444 



THE CIVIL ENGINEER AND ARCHITECT'S JOURNAL. 



[NoVE MBER* 



ATHLONE NEW BRIDGE. 



On Saturday, the Uth November, a new bridge crossinj^ the Shannon, in 

 the town of Athlone, erected under the Shannon Cuinmissiun, was opened to 

 theri"'j''c at one o'clock, p.m. and the old bridge, erecled in Ihe flays of good 

 Queen Bess, closed for ever at three o'clock. The ancient structure, which 

 was placed at tlie lowest point of tlie town, and shallowest portion of the 

 river, was a long range of small semi-circular unequal arches, carrying a 

 stripe of roadway so narrow as scarcely lo allow a single carriage to pasF, 

 with recessed parapets, and of that inconveniently picturesque character 

 which marked the work of early bridge builders, it was directly under the 

 guns of the citadel or ancient fort, and was the scene, or connected with the 

 events of some of the must stirring passages of Irish Iiistory. An ancient in- 

 scription stone, now presented to the Royal Irish Academy collection of 

 antiquities, recorded some of those, and alluded tu others in a style w Iiich the 

 present town council of Athlone did not consider sufliciently complimentary 

 for its re-erection on the new bri<I-e. Tiie site of tlie new bridge is higher 

 up the river, to the norlliward of the old ; it is wholly from the designs of 

 Thomas Rhodes. Esq-, civil engineer to the commissioners, who has juili- 

 ciously placed the roydway at such a level as uill avoid hereafter that tre- 

 mendous descent into the bowels of tlie lower town as all who have passed 

 the old bridge will recollect. The new bridge consists of three noble elliptic 

 arches, each of 63 feet span, together with a cast iron swivel bridge, resting 

 on heavy abutments, of 4.} feet spnn, and 24 feet width of roadway ; the ge- 

 neral width of roadway is about 30 feet, with (lagged footways of six feet at 

 eacli side. The material is limestone of the finest colour, scantling, and tex- 

 ture, and the style of execution of every part, and the skill with which ditb- 

 culties of no ordinary character in constructing the underwaicr work were 

 met and overcome by the contractor, Mr. John M'Mahon, are in the highest 

 degree admirable. The average depth of water under the bridge is about IS 

 ft-et.and when it is stated that the large cofler dams were driven and staunch- 

 ed upon a bottom of coarse open gravel, admitting water like a sieve, these 

 difficulties will be appreciated by those acquainted with practical engineering. 

 The swivel bridge was constructed and erfctcd by Messrs. Jolin and Robert 

 Mallctt, iron tounders and engineers, of Dublin, and its e\ecution has met. 

 the i)iu'hest approbation from the engineer and commissioners. Altliougli 

 the width of roadway is so great, and tlie weight of the mass of framing, up- 

 wards of 300t( ns, either leaf of thebridgecan be opened or closed by a single 

 man in about a minute. The largest castings probably ever made in this 

 country occur in this structure ; each of the tra\erse rnigs, wliith measure 

 24 feet across, weighs about 16 tons. Four of these rings, each of this large 

 diameter, were turned in a lathe constructed for the purpose in the foundry, 

 in order to remler the bearing surfaces for the rollers true and polished. 'J'lie 

 style of tlie bridge is of tiie missive Roman order, and viewed from the an- 

 cient one liears much of that aspect of repose and grandeur which pre-emi- 

 nently characterise London Bridge, that noblest building of its class wliich 

 the hand of man has yet constructed. 



INSTITUTE OF CIVIL ENGINEERS. 



The Covmcil of the Institution of Civil Engineers have awarded the follow- 

 ing Telford and Walker Premiums : — 



Telford Medals in Silver to 'Wilham Fairbairn, M. Inst. C.E., for his Paper 

 "On the properties of the Iron Ores of Samakotf (Turkey), &c." — To John 

 Murray, M. Inst. C.E., for his '* Description and Drawings of the removal of 

 the Lighthouse on the North Pier, at Sunderland." — To James Bremner, M. 

 Inst. C.E., for his Papers " On Pulteney Town Harbour," " Sarclet Harbour," 

 •' A new Piling Engine," and " An Apparatus for floating large stones for 

 Harbour Works." — To Andrew Murray, Assoc. Inst. C.K., for his Paper " On 

 the construction and proper proportions of Steam Boilers."- — To Alexander 

 Angus Croll, Assoc. Inst. C.E. , for his Paper "On the purification ofCi>aI 

 Gas, &c." — To James Braidwood, Assoc. Inst. C.E., for his Paper and Draw 

 inga descriptive of " The means of rendering hrge supplies of \Vater available 

 in cases of Fire, &c."- — To Jacob Samuda, Assoc. Inst. C.E. , for his "Ac- 

 count of the Atmospheric Railway." — To Charles Ilutton Gregory, Grad. Inst. 

