SKM 



THE CIVIL ENGINEER AND ARCHITECrS JOURNAL. 



[August 



a tnwty " Toledo," or a Damascus blade, being so worked and moulded, will 

 bend, indeed, but never break. 



The City of Mexica. — Conspicuous among the beanty and uiagni5cence of 

 the grand city of Mexico is the Main Plaza. It covers an area of 

 twelve acres, i)aved willi marble, forming one of tlie most beautiful prome- 

 nades in the world. On every side of this great square magnificent and 

 costly public buildings are situated. On one side is seen the spacious cathe- 

 dral, wliicli extends the whole length of the square, and the covernui'^nt 

 palace extends the whole length of another side. The cathedral is erected 

 on the site of the great iilol temple of the Aztecs, and the government pa- 

 lace on the ground of the palace of the great Montezuma. The amount of 

 wealth in the cathedral is incredible. The altar is covered with plates of 

 massive silver and beautified with ornaments of massive gold. The balus- 

 trade enclosing the altar extends a length of 100 feet; and is made of a 

 massive composition of gold, silver, and copper, the value of which is exceed- 

 ingly great. Statues, vase-,, and candlesticks, of gigantic size, are scattered 

 through the building; and w4en we know that these, too, are made from 

 the precious metals, we car form an idea of the immense wealth of this 

 cathedral. There are about 80 churches in addition to the cathedral, richly 

 ornamented with gold, silver, and precious stones ; and it is supposed that 

 the wealth which is exhibited in this manner is as nothing to the immense 

 treasures that are kept in concealment by the priests. The city of Mexico 

 can also boast of a splendid theatre or opera-house, which was erected at an 

 immense cost, and is capable of seating 10,000 persons comfortably. On 

 the western side of the city is another square of 45 acres, with a fountain in 

 the centre. It is laid out into pleasant walks, and much frequented in the 

 evening as a promenade. The city of Mexico, like the city of New York, 

 has its fashionable drive — its Third Avenue. We must, however, acknow- 

 ledge that our Third Avenue cannot be compared to it for beauty and ex- 

 tent. Some idea of its extent may be formed from the fact that it is one 

 mile wide ; on which the most splendid carriages, in innumerable numbers, 

 may be seen every evening. It is not unusual to see 7,000 or 8,000 horse- 

 men and 2,000 carriages on it at the same time. — Neio York Herald. 



Improved Locomotive Engine. — For some time past considerable atten " 

 tion has been excited among parlies connected with locomotive transit by 

 the performance of an enguie built upon a new principle by Mr. Cramp- 

 ton, civil engineer [s»e Juiirnnl, p. 153], and upon which very extensive 

 experiments have lately been made on the London and Norlh-Western 

 railway. The engine in question which has been for a few weeks taking 

 the express, mail, aud ordinary trains on that line, and performing its 

 work in such a manner as to effect a saving of from 20 to 50 minutes in a 

 through distance of 50 or GO miles, was tried last week without a traiu, 

 for the purpose of testing its rate of speed : when it was found that with 

 Capt. Coddington, inspector-general of railways, Capt. Simmonds, as- 

 sistant-inspector, aud the patentee, Mr. C'rampton, on the engine, it at- 

 tained the extraordinary speed of 75 miles per hour, on a level, immedi- 

 ately after surmounting a gradient ; and that at this rate there was a total 

 absence of all vibration, and a steadiness of movement perfectly surprising. 

 These great advantages are effected in Mr. Crampton's engine by the 

 centre of gravity being brought down to its lowest possible point ; the 

 boiler, in fact, being, in this machine, within 2 feet 9 inches of the rails, 

 whilst in engines of the old construction it ran, at the very least, 5 inches 

 above their level. The peculiarities of this engine consist in the driving- 

 wheels being placed at the foot-plate end of the boiler ; by w hich means 

 the boiler itself can be brought down close to the supporting axles of the 

 engine — and, from tlie peculiarity of form before mentioned, any size of 

 driving-wheel may be used without interfering with the position ot the 

 boiler, so that longer boilers can be used if necessary. Another advantage 

 secured by this method of building engines is, that no part of the engine 

 overhangs the wheels; iuasmuch as the fire-box is extended under the 

 boiler and driving axle — by which also the distance belweeu the extreme 

 wheels is reduced 3 feet. The engine in question, the Namur, has only 

 13 feet between them, whilst in ordinary engines the same amount of 

 power would require 10 feet. 



