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THE CIVIL ENGINEER AND ARCHITECT'S JOURNAL. 



[June, 



In tlie case of tlie Menai the arrangement is lliiis, by series of five 



'"T Mil Mill I I I I I II 1 1 1 



II I I I I II I 1 I I I I I I I I I I 



—Here, again, (lie connection of each two series of bJrs is by a double 

 bolt : there are in this bridge two roadways. It will be observed that 

 in it, as well ns that at Hammersmith, two of the chains are so close 

 together as to be liable to dash against each other in a high wind, a 

 disadvantage avoided in the Hnngerford bridge. 



We wish to call particular attention to the manner in which, in the 

 new bridge, the chains are supported by the towers. To a casual ob- 

 server it might appear that these towers are of insufficient strength, 

 but when it is explained that by the manner in which the chains are 

 supported, they exert no lateral strain on the towers, but that their 

 pressure is wholii/ vertical, it will be seen that the only wav in which 

 they could injure the towers is by actually crushing the brickwork of 

 which they are composed. This effect is obtained by connecting the 

 ends of the chains witli a saddle which runs bv roll(?rs on a plate in 

 the top of each of the towers, and consequently the only effect of any 

 inequality in the expansion or contraction of the chains is to move the 

 saddle a few inches forwards or backwards. A somewhat similar method 

 has been employed in the construction of the Menai bridge, except 

 that in that case the rollers supporting the saddle run on an arched 

 plate instead of a horizontal one. 



Hefirence to Engravings, Plates XIIL, XIV. and XV. 



rig. 1, Plate 13, is a side view of the Suspension Campanile, showing a 

 portion of the main suspension chains A B, suspension bar C, and platform 

 D, v\ith the perforated parapet E, the perforation is of cast iron, the cap, 

 base and pedestals of timber. 



Fig. 2, Plate U, is a transverse view of the roadway D, and Basement; 

 there are to he steps (which are not shown) to lead down to the floating pier 

 for steam boat passengers to embark and disembark. 



Figs. 3,4 and 5 are a plan, a side view, and a transverse view of the cradle 

 used for fi.xing the main chains. A A are the two scaffolds of Smith's wire 

 ropes cash consisting of 3 ropes, inch diameter; A and B two cradles, princi- 

 pally formedof timber ; C C windlasses with barrel 5 in. diameter; c c iron 

 ro|ies, upon which the cradles were suspended by the pulleys D D ; the pul- 

 leys were lixed in the iron framework E E, to which were suspended by 

 straps the two cradles, the latter were 3 feet wide in the clear and 28 feet 

 long and 3 feet high, they consisted of truss framed work of timber, the top 

 and bottom plates are 3 by 5 ami bearers 4 hy 2J, the two cradles were con- 

 nected across by plates 4 by 4, and were also supported by a roller F, 8in. dia- 

 meter and 3 feet long, which rested upon the two sets of iron wire ropes 

 A A, first described ; the windlass barrels C C conld be raised and fixed in 

 any part of the iron side standards G G, these were again stayed by the cross 

 pieces of timber and iron lyes H II, and also longitudinally "by the piece of 

 timber .T. The cradle is shown as lifting one end of the linksK of the main 

 chain, the other end having been previously fixed to the bolt L and the two 

 links M last fixed. 



Figs. 0, 7 and 8, Plate 15, show one of the saddles. In fig. 6 one half one 

 saddle is shown in section and the others as a side view ; the saddles con- 

 sisted of 13 vertical wrought iron plates a, H inch thick, 3 ft. 6 in. high, and 

 8 ft. 6 in. long, with tno ribs 4 to each of the outside cheeks, through which 

 pass 4 bolts c, 1^ inch diameter, with screws and nuts to each end and a 

 collar between the vertical plates, these bolts tie the whole of the 13 plates 

 together, the vertical plates rest upon a horizontal iron base plate rf 4 feet 

 long by 4 feet broad and 8 inches thick, the outer edge chamfered off to 3 

 inches thick, the horizontal plate rest upon 25 pairs of iron rollers e, each 

 22 inches long and 4 inches diameter, with iron axles, the ends passing 

 through an iron side frame./, inch by 3 inches, and secured by screws and 

 nuts, and again by six other bolls ^7. The rollers rest upon an iron hase plate A, 

 12 ft. 6 in. by C ft. and 3J in. thick ; the two plates over and under the rnl- 

 lers are planed, the lower pkte stands upon a solid base of oak timbers 22 

 inches thick and 20 feet long, with an iron girder between each piece of 

 timber— these timbers lie on the top of transverse oak plates 6 inches thick 

 leaving a vacancy in the centre part, and these plates are laid upon a bed 

 of oak planks 5 inches thick, bedded on the top of the brickwork two 

 feet above the cornice; by this arrangement the whole of the weight is 

 distribuied upon the solid part of the brickwork and, entirely removed" from 

 over the arches. The two saddles are tied across the pier by an iron girder 

 10 ft. 6 in. long, the ends work upon centres. The distance between the cen- 

 tres of each pair of saddles is 14 feet. Between the vertical plates of the 

 saddle bars are fixed the 12 upper links n of the main chains, with iron bolts 

 45 in. diam. and 2 ft. Ij in. long between the heads. 



