1849.] 



THE CIVIL ENGINEER AND ARCHITECT'S JOURNAL. 



34$ 



been separate from the ship-builder. In our case the engine was 

 considered and made an actual portion of the ship, and the ship of 

 the engine. It will be fair, therefore, to deduct from the good 

 effects attributed to the wave form of the ship such advantages as 

 we possessed in building both engines and boilers and ship as one 

 whole; — still it is fair to remember, on the other side, that the 

 builders of the engines with which ours had to compete have been 

 celebrated for their efficiency and for the large actual power they 

 have developed, when compared with their nominal power. It 

 should also be remembered that the builders opposed to us had 

 previously built the fastest boats of their district. The results 

 obtained are as follows: — Both vessels were about 150-55 feet 

 long; 22-22;^ feet beam; 4 feet draft of water; 240 tons displace- 

 ment; i50-hoi-se power, nominal; propelled by oscillating cylinders 

 of 48 inches diameter, with the same proportion of stroke to 

 paddle-wheel in both cases; and with only such diiferences as the 

 engineers and ship-builders in each case considered likely to be 

 most successful in carrying out the execution of their work to the 

 best advantage. The terms prescribed to both builders by the 

 engineer of the proprietors being identical, and with only such 

 latitude as should not form an obstacle to whatever might seem 

 best suited for obtaining greatest efficiency. 



Results of Experiments on Velocity with equal Power. 

 Ware vessel. Competing vessel. 



Speed 16*13 1.'>'03 niiles per hour. 



Power 20-3 19-9 velocity of wheel. 



Loss 4 17 4 S7 slip of wheel. 



These are the results of accurate trials, at the measured mile, 

 made both with the tide and against it. It is important to ob- 

 serve the amount of slip, as it serves to show that it was no 

 deficiency of the engine power which caused the difference, both 

 engines having gone at, as nearly as possible, the same speed. In 

 order that the statement just given may not lead to false conclu- 

 sions, it is necessary to state what were those minor differences in 

 vessel and engine which each constructor adopted as tending to 

 greater efficiency. The wave vessel had a flatter floor, and con- 

 siderably squarer on the midship section, which was done for 

 diminishing the depth of water as wanted for her use. In the 

 other vessel, the consideration of draft of water was rejected or 

 overlooked, and a finer midship section taken, although with a 

 larger draft of water. In one case, also, the rudders were con- 

 sidered as part of the length of the vessel, and treated accordingly, 

 and in the other case rejected from it. In the engines also, 

 although the diameters of the cylinders were identical, the stroke 

 of the wave vessel was somewhat longer than the other, but the 

 diminished effective diameter in the shorter stroke reduced them 

 to nearly the same proportion. Thus far the experiments given 

 only serve to prove that, practically, a considerably better result 

 has been obtained by a steam-vessel built on the wave principle 

 than a competitor built under conditions that are perfectly identi- 

 cal, in so far as the public and the owners ai-e concerned. But as 

 regards the purely scientific question, I shall add two other ex- 

 periments with the wave vessel, which furnish data of a more per- 

 manent and precise nature — one at a higher, the other at a lower 

 velocity: — 



Experiments on the Wave Vessel. 



I. Velocity of vessel 15*14 miles an hour. II. Velocity of vessel Ifi-.'iO miles an hour 



„ of wheel lS-17 „ „ of wheel 2120 „ 



Slip a-03 Slip 470 



'1 he area of midship section immersed was 89*4 feet. 

 Tlie surface of vessel immersed was .'iOHO'O feet. 

 The area of paddle- fluats was 2lj y feet. 



The conclusion which I deduce from these last experiments is 

 this, that by means of the wave form one may obtain a form of 

 which the resistance shall be represented by R = j\r A H S, instead 

 of R = ^ A H S, which is the lowest number given in any previous 

 system of construction; — A, being the area of midship section, H, 

 tlie height due to the velocity of the vessel, and S, the weight of a 

 cubic foot of water. 



Comparative Statement of Prices and Wages during the Years from 

 1842 to 1849. By Mr. G. R. Porter. 



We extract the following tables from Mr. Porter's very interest- 

 ing paper, read in tlie Statistical Section. 



To begin with what is emphatically called "the staff of life," 

 and the price of which is a thing of the very first importance to 

 those who depend upon daily or weekly Mages. The 4lb. loaf of 

 bread sold in the bakers' shops in London, has been, in the month 

 of July of each year, from 1842 to 1849 as follows: — 



1H42. 1K43. 1H44. 1S45. 1846. 1847. 1848. 1849. 

 9id. 7id. Bid. 74d. SJd. U4d. 7id. 7d. 



Meat. — The following prices, per stone, are those given for the 

 primest beef (Scots) and Southdown mutton, at Smithfield, in the 

 month of June in each year: — 



The retail prices paid by the working classes for other articles 

 of food, and for groceries, in a populous district of London, were 

 as under: — 



1845. 1847. 1848. 



d. s. 

 to 7 

 5 toO 

 fiJloO 



Tea, per lb h 



Raw Sugar 



Refilled Sugar ....0 



Coffee 1 



Cocoa 



Rice 



Currants 



Raisins 



Brittpr 



Cliesliire cheese .. 

 Derby cheese .... 

 Dutcli cheese .... 



Lard 



Bacon, per cwt. .. 

 Eggs, per 120 



1644. 

 d. B. 

 to7 

 6 too 

 7i toO 

 8 to 2 

 6 too 

 2 toO 

 5 too 

 5 to 



..5 

 ..0 

 ..0 

 ..1 

 ..0 

 ..0 

 ..0 

 ..0 

 ..« 



to 2 

 toO 

 too 

 toO 

 to 



....4 



6 ....0 

 7i....0 

 6 ....1 



1847. 

 d. s. 

 to6 

 4 t>0 

 54 toO 

 4 to 2 



toO 10 .. 

