1846.] 



THE CIVIL ENGINEER AND ARCHITECTS JOURNAL. 



27 



toria Quay, Preston ; estimatad expense, 16,000/. ; authorised loan, 6,606?. 

 ■working expenses, 2j per cent. ; date of act, 21 July ; engineer, MiUiani 

 Coulthard. 



98. North Woolwich. 

 1,200 sllares ; capital 30,000/. 

 " Length of line, 2 miles, 6 furlongs, 6 chains; number of shares taken, 

 900; capiial, 22,000/.; authorised loan, 10,000/.; estimated expense, 

 30,000/. ; Eastern Counties ; single line; working expenses, 40 per cent, 

 date of act, July 21 ; euRineer, G. P. Bidder ; from the Eastern Counties 

 ^'^e, near the mouth of the Lea, to North Woolwich, 



99. Nortvich and Brandon {Deviation), and Diss and Dereham {Bra/iches). 



Capitiil 320,000/. 

 Length of line, 17 miles; capital subscribed, 170,210/.; authorised 

 loan, 73,300/. ; estimated expense, 100,000/. ; working expenses 27 per 

 cent. ; date of act, 31 July ; engineer, G. P. Bidder. 

 100. North Wales Mineral. 

 15,000 shares ; capital 150,0110/. 

 Length of line, 12 miles, 1 furlong, 9 chains ; number of shares sub. 

 scribed for, 11,415; capital 114,150/.; authorised loan, 50,000/.; esti- 

 mated expense, 45,536/. ; from North Wales Mineral line to Kuabon ; 

 -working expenses, 40 per cent.; date of act, July 21 ; engineer, P. Ko- 

 bertson; secretary, John Marriuer; meet at the Loudon TaTern. 



101. Sheffield and Rotherham. 

 Capital 45,000/. 

 Length of line, 3 furlongs, 2 chains ; estimated expense, 45,000/. ; from 

 Sheffield and Rotherham line to Sheffield and INIanchester line, in Bright- 

 side, Burlow, Sheffield ; amalgamation with the Midland ; date of act, 

 July 21 ; engineer, Mr. Swanwick. 



102. Wear Valley. 

 1,650 shares ; capital S2,000/. 

 Length of line, 11 miles, furlongs; number of shares subscribed for, 

 1,300 : capital, 05,000/. ; authorised loan, 27,300/. ; estimated expense, 

 82,000/. ; from Crock branch of the Bishop Auckland line to Watchlass 

 Hill, Frosterley ; date of act, July 31 ; engineer, John Dixou ; Thomas 

 M'Nay, secretary, Darlington. 



103. Whitby and Pickering. 

 Capital 135,000/. 

 Sale to York and North Midland ; estimated expense, 135,400/. ; autho- 

 lised loan, 45,000/. ; date of act, 30 June; engineer, J. Stephenson. 



104. West London. 

 Capital «0.000/. 

 Length of line, 1 mile, 5 furlongs, 1 chain; from West London, at Ken- 

 sington, to a point near Battersea Bridge; estimated expense, 60,000/., 

 authorised loan, 20,000/.; working expenses, 40 percent.; date of act, 

 July 31 ; engiueer, K. Stephenson. 



105. i'armoiith and Norwich. 

 Capital 40,000/. 

 Length of line, 2 furlongs, 5 chains; estimated expense, 40,000/.; 

 date of act, June 30; engineer, J. P. Bidder; see also Lowestoft 

 railway; office, Guildhall-buildings, London ; secretary, Richard Till, 



106. Hayle and Redruth. 

 From Redruth, through Caiu Brea, Camborne, to Hayle, in Cornwall ; 

 negotiating for sale to West Cornwall ; secretary, Mr. Fleming, Old 

 Broad. street, London. 



'Thr Magnetic Telegraph. — The establishment of magnetic telegraphs, 

 radiating from New York to the east, west, and south, to the extent of three or four hun- 

 dred miles, so as to connect all the large cities of the Atlantic border with this metropolis, 

 is now in a rapid state of progress. The line between this and Buffalo is under weigh, 

 and so also is the one to Boston, so likewise that between this city and Washington, in- 

 cluding all the intermediate points. There is also a line commenced between this city 

 and Coney Island. All these lines are conducted by associations of individuals who derive 

 their powers from the inventor, Professor fliorse, now in Europe. It is supposed that 

 the whole of them will be finished ia the course of three or four months ; and that the 

 principal line between this city and Washington will be completed in time to transmit 

 the next message of the President to this city, and to enable the publishers to issue it 

 simultaneously with the Washington papers. V.'hen completed these united lines of 

 telegraphic communication will embrace a territory of nearly 50'l miles from south to 

 north, and from east to west— including w:tbin its ramifications the metropolis, Wash- 

 ington, Buffalo, Boston, with all the intermediate cities, as parts of the grand scheme of 

 communication. Such a system of telegraphic communication of all descriptions of news 

 will make the gre.it Atlantic cities suburbs of this metropolis, and all animated by the 

 same spirit and the same impulses, numlieiing, probably, a population of nearly two mil- 

 lions of the most active, talented, intellectual, impulsive, and most energetic business 

 men on the face of the earth. It will not be forgotten that this vast and comprehensive 

 scheme of telegraphic communication will be completed in tne course of a f«w months, 

 and be in the hands of inrlividnals for their own advantage and purposes, without any 

 responsibility to government or society in any particular wliatever. One of the lines of 

 telegraph, and the shortest and most unproductive, that between this city and Coney 

 Island, has already made propositions to the newspapers, offering to give them intelli- 

 gence of ship news and other marine matters at the rate of 50 dollars per week— a sum 

 nearly double that which is now paid under the old method. This is a sample of what 

 maybe e.-ipected from the other companies and associations, provided they should be 

 allowed to estsb.ish their vast and comprehensive schemes without being liable and re- 

 sponsible to any of the legislative pouevs of the country. In fact, we believe that the 

 magnetic telegraph is goini^ to produce a greater change in gomeof the social institutions 

 of the country than any one now imagines. — ' New York Herald.* 



PROCEEDINGS Ot SCIENTIFZO SOCIETIES. 



