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THE CIVIL ENGINEER AND ARCHITECT'S JOURNAL. 



[JULYI 



TRIAL OF MAIL STEAMERS. 



The Lords Commi9«ioDera of the Admiralty, having ordered a compara- 

 tive trial to be made, to ascertain the speed of three new boats, recently 

 built for service as mail packets, on the Dover station, the trial was made, 

 and the following is given from impartial persons who were present during 

 the whole time: — 



" Dover, May 31. 



"A most extraordinary trial of speed took place yesterday, between 

 three of Her Majesty's steam-packets — Garland, Onyx, and Violet — the 

 former being of wood, and designed by Mr. O. W. Lang, jun., assistant to 

 the Master-shipwright at ('hatham Dockyard (son of Mr. Lang, Master- 

 shipwright at Woolwich Dockyard), and built by Messrs. Fletcher and 

 Sons, of Limehouse ; and the two latter well-known iron-boats, the fastest 

 ever built, by Messrs. Ditchburn and Mare, of Blackwall; the dimensions 

 uf the vessels being the same, and the engines also of equal power, by 

 Messrs. Penn and Co., of Greenwich. 



"The Garland, under the able command of Captain Smithett, and the 

 Onyx, Lieutenant-Commander Mudge, left Dover xi 7 o'clock, a.m , the 

 latter having the mail and passengers for Ostend, Captain Mercer, R.N., 

 Superintendent of Her Majesty's packets on this station, being ordered by 

 the Admiralty for this purpose on board the Garland. 



" Off Dunkirk these two vessels were met by the Violet, Captain Sher- 

 lock, who came out of Ostend to meet them and to return with the otheri. 

 At this time, about 10 o'clock, the Garland had gone by and distanced the 

 Onyx about a mile and a half. 



"The great trial of strength then was to beat the Violet, and although 

 there was a decided superiority in this vessel over the Onyx, the Garland 

 in less than three-quarters of an hour was far enough ahead of the Violet 

 to be able to cross her bowes. After this a second trial was made, the 

 Violet altered her trim, but in this the Garland showed a still greater supe- 

 riority ; and in a third trial it was conclusive that the Garland could beat 

 Violet about one-third of a mile an hour, and Onyx half a mile an hour, 

 which has established the fact that the ' Wooden Walls of Old England' 

 are not to be beaten by any other material or power, and we ought to con- 

 gratulate ourselves and the country on the fact. 



"The Garland returned from Osiend to Dover this day in 3 hours 55 

 minutes, which is by far the quickest ever known, and has established her 

 reputation a* being the fastest steamer in England. 



" The Garland also fell in with the Queen of the Belgians, the fastest of 

 the South-Eastern Uamsgate steamers, and went round her in less than a 

 quarter of an hour," 



THE NEW LOCOMOTIVE ENGINE "THE GREAT WESTERN." 



On June 13th an experimental trip was made on the Great Western, 

 from London to Bristol and back, for the purpose of trying the tractive 

 powers of the new monster engine "The Great We-tern." The train 

 weighed ino tons, and consisted often first class carriages, seven of which 

 were ballasted with iron, the other three being occupied by the directors 

 and those intere-^ted in the experiment. 



The traiu started from Paddington at 11 hour 47 inin. 52 sec. It passed 

 the 1st mde-posl at 1 1 hour 51 min. 1 sec, and came abreast of the 52Dd 

 mile (immediately after which the breaks were put on for the stoppage at 

 Didcot), at 12 hour 4.i min. 21 sec, running, therefore, the 51 miles, with 

 a rise of 1 18 feet, in a few seconds over 51 minutes, or at an average speed 

 of upwards of 50 miles per hour. 



At Didcot a stoppage of 5 min. 15 sec. took place. The mile-post 

 beyond Didcot, viz. the o4th, was passed at 12 hour 54 rain. 27 sec, and 

 the 75lh mile post (just after passing which the breaks were put on for 

 the stoppage at Swiudoii) was reached at 1 hour 18 min. C sec, the dis- 

 tance of 21 miles having been passed ovt-r in 23 min. 39 sec, or at the 

 average rale of upwards of 54 miles an hour. 



