lS-17.] 



THE CIVIL ENGINEER AND ARCHlTECrS JOURNAL. 



17 



mal Kapies already exist, amongst which may be cited the decimal sector 

 gages long since recoraiiieadtd, aud published by the Society ol" Arts, 

 Edinburgh, and various sliiling gages with veruiers some to read off iu hun- 

 dredths, and tinerones in thousandths, of the inch, all of which have been 

 long and constantly used iu the auihor's manufactory. 



To these may be added — La Uiviere's gage, nrndilied and enlarged from 

 that used for the balance springs of watches amongst the (ieueva watch- 

 makers. — Chater and Hayward's gage for slieet metals and glass. — Wal- 

 ker's gage for sheet iron. — VVhitworth's micrometer gage arid others — which 

 may be severally read off to the thousandth of the inch, and even more 

 mmute quantities, and amongst which kinds sufficient choice exists for 

 almost every purpose. 



I'he propost^d decimal scheme would introduce one universality of sys- 

 tem, intelligible alike to all, instead of the uumeroiis and irregular mea- 

 sures now used, which are but partially and indiilerenily known and lead 

 to frequent mistakes. 



It would give a superior idea of particular magnitude, and enable the 

 theoretical and practical man to proceed with so much more decision m 

 their respective communications. 



In conveying verbal or wriiteu instructions, the system would be in every 

 way superior to the usual methods, as being almost free from the chance of 

 luisuuderslanding; more especially as some of the decimal sliding gages 

 are so small as hardly to take up more room iu tlic pocket than an ordi- 

 uary penknife, and might be therefore continually within reach for refer- 

 ence. 



When certain objects are required to be so proportioned as to constitute 

 a series ; the intervals between the decimal measures would be far more 

 easily arranged and appieciaicd, than those of vulgar fractions; and if 

 calculalion were referred to, the decimal figures, especially when divesled 

 of the decimal point, and the zeros to the right of the same, would be im- 

 mediately intelligible to the least informed, from being tlien no more lu 

 fact than simple numerals. 



Quantities expressed decimally would be more easily written down, and 

 more exactly defined than the compound fractions, such as i aad J^ of an 

 inch — or than the still more obscure method of § of an iuch jull or bare, as 

 tlie case might be ; which latter nearly sets all attempts at exactness at de- 

 fiance. 



The smaller aliquot fractions of the inch, such as the ^i^ ^ J^ Jg j'j &c. 

 of an inch, although in themselves very precise, do not from iheir nature 

 so readily admit of dt iiiiilioo or comparison, as the quantities 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 

 7. 8. 9. or 10 hundredths of an iuch ; because, in the vulgar fractious every 

 one has a sjjecijic relalion to the inch, whereas the decimal terms have one 

 general relation, decimals being sometimes considered as the numeralors of 

 fractions, all having the constant denominator unity, or lOU, lOJO, & : 

 and Iherefore the latter, or the decimal terms, constitute a simple arithme- 

 tical series, or one in which the intervals are alike, but this is not tlie case 

 with vulgar fractions. 



The decimal scheme would allow the exact weight in every superficial 

 foot of slieet metals and oilier substances to be readily arrived at.— Thus, 

 as a cubic foot of water weighs 1000 ounces troy, the specific gravitii s of 

 lead, copper, silver, kc, denote at the same time how many troy ounces 

 are severally contained iu one cubic foot of tlie same. The specific gravity 

 divided by l-20i), gives the weight of a plate or film, the one hundredth 

 of an inch thick, and thence a table may be readily computed, by addition 

 alone, to show the weight of plates of any thickness iu troy ounces. 



How confusing would it be, if the measures by which broad cloths, 

 linens, cottons, silks, velvets, carpets, aud other textile fabrics, are manu- 

 factured and sold, were all different, instead of being uniformly the yard 

 measure; aud yet this incongruity fully applies to tlie various articles 

 whose measurements are described under the mystical names of number, 

 «:e, gage, and other appellations, which assume different values iu i/i^V- 

 ri'«( branches of manufacturing art; as for example, iu the various kinds 

 of sheet metals, various kinds of wires, in tubes, joiners' screws, and vast 

 numbers of small manufactured articles, the various sizes of which are 

 arbitrarily designated as Nos. 1.2. 3. 4. &c. 



Why not in all these branches of trade, describe every thing measuring 

 fj'h of an inch, as No. 10; those of ,itlis inch, as No. 30? aud then iu sets 

 at olijects required to be nearly alike, the succeeding numbers could be 

 81. 32. 33. 34. 35. 36. &c. ; or if fewer and wider variations were wanted, 

 llie series might be 32. 34. 30. 38. 40. &c. ; or else, 3.5. 40. 45. 50. 55. 

 Every trade could select any portion of the series it might require, both as 

 regards general magnitude, and the greater or less intervals between the 

 sizes, aud with (he power of adding to, or subtracting from, the scale first 

 selected, as circumstances might suggest. 



But there should be one common understanding that the commercial 

 numbers or sizes, when dilicrent from the measures of the foot-rule, should 

 be always understood to be hundredths of the inch, (in some rare iustances 

 tliousandths,) as then from the unity of system no confusion or dillicultj 

 could possibly arise. 



It may be true that some of the proposals having reference to the weights 

 of materials in the superficial toot, the correspondences with foreign mea- 

 sures, and some of the pnjecis principally intended for the purposes of 

 science, may not be required in every-day practice; but still much remains 

 in the system, that in the opinion of the author, would admit of very easy 

 introduction, aud most general and satisfactory emplojmeut. 



