432 



THE CIVIL ENGINEER AND ARCHITECTS JOURNAL. 



December, 



vantageous lor paintings of architectural effects in its clearness, and the 

 soundness of its colour; on the other side, the disadvantages I have enume- 

 rated above." 



After the reading of Mr. Grace's paper some observations were made by 

 the Vice President and other members on the effect of fresco. An anecd ite 

 was related respecting Cornelius that when the King of Bavaria was viewing 

 his famous fresco of the Last Judgment, he observed to Cornelius that it 

 apneared as if it were three centuries old, Cornelius replied, '• That is just 

 what 1 wanted.'' It was also observed that it was surprising what a golden 

 effect was produced by simple colours, although done in dry and unshiuing 

 materials. In Munich the bricks are well burnt notwithstanding they are ab- 

 sorbent, the lime is very good and a large quantity of it is used in proportion 

 to sand. The bricks are laid with open joints, the plastering is first laid on 

 with a hand float, afterwards the fine coat to take the fresco is laid on by 

 the plasterer, who comes the first thing in the morning and puts on just 

 sufficient for the artist to work upon during the same day. and which this 

 latter must finish before it is dry. The difficulty in England will be to get 

 rid of the efflorescence of saltpetre, which can be removed by repeated 

 washing. The frescos by Aglio in Moorfields chapel appears to have failed 

 on this account. 



Mr. Arthur Johnson was presented with a prize consisting of the first 

 volume of the Transactions of the Institute for the best sketches sent in by 

 the pupils during the last session. 



November 20, 1843.— W. Tin,, Estt. v.r. in the Chair. 



A highly interesting and practical paper on Timber and Deals was read' 

 which is given in full in another part of the Journal. 



Observations. — After the paper was read Mr. Tite observed that it was ex- 

 actly applicable to the practical architect, it is quite useless tor architects to 

 introduce into their specifications the quality of materials to be used without 

 they are able to ascertain that the contractor has complied with the stipula- 

 tions of the contract. He adverted to the proper use of deals ; nothing was 

 so injurious or vexatious as the introduction of unseasoned deals, although 

 they appear to be quite dry; this can only be avoided by a practical know- 

 ledge of the quality of timber and deals on the part of the architect. Re- 

 specting timber the trifling difference in the price of Baltic and pine timber 

 was now so trifling that it was not worth while to introduce the hitter, there 

 is something in it which renders it liable to the dry rot. 



In London there is scarcely any other deals introduced but what were 

 named iu the paper just read, but in other parts of England, and abroad, 

 there were other materials used ; at Liverpool the floor of the Custom House 

 consists of narrow hoards cut out of Higa timber which was stacked with 

 great care for some years; it was laid in widths of five inches with sawn 

 edges quite close, and afterwards planed. In France they knew of no deals, 

 they u-eii boards cut out of the best Mciuel timber iu every variety of joiners' 

 work. In Scotland yellow pine was used to a great extent in joiners' work 

 without being painted, it is very durable if not covered up. At one of the 

 meetings during the last session he stated that the Great Western rails were 

 laid on yellow pine timbers, and that they had been taken up inconsequence 

 of the failure of the Ivyani/ing ; he has since ascertained that that was not the 

 case, for the timbers which had been Kyamzed were found to he perfectly 

 sound when taken up, and that the reason for removing them was to lay 

 down sleepers of larger dimensions. He observed that in Switzerland, a 

 country very much exposed to a moist climate, the growth of nio>~, &c., 

 that the timbers were not painted, although very much exposed, notwith- 

 standing that many were 1 ill to 200 years old it was very rare to see any 

 symptom of decay. Silver pine is used ; it mav be seen growing in tree's 

 160ft. to 170ft. and even from 200ft. to 230ft. high without a branch. 2Uin. 

 girth, ( ? ; girth) none of it is converted for the European market. In France 

 oak is felled in the autumn, and in no other time of the year, under a heavy 

 penalty, but in England it is felled in the spring with the sap in it for the 

 sake of the bark, consequently it is very liable to decay, and to be attacked 

 with the dry rot, the sap being a pabulum for the latter; now that the price 

 of bark was low, it is hardly worth the practice of felling it in the spring, 

 considering the difference in the value, with that which is felled in the 

 autumn. 



Mr. Tite also made some observations on the introduction of large timbers 

 in the construction of warehouse floors, formerly the joists were carried on 

 girders of whole timber about 14 in. square laid from wall to wall on caps on 

 top of posts, and he has known where a large knot happened to come near the 

 bearings the timber to split up ; he has seen the upper floor of ware- 

 houses which were heavily laden depressed full 15 in. which so compressed 

 the vertical posts, and caused them to eat iuto the timber girders, that when 

 the weight was removed the floors sprang up again and all the posts became 

 quite loose, so much so that it was found necessary to drive a wedge under 

 • " : ' posl on every floor. He never used whole timber for girders but always 

 forms them of two pieces of timber 14 in. deep by 9 in. or 10 in. reversed, and 

 lays them on iron caps fitted on to the top of the posts or iron stancheons, 

 and instead of the posts above standing on the girders, a dowel, or pin, is 

 inserted between the two pieces of timber forming the girder, and between 

 the head of the post below and the base of the columns above this discharging 



the weight vertically through the posts, by which means the girders have- 

 only to carry the weight of each separate floor. 



