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THE CIVIL ENGINEER AND ARCHITECT'S JOURNAL. 



[October, 



THE NEW JIETROPOUTAN BUILDING ACT. 



Tlie Committee of Magistrates for Middlesex appointed to examine and take 

 into cnnsideration various matters to them referred connected with the new- 

 act, made their report on the l?lh inst. to a Court of Magistrates, when it 

 was ordered to he adopted. The following extracts relate to the appointment 

 of surveyors, &c. 



" That there shall be no immediate interference in the subsisting districts, 

 until any alterations ODCur by removal or death, when the following altera- 

 tions are to take place. To divide into two districts the following parishes, 

 viz., Islington, .St. Marylebone, Paddington, and St. Pancras. To separate 

 the parish of St. Sepulchre Without from Islington, and add it to the district 

 of Safl'ron-hill Liberty, St. Clement Danes, St. Mary-le-Strand, and the 

 Savoy. And— to separate the parish of Shadwell from Spitalfiolds and Mile- 

 End New Town, and add it to tlie district of St. Catherine's, Wapping, Rat- 

 cliff, and Limehouse. That the proposed new districts, viz. Fulham, Ham- 

 mersmilh, Kensington, Hampstead, Hornsey, Tottenham, Stoke Newington, 

 and Bromley, should form distinct districts, excepting Kensington, which is 

 to form t«o, to be divided into north and south districts by theGreat Western 

 road. 



"That the election of all the surveyors for the new districts shall take 

 place on 28th Nov., being the county day of the Middlesex Session. 



"That no district surveyor shall be directly or indirectly concerned in 

 building in any department, nor shall deal in any building materials, nor act 

 as surveyor or agent of any estate within his district." 



Dover. Harbour. — In these days of improvements in all directions and 

 of all manners and kinds, the ancient town of Dover is not entirely back- 

 ward in the march of amendment. Not content with restoring the fine old 

 church of St. Mary at a very large cost, and adorning the town and neigh- 

 bourhood with new buildings of all classes, Dover will soon possess a vastly 

 increased and improved harbour. It was, indeed, at one time contemplated 

 to make it a harbour of refuge, and it is well known that the Duke of Wel- 

 lington (vvlio, as Governor of the Cinque Ports, has at different times taken 

 so active a part in matters connected with the welfare and advancement of 

 the town) has ever been in favour of such a desirable object being ert'ected. 

 The work, however, would be of so expensive a nature that nothing short of 

 national means could hardly hope to accomplish it. His Grace is under- 

 stood to have remarked, " We will improve the existing harbour ; but such 

 a work as that must be done by the nation." Yet, it appears, it is not likelv 

 Dover will be converted into a harbour of refuge : but the town commis- 

 sioners, it is declared, are determined to do all in their power to render the 

 harbour as useful and perfect as possible. It is well known that at present 

 it is not very good, yet it can now accommodate ships of 500 tons. It is 

 chiefly used for sailing and steam packets to and from France. Immense 

 sums have been expended upon this haven, from the period of Henry VIII. ; 

 but it is so imperfectly formed at the present time that a vessel coming in 

 with a direct south wind would be driven against the walls, as there is 

 neither room to turn nor for the ship gradually to expend her force before 

 reaching the extremity of the docks. The harbour has been undergoing re- 

 pairs of various descriptions almost constantly for many years, but, early in 

 this summer, an extensive improvement and enlargement was decided upon 

 and commenced that is well calculated to remedy many of the most import, 

 ant objections now existing. Thus " the poor haven,'sucb as it is" (rather 

 derogatively termed in an old description thereof), is likely to he materially 

 raised in the rank and utility of harbours upon the southern coast of Eng- 

 land. It is to be so extended by another wing, as it were, being added, that 

 a vessel may enter in full sail, and have room to turn and come gradually to 

 its stoppage, an object that cannot now he attained. A. large piece of land 

 to the east of the existing harbour and between it and the parade has been 

 purchased for the purpose of enlarging the docks, and gates are to he added. 

 Upon the land so appropriated stood, until quite recently, building yards, 

 houses, &c. There also remains as yet upon the site (although they vvill be 

 removed in the course of the speedily-approaching alterations) a battery con- 

 taining several cannon, and buildings that have been used as a magazine, 

 guard-house, &c. A great portion of the space to be converted to the en- 

 largement of the harbour is now in an advanced stage of excavation, and some 

 parts are already being walled in. It was originally intended to have wooden 

 walls for this addition to the haven, but a wiser, though more immediately 

 expensive plan has been adopted, and stone is to be used instead of the 

 former more perishable material. •' Wooden walls" have for many ages 

 proved good defences for old England ; but a harbour intended to endure 

 requires something more substantial. Some notion of the important nature 

 of these works may be formed when it is mentioned that no less a sum than 

 100,000^. is proposed to be laid out upon them, in addition to the large 

 amounts that have been spent upon the docks during the last few years. The 

 time which has been specified for the alterations to be completed is three 

 years ; but, extending regard to the extent of the improvements, and the 

 difficulties that are so often met with in like undertakings, it seems more 

 than probable that they may not he finished until a somewhat longer period 

 has elapsed. The etTect, even now, is advantageous, as it gives more room 

 lu some portions of the harbour; but eventually it cannot fail to be most 

 important to Dover, in advancing in no slight degree its prosperity as well as 

 utility. — Imies. 



STEAM PIAVIGATIOK. 



" THE PRINCE OF WALE.S" .STEAMER. 

