1844.] 



THE CIVIL ENGINEER AND ARCHITECT'S JOURNAL. 



63 



The specification for two pairs of engines for first class vossels, is oxacily 

 similar to tlie foregoing for the second class excepting the followinp; — 



feet. iiK-bes. 

 The engine room is to be in length . . 51 



Fjiendlh .. .. .. ..34 4 



Depth .. .. .. ..23 



Centre of shaft above water line .. 8 6 



Coals to le stowed in the boxes, 400 tons Cor more if possible.). 

 Wfiyht of machinery, ft-c, complete as specification, 350 Ions. 

 The blow-oft' pipes are to be four inches diameter and a quarter of an inch 

 thick in metal. 



GRAVESEND TERRACE PIER. 



Considerable progress has now been made with the above work, 

 for the carrying out of which an Act of Parliament was obtained during 

 llie session of 1S12, the Royal Assent being given on tlie 18th June of 

 that year ; plans of the work were immediately afterwards prepared, 

 in accordance with designs pieviously submitted to the Admiralty and 

 to the Thames Navigation Committee, while the proposed undertaking 

 was before Parliament, and wliich had been approved by those bodies. 

 A contract was entered into on the 15th November following between 

 the Commissioners, appointed by the Act for carrying it into execu- 

 tion, and Messrs. Fox, Hendrrson, & Co., of the London Works, Bir- 

 mingliani, for the execution of the whole of the works connected with 

 the pier, and which were eventually commenced early in April last, 

 from the designs and under the superintendence of Mr. John Balding 

 Redman. 



The site of the pier is, perhaps, as fine as that of any similar work 

 in the kingdom, being immediately in front of the Terrace Gardens' 

 embankmeni, the road of approach to the pier crossing those pic- 

 turesque gardens, and rapidly descending from the end of Harmer 

 Street, which, together with the terrace at right angles to it, are at an 

 elevation of 30 feet above the level of high water of spring tides ; to 

 meet this, and to give ample room for the navigation of small craft 

 along the shore of the river, in accordance with the wishes of the 

 Tb.imes Navigation Committee, the platform of the pier will be 12 ft. 

 above the level of a high spring tide, and 32ft. above the level of low 

 water of similar tides, and will be nearly even with the crown of the 

 arch which carries the road over the gardens, and the circular road of 

 approach to the pier entrance, to be obtained by the embankment now 

 in course of formation, will be level throughout, and of the same alti- 

 tude as the platform of the pier : the precipitous descent from the 

 archway to the present wooden pier, now so inconvenient, will tliua be 

 obviated, and the rapid descent of carriages from the town will be 

 checked before arriving at the pier. 



The entrance to the pier is flanked on either side, east and west, by 

 two stone offices, of a substantial cliaracter, formed of Kentish wrag 

 ashlar, with Derbyshire stone plinths, quoins, cornices, and dressings 

 to windows and doors, tlie walls of wliicb are now completed ; the 

 one will be surmounted by a clock turret, and the other by a belfrv ; 

 the pier will project northwards 240ft. beyond these offices, or 200ft. 

 into the river beyoml the embankment, the walk along which will be 

 continued uninterrupted underneath the pier, between the main abut- 

 ment and the first tier of coluuuis ; immediately north of the othces 

 tiiere will be distinct approaches on each side to the vans and coaches, 

 accommodation for which will be provided on the raised terrace 

 formed by the retaining walls on each side of the abutment, and com- 

 modious flights of granite steps will be laid down on each side, from 

 the platform of the pier to the terrace promenade, and to the gardens, 

 parallel with the approaches to the carriages. 



The pier will be supporteil on 22 cast iron Doric columns; one-third 

 of the number are fixed, and the whole of them c;ist ; they are consi- 

 dered to be the l.iigest and heaviest columns ever formed of cast iron; 

 they are 28ft. in length, and weigh from 9 to 10 tons each ; their 

 bases are, when fixed, level with low water of spring tides, and their 

 capitals 8 ft. above the level of high water of the same tides. This will 

 be the waterway throughout under the pier, as the girders supporting 

 the platform and superstructure are horizontal. The width of the 

 platform will be 30ft., and there are three columns in the width of the 

 pier, at each point of support. The first span or opening under the 

 pier is of 22ft. over the terrace promenade, and from thence two spans 

 of 50ft., and one of 51 ft. to the pier head, which is formed by a re- 

 turn at right angles to the main portion, 90ft. long by 30ft. wide, 

 termed a T head from its resemblance to that letter, and formed by 

 13 columns, viz., seven at the junction and three at each extremity. 