XiIST OF THE-W PATEIUTS. 



GBANTGD IN ENGLAND FROM JUNE 26, TO JULY 19, 1817. 



Six Monl/ts allowed/or Enrolment, U7iless otherwise expressed. 



Robert Wilson, of Low Moor Iron Works, Bradley, Yovljshire, englnefr, for " Improve- 

 nients In macliinery and tile arrnngcinents thereof for forging, stamping, punching, cut- 

 ting, aud pitBS ng metuls and other suljstances."— Sealed June 20. 



Ureli Correlli Hill, of New York. U.S., professor of music, for "a mode or modes of 

 producing luusictil sounds."— June 28. 



William Edward Newton, of Chancery.lane, civil engineer, for " certain Improvements 

 i« manufacturing wheels." (A comouiuicatios.)— Juue 28. 



_^ Henry Hornblower, of Dalgleish-place, Commercial-road, Middlesex, engineer, for 

 certain Improvements in obtaining motive power," — June 28. 



Frederick Chaplin, of Bishops Stortford, Hertfordshire, tanner, for " Improvements in 

 card cises and retaining or fastening papers, deeds, and fabrics." Jtne 2i^. 



Paul Gilbert Preller, of Rue de Rivoli, Paris, gentlemau, for " Improvements in the 

 manufacture of dry sulphuric acid, and in the manufacture of smoking or Nurdhausen stii- 

 pburic acid.' (A communication.} — June 29. 



Joseph Brcwne Wilks, Esq., of Cbesterfield Park, in the county of Essex, for " Im- 

 proTeroents in the manufacture of oil from certain nuts, from which oil has not been be- 

 fore nianulactuted, and producing a vegetable substance, and the application tbereof for 

 the purpose of atfording light aud other U3»s." — July 3. 



Eliza Tonge, in the county of Lincoln, for " Improvements in amuntnting glass."—' 

 July ;i. 



Robert Weare, of Argyle-street, Birkenhead, in the county of Chester, watch and clock 

 maker, for " Improvements in clocks or time-keepers." — July 3. 



Alexander Mitchell, of Brickfields, in the parish of Ballymacarrell, Ireland, civil engi- 

 neer, of an extension of letters patent granted to him by His late Majesty King William 

 the Fourth, dated the 4th day of July, in the 4th year of his reign, lor the term of four- 

 teen years, from the 4th cf July, l«t7, for bis invention of a dock of improved construc- 

 tion to facilitate the repairing, building, or retaining of ships and other floating vessels 

 and that certain parts employed in the construction of the said dock are also applicable 

 to other purposes." — July 3, 



George Alexander Miller, of Piccadilly, in the county of Middlesex, for " Improvements 

 in lamps." — July 3. 



George Augustus Haddart, Esq., of Brynter, in the county of Caernarvon, for ■• certam 

 Improved apparatus for the cultivation of land."— July 3. 



John Hunt, of Birmingham, brass-founder, for " a certain Improvement or certain im- 

 provements 10 eSecting the combustion of gas, oil.camphiue, and other substances which 

 are or may be burned lor the production of light." — July 3. 



Jeremiah Brown, of Kiugswinford, in the county of Stafford, roll turnir, for "certain 

 Improvements in rolls and machinery used in the manufacture of iron; also in rolls and 

 machinery for shaping a fashioning iron for various purposes."— July 3. 



John Ray, of Albion-terrace, Commercial-road, East, for " Improvements in construe* 

 ting or fitting the interior parts of ships or other vessels, warehouses and other depots, 

 for the purpose of facilitating the delivering or removing Ironi ships, vessels, warehouses, 

 and other depots, of the cargoes or contents thereof." — July 3. 



