1840.] 



THE CIVIL ENGINEER AND ARCHITECT'S JOURNAL. 



400 



ed and published by Medhurst, — it follows that to Clegg and Samnda 

 is due the credit of perfecting what he began. 



Now let us see what Mr. Pinkus has done. His first patent we find 

 is dated 1st March, 1834, in this he sets forward a combination pre- 

 cisely similar to that published by Medhurst seven years previously, 

 only proposing to use a rope for his continuous valve, which he terms 

 a valvular cord, and which he describes thus: "A flexible cord E lies 

 ill the groove at the top of the cylinder, for the purpose of closing the 

 longitudinal aperture ; this cord is to be of the same length as the 

 pneumatic railway, and to fit tightly into the groove or channel. The 

 cord is passed under the wheel r, and over the wheel P ; and its pur- 

 pose being to close the opening in the cylinder, it is required to yield 

 freely when acted upon by the apparatus, and it should be made heavy, 

 and it may be pressed down into the groove by the wheel W, which 

 passes over it." 



Now if Mr. Pinkus can prove any better result to arise from this 

 rope than from the valves suggested by Medhurst, he has a perfect 

 right to it. We fear, however, that the success he says, attended his 

 experiments made in 1S35 on a model, could not have been very flat- 

 tering, as we find he took out another patent in lS3li, " For improve- 

 ments in inland transit," in which he says, " the method of carrying it 

 into practice consists in a method or in methods of constructing the 

 pneumatic valve and the valvular cord, and in the manner of using the 

 same, one of which methods hereinafter described, I design tosubsfi- 

 iuie/or and in lieu of the valve and cord described in the specification of 

 my said former patent." He then goes on to describe a valve formed 

 of iron plates secured to felt to lay against pieces oi wood, which he 

 proposes to fix to the inner sides of the trough, as presenting a smoother 

 surface than cast iron. He next describes a spring copper valve fas- 

 tened at its foot to the pipe, and meeting at the top in the shape of 

 an inverted V; and lastly, a combination of the two, viz., using half 

 the spring copper valve against the upraised side of the trough, and 

 pressing it against its surface with the valve with iron plates, as before 

 described, which in this case acts as a wedge pressing against the 

 side. 



These valves, however, could not have pleased him much better, 

 for on 3rd August, 1839, he obtained a third patent, in which he not 

 only describes a valve similar in every respect to that of Messrs. 

 Clegg and Samuda, but also proposes to seal it with a composition to 

 be rendered fluid and solid, as described by them ; with the sole ex- 

 ception of using a galvanic wire instead of a heater to melt the cement. 

 As this patent was enrolled eight months after the publication of 

 Clegg and Samuda's specification, we cannot but think that their in- 

 vention was instrumental in leading Mr. Pinkus' ideas to this valve, 

 as nothing of the sort is discoverable in either of his previous patents. 



[Erratum.— For 1837 read 1827, p. 407, 2nd col., 4 lines from the 

 top.] 



REFORM CLUB-HOUSE. 



(With 2 Engravings, Plates XVm. & XIX.; 



Fully to describe and explain the interior of the structure would 

 require a plan of every floor — amounting altogether to six, besides as 

 many sections, to say nothing of particular sections on a larger scale, 

 of some of the rooms, perspective views, and drawings of ceilings and 

 other details: in short it would demand a volume similar to that on 

 the Travellers' Club House.* Of course we cannot devote so many 

 engravings to a single edifice, though it be one so deserving of atten- 

 tive study as this of Mr. Barry's; nevertheless a sufficiently clear idea 

 of the general arrangement, of the sizes of the rooms, and of the height 

 of the different stories, maybe obtained from the ground floor plan and 

 section through the building from East to West. Being confined to a 

 single section, we have judged this last to be the best for our purpose, 

 because although one through the centre from north to south, would 

 have shown the ascent from the vestibule to the hall, and the coftee- 



* The whole of the plates in that work have lately been pirated in the most 

 barefaced manner by the editor of the Revue Generalo d'Architccture, with- 

 out the slightest acknowledgement, or mention of the source » hence they 

 have been taken, notwithstanding that a copy of the publication was actually 

 given to the French editor in order that he might give a notice of the book ! 

