the details of the service of steamers undertaken by the Hovem- 



7. The steam-packets which are under the direction of the state will be 

 considered as pari of the Royal navy, and the t me served by seamen on 

 these packets will be considered as in the service of the state. 



8. Royal ordinances, inserted i ■ the Bulletin dcs Lois, and the official por- 

 tioli of the Jnnales Maritimes. will fix the postage of the letters, journals, 

 gazettes, and printed documents of every kind transmitted by the French 

 Transatlatitie packets. „ .,, , . 



Modifications introduced into the courses indicated in art, 2 will be pub- 

 lished in the same manner, but such changes caimot take place with regard 

 to the starting points in the kingdom or the gencial direction of tte different 



lines. 



9. The expences authorized by art. 2 will be provided for from the suras 

 granted for 1840 an 1 IPIl l.y the financial laws. 



10. After the year 1842 the projected law for expenditures will include ihe 

 demand of the funds nccessuiy for carrying on the above lines oi' packets. 



Steamtrs on Ihe Pnciflc— Extract of a. hUer from Captain Peacock, dated 

 on board the Pacific .Steam Navigr.tion Company's steam-vessel Peru, 

 lat. fl 15 N.. long. 25 50 W., out 14 days from Plymouth ;— " The Peru has 

 hitherto had a most prosperous voyage, answering in every respect mv most 

 sanguine expectations. On leaving Plymouth ve experienced a head wind, 

 witii a heavv cross swell, until the evening of the following day, when I 

 ordered the fires to be burnt down, blew out the boilers, and made sail. On 

 this first trial of sailing, although deep, we got seven knots out of her. There 

 was a good deal of swell on. and the vessel occasionally rolled deep, but 

 after a minute investigation of the moveable parts of the tunnel, I saw no 

 risk in lowering it, and in eight minutes from the commencement i had the 

 gratification to see it snug in' the chock, without str.aining a rivet or a rope- 

 yarn. When (lie wind died away, we had every thing in its place again, and 

 the fires alight in four minutes from hauling taut the main gears. The ope- 

 ration elicited the admiration of every one on board, and the correct work- 

 manship of the arrangement reflects the highnst credit on Messrs. Miller, 

 Ravenhill, and Co. The funnel, when down in the chock, lies within the 

 level of the paddle-box boats, and at a distance would resemble a long mid- 

 ship gun. It is completely out of the way of workin" the square mainsail, 

 anil when do«n, the operation of sweeping it is much simplified. We had 

 only one entire day's sailing before getting into Ihe trades, and then we had 

 only three more. The trade wind was very light, except for two days out of 

 the three, wdien, with Ihe wind dead aft, with lower, toiimast, and topgallant 

 studding sails set, we went 11 knots for four consecutive hours, and" in 24 

 hours ran 225 miles. This w as the greatest run under sail. The least was 

 140, and this was the fifth day of sailing, when near the edge of the variables. 

 We only consume half a ton of *oals per hour on the average, and find no 

 difficulty in keeping steam, without the additional Icng'h of funnel. The 

 Hull coals are excellent : and in my own. as well as the chief engineer's 

 opinion, are superior to the Llanelly coals. The sails all tit admiral)]y, and 

 the engines work extremely well. The vacuum now exceeds 28 in both. I 

 perceive the great advania'gc of .Sir W. Burnet's patent solution on the stud- 

 ding sails and :i«niu|js ; it will increase iheir value 50 per cent. I am happy 

 to inform you that my passengers are well, very contented, happy, and com- 

 fortable, which is daily expressed. I hope to lx> at Rio on the 26ih day. of 

 which there is every prospect." 



Fatfm- T/iames. — On Tuesday the 8th ult., an experimental trip was made 

 w-itli this new vessel intended to run from London to Gravesend. She is an 

 iron boat, built by Messrs. Ditchburn and Mair, of Blackwall, and fitted with 

 a pair of .37 horse oscillating engines by Messrs. Penn and Son, of Greenwich. 

 She started from the Brunswick Wharf, Blackwall, with several Directors of the 

 Blackwall Railway, and a party of scientific and naval gentlemen, at 21 minutes 

 after 3, and arrived at the Pier, Gravesend, at 33 miuutes past -1, making the 

 trip in 1 hour and 12 minutes. She run the mile distance at Long Reach 

 (with the tide) in 3 minutes 22 seconds, which is at the rate of 178 miles 

 per hour. .Vffer staying a* Gravesend for some time, she started off with the 

 Rub;/, the crack Gra\esend boat ; it was very soon perceived that Father 

 Thames was making a head of the Ruby, and after running a short distance 

 the Father went completely round her. The Father Thames then followed 

 her, passed her again, and by the time she was off Blackwall, the Ruby was 

 2 miles astern. Messrs. Ditchburn and Mair have so constructed the bow of 

 the vessel that she does not throw up the slightest wave in front, in fact we 

 could scarcely jierceive a rijiple so clean did she cut through the water. This 

 is an imiiortaiit improvement, and one that Mr. Ditchburn has been trying to 

 obtain for many years, and v.ho at length, we are hajipy to say, is successful. 



ENGINEERING -WORKS. 



WOOLWICH DOCK-YARD. 



constructed uf tiie iiuwt durable materials. Ijeing first laid in ihe bottom with 

 one foot of brickwork, and over it large granite stones, about 3 feel 6 inches, 

 in thickness, and each many tons in weight. The base of this dock is 230' 

 feet in length, and of a proportionate breadth ; but it will contain vessels of 

 upwards of 300 feet in length on the upper deck, owing to the manner in 

 which it is constructed. At the west end of the dockyard excavations h:ive 

 been going on during the whole summer, for the purpose of making a dock 

 of still greaterdiinensions, designed by Mr. Walker, engineer, and it is in- 

 tended "to lay the foundation stone in the course of a lew day.s. The con- 

 tractors for this dock. Messrs. Grissell and Peto. of York-road, Lambeth, 

 have had great difficulties to contend with in m.king the excavations. At a 

 few feet fiom the surface they came on a rich aiiuvial deposit, in which tlie 

 hazel and other nuts and clumps of trees were found in a perfect stii'.e of 

 preservation, and the loaves were in many instances in layers six feet thick. 