In respect to the practical application of llit- method of decimal divisions, 

 as regai Us mechanical construction, the author cau speak most satisfactorily 



from some years' experience in his own manufactory, as he has found it to 

 be most readily followed by his workpeople, aud also that it has avoided 

 Irequent and vexatious misuuderstandiugs, to which, before its adoption 

 he was frequently subjected, from the want of a more miuule aud specific 

 system of measure, than is aflorded by the common foot-rule aud wilt) 

 gages. 



Therefore, from conviction of the usefulness and practicability of the 

 decimal system of measures for small quantities, he would most strongly 

 urge its general, or indeed universal, adoption, as above proposed ; the 

 more especially as it is a change that would be attended with very little 

 temporary inconvenience or expense, circumstances which greatly retard 

 all attempts at generalization." 



We cannot conclude our notice without renewing the expression of ap- 

 probation of the work. As far as we are aware, the plan of .Mr. Holt- 

 zapffel's labours is unique: no other similar book has been published, and 

 this is so comprehensive aud perspicuous that no other similar book need 

 be desired. 



Ancient Architecture described and demonstrated by its Monumenta. 

 — Li' Archiletlura antica deiscritta e dimomtrala cot monumtnlt. By 

 L. Cani.va. Rome, 1834-181-1. 9 vols. 8vo. text, and 3 vols. gr. ful. 

 Plates. Price £24. 



M. Canitw divides the history of ancient architecture into tliree 

 epochs and classes— the Egyptian, Greek, and Roman— and sym- 

 bolises this idea by the jiixta-positioii of the pyramids and obelisks of 

 Thebes, the Acropolis of Athens, and the Romau Capitol, represented 

 in the title-page of his splendid atlas. As the persoiul representa- 

 tives of these art-periods, the busts of Ramses III. or besostris, and 

 those of Pericles and Augustus are depicted. Since the great dis- 

 coveries of Champoillon and his disciples, never has Egyptian archi- 

 tecture been treated iu that deep and consequential detail .is in M. 

 Canina's fine work; aud he has also the merit of giving the first 

 chronological account of Egyptian architectuial monuin.nls. The 

 author further assigns the times of the resorting to the different ar- 

 chitectural organic iinproveineuients ; for inst.iiice, the caall, derived 

 from the very inscriptions of the mouuinents — which implies, besides 

 the knowledge of the architect, that of the hieroglypliist and philolo- 

 gist. The next new feature of this excellent work is, that M. Canina 

 considers the architecture of Egypt, and its limitrophs, as tlie generic 

 and prototype— of which that of the Jews, Assyrians, and Phoe.iicians 

 is merely deriv.itive and co-generic. To that common source, also 

 those very ancient monuments of Asia Minor, only l.itely discovered, 

 are ascribed, whence Greek and Roman art have taken their orio-in. 

 Going still further, M. Cauina unites to Egyptian architecture thaf of 

 Persia, India, China, and South America, tieing all only the diverse 

 modification of the same prototype, modified according to climateric 

 national, and social reasons and incitives. This system of uniting 

 art here introduced, is ridi in pregnant ideas and views; still, it 

 must be confessed, one difficult to be carried out, both in its technical 

 and historical bearings. 



In the portion of the work tre.ding of the structures of Hellas, 

 many most tasteful restorations of tliose now vanished erections are 

 represented in all their original syiiiinetry. Still, some weighty cri- 

 tics have taken umbrage at the hypsthral form which has been o-iven 

 to some of the finest temples of Greece— for instance, to that of 

 Zeus Parhellenius at Aegiiia, the Parttienoii, the Temple of Jupiter at 

 Olympia, that of Apolio Epicurios at Bessa, of Neptune at Vxilam, 

 &c. This controversial point has occupied much of the attention of 

 architects, and been also dilated upon in the transactions of the 

 ArchaBulogical Society of Athens. The opinion that the Greeks left 

 the middle part of the cella— where the figure of the god-image 

 stood, surrounded by valuable votations, — unroofed, or partly so, has 

 been generally received, and i\I. Cauiua also adheres to it. "Qu.itre- 

 mere deQuincy and Wilkins first combated it, aud C. Ross* nas, of 

 late, again brought it before the public. The mainquestiou hinges on 

 the pass.ige of Vitruvius, HI. — " ilypoethros vero decastylos 

 est in proiiao et postico — meUiuin autetu sub divo est smt ttclo, adi- 

 tusque valvaruin ex utraque parte in pronao et porlico. Hujus auteia 

 exemplar Roinae non est, sed Athenis octaitylus est in teinplo Olyin- 

 pio."— This passage is construed by German critics against Al. Cauina. 

 It is scarcely to be supposed, that the Greeks could leave suuh beau- 

 teous aud surprising colossal sculptures as F.dlas Allisna of the Par- 

 thenon, or the Jupiter Uhiupius, to be merely illumined by the dim 

 light from the entrance of a cella, without any windous running dowu 

 the whole leiigtii of the walls. 



Among the Greek teni,.,les, which our author lias so beautiful!/ 

 pictured, some omissions have occurred, — unavoidable, perhaps, in so 

 large a work. Amongst these, we may mention that Ionic sliow- 



* HeUcailia. ISJIi. p. l-Sii! 