 9.. 



d. 

 ... 



5 ... 

 6J... 

 ... 

 7 ... 

 4 ... 

 7 ... 



6 ... 



82 



6 too 



3 too 

 5 toO 



4 too 

 9 to 10 



9 .... 

 8 .... 

 6 .... 

 10 .... 



0to88 75 



7 6 



to« 



to 

 toO 

 to 2 

 too 

 to 

 to 

 toO 

 

 

 

 

 

 to 81 

 7 





 

 

 62 to 68 

 7 

 The prices for 1846 are not given, as they vary very little from those of 1845. 



Tlie consumption in each year, from 1842 to 1848, of such of the 

 articles of which retail prices have been given, as are imported, 

 have been — 



1843 1844 1845 1846 1847 1848 



4028^07.. 4129443.. 4866604.. 5220248.. 5779508.. 62 i8872 



4029;I3',I3 .413IW70,. 44 I934.i;i.. 46740344 46314821.. 48735li71 



299. 9404. . 31 352382. . 34293190. . 3675 J578. . 37441372. . 37 li'6292 



25479.(4.. 2.I89977.. -679497.. 2951206.. 3079198.. 29.(5479 



31.V359.. 4.«J80.. 3"2274.. 646883.. 971'.94.. 9:5731 



, 261«0.. 2S4*.94 . 309485.. 358761. 3312.16. 380600 



2;i6SJ0.. Ii04230.. 204960.. 238266.. 212024.. 228.'i42 



1842 

 Sugar., cwts,. 3868466. 



Tea lbs. .37.(55911. 



Coffee 2.s.'il964li. 



Cocoa 224>'569. 



Rice cwts. . 396922. 



Currants 196.(79. 



Raisins 186240 



It appears thus, that a reduction in the retail price of sugar from 

 Id. to 4^^. for raw, and from 9rf. to 6c?. for refined sugar, has in- 

 creased 'the consumption, since 1844, by 2,079,429 cwt., or 50 per 

 cent. Tlie reduction of Is. per lb. on tea, viz., from Ss. to 4«., has 

 caused an additional consumption of 7,372,201 lb. or 18 per cent.; 

 the retail price of coffee has fallen from Is. Sd. to Is. id., and the 

 consumption has been augmented by 5,753,910 lb. or 18 per cent.; 

 thus adding very materially to the comforts of the working classes, 

 and chiefly the artisan class, among whom the increased quantities 

 here noticed have principally been used. 



Strong cotton cloths, the wliolesale price of which in 1810 was 

 lOrf. per yard, sold in 1820 for9rf.; had fallen iu 1833 to 4d., and 

 may now" be bought at from 2rf. to 2^^d. per yard. Printed calico, 

 which sold in 1810 at 2.s. 2(/., in 1820 at l.v. id., in 1833, the Excise 

 duty having been removed, at 6d. to Sd., may now be bought at 

 from 3.?. 6d. to 8.S-. per piece of 28d yds., or from 1 id. to 3i(/. per yard. 



Average weekly earnings at an ironwork in South Wales, from 

 1844 to 1849:— 



Colliers 13 



miners 10 



Labourers 11 



Founders 23 



Fillers 22 



Cin er tillers 21 



Refiners 37 



Puddlers 22 



Bailers 22 



Rollers :« 



Rail straighteners. . 20 



1844 

 d. 



1845 

 B. d. 

 16 2 

 12 4 

 U 

 26 II 

 25 10 

 19 

 39 3 

 30 6 

 32 7 

 88 10 

 36 6 



1846 

 s. d. 

 20 4 

 15 7 

 12 8 

 33 8 

 29 10 



1847 

 B. d. 



21 

 61 

 35 

 46 

 72 

 49 



1848 



■. d. 



16 1 



12 1 



II 10 



35 

 32 7 

 22 11 

 48 9 



30 It 



31 7 

 00 9 



36 8 



1849 

 8. d. 



Statement of the workmen's earnings at an ironwork in North 

 Wales in each year, from 1844 to 1849: — 



1844 

 Colliers, per stent, or s. d 



under 8 iiours. ... 1 

 Miners earn L^d. to 

 2d. per st'^*nt less 

 than colliers. 

 Labourers, per week 8 



Furnace Fillers 14 



Cinder Fillers 14 



Furnace Keepers . . 19 



Retiuers 16 



Puddlers 22 



Heaters or Bailers . . 17 



Rollers 30 



Rail straighteners . . 30 



6 



1845 

 s. d. 

 2 



1846 

 8. d. 



1347 

 B. d. 



184S 

 6. d. 



1849 

 s. d. 

 I 94 



9 



15 

 15 



23 

 25 

 32 

 22 

 47 

 24 



12 



19 

 19 

 28 

 32 

 32 

 27 

 76 

 30 



12 

 18 

 18 

 27 

 30 

 32 

 29 

 77 

 30 



11 

 18 

 18 

 23 

 24 

 26 

 22 

 46 

 24 



The following are the average weekly earnings of 230 ban 

 employed in one mill in cotton-spinning, for each year from 1 846 

 to 1849 :— 



1846, the earnings averagud 10s. per head, of all ages and both sexes, of 8 years age 



and upwards. wotUing 12 hours a day. 



1847 „ „ 8s. 4Jd. f During these years tr.ide was bad, and the work- 



1848 „ „ 8s. 2d. ting of t!.e mill averaged about 4 days a- week. 



1849 „ „ 9s. 4d. only 11 hours a day. 



[We have purposely avoided reporting Professor AVillis's lecture 



45 