 Under these was a considerable bed of concrete liive blue clay, all of which 

 had to be gone through before a safe gravelly bottom could Le found. This 

 lias now been obtained, but nut without great interruption from ] owerful 

 springs rising in all directions, and it has require J the constant and unceasing 

 exertion of a 40-horse power steam-engine pumping night and day to enable 

 the men to proceed with their labours. The dimensions of this dock will be 

 ■iOO feet at the base, and, as it will be constructed on the improved principle , 

 it will admit of vessels of 400 feet in length on the upper deck. This is con- 

 siderably larger than any ever yet made, but it is aniicipated that sleam-ves- 

 sels of this g gantic size will be laid down when docks capable of containing 

 them for fitting and repairing are ready for their reception. 



FisKERTON Drainage. — Tlie new steam water engine, for the better 

 drainage of the fen-lands on the north side of the river Witham, between 

 Fiskerton and Short Ferry, is at length upon the point of comjiletion. A 

 meeting of the proprietors was held at the City Arms hotel, Lincoln, on Fri- 

 day, the 4th idt., for the purpose of heariug the opinion of Mr. Tuxford, en- 

 gineer, of Boston, relative to the working of the engine, he being deputed to 

 inspect the works, and to advance part of the contract money to Mr. Smith, 

 of Belper, who furnished the building with the necessarj- works for the engine, 

 and to decide upon paying him the remaining sum when tile alterations 

 pointed out by Mr. Tuxford were completed. — Nollingham Journal. 



Woolwich. — The foundation stone of the new dock at Woolwich, was laid 

 on Tuesday, 22nd ult., by Mr. Walker, the engineer, attended by the authori- 

 ties of the dock-yard. The construction of this dock is different from any 

 that has ever been made before. The stones are so cut that when placed 

 together they will act on the same principle as an inverted arch. By this 

 plan the greater the weight and pressure of the \ essel in the dock, the greater 

 the security that the bottom will not be raised by springs of water or from 

 any other internal cause. — Times. 



Liverpool Dock Committee. — .\t the meeting of this committee on Thurs- 

 day, Sept. 17, Mr. Aid. Evans gave notice of his intention to move for a sub- 

 committee to frame a Bill to Parliament for the construction of a new dock 

 or docks, and warehouse on the docks and quays in this town. — Liverpool 

 Chronicle. 



The extensive improvements taking place in this great naval depot are such 

 as will, in a short time, render it superior to any in the kingdom. The dry 

 deck opposite the blacksmith's shop at ihe east end of the yard, is without 

 exception the finest and must commodious that has ever been bu It, and is 



PUBLIC BUILDINGS, ANQ IIYZPRO'VEIVIENTS. 



The Citi/ of Lo^idnn fir,d Toirer Hnnilets Cemeteri/, aiuntcd in the Mile Knd 

 Road, coriiprising 22J acres of land, is now proceeding under the directions of 

 Messrs. Wyatt and Brandon. The style of the buililitigs and enclosure will 

 bj Karly English. 



The Pedestal at Ilyde Park Corner, placed in the centre of the crossing 

 from St. Georges' Hospital to the entrance to Hyde-park, has been erected 

 by the trustees of the Grosvenor-place District, and is about 100 feet west- 

 ward of the district boundarj'. The pedestal which is circular, is executed in 

 Park .^prinrj sione, and is 2 ft. 8 in. diameter at the base, and 6 ft. 1 in. high. 

 The column supporting three lamps is executed in cast iron, and is 7 ft. 9 in. 

 high to the brackets, supporting the two side lights. The tot.al height from 

 the paving to the top of the centre light is 19 ft. 6 in. The whole pedestal 

 is surrounded with Aberdeen granite kirb, enclosing a causeway 10 feet 

 square, which is paved with Yorkshire stene, forming an octagon line round 

 the base of the pedestal. .\n Aberdeen granite post 13 J inches diameter at 

 the base, diminishing to the top, and 3 feet high is fixed at each angle of the 

 causeway for the protection of foot passengers on their way from one side of 

 the road to the other, being a distance of 87 feet. The top arrises of each of 

 the plinths of the pedestal is chamfered off, and the cap (above a band upon 

 which is inscribed " Grosvenor Place District, 1840"), molded for the purpose 

 of preventing persons climhiug up, and to obviate, if possible, the necessity 

 of having the encumbrance of iron rails or spikes. The pedestal has been 

 executed and fixed by Mr. Samuel Cuudy, of Belgrave-wharf ; the iron work 

 by Messrs. Thompson, of Ecclcston-street, East ; the granite posts by Messrs. 

 Thompson, of Millbank, ^\'estminster, and the paving by the workmen be- 

 longing to the trustees, from designs and drawings, and under the superia- 

 tendance of Mr. Turner, the surveyor to the trustees. 



./ Church in Bethnal Green, in the Early Lombardy style of architecture, 

 is now being built under the directions of Messrs. Wyatt and Brandon. 



Ramxgate Chapel. — This building is 110 feet in frontage, 60 feet in width, 

 and 90 feet in height, to the top of the tower. The style of architecture is 

 original, uniting the features of Saxon and Norman, with a slight indication 