At Swindon there was a stoppage of 4 min. 27 sec. The 78lh mile-post 

 was passed at 1 hour 29 min. 30 sec, and the 98lh mile-post, which is a 

 short distance on tlie Paddington side of the Box Tunnel, was reached at 

 I hour 49 min. 26 sec, the 20 miles having therefore been accomplished in 

 19 min. 56 sec. or at upwards of a mile per minute. The train came 

 abreast of the 117th niile-post at 2 hour 12 min. 3 sec. This gives the 

 time occupied in running the distance lielween the 7Slh and n7th as 

 42 min. 33 sec. for the 39 miles, or something like 53 miles per hour. 



The maximum speed on the down journey was obtained between the 

 83rd and 92 mile-posts. Trom the 80th to the 84lh mile there is a falling 

 gradient of 8 feet per mile, and from the S.i.lih to about the SGAth mile 

 there is a falling gradient of about 1 in 100, and a fall of 8 feel per mile 

 then reaches to about the 90J mile-post; a rising gradient of 8 feet per 

 mile then succeeds, and exteiids beyond theI22iid mile-post. The train 

 came abreast of the 63rd mile-post at I hour 31 min. 5G sec, and passed 

 tlie 92nd mile-post at 1 hour 43 min. 8 sec, performing the 10 miles in 

 9 min. and 8 sec, or at an average speed "of nearly liO miles per hour. 

 The 87th and 8Hth miles, on a falling gradient of 8 feet per mile, were run 

 over at the rate of sixty nine miles per hour. 



The train arrived at Bristol about 15 min. past 2, thereby making the 

 time occupied in starting from a state of rest to coming to a state of rest, 

 or, in other words, from platform to platform, 2 hours 20 min., including 

 stoppages, which averages a rate of 50 miles per hour. 



At Bristol, a collation awaited the invited goeslB, Mr. C. Russell, M.P., 



in the chair. In the course of his speech took occasion to remark that 

 a greater speed mif,'/i< have been attained, had not one of the pumps for 

 supplying the boiler wiih water given way shortly after passing Slough, to 

 remedy which they were under the necessity of reducing the pressure in 

 the buders. The train afterwards returned to London. Mr. Brunei drove 

 the engine both ways. 



The principal dimensions of Ibis great locomotive are— Cylinders, 18 is. 

 diam. and 2 ft. stroke; driving wheels, 8 ft. diain. ; supporting wheels, 



4 ft. G in. diam. ; has six wheels and uiicuupled ; 27S tubes, 9 ft. long and 

 2 in. diam.; fire-box outside, 5 tt, G in. by 6 ft. ; inside, 4 ft. 10 in. by 



5 ft. 4 in., with a partition through the middle, giving 160 ft. of heating 

 surface, and 20 fts for area of tire-grate ; total heating surface, 1,750 ft. ; 

 from level of rail to lop of cylindrical part of boiler, 9 ft. fl in. ; and from 

 level of rail to lop of chimney, 14 ft. 8 in.; supporting wheels 16 fU 

 apart, with ihe driving wheels in the centre ; total leiiglh of engine, 24 ft. ; 

 tender on six wheels ; weight of engine, 30 tons ; lender, 15 tons. 



The following statement of the time kept between London and Bristol 

 takeu from the Times slightly differs from the preceding slalemeut, which 

 is given on the authority of the Railway Chronicle, 



Paddington 

 Ist Utile 

 2nd „ 

 3rd „ 

 -Itll „ 



;.th „ 

 fill) .. 



7ib „ 



Stti „ 



Kih .. 



KHh „ 



11th „ 



l-'ih ,. 



13ili „ 



14lll „ 



15lli „ 



lUlb „ 



i;tli „ 



IStli „ 



I'J b ,. 



20tli „ 



21st „ 



Z'.'nd „ 

 Maidenhead 

 Twylord 



32nd mile 



ixrd „ 



.■)4lh „ 

 Reading; 



iAlh „ 



Slilll „ 



,')7tli „ 



38111 „ 



3:jtll „ 



h. m. 8. 



11 51 50 



U 54 



II .)5 2i 



U 5'i 40 



1 1 57 4 ; 



U .W 4d 



II 59 51 



57 



1 55 



2 56 



3 58 



4 59 



5 58 



6 51) 



7 55 



8 52 



9 49 



10 48 



11 4« 

 12 12 45 

 12 13 45 

 12 14 4>! 

 12 U AH 

 12 16 48 

 12 25 4u 

 12 26 

 12 .7 10 

 12 28 i8 

 12 30 10 

 12 311 29 

 12 31 33 

 12 32 37 

 12 33 -Jl 

 12 34 47 



40th „ 



41st „ 

 42nd „ 



••3rd „ 



44lll „ 



45lh ,. 



