1847.] 



THE CIVIL ENGINEER AND ARCHITECrS JOURNAL. 



189 



genuity was fully admitted. Throughout the discussion the great merit of 

 Arnold's improvements seemed to be recognised, and it was generally de- 

 plored that a spirit of epiricism has been allowed to stop the progress of so 

 beautiful a science as that of the construction of time-keepers. It was, how- 

 ever, to [be hoped that, by the facility afforded by the Institution of Civil 

 Engineers of making known ingenious and recognised improvements, more 

 particular accounts of what was done would be given to the world, and the 

 merits of the scientific constructors of that indispensible instrument, the 

 chronometer, would become generally known. 



May 11. — The paper read was "An Account of the Progressive Improve- 

 ments in Sunderland Harbour and the River Wear," by Mr. J. Murrav. 



The memoir commenced with an account of the coal trade, licenses having 

 been granted by King Henry HI., in 1239, "to the good men of Newcastle, 

 to dig coals and stones in the common soil of tlie town and outside the 

 walls." In 1384 permission was given to export the produce of the mines. 

 During the civil wars, in 1644, the export from Sunderland was greatly in- 

 creased, as no coals were permitted to be brought from Newcastle to London, 

 on account of that town being a stronghold of the royalist party. Between 

 1704 and 1711, the average annual export had reached 174,264 tons; and 

 that of the last year, 1846, was 1,500,000 tons. The census, in 1802, gave 

 19,100 inhabitants, whilst the town at present contains upwards of 60,000 

 persons. 



The management and improvement of the River Wear was naturally an 

 object of great solicitude, as its entrance was much exposed. In 1669 Charles 

 II. granted a patent to E. Andrews, to build a pier, and erect light-houses, 

 and forbade the casting of ballast. Sec, into the river. An act was obtained 

 in 1717, appointing river commissioners for the conservancy of the harbour, 

 &c., giving power to raise money by tonnage duty on ships entering the port. 

 The jurisdiction of the commissioners is limited by the last acts to an extent 

 of about 11 miles, between Biddock Ford, above the town, and to a distance 

 out to sea of a depth of five fathoms at low water. Little was done to im- 

 prove the river until 1719; at that time the entrance was very intricate, and 

 the two main channels were both very shallow. The south pier was cora- 

 jnenced in 1723, for the purpose of directing the full force of the current 

 against the bar. ISusleigh and Thompson's map, published in 1737, shows 

 the bad state at that period. Labelye (the engineer of Westminster-bridge) 

 ■was called upon for his advice in 1748. He pointed out the principal causes 

 of the then state of the river, and suggested the contraction of the channel 

 at the worst places, so as to increase the scouring power of the stream, deep- 

 ening the Still by manual labour, and by dredging engines, and constructing 

 a north pier, so as to leave a distance of 200 yards between the point of that 

 and the south pier. He stated, however, that " after all, as no man could 

 foresee the consequences of erecting the north pier, if it caused a greater ob- 

 struction than it removed, it must be unbuilt and taken up." He recom- 

 mended also throwing all the force of the stream into one channel, and cut- 

 ting away the bar by ballast engines, and cautioned the commissioners against 

 ever permitting sluices or locks to be placed upon their river. 



Mr. Vincent, of Scarborough, was appointed engineer to the trust in 1752. 

 Mr. Uobin succeeded him in 1755, and under them the south channel was so 

 much improved that the north channel was warped up with sand. Mr. Smith, 

 of Sheffield, proposed sundry further improvements in 1758. Mr. Wooler 

 also reported in 1767 on Mr. Roliin's plan of building moles on the north 

 and south rocks. The work was commenced, and was ahandoned for reasons 

 which do not appear. Mr. R. Shout was appointed in 1779; and in 1780, 

 Mr. Smeaton's advice was sought. He recommended the prolongation of the 

 piers on Mr. Shout's plans. The consequence of this constant extension of 

 the south pier seems to have been the warping up of sanrl into the harbour's 

 mouth. Two timber jetties were, therefore, suggested by Mr. Shout in 

 1786, and were the origin of the present north pier. The effects produced 

 were very beneficial, as in a few months a deep and spacious channel was 

 formed by the rush of the waters. The timber work was then cased with 

 Btone, and the work was continued by Air. Pickernell, who succeeded Mr. 

 Shout in 1795. He also erected the light house at the point of the pier. The 

 south pier was also extended. Mr. R. Dodd also reported on the works, and 

 recommended chiefly the formation of a wet dock on the present Potato 

 Gurth. Mr. M. Shout became the engineer in 1804, and he reduced some of 

 the old works, whilst he extended the north pier. Mr. Jessop made a re- 

 port in 1807, recommending further extension of the south pier, the reduc- 

 tion of the width of the entrance to 300 feet, and the construction of some 

 embankment walls at various points to increase the velocity of the stream, 

 and at the same time form a scouring basin. Mr. Giles made a survey under 

 the directions of Mr. Rennie, which was completed in 1823, under Sir J. 