The approach from the river will be by a double staircase, formed 

 of cast iron bearers, supported between the outer columns, carrying 

 transverse oak steps, and spiu;ious landings at various levels, to suit 



any state of tide: a transverse flight will lead from the upper landing 

 to the summit of the pier. 



The platform will be formed of fir planking on joists laid trans- 

 versely upon the cast iron girders, the external ones of which will 

 support a cast iron Doric entablature, enclosing the platform anil 

 forming the parapets: the entablature will be surmounted by coupled, 

 pilasters, filled in with a panelling of corrugated iron, supporting a 

 light wrought or corrugated iron roof, which will cover the whole sur- 

 f;[ce of the pier, and an ornamental cast iron cornice of the same 

 level and meeting that of the offices, will run round the eaves of the 

 roof and form a gutter, the pilasters forming rain water pipes to lead 

 off the water: the pier may eventually be enclosed at will, on either 

 side, by shutters to slide behind the panels, formed by the pilasters; 

 from the platform to the ridge of the roof the height will be 16 ft. 



The junction of the roof's at the T head will be surmounted by a 

 lantern tower, from which will be exhibited a powerful and distinctive 

 light for the benefit of shipping, to be erected subject to the approval 

 and under the direction of the elder brethren of the Trinity House; 

 this light will be at an elevation of GO ft. above low water of spring 

 tides, and 40 ft. above high water, and will be exhibited from a plate 

 glass lantern, surmounted by a copper dome and vane, and supported 

 upon an oct^igonil iron tower. 



The whole area of the pier is at present enclosed by timber piles, 

 braced together, forming a defence to the works and supporting 

 horizont.d longitudinal bearers, upon which rails are laid, which are 

 traversed by a huge travelling machine framed of liittber on Jour rail- 

 maij wlutls, and supporting at top a powerful crab, which traverses 

 upon rails laid upon the traveller at right angles to those below: the 

 span of the traveller is 40 It., and the machinery is at an eluvation of 

 00 ft. above low water mark. 



The foundations of the pier are now nearly finished up to the T 

 head ; and the abutment, wing walls, and offices nearly completed, one 

 third of the main columns fixed, and some of the girders laid in their 

 places. All the heavy castings are completed, and it is anticipated 

 that the pier will be available to the public early in the ensuing 

 summer. 



The advantages gained by the construction here adopted, are an 

 uninterrupted and free waterway at high water, very little impedi- 

 ment to the tidal currents, an easy approach from the shore, and an 

 efficient protection to those frequenting the pier as a landing place or 

 promenade from wind and weather. 



The wooden pier now used will be removed upon the completion 

 of the new pier. 



METROPOLITAN IMPROVEMENTS. 



A letter, headed as above, and of very unusual length, especially on such 

 a subject lately appeared in the Murning Chronicle, which we should 

 have noticed ere now had it not escaped our attention at the time. 

 Be the writer, who aflixes only his initials, E. P., professional or 

 non-professional, there is a good deal of judicious remark in what he 

 says, among other things, in regard to the consideration which ought 

 to be bestowed beforehand on the style of architecture to be adopted 

 for the new streets, now in the course of being formed from Leicester 

 Square to Bloonisbury. If anything more than the dull regularity of 

 uniform rows of plain-front<'d houses is to be aimed at, it is highly 

 desirable that the opportunity thus afforded should be m.ide the most 

 of, and turned to far better account than has been done in preceding 

 "improvements" of the kind, whether at the west-end of the town 

 or the east. With the writer of the letter in the Chronicle, we depre- 

 cate "a second edition of Regent Street," and its meretricious, t.iwdry 

 compilation of downiight architectural frippery; but of Mmig.te 

 Street we do nut entertain quite so high an opinion as he seems to do. 

 While it is a degree or two better than Regent Street, and free from 

 most of the gross solecisms displayed there, it partakes of tke defects 

 of the same system of misplaced and overacted architectural jjomposity. 

 In as far as a mere order of columns or pilasters can besto\r it, it pos- 

 sesses an air of magnificence, which though it may strike fur a moment, 

 too plainly betrays itself to be only in the " High life below stairs" 

 taste. The shops on the ground-floor inevitably throw a degree of 

 ridicule on the mock dignity of the upper part of the fronts: the 

 efl'ect thus produced is somewhat ludicrous — akin to that which must 

 bare attended Sarah Siddons' occasional starts in the tragic vein — as 

 when she would ask a servant fur beer at dinner time, in blank verse 

 uttered in the tones of Lady Macbeth. 



Besides the evident misapplication of a columnar style for such 

 purposes, we generally find it, when so made use of, to have been 

 adopted pgt so bqucIi from any particular affection fur or relish of it, 



