ISM5.1 



THE CIVIL ENGINEER AND ARCHITECT'S JOURNAL. 



221 



lie necessary in London, as it was In Paris, to erect a building for tlie special 

 purpose, and the ctiief difliculty tn be anticipated, in carrying the project into 

 execution, is the obtaining of sufficient space in a cohvenient situation for 

 tliis important purpose. There can be no doubt that the expenses would be 

 defrayed by public subscription, for every manufacturer in the country, and 

 every shopkeeper in London would have a deep interest in supporting such a 

 project. It was stated on high authority in the rrcnch Chamber of Depu. 

 ties, that the profits on goods sold to foreigners during the great Parisian 

 Exposition, exceeded all the costs of preparation and maintenance four times 

 over. A national Exposition in London would attract visitors from every 

 quarter of the world, and prove even more attractive tlian the Bazaar. It 

 will be necessary to give at least a year's notive of the Exposition, because 

 manufacturers will feel that their own character, and that of the country, is, 

 io a great extent, staked on the success of their efforts in scientific and ar- 

 tistic production. They will be very willing to risk a large outlay in order 

 to produce the most perfect specimens of their respective manufacture, when 

 they know that the several articles will still continue their own property, and 

 when they are convinced that their display on such an occasion is certain to 

 lead to a very large consumption of similar products. In no case is it desir- 

 able that any manufacturer should send a large number of articles ; he must 

 necessarily confine himself to specimens illustrative of his several varieties of 

 production, and for his own sake be will be sure to send the best of each 

 «ort. There is no doubt that in many cases the duty of selection will be 

 found very invidious and onerous by the gentlemen of the committe. In 

 Paris this task was entrusted to a jury of supervision, in which were included 

 jeveral of the ministers, the most distinguished men of science io the Cham- 

 ber of Peers and Chamber of Deputies, the professors of the University and 

 the leading manufacturers of the kingdom ; yet we know that some of their 

 decisions were impugned, and that they themselves were fiercely assailed in 

 the newspapers by disappointedi exhibitors. It would be a great improve, 

 ment in the English Exposition, if power could be obtained, so as to exhibit 

 the machinery sent up from various quarters in actual work. This was not 

 done in Paris, and we shrewdly suspect that one cause of the omission was, 

 that such a display would have given to the world signal proof of the infe- 

 riority of the French mechanicians in the construction and management of 

 gteam machinery. As a National Exposition involves little fatigue, and 

 hardly any expense, after it has once been opened, there would be no reason 

 for discontinuing it until the enlightened curiosity of the public had been 

 completely and thoroughly gratified. We believe that it might profitably 

 remain open for two or three months. Its extent would render it impossible 

 to make a satisfactory survey of the whole without frequent and repeated 

 Tisits. 



RAILWAYS IN INDIA. 



Sir, — In the Report as to Railways in India, p. 186 of the last number of 

 your Journal, it is stated that the journey from Calcutta to Benares moy be 

 performed by palkee at the rate of 13 miles per day, requiring 15 to 18 days, 

 from which the distance (not being stated) may be inferred to be about 250 

 miles; but " by dawk the charge is half a rupee per mile, or 22 rupees," this 

 makes the distance 44 miles only. It may, perhaps, mean 22 rupees (for 44 

 miles) j)er day, which at 4^ or 5 days, the time given for travelling by dawk, 

 gives 196 to 220 miles. Can you say what the real distance is, and what a 

 dawk is, being as it appears three times as quick as any other mode of con- 

 veyance. I beg to observe that errors and confusion m these reports weaken 

 the influence of such documents in a high degree, and of course ought to be 

 avoided by both authors and quoters. 



I am yours, &c., 



E. IL 



*^* Our correspondent might have saved himself the trouble of writing 

 by reading the paper noticed by him carefully. It is there slated that the 

 direct distance from Calcutta to Benares is 388 miles. Travelling by dawk 

 is, we thought every one knew, travelling post with relays of palanquin 

 bearers. On turning again to Mr. Stephenson's report, we find the para- 

 graph on Expenses of Travelling to be correctly copied. We cannot hold 

 ourselves responsible for inaccuracies which may have crept into Mr. Ste- 

 phenson's statistics. Ilow can an English editor be supposed able to correct 

 numerical statements of the expenses of travelling from Calcutta to Benares ? 

