28 



THE CIVIL ENGINEER AND ARCHITECrS JOURNAL. 



[January,. 



■worth while to work even as low as this. Mr. 'Whichcord then mentions 

 that the most fatourahle nianni>r of working these quarries is to expose 

 the whole section of the elilT, and carry on the work in such a way as to 

 lay open the upper surfaces of each of the best layers of stone in some 

 conrenient part of the quarry. IJy this means the largest scantling can be 

 procured at once, and the frequent diRiculty attending the working of 

 quarries in a dillerenl manner (that of obtaining large stones when wanted 

 in hasle). 



Pracliciil Properties. 



■\Vilh respect to the mechanical proi)erlips of the stone, it stands next to 

 granite in the list of British slones in respect of rcsislance to pressure — 

 but the vents to which even the best quality of this stone are liable, render 

 is unsafe when applied in such a manner, that the strain acts transversely 

 to the length of the block. Mr. Whichcord then described the various 

 modes of working and dressing the Kentish Hag .Stone, meulioiiing that, 

 as Ashler, it is usually worked with a pick, instead of being tooled, as the 

 "Hassocky" spots which continually occur in it give it, when smooth, 

 the appearance of bad I'oriland. 



With reference to the mortars made witli lime burnt from this stone, it 

 was mentioned, that it attains, after a time, a degree of hardness equal to, 

 and, in some cases, even greater than the liag Stone itself. The durabi- 

 lity of liag Stone wall-work can therefore best be depended on when used 

 vrith this mortar. 



Mr. W liichcord referred to the mode of burning lime in the neighbour- 

 hood of the quarries, and the quantities used in making concrete, viz.— 

 six of broken stone, two of sand, and one of lime. He also gave a list of 

 the prices, botli at tlie quarry and at London, of the various qualities of 

 stone, and of the prices of labour at Houghton. 



Chemical Aiiabjsis. 



The following analysis of the Kentish Rag Stone was made for Mr. 

 "Whichcord's paper by Mr. I'liillips, of the Museum of Economic Geo- 

 logy :— 



Carbonate of lime, nith a little magnesia, .. ..92 6 



Earthy matter, .. .. .. .. (J'S 



Oxide of iron, .. .. .. .. 0*5 



Carbonaceous matters, .. .. .. .. G'4 



Hassoclcs. 



Carbonate of lime, 

 Eartliy matters. 

 Oxide of iron. 



26'2 

 722 



Royal E\ch*ngf.. 



December 151h, 1813. — Mr. Kendall, V.H. in the chair. 



Mr. Tite read a paper, 



" On liu'i Ori<;in'd Fmnilatiim and Erection of the Roijal Exchange, 

 by Sir TItomas (iresham, with some Notices of the late Building destroi/ed 

 by Fire, and an Account of the lioman Antiquities discorered in excavating 

 for the Present Edifice." 



The first branch of his subject IMr. Tite illustrated by numerous extracts 

 from the records of which the corporation of London possesses a rich 

 collection, commencing with the original charter granted to the city by 

 William the Conquerer, a document wliich he incidentally describes as 

 being comprised in a few lines in the Anglo-Saxon language. Coming, 

 then, to the authorities more immediately connected with the subject, Mr. 

