IS JO.] 



THE CIVIL ENGINEER AND ARCHITECT'S JOURNAL. 



J9 



On the inrlination betwixt Loiivain and Vertryck of I in 250, the follow 

 ins traius ascended witli difliculty in unfavourable weather : — 



Tons total 

 Feet. Carriages. weij;)>t. 



From 1 



6 



. .„..i these experiments it was concluded, that a locomotive of a 14 inch 

 cyUnder. and coupled driving wheels of 4^ feel diameter, could asc( nd this 

 incline vviih ditliculty i" ordinsry weather, wiih from 137 1 to 117 J tons, 

 but during times of snow with only 09 Ions ; and a locomotive of a 12 inch 

 cylinder wilh driving-wheels of .i feetdiarneter, not coupled, could ascend, 

 in ordinary weather, with from 7!-;; to 'JSJ ions, and in times of snow with 

 from 44i lo 4'.) Ions. They ascend this slope regularly, however, with 

 trains oH^ii and lOSj tons, including the weight of Ihe locomotives of 12 

 and 14 inch cylinders, about the rate of 15j, and from 12| to 15j miles per 

 hour. 



The whole railway buisness is under the management of a director, who 

 is under the control of llie Minister of Public Works. Il is divided into 

 four branches— namely, the general mar agement of the whole fystem ; the 

 management of ihe lines ; the l.icomotive depaitmeul ; the Iraffic of the 

 railway ; and the managemeni of the stations. The first of hese, generally 

 speaking, includes ihe other three, one of which consists in the manage- 

 ment of Ihe lines, and tlie finishing and constructing of new works of art ; 

 another in llie traction of the trains, the luanufaciuie of coke, and the ma- 

 na^enientof ihe arseusal at Malines, including the workshops for repairing 

 tbeloconioiives and carriages; and the third, in the niaiia;,ement of (he 

 stations and the passenger and merchandise tiatlic. Over each of ihise 

 four deparlmeiils a functionary, entitled Engineer-in-Chief, or Inspector of 

 Adminislraiiou, is placed, who furnishes an account of the proceedings of 

 his department to the Minister, and makes such proposals to him as he 

 thinks nece-saiy or advantageous. The propositions he submits are sent 

 fur examination to ihe Council or permauenl Commission of Ways and 

 Bridges llesides the surveillance exercised by the director, and the ag<'nts 

 under his orders, the Miuis'er causes all the works to examined by the 

 Inspecior-General.andby the Divisionary Inspector of Ways and Bridges; 

 and with the documents receiied from the dillereut departments, renders 

 an elaborate report of the whole business annually to the Chamber of De- 

 puties. 



ICEBERGS OF THE ANTARCTIC SEAS. 

 " Icebergs were seen in all stages of formation, from five to two hundred 

 feet above' the surface, and each exposed its stratification in horizontal 

 layers from six inches to four feet in thickness. When the icebergs are 

 fuilv fiirmpd they have a tabular and stratified appearance, and are pertectly 

 wall-sided v'aiyingfrom one hundred and eighty to two hundred and ten feet 

 in heiKht ' These were frequently found by us in their original situation, 

 attached 'to the land, and having the horizontal stratification distinctly 



^"•'■'in' some places we sailed for more than fifty miles together along a 

 straicht and perpendicular wal', from one hundred and fifty to two hundred 

 feet in height wilh the land behind it. The icebergs found along the coast 

 afloat were from a quarter of a mile to five miles in length ; their separation 

 from the land may be etfected by severe fio.t rending them asunder, after 

 which the violent and frequent storms may he considered a sufBcieut cause to 

 overcome the attraction which holds them to the parent mass. In their 

 next stase they exhibit the process of decay, being found fifty or sixty miles 

 from the land.' and for the most part with their surfaces inclined at a con- 

 siderable angle to the horizon. This is caused by a change in the position 

 of the centre of gravity, arising from the abrading :.etion ot the waves. 



" Bv our observations on the temperature of the sea, it is evident that 

 these ice islands can be little changed by the melting process before they 

 reach the latitude of 6U°. The temperature of the sea (as observed by the 

 vessels going to and returning from the south) showed hut little change 

 above this latitude, and no doubt it was at its maximum, as it was then the 

 height of the summer season. During their drift to the northward, on 

 reaching lower latitudes, and as their distance from the land increases, they 

 are found in all stages of decay, some forming obelisks, others towers and 

 eothic arches, and all more or less perforated; some cxhinit lofty columns, 

 with a natural bridge resting on them, of a lightness and beauty inconceiv- 

 able in any other material."— A'orra^jjie of Ike United States Exp.ormg 

 Expedition. 



The Rattier screw-propelled steam-sloop, Commander Smith, is having an 

 aUered screw fittert ; the screw having proved a great drawback to her speed wh^n under 

 t^l a hachway is being cut from the upper deck down into the dead-wood, by which 

 means the sc"ew may be lilted up so as n ,t to impede her pro ress when under canvass, 

 ^nd may heal ogether removed or replaced, if damaged, without g„ing into dock. An 

 ex?ra mfmber of miUwriBhls were put upon her yesterday to eet he. out ol hand as quickly 

 as possible. 



EAST INDIA COMPANY'S NAVY. 



The comparative strength of the East India Company's Navy at several 

 periods, from 1829 to the present day, will be seen from the Table here 

 subjoined. 



1829. 

 Elphinstone . . 

 Amherst 

 Clive 

 Coote 



Benares, 14 guns, surveying ship. 

 Ternate . . . . 12 guns 



Thetis .. .. 12 „ 



Nautilus .. .. 12 „ 



Euphrates .. ..10 „ 



Tigris .. .. 10 „ 



Falinurus, 8 guns, surveying. 



1832. 

 Hastings, 30 guns, frigate 

 Elphinstone .. 18 guns"! 



Amherst ..18 .i I 



Clive .. .. 18 „ f 



Coote .. .. 18 „ J 



Benares, 14 guns, surveying ship. 

 Ternate . . 12 guns'] 



Thetis ..12 „ i 



Nautilus .. 12 



Euphrates . . 10 



Tigris .. 10 



Palinurus . . 8 



Shannon, 4 guns, schooner. 

 Royal Tiger, 4 guns, ditto. 

 Steam Vessel. 

 Hugh Lindsay. 



1831. 

 Elphinstone 

 Aniherst 

 Clive 

 Coote 



Benares, 14 guns, surveying ship. 

 Ternate .. 12 guns ~| 



Thetis .. 12 , 



Nautilus ..12 , 



Euphrates ..10 , 



Tigris .. .. 10 , 



Palinurus .. .. 8 , 



Royal Tiger, 4 guns, schooner 

 Hastings, 30 guns, frigate. 

 Steam Vessel. 

 Hugh Lindsay. 



I 1839. 



Hastings,* Receiving ship. 



il 



J 



;: j 



The Sailing Vessels marked thus * were attached to the Indian navy at the 

 close of 1844. 



List of Steam Vessels attached to the Indian Navj a< the close of the Year 



1844. 



t It is understood that this vessel has been condemned, and the ' Queen,' 

 from Bengal, put on as a packet in her room. 