William Edwards Staite, of Lombard-street, gentleman, for "certain Improvements ia 

 lighting, aud in the apparatus or apparatiues connected therewith."— July 3. 



Theodore Claeys, of OstenJ, in the kingdom of Belgium, and Louis Francois Strand, 

 gentleman, of the same place, for " Iraprovemenls in the manufacture of various articles 

 from cork."— July 3. 



John Carr, of Blackburn, in the county of Lancaster, for "certain Improvements In 

 looms for weaving." — July 3. 



George \\'ioslow, of Boston, in the Slate of Massachusets aud United States of America, 

 merchant, for " Improvements in machinery for manufacttuing tiles and rasps." (A. 

 communication.) — July 3. 



Edmund Wheeler, of Basingstoke, in the county of Hampshire, ironmonger, for "Im- 

 provements ill valves for steam and other engines." (A communication.) — luly 3. 



John Harvey, sadler, of Holbeck, Leeds, Scotch iron merchant, for " Improvements la 

 constructing bridges, aqueducts, and similar structures." — July 7, 



Samuel Stokes, of Monkwell-street, carpenter, for " an Improved machine for tracing 

 or engraving from solid bodies, or subjects in relief." — July 10. 



Robert William Sievier, cf Henrietta-street, Cavendish-square, Middlesex, gentleman, 

 for "an Improved material or materials for purifying or decolorizing bodies, which ma- 

 terial or materials may also be employed as manure aud pigments and for other like pur- 

 poses."— July 12. 



William Edward Newton, of 66, Chancery-lane, civil engineer, for " certain Improve- 

 ments in the manufacture of screws." (A communication.) — July 12. 



William Langley Beale, of Whitstable, in. the county of Kent, smith, for " Improve- 

 ments in the construction of anchors." — July 13. 



Alfred Vincent Newton, of GiJ, Chsncery-lane, Middlesex, mechanical draughtsman, for 

 " certain Improvements applicable to locomotive engines and carriages employed on rail- 

 ways." (A communication.) — July 13. 



William Heusman, of Woburn, in the county of Bedford, for " certain Improvements 

 in thrashing niachine£."^July 17. 



Pierre Armand Lecomte de Fontainemoreau, of 4, South-street, Finsbury, for "certain 

 Improvements in machinery, for preparing cotton and other fibrous substances.*' — July 

 17. 



Henry Bessemer, of Baxter-house, Old St. Pancras-road, Middlesex, engineer, for " Im- 

 provements in the manufacture of plates, sheets, or panes of glass." — July 17. 



William S. Henson, of the city of London, for " certain Improvements in the construc- 

 tion of razors for shaving." — July 17. 



Robert William Sievier, of Henrietta-street, Cavendish.square, Middlesex, gentleman, 

 for " Improvements in stamping, marking, cutting, embossing, or printing." — July 17. 



John Sykes, aud Adam Ogden, both of Huddersfield, in the county of York, for " Im- 

 provements in machinery for cleaning wool, cotton, and simitar fibrous substauces, from 

 burs, motes, and other extraneous matters." — July 17. 



James Whitley, of Botavy, in the township of fllorton, in the palish of Bingley, York- 

 shire, for "certain Improvements in the mode of washing, scouring, and drying of wool, 

 alpaca, mohair, cotton, aud other fibrous substances." — July 19. 



Edward Light, of Esther- terrace, Bermondsey, master mariner, for " Improvements in 

 apparatus lor supporting or buoyiog up persons, boats, and other bodies whan in the 

 water."— July 111. 



Joseph Tall, of Brixton, Surrey, builder, for "Improvements in apparatus for setdog 

 saws "^July 11). 



Edward Slaughter, of Avon-side Iron Works, Bristol, engineer, for " Improvements in 

 locomotive engines." — July 19. 



Anthony Bernard Von Rathen, of Putney, Surrey, civil engineer, for "certain universal 

 wheels or improved direct rotary engines, to be worked by steam, air, or any other elastic 

 power."— July 19. 



Joseph Jean Baranoivski, of 3, Rue Neuve Clictry, in the city of Paris, gentleman, for 

 " a ready-reckoning machine." — July 19. 



