1843.] 



THE CIVIL ENGINEER AND ARCHITECTS JOURNAL. 



435 



actual effect produced by them, that depends upon the judgment and 

 taste with which such decoration is applied. Windows of this kind 

 are certainly not suited for any except astylar composition, since if 

 there be also a large general order to the facade, while the columns to 

 the windows look rather insigniticaut by comparison, there is too 

 much of repetition and monotony, and the whole decoration seems to 

 consist only of columns of different sizes. Still worse is the effect 

 when, as is the case with the Atlas Office, Cheapside, London, the 

 building consists of more than one order, because then, as the win- 

 dows must he l.uge in proportion to those orders, the columns to the 

 windows cause the others to look petty, and the whole to appear both 

 crowded and confused — a defect most strikingly exemplified in the 

 structure alluded to, nor is it at all decreased by the windows to both 

 the upper floors being columniated. On the contrary, Barry's two 

 clubhouses in Fall-Mall are truly beautiful examples in regard to win- 

 dows thus decorated ; for there they are treated in a most masterly 

 manner, and applied with the happiest effect, aud so as to produce a 

 felicitous union of sobriety and simplicity with a very high degree 

 of decoration. Instead of being mere copies, those windows are 

 original and admirably studied compositions, beautifully and even ela- 

 borately finished, whereas in the other instance just mentioned, and 

 also in the front of the Clubhouse Chambers, Regent Street, though 

 there are columns to the windows, there is a very sorry entablature to 

 them — neither architrave nor frieze, but meerly a plain lintel in lieu 

 of them, without mouldings of any kind, which, besides being offen- 

 sively lumpish and heavy, look mean ;u what professes to be decora- 

 tion of a superior kind." 



The article ought to have been more fully illustrated with cuts, and 

 no doubt would have been so, had the writer of it not been at all con- 

 trolled in that respect. 



Glenny'a Garden Almanac for 1814. London : R. Groombridge 



The Gardener or the Amateur will find much useful information 

 relative to the cultivation of the flower and kitchen garden in this al- 

 manac. 



The Mechanic's Almanac and Engineer' a Year-book for 1S44. Pub- 

 lished by the Stationers' Company, contains a great variety of statis- 

 cal and scientific information, collated from various works of the 

 present year. 



.7 Cosmoramic Vien of London. Engraved by J. H. Banks. 



This is a novel, and at the same time, an interesting view of the 

 great metropolis, it not only shows the line of streets, squares, &c, 

 but also the. elevation of the houses, bridges, and all the public build- 

 ings ; it is a work of great labour and deserves encouragement. 



Polygraphia Curiosa. — Mr. Jobbins, the lithographer, is collecting 

 together the various alphabets of writers of by-gone days; many of 

 them are of a beautiful form and in colours ; he intends to publish them 

 in parts, two of which have already appeared ; it will be a work of 

 considerable interest, and deserving of support, particularly by the 

 architect. 



Davies' Reconnoitering Telescopes are very compact, being only 3>J inches 

 long, an inch diameter, and of great power ; they are particularly convenient 

 to carry in the pocket on a ramble or tour. 



RAILWAY CHRONICLE OF THE MONTH. 



Amalgamation is still the great topic of the day. We closed the last 

 month by announcing the conclusion of the arrangement between the Eastern 

 Counties and Northern and Eastern railways. Since then meetings have 

 been held of the North Union and Bolton and Preston for a similar object. 

 The terms are, that the North Union shall have twice as much per cent upon 

 the amount of their capital as the Bolton and Preston have on theirs, until 

 the dividends to the North Union reach 6 per cent, and the Bolton and 

 Preston 3 per cent, then the remaining profits to he divided equally. The 

 subscribed capital of the North Union is to be taken at £477,539, and of 

 the Bolton and Preston £262,002; the total £730,541. The asserted inten- 

 tion of amalgamation between the Grand Junction, Liverpool aud Man- 



chester, aud Manchester and Birmingham, is now formally denied. With 

 regard to the Hull and Selhy, however, feelers arc being put out by Mr. 

 Hudson; and he will no doubt succeed, as he holds out a prospect, of G per 

 cent. The Newcastle and Darlington have, we may observe, purchased the 

 Durham Junction. 



It is again stated that the Birmingham and Glo'ster have offered to sell 

 the Glo'ster end of their line to the Great Western, but, nothing certain can 

 be depended on, as to the probability of such a transaction being immedi- 

 ately entered into. 



Branch lines and new lines form another leading topic, particularly as the 

 last 'lay for giving notices of applications to Parliament is just. past. We will 

 briefly enumerate some of those as to which active measures are in progress. 