 C.E., for his Paper " On RaUway Cuttings and Embankments. "^ — To Captain 

 "William Scarth Moorsom, Assoc. Inst. C.E., for his " Description and Draw- 

 ings of the Avon Bridge at Tewkesbury. "^ — To Thomas Grissell, Assoc. Inst. 

 C.E., for his " Description and Model of the Scaffolding used in erecting the 

 Kelson Column." — To Charles Manby, Secretary and Assoc. Inst. C.E., for 

 the translation and arrangement of the " History of the Canal and Sluices of 

 Katwyk," and the " Description of the Works of the Amsterdam and Rotter- 

 dam Railway," by the Chevalier Conrad, M. Inst. C.E. 



Walker Premiums of Cooks, suitably bound and inscribed, to the Cheva- 

 lier Conrad, M. Inst. C.E., for his " Description and Drawings of the Works 

 of the Amsterdam and Rotterdam Railway."- — To James Leslie, M. Inst. C.E., 

 for his " Description and Drawings of the Iron Lock Gates of the Montrose 

 Docks." — To John Geale Thomson, Grad. Inst. C.E. , for his "Description 

 and Drawing of the Landslip in the Ashley Cutting, Great Western Rail- 

 way." — To John Timperley, for his " Account of the building of the " \Vel- 

 lington Bridge, Ijceds." — To George Willoughby Hemaus, Grad. Inst. C.E., 

 for his " Description and Drawing of a wrought iron lattice Bridge on the 

 Dublin and Drogheda Railway." — To William Evill, Jun., Grad. Inst. C.E., 

 for his " Description and Drawings of the London Terminus of the Eastern 

 Counties' Railway."— To Arthur John Dodson, Assoc. Inst. C.E., for his 



" Description and Drawings of the Hydraulic Traversing Frame, used on the 

 Great AVestern Raihvay."- — To James Forrest, Jun., for his " Drawings and 

 Diagrams illustrative of numerous Papers read at the Meetings." 



LIST OF NE^V PATENTS. 



GRANTED IN KNGLAND FROM OCTOnER 29, TO NOVEMBER 23, 1844. 



Sl^ Months allowed for Enrolment j unless ofherivise expressed. 



George Ferguson Wilson, of Belmont, Vnuxhall, gentleman, George Gwynue, of Princes- 

 street, Cavemiish-sqviate, gentleman, and James Pillnus Wilson, of Helniont aioresaitl, 

 gentleman, for " Iniprovements in the niannfatttire of night lights."— Sealed Oct. 'Z\). 



Alexander Parkes, of Birmingham. Artist, for "Improvements in the manufacture of 

 certain ulloys or combinations of metals, and in depositing certain metals."— Oct. 2!>. 



George Uobjrt-D'Harcourt, of Old Jewry, London, gentleman, for "Improvements in 

 ascertaining and checking the number of checks or tickets uhtch have been used and 

 marked, applicable for railway offices and other places."— Oct. 29. 



Thomas Squire, of Warrington, County of Lancaster, Tanrier, for *' Improvements in 

 tunning hiiles and skins." — Oct. I'lK 



Thomas Fuller, of Manchester, Engineer, for "certain Improvements in machinery, 

 tools or apparatus for turning, boring, and cutting metals and other substances." — Octo- 

 ber 2!t. 



William Crofts, of Lenton, Nottingham, lace manufacturer, and James Gihbonc, of 

 New Radford, machinist, for " Improvements in the manufacture of tiguredor ornamented 

 lace, or net of various textures." — October 31. 



George Ferfjuson Wilson, of Belnionl, Vaiixhall, gentleman, George nwynne,of Princes- 

 street, Cuvendish-square, gentleman, and James Pillans Wilson, of Behnont aforesaid, 

 goMitlemau, for " Improvements in treating fatty and oily matter, and in the manufacture 

 of candles." — October 31. 



George Beadon, of Taunton, Somerset, gentleman, for " Improvements in life-boats or 

 rafts, and in apparatus for raising or lowering the roasts of vessels, which icnprovements 

 in raising or lowering are applicable to other purposes." — October 'A\. 



William Newman, of Birmingham, brass founder, for "a certain Improvement or cer- 

 tain improvements in window-blinds." — November 2. 



Charles Smith, of Newcastle-street, Strand, gentleman, for "new and Improved methods 

 in the construction and application of a variety of cooknig, culinary, and domestic articles 

 and utensils, some of which are applicable to cleaning and a variety of similar uselul pur- 

 poses." — November 2, 



Jean Baptiste IVIaniquet, of Sablionere Hotel, Leicester-square, pentlemnn, for " Im- 

 l)rovenients in doubling, twisting, and reeling silk, cotton, and other substances." — 

 November 2. 