ROYAL INSTITUTE OF BRITISH ARCHITECTS. 



1st December, 1845. — J. B. Papworth, V.P. in the Chair. 



A paper was read by John Whichcord, jun.. Associate, on 

 Kentish Rao Stoni; as a Building Material. 



This stone, now so much used in the metropolis, is principally quarried 

 in a district extending about 30 miles east and west, through the centre of 

 Kent, and having a breadth of from 4 to 10 miles. This district, which 

 comprises the towns of Sevenoaks, Maidstone, Leuham, &:c. has its sur- 

 face within the limits of the green or Shankliu sand. The character of the 

 sand varies considerablj' in the district alluded to, and the qualities of the 

 building materials which it yields are therefore very different. 

 Geological Character, 



The Kentish Rag Stone is usually found in beds of from inches to 3 

 feet in thickness, and these dilierent layers are invariably separated by a 

 species of sand, known by the name of Hassock, which, in some cases, is 

 sufficiently indurated to present a tolerably good working stone, used fre- 

 quently in the neighbourhood as an inside lining to external Rag Stone 

 walls. Mr. Whichcord principally confined his remarks to the quarry at 

 Boughton, in the neighbourhood of Maidstone, from which jthe best qua- 

 lities of Rag are now obtained, and a drawing was exhibited to the meet- 

 ing, which represented a section of the strata in this part of the district. 

 The quarry at Boughton has been worked for some centuries, and from it 

 was very probably procured the stone employed in the metropolis during 

 the period when the pointed style of architecture prevailed. Stones of a 

 spherical shape, such as were used in the 14th and 10th centuries for 

 artillery, are still found among the accumulated rubbish. 



At Boughton, as in most of the Rag Stone districts, the surface layer of 

 vegetable mould is succeeded by a bed of loam, which is sometimes 15 

 feet in depth, and varies in ita character as it descends, changing from a 

 stilf brick earth to a kind of gravelly loam, called in the district Red Finn. 

 It is succeeded by three veins of ferruginous sand of a red colour, alter- 

 nating with the same number of layers of fine Hassock, which in this 

 case retains its sandy character, and forms, with the Rag Stone lime, 

 a very excellent mortar. 



Beneath the third bed of Hassock is found the first of about 20 layers 

 of limestone, which bears the name of Land Hag, and is found much 

 broken. It continually occurs, that this bed thins off into detached mo- 

 dules, and sometimes ceases altogether. Its thickness is therefore verj 

 variable, but blocks of from 6 to 6 feet in length, and 8 to 10 inches deep, 

 can occasionally be procured from it. The stone is here tolerably free to 

 work. 



As previously stated, this bed of stone is (as are all others of the strata) 

 followed by one of Hassock. The second bed of stone is called the 

 Header-Layer, used for headers. The next is the Green Rag, which fre- 

 quently divides and reunites, the intervening space being filled with the 

 Hassock sand : it is green in colour, and free to work, though not very 

 sound. The layer of Hassock, which succeeds the Green Rag, is work- 

 able, and is much used in the neighbourhood for the purpose before men- 

 tioned ; it requires very little labour in dressing, and in the quality of 

 resistance to moisture is superior to brick. The next bed of stone is called 

 the Yellow Rag, and is used principally for pitching ; it is succeeded by 

 the Pelsea, from which the largest blocks can be procured, some of 12 

 inches in thickness ; it is very hard and strong. 



The next two layers of Rag are called the Coleman and the Little Cole- 

 man, and are of a hard flinty nature; they are sometimes used as headers. 

 We have theu the Great Rag, which is a bed of considerable depth, some- 

 times as much as 3 feet; but as it very often cleaves into two thicknesses, 

 and is full of crosses, no stones of a large size can be procured from it ; 

 it is much used for lime, of which it affords the best quality. The bed of 

 Hassock immediately under the Great Rag is of a very superior quality, 

 being of a fine, close, and free working grain, resejubling the Reigate 

 Stone, and stands exposure to the weather exceedingly well. It is fol- 

 lowed by the Newington Clcares, which, like the Great Rag, often splits 

 into two layers ; it is very hard and flinty. Two beds of Hassock, sepa- 

 rated by a thin flinty lajerof Rag Stone, intervene between the cleaves 

 and the Whiieland Bridge, which is equal in quality to any in the quarry; 

 blocks of 12 feet in length, and of almost any breadth, can be procured 

 from it; its workable thickness is about 14 inches. 



The next in order is the 3Iainbridge, similar to the preceding bed, 

 though no stones of such large scantling can be obtained from it. It is 

 separated by a layer of inferior Hassock fiom a bed called Garl, used 

 generally for headstones.. The Hursebridge succeeds it: this is a good 

 stone ; blocks can be procured from the bed 15 feet long, and 16 inches 

 thick. The next layer, called Headstone Layers, is about 7 inches thick. 

 This is followed by two or three header layers, inferior iu quality, and 

 alternaling with their respective beds of Hassock, below which are what 

 are termed the upper and under bottom layers. These yield stones of good 

 quality and colour, aud of considerable size. Next comes the White Rag, 

 a soft stone, resembling chalk, and crumbling on exposure to the atmos- 

 phere; it reposes on a bed of hassocky clay, below which the quarrymen 

 have not penetraied, it being very doubtlul whether any lime-stone would 

 be found beneath it ; indeed, in some quarries, it has cot been thought 