A gentleman present observed that there was a great variety of timber 

 used on the continent unknown to this country, he instanced the mountains 

 of Switzerland which might supply us with fine timber; in one of the Can- 

 tons is a timber suitable for lining walls, wainscotting. &c., it is called "stone 

 pint," it is of slow growth which ensures durability, it also has a peculiar 

 fragrance. In Scotland a great deal of valuable timber (larch) has been 

 planted by the Duke of Athol, which being free from duty might be advan- 

 tageously introduced into England, he also stated that timber might be pre- 

 served from the attacks of dry rot by washing it over, particularly the ends, 

 with impure pyralignetnu acid retaining tlie creosote . 



It was also noticed by a member that yellow pine was used almost exclu- 

 sively in Glasgow, and a considerable portion in Liverpool and Manchester, 

 at the latter place, Mr. Bellbouse, an extensive builder, has given the prefer- 

 ence to yellow pine for many years'. 



Mr. Hiscock stated that two houses being built under Ids direction, at 

 Stones' end in the Borough, the proprietor did not intend to use any paint for 

 the joinery, but simply use varnish. 



OX THE MODERN PRACTICE OF COMPETITION. 



In our number for March, 1S42, we gave a lull report of Professor 

 Ilosking's Introductory Lecture, then lately delivered at King's Col- 

 lege, on the Principles ami Practice of Architecture. In this lecture 

 Mr. Husking took occasion to denounce the system of submitting 

 designs in competition upon speculation, and he afterwards published 

 liis lecture in B separate form, and then added to it as an appendix, 

 "Further remarks on the modern practice of competition." Late in 

 the last session of the Royal Institute of Brithh Architects] a special 

 general meeting of the members was summoned to consider a reso- 

 lution upon the same subject; but the attendance of members was so 

 thin, that the subject was adjourned until the next session, some time 

 in the present month being named for it. Although it doe^ no! 

 appear in the circular with whom the proposed resolution originated, 

 there seems to be no need for hesitation in attributing it to the author 

 of the above-mentioned lecture and of the "Further Remarks;" and 

 as the time is now approaching for the discussion, we have thought 

 that we may perforin a useful service in transferring some of Mr Hos- 

 king's "Further Rem irks" to our pages, to prepare the members of 

 the Institute .it large for the consideration of the subject by a know- 

 ledge of the reasons upon which the resolution li is been founded. 



The resolution is as follows: — "That the modern practice of sub- 

 mitting designs in competing speculations for premiums, or for 

 employment, or in any competition for preference without specific or 

 properly implied promise of certain payment to each and every com- 

 petitor, operates injuriously upon architecture, and upon the interests 

 and character of the profession." 



" It is a most offensive feature of the modern gambling and degrading >>>- 

 tern of competition that all Architects are supposed to pursue the game, ;0 

 that successful intriguers who do follow it, arc supposed to be the only me- 

 ritorious practitioners, at the expense of those who have never fallen from 

 virtue, or who, having fallen, have si-en their error, and repented. This fea- 

 ture of the system is not only offensive to those who see the foil} and avoid 



1 Mr. John Miller, a ship-owner at Liverpool, largely engaged in the im- 

 portation of timber from the colonics, stated iu his evidence before the Par- 

 liamentary Committee in answer to some questions put to him regarding 

 North American yellow pine limber : — " 1 know that Mr. Bellhouse, who is 

 the largest dealer in Manchester, has changed the views he formerly enter- 

 tained as to the comparative merits of the two timbers, and that he now 

 gives a decided preference to the timber from the Colonies. For all purposes, 

 he, in building large warehouses, has latterly consumed Canadian yellow pine 

 in preference to Canadian red, or Dantzic, or Memel. He states, I think, 

 that he consumes about fifty cargoes a year ; and even when he can get lengths 

 of Canadian red timber, or Memel timber to suit the purpose, he uses in 

 preference Canada yellow pine, and he states his reason that, for the last 

 fifteen years he has been a close observer of the different qualities of timber, 

 and the different effects produced upon it by exposure to air and influence of 

 atmosphere, and he finds that when the yellow pine of Canada is introduced 

 into brick and mortar, the ends arc little liable to decay, and that the ends 

 either of t he red pine timber from Canada, or of Memel and Dantzic timber, 

 are more liable to decay. This opinion of Mr. Bellhouse is the result of long 

 experience, ami is a change from his former opinion. In Glasgow, where 

 1 know at fn>t they used for building purposes nothing but Baltic timber, 

 year (1835) I wrote to Glasgow to a correspondent of my own, a large dealer 

 in timber, to give me a statement of the proportions of each sort in consump- 

 tion there, ami he told me that the whole consumption in Glasgow of Baltic- 

 timber last vear was not 200 loads." 