W^illiam Bewley, of Dublin, gentleman, for " Improvements in fastenings for doors, 

 windows, and other places where fastenings are used." — November 2. 



Thomas Brown Jordan, of Coitage-road, Pindico, mathematical divider, for " Improve- 

 ments in the manufacture of blocks or surfaces for surface printing, stamping, embossing, 

 and moulding."— November 2. 



William Brunton, jun., of Pool, Cornwall, engineer, for " Improvements in apparatus 

 for dressing ores." — November 2. 



Thomas Unsworth, of Derby, silk ivaaver, for "an Improved manufactuie of elastic 

 fabric." — November 2. 



Josepli Thomas, of Finch-lane^ publisher, for "anew and Improved tube." Being a 

 communication, — November ^>. 



Henry Atkios, of Nottingham, lace manufacturer, for "certain Improvements in tlie 

 manufacture of net lace." — Novemlier b, 



John Groom, of Oldham, Lancaster, for " certain Improvements in the machinery or 

 apparatus for prei>aring, slubbing, or ruving cotton, wool, and other librous substances." 

 — November 7. 



Stci»hen Geary, nf Hamilton-place, New-road, architect and engineer, for "certtiin Im- 

 provements in the machinery, apparatus, and arrangements for the supply and distribu- 

 tion of water for public and private uses, but more particularly in cases of tire." — Nov. 7 . 



Henry Bcrriskill Taylor, of Piccadilly, lamp manufacturer, for " Improvements in appa- 

 ratus for transmitting light from lamp and other burners." — November?. 



Daniel Chandlar Hewitt, of Hanover-street, Hanover-square, musical instrument maker, 

 for " Improvements in certain stringed and wind musical instruments." — November 9. 



David Auld, engineer, of Dalmaruock-road, and Andrew Auld, of West-street, Triideg- 

 town, Glasgow, for "an Improved methods or methods of regulating the pressure and 

 generation of steam in steam-boilers and generators." — November 9, 



William Prosscr, jun., of ^\'indsor.terrace, Pimlico, gentleman, for " Improvements in 

 the construction of roads, and in carriages to run thereon." — November 0. 



Richard Harris, the elder, of Leicester, manufacturer, for " Improvementsin machiuery 

 employed in the manufacture of looped fabrics." — November 9. 



Charles Derosne, of Rue des Batailles Chaillot, near Paris, gentleman, for "nn exten- 

 sion of an invention for certain Improvements in extracting sugar or syiups irom cane- 

 juice and other substances containing sugar, and in retining sugar and syrups." (For the 

 term of six years from the expiration of the original grant.) — November 9. 



John Dearnian Dunnicliff, of Nottingham, lace manufacturer, William Crofts, of Pen- 

 ton, lace manufacturer, and John Woodhouse Bagley, of New Radford, mechanic, for 

 " certain Improvements in the manufacture of lace and other weavings." — November 13. 



Mark Freeman, of Sutton, esquire, for *' Improvements in working or dressing the sur- 

 face of stone." — November 14, 



Fredericl: Steiner, of Hyndburn Cottage, Lancaster, turkey-red dyer, for " A new co- 

 louring matter to be used in dyeing certain colours on cotton, woollen, silk, and linen 

 fabrics."— November \A. 



William North, of Stangale, slater, for ** Imi)rovemenls in covering roofs and flats with 

 slate." — November 14. 



Isaac Fairell, of Great Brunswick-street, Duldin, architect, for " certain Improvements 

 in machinery, whereby carriages may be impelled on railways and tramways by means of 

 stationary engines or other po»ver, including certain apparatus connected with the car- 

 riages to run en the same." — November 14. 



Francis Watteen, of Finsbury s(iuare, merchant, for " Improvements in preventing in- 

 crustations in steam-boilers and steam-generators." — November 10. 



Joseph Muudslay, of Lambeth, engineer, for " certain Improvements in steam-engines." 

 — November l(i. 



Francis Higginson, of Rochester, lieutenant in her Majesty's navy, and Edward Robert 

 Coles, of the same place, merchant and ship-owner, for "certain Improvements in the 

 construction of buildings generally." — November 21. 



David Bletcalf, of Leeds, dyer, for " A new mode of manufacturing or prepaiing a new 

 vegetable preparation, applicable to dyeing blue and other colours." — November 21. 



John Spencer, agent of the Ph<i:nix Iron Works. West Bromwich, Stafford, for " Im- 

 provements in manufacturing or preparing plates of iron or other metal for roofing and 

 ther purposes to ivhich the same may be applicable." — November 23. 