 — Editor. 



HOPE'S ARCHITECTURE. 



Not spoing !iny solution of X\\c obscure passage in Hope's Archi- 

 tecture, alluiled to in the May nombi'r of tlie Journal, I will venture to 

 offer a suggestion. 'I'liongli, in its pnsi'nt wording, the passage is, as 

 your corr( spon.lent observes, arrant nonsense, a glance at the plan vtill 

 show at once the author's meaning; which may be expressed thus, — 

 "The body presents a vast octagon shell and cupola, the pillars at the 

 internal angles are prolonged in ribs, which, centering at the summit, 

 meet in a single point : from the body, a high and vviile flight of steps, 

 rising opposite the entrance, leads to au altar, behind which is an 

 oblong choir, whence, &c." 



It has only been attempted here to clear up the obscurity of tlio 

 passage, nut to correct the errors in matter of fact, — for the octagon 

 afipears on the plan to be an irregular decagon, which moreover does 

 not agree with the elevation,— nor to reform the English, which is sin- 

 gularly inelegant throughout. 



I have not seen the second edition, but presume the index'* alluded 

 to is one which was published in a separate form by Cresy, — this, 

 though a copious analytical index, has done but little to improve the 

 book as a work of reference, on account of the subjects not being al- 

 phabetically arranged. The same deficiency exists in the volume of 

 plates, rendering it necessary, in either case, to look through perhaps 

 the whole index, until you find the subject of which you are in search. 



I remaio, &c., 



J.L. 



* There ia an alphabetical Index given In the second edition of Mr, Hope'a work,— Ed. 



DREDGE'S SUPENSION BRIDGE. 



Sir, — In the ensuing number of your Journal may I beg a space to 

 correct a trifling error that occurred in your last publication, what I 

 allude to is at the bottom of page 194, "Accidents similar to the 

 Yarmouth are unhappily by no means singular. The Menai, the Mon- 

 trose suspension bridges, one of tho-e in the Regent's Park, London," 

 &c. This allusion to one of the bridges in the Regent's Park is a 

 mistake, the only thing I know at all likely to give rise to such a sup- 

 position is detailed in Vol. VIL chap. 8, of the "Professional Papers 

 of the Corps of Royal Engineers." On reference to this you will find 

 that the clay embankment on which a foundation of one of the bridges 

 stands slipped, and by so doing ruptured the wing walls, but the bridge 

 itself was uninjured, at least compiratively so, for the damage done 

 did not exceed £\Q. I have seen similar statements in several of the 

 periodicals, but your cotemporaries have always allowed space fuc 

 correction, and I am sure I may expect a like courtecy from you. 

 I remain. Sir, 



Yours very obediently, 



James Dredge. 



Bath, June 16, 1S45. 



BLACKFRIAR'S PIER. 



As long ago as the year 1840 the Committee appointed by the 

 City to carry out the repairs to Blackfriar's Bridge entertained the 

 idea of erecting a landing pier at this site, for the accommodation of 

 steam boat passengers. Several designs wore proposed, both for piers 

 running out from Chatham Place, similar to the one now being exe- 

 cuted, and also for stairs going down from the footpath of the bridge 

 in front of one of the piers, the same as at Soulhwark and Vauxhall 

 bridges. Nothing was determined, and no further notice was taken 

 until last year, when the unfortunate accident which was attended 

 with the loss of several lives again brought the subject before the City 

 authorities. 



It was then determined to carry out such a design as would ensure 

 perfect safety to the public, and at the same time of such construction 

 as would be the least expensive and most admissible of being easily 

 removed should any embankment or other improvement of the 'Thames 

 take place hereafter, with which the erection might be found to inter- 

 fere. 



The first design furnished to the Navigation Committee was of a 

 cheaper construction than the one now being executed ; it consisted 

 of five thirty feet openings, with simple beams or girders resting upon 

 a single row of piles, the width of the platform ami the height of the 

 sctlit above Trinity standard was to have been the same as the 



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