 Tite detailed the transactions relating to the buililing of the Royal Ex- 

 change, through the inunilicence of the princely merchant, by whom the 

 ■whole expense of the structure was undertaken, on cortdition that the site 

 should be provided by the city, from his first proposal to that efl'ect in 

 1504. The purchase of the site cost the citizens 3,r)32;. 17s. 2d., including 

 freeholds, leaseholds, and tenants' interests ; and it is to be noted that tlie 

 former class of properly realized ahcuit twentj -three years' purchase — a 

 value not very dili'erent from the average of later times. The building was 

 completed and opened for use in 1507. During tiie progress of the work, 

 a question apjiears to have arisen between Sir Thntnas and the city 

 respecting the ;)rw;ier<i/ in the building, Hhith terminated in his assuring, 

 after his own life, half the profit of the shops and other tenements to the 

 Corporation, and half to tlie Mercer^' Company ; and it is from this division 

 that the affairs of the Exchange have ahvavs been in the hands of the 

 mixed body called the Gresham Committee. The appearance of the 

 original building is preserved to us in Hollar's engraving, which shows 

 it to have been in a much better style of architecture than the Bourse of 

 Antwerp, of which it has been pretended it was a copy. That of Amster- 

 dam bears a much greater riseosblaucc to it, but in this case the London 

 building is the original, and not the copy ; that of Amsterdam dated only 

 from 1012. Shortly after the death of Sir thomas Gresham, some part of 

 the building failed, upon which occasion the members of the Corporation 

 endeavoured to cast the repairs upon the widow of their benefactor. From 

 a report made by the (iresham Committee, after the destruction of the 

 building in the great fire, it appears that the arcades of the court were 

 vaulted with stone, and that it had been necessary to stay the supporting 

 pillars by transverse iron ties. This report is dated on the 17th September, 

 1600, £0 that the committe had lost no time in taking measures to repair 



the calamity they had suffered. Estimates for the new building were 

 speedily provided by Mesers. Mills and Jennan, who appear to have 

 proceeded in the plan of making out quantities, and giving them to the 

 tradesmen to be priced. After some coquetting on the part of the latter, 

 who professed to deprecate any interference with the ollice of city surveyor, 

 held by iMills, Jerii.au was at last appointed the architect, and the ti rst 

 f tone of the new edifice was laid by King Charles II., on the 23rd of 

 October, 1007. In erecting the new edifice, the site was considerably 

 enlarged, and it was the wish of the citizens to disengage the building 

 from the houses, late Sweeting's Alley, which pressed upon it to tba 

 eastward, encouraged by an oiler of the proprietor, .Sweeting, to dispose 

 of his pro]ioily on the most liberal teniis, and which ended, as such 

 offers usually do, in demands too exorbitant to be complied with. The 

 tower of Jerman's building, which, from motives of economy, was con- 

 structed of timber insead of stone, yielded to the eflecis of time in 181S, 

 and was replaced by a slons cupola, designed by Mr. George Smith, 

 architect of the Mercer's Company. M'ith reference to the building lately 

 completed under his superintendence, Mr. Tite confined himself to the 

 antiquities. Eour glass cases, containing a numerous selection, were laid 

 on the table, consisting of pottery, coins, writing tablets and styles, a great 

 >ariety of olijects in metal, and a quantity of shoes and sandals in excel- 

 lent preser\alion. The whole of these curious olijects were found in one 

 spot, at a depth below the general level of the solid ground, and bedded ia 

 black mud — evidence that it had been a pond, and the receptacle of rubbish 

 for the neighbourhood during the period of Roman London. Mr. Tite 

 concluded with a powerful appeal to the members of the profesiion in 

 general, on the subject of the preservation of Antiquities, and of sup- 

 porting the measuies recommended by Mr. Hawkins, in his letter read 

 at a former meeting. 



SOCIETY FOR THE ENCOURAGEMENT OF ARTS, 



T/ie First Meetiny of the Society for the encouragement of Arta, Manu- 

 factures, and Commerce, took place on the 17th, in the great room of the 

 Society, in the Adelplii, which was completely filled. 



B. lioND Cabbull, Esq., F.R.S., one of the Vice Presidents, took the 

 Chnir, and an address from the Council was then read by the Secretary. The 

 Council congratulated the society on the auspicious commencement of their 

 ninety-second session. During the recess the society had undergone a com- 

 plete reorganization, and the new system of management proposed by the 

 Council had been almost unanimously confirmed by two general meetings, so 

 that the society being thus rewarded, its youth would, it was anticipated, 

 display all the vigour and energy of a new institution, combined with the 

 stability and influence of an old one. 



It was the intention of the council to add largely this year to the value 

 and number of the premiums. In the fine arts, the mechanical arts, the 

 manufactures, agriculture, and commerce of the country — rapid improvements 

 were in progress, which it had been the peculiar province of this society for 

 nearly a century to encourage and direct, and in which nearly 100,000^ had 

 already been expended by it with great public advantage. In the present 

 session many valuable subjects were about to be offered for competition by 

 premiums, and so large a number of important papers were coming forward 

 for notice, that the Council believed the auspicies under which tliis session 

 commenced were unusually bright, and they thercfoiehad to congratulate the 

 members upon the improved prospects of the society. 

 Broad and Narrow Gauge 



The first enmmunicatioa read to the society was a paper on certain im- 

 provements, in constructing the Locomotive Engines, and permanent Way of 

 Railw.iys, with reference to the question of wide and narrow gauge, by J. G. 

 Bodmer, Esq., formerly of Manchester, now of London. In this paper the 

 author examines ihe question of the relative merits of wide and narrow 

 gange ; he ascertains that the question is not one either of relative safety or 

 danger, but that it resolves itself ultimately into this question, 'vbich gauge 

 will admit of the most perfect means for obtaining high velocities with 

 greater regularity and economy. At present he admits the broad gange has 

 the advantage in more powerful and speedy engines. lint he then (iroceeded 

 to show that by placing the cylinders outside, and by increasing the firebox 

 and the flue surface in the manner he proposes, and by adopting the 

 principle of compensation as in his doulile piston locomotives, high velocities 

 may he obtained with security, safety and advantage. In short, that as 

 powerful an engine in every way may be placed on tlie narrow gange as on 

 the wide one, and one equally well adapted to high velocities. He then went 

 on to show how the chief limit in increase of power, and the corresponding 

 increase of weight in locomotive engines, consists not so much in tlie con- 

 struction of the engines, as in obtaining a permanent way suitable for the 

 support of such enormous loads. By these loads travelling at high velocities 

 concussions are produced which derange the permanent way, and are at 

 present the chief sources of danger and cost, and the chief limit to the speed. 

 He ap|iroves of the triangular sleeper, originally invented by Reynolds, and 

 he proposes to use a modification of that on a larger scale, as a longitudinal 

 bearing, lie also propos^^s that the breadth of the rad should bejso increased 

 as to diminish the continual attrition so destructive to wheels, and procure 

 greater durability. In the conclusion of the paper he suggests th,it an ex- 

 perimental railway ought to be constructed either at the expense of the 

 government, or of the joint railways, for ascertaiiung the best means for 

 giving the increased velocity wnich the public are beginning to demand in the 



