1849.1 



THE CIVIL ENGINEER AND ARCHITECT'S JOURNAL. 



61 



G. P. Biflder, I. K. Brunei, J. Cubilt. J. Fowler, C. H. Gregory, J. 

 Locke, MP., J. R. M'Clean, C. May, and J. Miller, members; and W. 

 Harding and T. Piper, associates. 



The report of the Council was next read. Satisfactory reHSons were 

 given for the unusual delay in the publication of the minutes of proceed- 

 ings, and a plan was detailed for pnying ofi' the debt incurred for the al- 

 terations of the house of the Institution. 



Telford medals were presented to the right hon. the Earl of Lovelace, 

 Messrs. Harrisoti, Mitchell, and Hansome, 



Council premium of bo(»ks. to Messrs. Harrison and Jackson. 



Telford prt miiim of books, to Messrs. Redman, Green, and Rankine. 



Memoirs were read of the deceased members : — Messrs. B. Cubitt, T. 

 Hopkins, S, Fowles, members ; LieutCol. Brandreih, P. L. Campbell, F. 

 Carlton, and T. E. Steele, associates; and J. Pope, graduate. Votes of 

 thanks were passed unanimouslv to the President, Vice-Presidents, Mem- 

 bers, and Associates of the Council, and to the Secretary ; and the Presi- 

 dent, in returning thanks, gave a memoir of the late George Stephenson, 

 and his conneclion with the combination of the Bre-'ubes and the blast 

 pipe in the loconioliv - which constituted it the life of the present railway 

 system. 



ROYAL SCOTTISH SOCIETY OF ARTS. 

 Dec. 11,1848.— John Cay, Esq., F.R.S.E., President, in the Chair. 

 The following communications were made : — 



1. '^Description of Harbour Screw Cramps, designed /or temporary use 

 in bindin(f together the Stones in the construction of Harbour and other 

 Marine Works." By Thomas Stevenson, Esq., F.R.S.E., civil engineer. 



This paper states that the great majority of instances of damage to 

 harbours from gales occur during construction, or from neglect in repair- 

 ing, and shows the almost total dependence of a whole pier on the stability 

 of each stone in the structure. Many insonces are adduced of harbours 

 suffering great damage during construction, wh;clt, after being '^ closed in" 

 and completed, have withstood the assaults of after storms. The principle 

 on which these screw cramps have been designed is that of coupling stones 

 together in such a manner that the outermost cannot he removed without 

 dragging the adjoining stones along with it. The firs-t of these implements 

 is adapted for a vertical wall, and consists of a cross-rod of iron iucserted 

 diagonally between two of the stones of the works, and on either end of 

 this rod chains are slipped (one set being at the front of the wall, and the 

 other at the back). These pass through openings in an abutment-plate 

 placed diagonally across the last stone, and are tightened up by means of 

 capstan-headed screws. The second of these implements is designed more 

 particulaily for a tains, or sloping wall, and consists of a kneed abutment- 

 plate (placed upon the last or outermost stone of the unfinished work), 

 connected by chains to a ring-bolt, fixed in any stnne at a sufficient distance 

 from the open end of the work, or even to a crow-bar driven down between 

 any open joint in the masonry. These chains are tightened up by means of 

 a draw-screw. This apparatus, in the event of a storm coming on suddenly, 

 could be applied in the course of a few minutes. 



2. " Description of a Fire-Engine on a new principle.'" By Mr. John 

 White, engineer. 



This fire-engine is patented for England, hut not for Scotland. It was 

 stated that it differs in principle from all others hitherto made, and that the 

 following are some of the advantages obtained : — First, from the cumber 

 of pumps employed, and their great power, each producing a pressure of 

 601b. upon the square inch of water, which is as much as twenty men on 

 the average can exert in the common fire-engines by their united power. 

 Secondly, the men at the common engine may either help or hinder, at 

 their pleasure, without the possibility of detection. This, however, is im- 

 possible in this new engine, for as each man has his own pump, he must 

 either do his duty or stand still. Besides, as each pump is a perfect fire- 

 engine of itself, the machine can be worked from one man up to its full 

 complement, while the common engines cannot be worked at all until a suf- 

 ficient number of bands be put on. That it is evident that the pumps of 

 the common engines must pass their centres at the same moment, which, 

 but for the air-vessel, would render them of little use as fire-engines, and 

 even with its aid the column of water rises and falls at every stroke of tiie 

 pumps, as may be seen, occasioning a great waste of power to recover it 

 at every alternate movement of the levers. This evil was stated to be almost 

 entirely overcome by the twelve or more pumps Mr. White employs, one 

 half of which being in full power while the others are receiving their 

 water, a uniform pressure is maintained upon the jet, which renders the air- 

 vessel less needful, hut with it, nearly as steady as the jet from a fountain. 



