1845] 



THE CIVIL ENGINEER AND ARCHITECTS JOURNAL. 



133 



THE FOUNTAINS OF LONDON AND PARIS. 

 (JFith Engravings, Plates A", and XT.) 



We present our readers with a geometrical view of one of the 

 fountains in Trafalgar Square, and compare it with two others whicli 

 are probably equally well known to tlicm — a fountain of the Place de 

 la Concorde, and the fountain Des Saisons, in the Champs Elysfes, at 

 Paris. 



The fountains in Trafalgar Square are made of red granite highly 

 polished, and are in themselves very beautiful specimens of work- 

 manship ; thev stand in the centre of a large stone basin, on a level 

 with the square, and consist of a granite pedestal with four heads of 

 dolphins projecting therefrom, and supporting a tazz.i 10 feet diann-ter 

 and another above, 5 feet diameter, in the centre of which is something 

 like a fire-plug, from which issues tlie vvatei to the height of four or 

 five feet. The resemblance of these fountains to dumb-waiters with 

 the tops knocked off was made the subject of a witticism at the first 

 erection; but the resemblancp is far too exact to bn a matter of joke. 

 Their intense ugliness cannot be better exposed than by the com- 

 parison in the engravings, although our artist has given to the fountain 

 in Traf dgar Square a much ampler appearance of water than there 

 really is, as thev are now played. 



For the purpose of supplying the fountains with water, and also the 

 Government Offices and the New Houses of Parliament, two wells 

 have been sunk at the distance of 880 feet from each other ; one 

 close to the front of the National Gallery, and the other a considerable 

 distance in the rear: the well in front is sunk to the depth of 170 

 feet then a boring has been made down to the chalk, to a farther 

 depth of 22:') feet, making a total depth from the surface of 395 feet ; 

 the other well is sunk to the depth of 17.') feet, and then by a boring into 

 the chalk 12.') feet more, this well was the first one completed, in which 

 the pumps are fixed, and which was done before the water from the 

 other well was admitted ; the supply from the latter is conveyed by a 

 tunnel of 380 ft. long, andli ft. diam. By this admirable arrangement the 

 supply is drawn from two difterent portions of the chalk, and by the aid 

 of the tunnel a large reservoir of water is always kept ready,* the 

 water is pumped up by the aid of 'steam-engine power into two reser- 

 voirs, one, considerably the highest, is intended for the supply 

 of the public ofticps, and the other for the supply of the fountains. 

 There is now sufficient force to supply 500 gallons per minute to each 

 fountain, 40 feet high, but the supply is only 2.50 gallons per minute. 

 It has been objected to an increased play of water, that a lofty jet 

 scatters a profuse shower of spray by the action of the wind. This 

 defect might, however, be remedied by a proper distribution of the 

 water. If the jets were to play from the circumference of the basin 

 inwards the evil complained of would not exist, and tlie fountains 

 would gain that elTect by breadth which they cannot obtain by height. 

 The water, after it has played through the jets, instead of being 

 allowed to run to waste, is conveyed back by a 15 inch pipe to the 

 engine house, and again pumped up to the reservoir, so that any quan- 

 tity of water can be supplied that the engines are capable of lifting, 

 and as the lift is of a short distance the expense of raising any addi- 

 tional quantity that may be required for the improvement of the foun- 

 tains will be of trifling importance. We must observe that the works 

 supplying the fountams are admirably arranged, and do credit to all 

 parties engaged, particularly to the engineers, Messrs. Easton and Amos. 



The fountains of the Place de la Concorde at I-'aris are two in num- 

 ber, and they are both of the same design, of elaborately chased 

 bronze. The lower basin of each fountain is of stone of a circular 

 form, 52 feet diameter, in the centre is a group of colossal seated 

 statues representing the Ocean Deitie.t, and above an elaborately en- 

 riched plateau, 20 feet diameter, in the middle of which a group of 

 children and swans surround the ornamental support of a reversed 

 tazza of 10 feet diameter, on the summit of which issue jets from a 

 centre flower. At the circumference of the lower basin there are six 

 full sized figures representing Tritons and Naids, holding each a fish or 

 a shell, from whicli by a beautiful arrangement water is thrown in- 

 wards into the large tazza above. By this arrangement, and the ad- 

 dition of numerous smaller jets, a great diversity of etl'ect is 

 produced, giving an idea of breadth and amplitude, and a pleasing 

 appearance of complexity, while the annoyance of a scattered shower 

 of spray is avoided. This idea might be most successfully borrowed 

 for the improvement of our own fountains. The effect of them, espe- 

 cially when viewed from a slight distance, is beautiful in the extreme. 

 Many of our readers are aware of the beauty of the magnificent vista 

 (certainly without rival in Europe), which, commencing at the grand 

 Corinthian facade of the Chamber of Deputies, comprises, in a per- 

 fectly straight line, the bridge of Louis XVI,, the two fountains and 



* The wells and tunnel, w-hsu at rest. Ijold about I2'2,(fi)0 gallons of water, and alter 

 pumping 300 gallons per minute for 30 hours successively it only lowered the water 50 1'ect, 

 and then left a reserve of 91,000 galionjs. 