Figs. 9 and 10 show the coupling bolts and suspension plates, the links a, 

 of the main chain, inch bv 7 in. and 13 in. at the ends, secured at the junc- 

 tion by a bolt A, 4 J in. diameter and 2 ft. to 2 ft. 2 in. long with cast iron 

 nuts 8 in. diam. and 23 in. thick ; c the suspension plate 1 J inch thick 15 in. 

 wide and 7 inches deep in the centre, suspended by 2 pair of links, rf e, of 

 iron 2 by J inch ; e is suspended to the coupling bolt i, and d to another 

 pair of links attached to the cross bar ./; 1 ft. 11 in. long IJ by If, resting 

 on the top of the upper main chain ; the suspension bar y, i| diameter has 

 a forked end /(, secured by bolts J J in, diam. 



Figs. 1 1 and 12, side and transverse views of the ends of the girders and 

 suspension bar; n suspension strap 3 by inch 2 ft. 2 in. long between the 

 plates i and c, with a fork at the upper end to attach it by a bolt d, IJ in. 

 diam. to the suspension bar g, and the lower end e has a wedge formed key 

 and elect to hold up the plate c, which is 8 inches square and A inch thick, 

 the upper plate A is 5 by 7 and .1 inch thick; / side plate or stringer of tim- 

 ber 9 inches square ; A cross beams or joists, 3 by 1 1 inches ; ; upper stringer, 

 9 by 9, which forms the lower part of the parapet; and ^ the platform, under 

 the platform are diagon.al bolt ties traversing from side to side the whole 

 length of the bridge. 



Fig. 13 shows the holding down pier of brickwork A, resting upon piles B, 

 driven deep into the ground, with a platform of timber C resting thereon. D 

 is the anchor of iron, through which the links pass, Ihcy arc secured by keys 

 at the back ; the anchor abuts against two cast iron girders E, 5 ft. long, 

 bedded in the solid brickwork with flanges at each enil. 



The whole of the brickwork of the abutments aud towers is built in cement. 

 The two towers were erected in coffer dams, the foundation is gravel, and is 

 surrounded by sheet piling 15 feet deep. 



ARCHITECTURAL DRAWINGS, ROYAL ACADEMY. 

 Much as we complain and have complained — to no sort of purpose 

 whatever — of the treatment which architecture receives nt the Royal 

 Academy, and of the very inadequate space allotted to it, we wish 

 that unless it could be extended in the manner it ought to be, the 

 space now afforded were even abridged by the whole of the walls 

 above seven feet from the floor being given up to oil paintings. Most 

 assuredly full one half of the drawings now hung up might be spared 

 without being missed, since put where they are they cannot be looked 

 a/, even when found out by being looked Jor from the catalogue ; 

 therefore if good, their merit is quite lost, and if unworthy of being 

 seen they surely are not worthy of being exhibikd. We cannot, how- 

 ever, complain of the Academicians fur having encroached too 

 largely upon the narrow limits of the aichitectural room, and there 

 securing all the bi^st places for themselves, since they have very gene- 

 rously given up the whole of it this year to non-academical exhibitors. 

 The architectural props of the Academy do not prop up that room : 

 Smirke is of course wholly occupied with the facade and wings of the 

 Museum, into which he is putting the entire store of poetic ideas and 

 fancies he has accumulated during his professional life; — bad we seen 

 any drawing of his we should actually have started, as at some por- 

 tentous and miraculous vision. Professor Cockerell is, we suppose, 

 still dreaming about Colonna,Polifilo and Folia, — is perhaps employed 

 in preparing an English version of the old Dominican's crazy produc- 

 tion, with its grotesque illustrations. Either Soane greatly exceeded 

 his duties as Professor of Architecture in the Academy, or the gen- 

 tleman who now holds that office falls far short of his, for he has no- 

 exhibited above once since he was appointed to it, and then what 

 could hardly be called his own, it consisting of no more than a collect 

 tionof Wren's buildings fancifully grouped together. Truly the little 

 man on the top of the column in Tr.-^faigar Square, has been stuck up 

 there to little purpose if he have failed to remind the Professor and 

 the other Academician architects that "England expects every man 

 to do bis duty!" Barry has not heeded such monition any more than 

 the Professor himself: — et iu Brute! — and are not the public then 

 worthy of being allowed to see — nay have they not even some positive 

 right to demand to see every year during the progress of the works, 

 what advance is making in the various parts of that vast pile which 

 they have to pay for ? Is there no draftsman or architectural painter 

 to be found who could make one or two subjects from it every season? 

 or are Mr. Barry's emoluments from that work so trifling that the ex- 

 pense of such drawings — though they would afterwards furnish his 

 own drawing-room — would be an alarming dranback on them ? Hard- 

 wick follows Barry's example, and many follow the example of the 

 four architect academicians. The list of defaulters this season is moro 

 copious than usual: among them are both Professor Donaldson, and 

 Professor Hosking; Allom, Basevi, Elnies, Ferrey, Kendall senior, 

 Poynter, Salvin,.and Wild. Tite never exhibits — perhaps he is look- 

 ing forward to becoming an R.A. ; neither does Pugin, who is, however, 

 himself exhibited this season in persona, in a very clever and striking 

 antiquely Gothic portrait of him by Herbert (No. 423), wherein he 

 looks — -ds patctin and doucereii.t as if he had never written his " Con- 

 trasts." Blore is another architect whom we find here only in effigy, 

 namely in a bust in the sculpture-room ; than which we should have 

 greatly preferred seeing the design of Worsley Hall, the mansion he 

 has just erected for Lord Francis Egerton, near Manchester. Neither 

 do we obtain from the Exhibition any information relative to any other 

 of the various buildings going on in that part of the country, for few if 

 any of the most distant provincial architects exhibit this season. 