The third thing Mr. White noticed was bis method of preventing the air 

 from mixing with the water and escaping with a crackling noise as it issues 

 from the jet, breaking the column, and consequently preventing it from 

 reaching the altitude it would otherwise attain. This is accomplished by an 

 improvement in the top of the air-vessel, which has a vulcanised india- 

 rubber cap, supported by a pierced metal shield or diaphragm, through the 

 holes of which the water acts upon the elastic substances, over which is an 

 air-tight dome, and the space between is charged with the compressed air to 

 about 30 lb. upon the square inch, which is further compressed when the 



pumps or engine is at work ; thus producing an uniform elastic spring that 

 equalises the flow of the water from the jet, — which leaving no air beyond 

 what is naturally in the water, rises unbroken to a much higher elevation 

 than is reached by the common engine. 



Mr. White read certificates from Salford, Manchester, and Glasgow, as to 

 the superiority of his engine to those of the common construction. At 

 Manchester, where a comparative trial was made, Mr. White's engine, with 

 twelve men, sent more water, and to a greater altitude, than the Gauges 

 engine, belonging to the Town Council, worked by twenty-four men ; and at 

 Salford, Mr. White's engine, with twelve men, threw the water several feet 

 above the top of a chimney 129 feet high, while the Deluge engine of the 

 old construction, worked by the same number of m»n, could not throw the 

 water more than half the height; and when the number was afterwards 

 increased to thirty-eight men, they were not able to make the water reach 

 to the top of the chimney. 



3. " Description of a Cross-Cut Sawing Machine for satving Fire-wood, 

 Sfc." By Mr. William Douglas, carpenter. 



This machine consists of a two-handed saw, freely slung in a frame, and 

 moved by a crank at the end of a long bar, having a fly-wheel to turn the 

 centres. Trees, logs, &c., being fixed and adjusted to suit, this simple con- 

 trivance cross-cuts them ; and it is stated that a man can by its means cut 

 double the quantity he could do by hand, and that the machine can be made 

 complete for 5/. 



INSTITUTION OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERS. 



The annual meeting of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers took 

 place on VVeduesday, the 24th of January, at the Queen's Hotel, Bir- 

 mingham. 



In the absence of the President, Mr. R. M'Conneil was called to the 

 Chair, and read the report of the Council,which congratulated the members 

 on the successful progress of the Institution, which now numbered 189 

 members, of whom sixteen are honorary members. The council deeply 

 regielted the death of the late President, Robert Stephenson, Esq., who 

 was the first president of the Institution. The rules of the society had 

 been revised, and would be submitted to the meeting. The council con- 

 gratulated the meeting on the readiness with which Robert Stephenson, 

 Esq., had consented to take the Chair vacated by the death of his father, 

 and which he had been filling pro tern. The financial report showed a 

 balance in hand of \i7l. 9s. Id. The report was unanimously adopted, 

 li. Stephenson, Esq., was then formally constituted president, and a vote 

 of thanks was passed to Alderman Geach, for his services as treasurer, 

 and that gentleman was re-appointed to the office. Mr. E. Marshall was 

 elected secretary for the ensuing year. The rules, as amended, were also 

 put and carried; after which, the officers and council for the ensuing year, 

 elected by ballot, were announced. A vote of thanks was then passed to 

 the council, for their services during the year. 



A paper on the subject of a collision-apparatus, with a supplementary 

 one on a station-buffer, for eflfecting an improved break for stations, writ- 

 ten by Mr. C. de Bergue, of London, was read by the Secretary, and illus- 

 traiedwith plans and a model. 



Mr. John Richmond, of Middlesex, exhibited an improved locomotive- 

 engine counter, for registering the strokes of railway-engines at a high 

 velocity. It was remarkable for the simplicity of its movement, and 

 elicited a favourable expression, although the principle of its construction 

 was not new. 



A paper on a patent disengagingapparatus for disconnecting steam- 

 engines, and diminishing the shock of the disconnection, written by Mr. 

 Hick, of Bolton, was read by the Secretary. The apparatus was intended 

 to prevent frightful accidents, and might be worked with safety by any 

 oue. 



Tue model of an improved patent railway-chair and switch, manufac- 

 tured by Mr. Baines, of Norwich, was explained by the Secretary. It 

 was highly approved, but as the inventor was absent the discussion upon 

 it was postponed to the next meetiug, to give him an opportunity of ex- 

 plainiug its merits aud stating the cost. 



SUBMARINE TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION 

 WITH FRANCE. 



Some interesting experiments were made on Wednesday the 10th ult., at 

 Folkstone, as to the practicability of carrying electric lines of communica- 

 tion over great widths of sea channel. The experiments were conducted 

 under the direction of Mr. Walker, superintendent of the telegraphic system 

 of the Suuth-Eastern Company. They were undertaken to test the possi- 

 bility of establishing an electro-telegraphic communication with France, by 

 a wire carried over the depths of the Straits of Dover; and it was intended 

 to have taken the wire two miles out to sea, on board the Princess Clemen- 

 tine steamer (one of the company's ships), uncoiling and dropping it in the 

 water as she proceeded. The night previous, however, had given token of 

 breezy weather, and on the morning uf Wednesday the wind was high ; and 

 the waters of the channel being agitated by a considerable swell, it was 