1*0. 92.~VoL. VIII.— May, 1840. 



the statues of the Place de la Concorde, the obelisk of Luxor, the 

 avenue of columns formed by the buildings of the Garde Meuble, and 

 terminates with the incomparable Madeleine. We said that this 

 vista was unrivalled ; if it have a rival, it is in that which intersects it 

 at right angles, and which, commencing at the centre gate of the 

 Tuileries, contains, in a straight line, the grand avenue of the garden 

 of the Tuileries with its innumerable statues, the obelisk of Luxor fat 

 the intersection with the former vista), the grand avenue of the 

 Champs Elyset^'s, and terminates at the vast triumphal arch of the 

 Barriere de I'Etoile. Those only who have actually seen these in- 

 comparable perspectives of fountains, statues, foliage, porticos, vases, 

 or.inge trees, gilded balustrades, and marble terraces, can have even a 

 faint idea of its gorgeous beauty, or feel adequately the humiliating 

 comparison which our own specimens of pigmy art present. 



Paris abounds in fountains ; they profusely decorate every quarter, 

 almost every main street of the city. Besides the fountains of which 

 we have given representations, the Fontaine de Grendle, the Fontaine 

 d(S Innocents, the Chatiau d'Eau, and nearly itixty others, attest the 

 estimation in which these beautiful objects are held by the Parisians. 

 They are almost all of them large and elaborately ornamented. In 

 London, on the contrary, there are only about three or four, and all of 

 them of the most puny dimensions. Indeed, except the small jet in 

 the Temple Gardens, and that in St. James's Park, and the fountains 

 of Trafalgar Square, we do not remember any others in this metro- 

 polis. 



We had hoped to have given a view of the immense " Emperor" 

 fountain at Chatsworth, but are afraid it will be too late to do so this 

 month. This fountain, by far the highest in the world, consists of a 

 simple vertical jet rising from the surface of a lake to the height of 

 21)7 feet! The reservoir is a natural lake on a hill, and is elevated 

 381 feet. When this reservoir is full the fountain is expected to play- 

 to the height of 280 feel I The next highest fountain in the world was 

 that of Wilhelm's-hoehe, in Hesse Cassel, playing 190 feet ; it is now 

 out of order. A fountain at St. Cloud plays ICO feet. The height of 

 the towers of Westminster Abbey is 225 feet. 



We fain would hope we have drawn comparisons sufficient to 

 induce the Cotnmissioners at once to apply to the Parliament now 

 sitting for an additional grant to make the Fountains worthy of the 

 Nation, or at once to remove them from the sight of our Continental 

 neighbours who may visit the metropolis. As long as they remain in 

 their present state they will be the derision of every observer. 



M^e wish to say a very few words on the general design of the 

 Nelson Memorial, of which these fountains form a part. We think 

 that the share Mr. Barry has had in the design is one of the least 

 happy of his eftbrts. In the first place, the erection of an enormous 

 column to support a statue, or rather to put it out of sight, is a gross 

 architectural solecism, of which the only existing examples have been 

 erected in degraded periods of art. It is an unnatural— a foolish idea : 

 this we affirm unhesitatingly, despite the authorities against us. A 

 column is the support of the roof of a building — that is its purpose, 

 its SOLE IDEA. It was never intended to be degraded into a mere 

 window-moulding — nor to be exalted into a unity by constituting of 

 itself an edifice. The first method of employing a column is as much 

 below, as the second is above, the real standard of its dignity. 



./Irchitectural beauty — again and again we have to reiterate the 

 obvious maxim — can never be dissociated from architectural use. Alas ! 

 how forcibly are we told of the gross debasement of modern architec- 

 ture, when even such men as Mr. Barry have to be reminded of truths 

 so painfully obvious I 



Then again — the ample space devoted to the Memorial in Trafalgar 

 Square, instead of being displayed boldly and eftectively in all its 

 extent, has been frittered away in small compartments distinct from 

 each other. Beginning on the side next the National Gallery, we 

 have a broad terrace parallel to the public pavement, but to prevent 

 all idea of continuity and perspective, separated from it by a row of 

 ugly granite posts. On the other side of this terrace we have a stone 

 fence to obstruct the view of the lower area. The same posts and 

 the same division into compartments recur on the side next Charing 

 Cross — so that the space actually left for the monument is reduced to 

 as small limits as ingenuity could easily devise. Then the grateful 

 effect on a sunny day of the dazzling glare of sunshine reflected from a 

 flat unvaried surface of stone pavement ! 



But it is idle to pursue the subject further. The mischief has been 

 done ; the abortion has been brought into existance ; an enduring type 

 of deformity has now been bequeathed by us to our posterity — and 

 future critics will wrangle and dispute whether the designer' of the 

 architecture of the area of Trafalgar Square could have been tlie 

 architect of the palace at Westminster. 



"Lysides, a young Atlienian, has just returned to us from a voyage 



IS 