 Many erroneous statements have been made in disparagement of the 

 " Prince of Wales," on the score of the want of sufficient strength when she 

 first began to run. We have the satisfaction now to say that at the termi- 

 nation of a long season, and after takingthe dry harbour at Margate when- 

 ever necessary, she is as perfectly free from any symptoms of weakness by 

 change of form, Sic, as it is possible for any vessel to be, and which, consi- 

 dering her great length, 180 feet between the perpendiculars, is, we think, a 

 remarkable fact, and another indication of the superiority of iron over wood 

 posssessing the additional tightness that it does, but this can only he when the 

 mechanical construction is judiciously and carefully done, and the work well 

 put together. The machinery is also as perfect as on the first day of the 

 season, and the vessel has not been stopped an hour for repairs, another 

 proof of the strength of the vessel, as we have frequently known wooden 

 vessels strain so seriously by entering Margate harbour, as to destroy very soon 

 the cement joints between the cylinders and condensers, and thus seiiously 

 deteriorate the power of the engines. 



The Peninsular and Oriental Steam Company. — This Company, for the 

 purpose of carrying out their new line to China, have given orders for three 

 first class iron steam vessels nf 1100 tons, two of them to be built by Mr. 

 Wigram, of the late firm of Wigram and Green, of Blackwall, and ihe other 

 by Messrs. Vernon and Co., of Liverpool. These large ships being ordered 

 by a company so well and carefulry managed are, we think, decisive as to the 

 opinion in favour of the superiority of iron over wood, particularly when we 

 see Mr. Wigram, one of the oldest and largest shipbuilders in wood, has now 

 turned his attention to building with iron. The three vessels are each to have 

 a pair of engines of the collective power of 450 horses, to be consirucledby 

 the e:iiinent firm of Me.ssrs. Miller, Ravenhill, and Co., of Blackwall. 



" The Wonder," an iron steam-boat built by Messrs. Ditchburn and 

 Mair. the successful builders of iron vessels, for running between Southampton 

 and Havre, made a trial trip down the river Thames on the 27th September 

 last ; her length is 160 feet, breadth of beam 22 feet, depth of hold 12 feet 

 9 inches, draught when light 5 feet 6 inches, when loaded fi feet 6 inches. 

 She is fitted with 3 engines on the atmospheric principle by Messrs. Seaward 

 and C'apel, of the Canal Iron-woaks, Blackwall ; each engine has an open 

 topped cylinder 53 inches diameter with a 3 ft. 6 in. stroke, they work on 

 the direct action principle ; the lower end of the piston rods move on a joint 

 attached to the top of the piston, and the other end is connected to the crank 

 of the paddle wheel shaft, the 3 cranks being placed at different angles, so 

 that when one piston is at the top of the cylinder, another is at the bottom, 

 and the third about the middle ; the three cylinders exhaust their steam into 

 one condenser, with one air pump. The engines during the trial made 38 

 and 39 strokes per minute, the paddle wheels are 10 feet diameter to the ex- 

 tremity of the float boards, and are on the self-feathering principle, being a 

 modification of Morgan's paddle wheel ; the nominal power of the three en- 

 gines, at a velocity of 220 feet per minute, is equal to 150 horses, but the real 

 effective power is nearer double, as proved by the great velocity of the vessel. 

 She ran the mile distance in 4 minutes 17 seconds against tide, being a velo- 

 city equal to 14 miles per hour, the tide running at the time about 2i miles 

 per hour. The boiler is of the tubular principle, with five furnaces, and is 

 only 7ft. Bin. long; it is furnished with a brine apparatus for constantly 

 drawing off a certain quantity of water, this water is pressed by the force of 

 the steam throng a pipe dipping down to near the bottom of the boiler, and 

 coming out in the front near the top, where it is furnished with a cock to 

 regulate the emission of the water, this pipe passes along the front of the 

 boiler then alongside of the engine-room to a cistern in which the water 

 runs and is allowed to overflow to the outside of the vessel. The water for 

 supplying the boiler is taken from the hot well, and forced by the feed-pump 

 through a pipe which passes backwards and forwards 2 or 3 times in the brine 

 cistern just described and thence into the boiler, by this process the boilers 

 are supplied with waternearly at a boiling temperature. There are several 

 other ingenious contrivances adopted by Messrs. Seaward and Capei for w ork- 

 ing the valves, &c. 



The " Trident" Iron Steam-Ship.— Messrs. Boulton aud Watt are the eon- 

 tractors for supplying this iron steam-frigate, building by Messrs. Ditcliburn and Wair, 

 at Blaclvwall, with a pair of oscillating engines, of 350 h. p.— the price to be given for 

 which is 10,750/., and they are required to be ready about Christmas. 



Steam-Engi.\es of Irish Manufactire. — The first trial of the new engines 

 of the * iJhanuon' has proved most satisfactory. These engines are upwards of 200 h. p., 

 and are the largest ever made in Ireland, having been just completed at the iron works of 

 ntcssrs. Perry and Co., Ringsend. On the experimental trip they went olT in admirable 

 style, when the distance from Kingstown Harbour to the Kish Light was accomplished ia 

 forty-five minutes, and bactv in the same time ; there is no question but that when every- 

 thing is finally adjusted in working, their performance will be equal to any ever built ia 

 England or Scotland. — ' Irish paper.' 



Her Majesty's Ste.am Ship Rattler.— This fine steam frigate, after having 

 made a great variety of experiments with the different propellers that have been projected 

 by Mr. Smith, Mr. Woodcroft, Mr. Blaxlaud, Mr. Steiniuau, Mr. Sunderland, and other 