46th „ 



47th „ 



481h „ 



49th „ 



50th „ 

 Didcot 

 Started again 

 53rd mile 



64lh „ 



55th „ 



56th „ 



57th „ 



58lh „ 



59th „ 



60th ,. 



61st „ 



62nd „ 



63rd „ 



64th „ 



65lh „ 



66th „ 



67th „ 



68th „ 



69th „ 



70th „ 



71st „ 



72iid „ 



73rd „ 



h. m. 8. 

 12 85 55 



12 37 3 

 12 38 11) 

 12 39 l.i 

 12 41 21 

 12 41 2 

 12 42 34 

 12 4.1 40 

 12 44 4.< 

 12 45 65 

 12 47 4 

 12 50 10 

 12 .')5 25 

 12 .W 10 

 12 58 15 

 12 59 40 

 1 48 



2 4 



3 9 



4 15 



5 21 



6 26 



7 32 



8 38 



9 46 

 1 10 55 

 1 12 

 I 13 7 

 1 14 15 

 I 15 19 

 1 16 2i 

 1 17 27 

 1 18 32 

 1 19 38 



74th „ 



75th .. 



76th „ 

 Swindon 

 St.nrted again 



78ili mile 



79th „ 



80lh „ 



81 St „ 



82nd „ 



8.(rd „ 



84th „ 



86lh „ 



86th „ 



87 th „ 



88ht „ 



byth „ 



90tb ,. 



9>st „ 



92nd „ 



93rd „ 



91th „ 



9«th „ 



97lh „ 



98th „ 



mist „ 



I02iid „ 



lll3rl „ 



104 h „ 



li'Sih „ 



liioth „ 



118ih „ 

 Biistol 

 Time occupied 



b. ro. 1. 



1 20 4S 



1 21 Mt 



1 22 »7 



I 24 40 



1 29 » 



1 .12 U 



1 33 3S 



1 34 4a 



1 85 4» 



I 36 4S 



1 37 40 



1 X8 at 



I 39 » 



1 40 24 



1 41 1» 



1 42 It 



1 43 3 



I 43 57 



1 44 5S 



I 45 51 



I 46 4a 



1 47 48 



I 50 H 



1 51 2 



1 52 « 



1 55 85 



I 56 66 



1 58 



1 59 4 



2 8 

 2 I 2« 

 2 15 12 

 2 16 :12 

 2 2i 41 



•,* The results of this experiment are deemed by the advocates of th« 

 broad gauge to settle the controversy in their favour, or, as Mr. Uusse II, 

 M. P., chairman of the company, expressed it with more empha-is than 

 elegance, " to put an end to the 'humbug' uf the narrow gaiigf." With 

 great deference, however. It may be submitted that this is not quite cor- 

 rect. The observation, that the engine would have gone faster if one of 

 the pumps had not broken, seems a rather innocent one; for that "if" 

 contains llie whole gist of the matter. They never get up any astonishing 

 perfonnauces on the Great Western Railway without one of these casual- 

 ties ociurriug. We are constantly told of the wonderful feats of the ex- 

 press trains, but tliose wlio are accustomed to travel by this railway are 

 always on the look out for some accident especially, which, if it do not 

 involve loss of life and limb, causes a detention. There is always "a screw 

 loose somewhere," or if it be not loose at starting, it works loose during 

 the journey. 



Now what is wanted in an important commercial agent such as the Great 

 Western or the Birmiiigliam Railway, is not a lew showy results now and 

 llien, but coll^laut uniformity and punctuality — not an excessive speed, 

 but oue which may be thoroughly depended upon. Until, tl erefore, the 

 Great VVe^terll Company can work their engines at these high velocities 

 for tniiHlli.i together, and pass over the points and crossings at llie interme- 

 diate stations, without accident, they will not have proved their point. 



We offer no opinion here as lo the superiority of either gauge ; it seems 

 to us that too many opinions have been offered already. As far as we can 

 judge, the best laiUvay gauge, if we had to begin de nolo, would be one of 

 intermediate width. but whether excess or deficiency of width be the great- 

 est evil we cannot decide ; of neither gauge have the powers been yet suf- 

 ficenlly developed lo render it possible to pronounce an authoritative opio- 

 lon. However, this is certain, that the diversity of gauge has at least one 

 beneficial result; it stimulates the rival eugioeers to exert ihemseltes lo 

 the utmost. 