 Kennie. This plan is published, and was exhibited. In 1824, Mr. Rennie 

 recommended certain lines of extension of the pier, and the reconstruction of 

 some parts of the works, with sounder materials, with other precautionary 

 measures calculated to improve the port, some of which were carried into 

 effect by Mr. Milton. Mr. J. Murray succeeded Mr. Milton, and carried on 

 the designs of Mr. Rennie and Sir J. Rennie, with great solidity, using the 

 diving-bell for part of the foundations. The north pier was thus extended to 

 a total length of 1770 feet. He also removed, in an entire mass, the light- 

 house to the extremity of the intended pier, an account of which has bee^i 

 already submitted to the Institution. In 1843, the south pier being in a 

 ruinous state, was partially removed and rebuilt, in a direction better calcu- 

 lated to break the swell of the sea. The plans exhibited the changes that 



had taken place in the estuary, improving the channel, and giving, at least' 

 4 feet of water over the bar at low water of spring tides. It is narrow and 

 shelving, with deep water on each side. Formerly the large ships took ia 

 part of their cargoes beyond the bar, but now they all load within it, even 

 When drawing 15 to 18 feet, and as many as a hundred ships have entered 

 and departed from the harbour in one tide. A longitudinal section of the 

 river showed some remarkable changes in the bed, and corresponding im. 

 provements in the heights of the tide, affording, at the same time, increased 

 facility for the drainage of the country around. Dredging has been carried 



annuaM " "' ^"^ ^""^ ""''"'" '° ^^"''"^'^ '""^ ''"'= '''^° "'^^'^ 



hJ^^ """J .?'/?u'"^u'^''f''' ^^^ l>een much felt, and several plans have 

 been projected for them by Messrs. Dodd, Jessop, Stevenson (of Edinburgh), 

 Giles Brunei, G Renme, Walker, and G. Murray, but none have yet been 

 executed. A small dock, of about six acres in extent, was finished in 1838. 

 A south dock, with tide basins, is now in course of construction, under the 

 direction of Mr. R. Stephenson and Mr. Murray, and by its means it is anti- 

 cipated that Sunderland will become the first port, as to depth of water at its 

 entrance, between the Humber and the Frith of Forth. 



May IS.— "An Account of the Sarah Sands, and other Iron Vessels, with 

 direct-actmg Auxiliary- engines, and Screw-propellers," bv J. Gkvntham of 

 Liverpool. ' ' 



The object of the paper was to show, that a propeller might be constructed 

 of such dimensions that the number of revolutions it would require to make 

 in order to obtain a high velocity would not much exceed that of the ordinary 

 paddle-wheel, and that hence the usual marine condensing engine mi^ht be 

 applied direct to the propeller-shaft, without the intervention of a secondary 

 motion. It appeared from the statements in the paper that this opinion was 

 found to be correct, and that Woodcrolt's expanding pitch screw-propeller 

 was the best form that had hitherto been emploved. In a paper read to the 

 Institution, upwards of three years since, Mr.Giantham gave his views oa 

 this subject, and several vessels had been since built— the results of the trials 

 of which were communicated to the meeting. The principal of these were 

 the Emerald and Diamond, three-masted steamers, of 300 tons, and OO-horse 

 power ; the Nautilus, of the same dimensions ; the Antelope, of 600 tons 

 and lOOhorse power; and the Sarah Sands, of 1000 tons, and 180-horse' 

 power. Drawings of these vessels were exhibited to the meeting. Theca- 

 pabihties and performance of these vessels were described in the paper, but 

 particular notice was taken of the last-named vessel, which had performed a 

 most successful voyage to New York during bad weather and adverse winds. 

 The passages made by the ordinary New York liners, which were out at the 

 same time, were very long, averaging 48 days each, and the Bostonand Li- 

 verpool steamers were much longer than usual on their passage. The Sarah 

 Sands used her steam about 17 days, and sailed the remainder, making her 

 voyage in 2f) days 10 hours. On her arrival she had about enough fuel re- 

 maining for four days' steaming. The paper did not enter minufelvinto the 

 particulars of the screw itself, as it was considered that too much attention 

 had been given to that branch of the subject to the exclusion of the con- 

 sideration of the plans for working it, which, after all, had been the stumbling- 

 block to the general adoption of the system. It was necessary with the 

 screw, the theory of which, as a propeller, was so little understood, to pro- 

 ceed with experiments perseveringly in one direction, as variations in the 

 results were frequently attributed to causes which really did not exist. After 

 describing several interesting details, the paper concluded by expressing a 

 desire that engineers should examine the drawings of the system laid before 

 the meeting, and endeavour to add to the stock of information already ob- 

 tained. 



After the paper was read, Mr. Grantham added some facts which he had 

 recently gathered, and which strongly confirmed what had been stated. The 

 Diamond bad recently made a very rapid passage to Madeira, deeply ladeu ; 

 but, during the whole passage, the engines maintained a very moderate speed, 

 and quite removed the impression that under such circumstances they would 

 run too fast from their being connected directly to the screw. 



An account of the last successful voyage outwards of the Sarah Sands was 

 also given, and it appeared that, in spite of most severe gales, which bad 

 driven back almost all other vessels, her passage had been made in the most 

 satisfactory manner. In the discussion which followed, several engineers of 

 eminence expressed themselves much pleased with the facts brought forward 

 in the paper, and perfectly concurred with the views put forth. The princi- 

 ple of the following current of the ship, which had a material influence in in- 

 creasing the efficiency of the screw, was alluded to, and a conviction was ex- 

 pressed that the screw ivould eventually supersede all other means of pro- 

 pelling vessels on long voyages. 



An account was given also of the auxiliary screw-steamers that ply between 

 London and Rotterdam, and some interesting facts were given of the power 

 which these vessels possessed of working to windward in bad weather. The 

 subject was closed by a discussion upon several points that had been started, 

 relative to the size of the screw, the mode of disengaging it, and the pros- 

 pects which were held out of the final success of the principle. 



26 