 Yet instead of doing any thin^' of the kind, he does not even inform his 

 readers that there is such a vuUirae in existence, but makes il appear tJiat 

 both his article and the plates are entirely bis own. and llie informuion col- 

 lected hj himself while he was in London. It is true the drawings are not 

 exactly facsimiles, for they are considerably reduced in scale from the origi- 

 nals, and in other respects far less satisfacuiry : still that circumstance does 

 not cancel the act of piracy, or the injury done by it to the Knglish pub- 

 isher. 



room and drawing-room above it, it would have shown merely the end 

 elevations of those apartments, not their longitudinal ones — which are 

 their more important ones: whereas the line of section chosen makes 

 no difference as regards the hall, while it explains the character of the 

 staircase, and the room over it, and also shows the kitchen court, at the 

 east end of the building. When, however, we say none, we mean that 

 it makes no other difference in respect to the hall itself than what is 

 evident from the ground plan, namely, that in this direction the three 

 intercolumns are of equal width, whereas the east and west sides being 

 somewhat shorter, the lateral intercolumns are narrower than the cen- 

 tre one, on which account those elevations are better than the others, 

 where the columns are wider apart than is altogether consistent with 

 the richness of character here observable in other respects. This ex- 

 cess of width in the intercolumns is not so apparent in our drawing, 

 because that being both a geometrical and outline one, it is the plan 

 which chiefly explains that the arches between the columns belong to 

 a different plane, viz., that of the wall within the colonnades. Hence it 

 is likely enough that from the first glance at the section it will be sup- 

 posed that, instead of being insulated the columns are attached to the 

 piers of the arches, in which case the internals between them would 

 not be too great. It becomes a question, therefore, whether it would 

 not have been better, to enclose the lower part at least of this salo on 

 by open arcades so decorated, whereby a character of solidity would 

 have been there produced, that would have served to relieve and set 

 off the upper colonnades. .Still wherefore that idea — su])posing it to 

 have presented itself — was not adopted is sufficiently apparent from 

 the plan being neither a perfect square, so as to allow three arches of 

 equal width, on each of its sides; nor so much greater than a square as 

 to afford five spaces — whether arches or intercolumns, on each of the 

 longer sides. Perhaps as the deficiency in the breadth from north to 

 south, could not be supplied without intrenching too much upon other 

 parts, it might have been adviseable to have got rid of the excess in 

 the other direction, curtailing — not the entire hall, but merely the 

 cetral space within the columns, reducing that to a perfect square. 

 By this means, indeed, the breadth of the east and west colonnades 

 would have been somewhat increased, yet that objection might have 

 been got over by apparently contracting the width, putting columns 

 against the wall, corresponding with those in front, and so as to render 

 the distance between them equal to the breadth within the north and 

 south colonnades. This adjustment of the plan, reducing the centre 

 to a square of 28 feet, instead of 34 X 28, — might have rendered 

 some other modifications requisite, and among the rest, some abate- 

 ment of the present height. 



If we have thus far taken the liberty of objecting to what we regard 

 as a rather offensive irregularity as regards the colonnades, we com- 

 mend the mode of grouping of two columns and square pillar, here 

 employed at the angles, which produces a very desirable fulness of 

 effect, as well as appearance of solidity at those points, and at the 

 same time avoids the confusion — and perhaps heaviness withal — that 

 might have resulted from three columns similarly placed. Another 

 pleasing and, we believe, original circumstance is, that in the upper 

 and lower colonnade on the south side, a view is admitted into the 

 cott'ee-room and drawing-room over it through the centre arcade, 

 which is to be filled in with plate glass to within a few feet of the 

 floor, that is, to the level of the chimney-piece. By this means, the 

 saloon itself will always present a striking architectural scene as so 

 viewed from either of the two principal apartments, especially of an 

 evening when brilliantly lit up. The mode also of lighting the saloon 

 entirely through the cove, appears to us both a novel and happy one, 

 although we can at present merely guess at its effect, it being quite 

 blocked up vvith scaffolding when we last went over the interior of the 

 building, when very little progress had been made in the decorations, 

 or rather, they were hardly commenced at all, nor was it began to be 

 paved. The staircase was also then a mere shell, with brick walls, 

 and without any steps. Consequently, until we can see the in- 

 terior again, in a much more advanced, if not perfectly finished state, 

 we can add very little to the information the plan and section supply 

 as to the parts just mentioned. For which reason, we must be al- 

 lowed to reserve further description for another opportunity, and 

 request our readers to consider the present account merely a pro- 

 visional one. 



Rilde, NoiK 7. — The committee appointed to decide on the plans for our 

 new' cfiureh, have selected the designs of Mr. T. Hellyer, architect It is a 

 handsome structure, and the interior is composed after tlie model of the 

 Temple church in L;ind(jn. The subscriptions for the building are progressing 

 steadily, and the contributions for enclosing the ne«- burial-grouiid alrea ly 

 amount to more than 1.50/. Too much praise cannot be given to our vicar, 

 the Rev. W. S. Phillips, for the energy and e.xertions he has put forth to 

 accomplish these two important objects.- Hampshire Advertiser. 



3 K 