 A branch from the South Eastern to Canterbury, Ramsgate and Margate, to 

 be laid with a single line, cost about JL'300,000. This will be carried inn 

 effect. Another branch, the Hastings, live, aud Teuterden Railway is started 

 by an independent company, but as the parties are quarrelling among them- 

 selves and are not strongly backed, nothing is likely to he done. An oppo- 

 sition branch from the Brighton Railway to Hastings has been surveyed; but 

 it is a mere campaigning movement. A line to Salisbury is talked of, and a 

 number of local meetings have been held, hut little is known as to the pros- 

 pects of the project. The Great Western district is principally interested in 

 the Devon and Cornwall line, which has been progressing favourably, but 

 the definitive arrangements have not yet been made. The Great Western 

 company have given notices for a branch to Newbury, and extensions into 

 the railroads of Cheltenham and Glo'ster, showing their intention to conso- 

 lidate their interest in that direction. The Holyhead line is moving, but is 

 in a precarious state. The Manchester and Birmingham have made the ar- 

 rangements for the branch to Macclesfield, whether, however, they will take 

 steps as to a southern extension does not yet appear. A mineral line in 

 Fnrness is well supported, and perhaps a continuation of the Maryport 

 and Carlisle Railway to Whitehaven may be expected. A line is talked of 

 to Blackburn. The A'100,000 required from the local interest for the Lan- 

 caster, Kendal and Carlisle Railway, has been subscribed, and the other 

 i'100,000 will consequently be supplied by the Great Southern companies, 

 and the scheme be prosecuted. A branch iu Scotland, from the Edinburgh 

 and Glasgow Railway to Stirling, has been asked for, but its prosecution is 

 by no means certain. The only other proposed lines of interest in Scotland 

 are the continuation of the Edinburgh, Leith, and Newhaven Railway to 

 Granton Pier, and the formation of the line from Edinburgh to Newcastle, 

 called the North British. The completion of these is also matter of uncer- 

 tainty. A junction between the Newcastle and Darlington and Brandling 

 junction will be carried out. The York and North Midland propose branches 

 to Harrowgate, and to join the Whitby and Pickering. In south Yorkshire 

 and Lancashire, however, the greatest vigour prevails, branches being pro- 

 posed from the Manchester and Leeds, Sheffield and Manchester Railways 

 to Asbton, Huddersfield, Chesterfield, and numerous other places. 



"in the eastern districts a line is proposed from Blackwall to Tilbury, being 

 a resuscitation of the Thames Haven ; but the other lines proposed depend 

 upon the ultimate arrangements of the new Eastern Counties amalgama- 

 tions. Such is the case with the Eastern Union, Harwich, Norwich and 

 Brandon, &c. 



A very curious meeting took place at Sunderland of the Durham and Sun- 

 derland company, which was for the purpose of removing a gentleman from 

 the directors, whose proceedings very closely resembled those of a mau ntm 

 compos. The resolutions were carried unanimously. 



The Bricklayers Arms branch is going on with rapidity, and will, it is 

 expected, be ready by the Spring. 



The Maidstone branch is announced to be ready by September of next 

 year. 



The Soutb-Eastern half-yearly meeting took place on the lath. All the 

 works were declared to be getting on well, and all contractors accounts 

 settled up, a fact which does great credit to Mr. William Cubitt. The traffic 

 had got on well, but it was considered premature to declare a dividend. The 

 Brighton accounts are still unsettled, they were said not to be satisfactory, 

 and the Directors of the South-Eastern Railway showed no disposition to 

 settle without some beneficial arrangement being made for their company. 



THE AMSTERDAM AND ARNHEIM RAILWAY. 



Rhvn Spoorweg. 



The Journal des Cfiemin dc Fer contains an account of this line, of which 

 we have availed ourselves to give the following particulars. This railway 

 proceeds from Amsterdam to xrnheim by Utrecht, and is in communication 

 with the Amsterdam and Rotterdam Railway. It is intended to he put in 

 connexion with the Prussian Railway. It i» in an advanced state, an experi- 

 mental trip has been made on S miles of it, and :t is intended to open for 

 traffic towards the end of the year, a section 22{ miles long between Amster- 

 dam and Utrecht. In the con, ! that the whole 

 of the line to Arnheim will be completei tance of 56 miles. The 

 line is laid out with very good gradients, without any violent curves. The 

 maximum inclination is 1 in 300. The distance between Amsterdam aud 

 Utrecht is laid out in three lines only, united by curves of about '270 yards 



