18-lG.] 



THE CIVIL ENGINEEERAND AllCHlTECT'S JOURNAL 



223 



plete the group. The tablet is above two feet in height] and one in width, 

 and has been curiously paiuted and illuminated, the traces of colour being 



^"iXraiVnVs of the Royal College of Chemistry.— On the ICth of June 

 the tirst stone of these" buildinss was laid by Hrince Albert on the 

 north side of Hanover-square. The show front of the structure will ap- 

 pear in Oxford-street, and will combine the usual aDsurdiliesof modern 

 debased architecture-a ru.Ucaled basement and columns hoisted to he 

 arst lloor. Heally there are so many instances of columns thus elevated 

 out of their places, that it is surprising that architects do not now and then, 

 for the saUe of mere novelty ulone, and irrespectively of all sense ol pro- 

 priety exhibit designs with the columns in Iheir right places. 



St JnhirsGate, ClerUenwdl.—rhe resioralion of this ancient monument 

 is commenced ; the owners have consenled to case the buihliug with stone 

 and cover the roof with lead. The restitution of the decorative parts is to 

 be effected by public subscription. 



Botanic Gardes at Camhriilge.—A proposition to levy a small tax on 

 the members of the University, to raise a sum fur torming the new I.otauic 

 Gardens, has been rejected by the senate. „ , , , , 



Booksellers' Proeidcnt Institution.— The " Retreat" of the aged and 

 destitute lielongiug to this institution is progressing ; the first portion ol 

 the building is nearly finished. 



The new College at Galuwj.— The design selected by the Board of 

 Trade is staled to be that of a magnUicent edifice m the style of Henry 

 the Eight's time ... <■ o- 



Scott's Mniiument in Eitinlmri:U.—Mr. Steel's colossal statue of bir 

 Waller Scott will, it is expected, be erected in its place in the moniiment 

 in Princps-slreet on the anniversary of Scott's birthday— the ISth of Au- 

 .'ust In Kri'dand we have an invariable rule of lilevatiug honorary sta- 

 t"ies out of sight : we trust that our northern neighbours will not disregard 

 this sage and venerable custom. 



Vicioria Fomitain at Bridtlon.— A new fountain has been erected on 

 the S,eyne at a cost of £1000. The design is appaieuily vei7 unsatisfac- 

 tory. It has the appearance of being designed by an upholsterer, it is de- 

 lici.-nt of solidity, and looks as if it were made of zinc or tin bronzed over. 



Jhc Brf'klonand Chicliester UaiUcai is now open. The drawbridge 

 over the Arun, described at length in a former number of this Journal, 

 acts quite successfully. . , , 1,1, 



Conversion of tlic Regent's Canal mio a Railway is abandoned, the re- 

 quired amount of capital not having been subscribed. 



Tlie Eastern Union Railu-mj is o^eued. The fares between London and 

 Ipswich are 1.5s., iOs., and 5s. Sd. 



A longboihr engine of Mr. Stephenson's construction lately ran from 

 Birmingham to W'ulverton, 52.i miles, in 70 minutes, drawing 100 tons of 

 goods. At Ackemon bridge, the funnel of the eajine was struck down, 

 it being SIX inches higher than the arch. 



FOREIGN NOTES. 



Emhanlcment of tlie hid of the Adige in T,jrol.-The floods of this river 

 have of late caused such damage in the south of the I yrol, that its embank- 

 ment has been decided upon— the more important, as its valley is one of 



,l,e c eclino- links between Italy and Germany. 1 he court councillor 



Das-elli has just completed his report, which is accompanied by an instruc- 

 tive litLo-rapl.ed map of the valley of the Adige, from Meran to boschetfa. 

 After the completion of the cut at Ischia Peratti, another more expensive 

 will be commenced at Ischia Lidorno. The plans for damming up the 

 "Noce one of the most impetuous and mischievous Alpine torrents, are also 

 to be 'commenced- The expenses will be very great-but only apparently 

 so as by the regulation of this mighty Alpine stream, b,800,000 square 

 klafter (cubits) or boggy land will be restored to its pristine fertility, an 

 equal area preserved from the destroxiug inliuence of Goods, and the air 

 improved for about 50,000 people, who have, hitherto, constantly suffered 

 from fevers and other diseases iniierenl in damp localities. 



Public Baths on the Continent.— 'ni>fiie are now being established very 

 extensively in almost every town. At Amsterdam a huge swimming basin 

 has been laid out on the Y. ; at Paris the old established and extensive salle 

 de natation de I'ile St. Louis has been much unproved. , . , ■ 



General Canal eonslruclions en frunce.— Never before has any legislative 

 session been taken up by so many subjects reUting to constructions, for the 

 improvement of the working classes, &c. The following is extracted from 

 tbe Journal des Traraux Publics,— ''TUe original plan for the maritime 

 canal of Caen is still carried out with energy ; ■2,S00,000 francs have been 

 aione expended in the erection of one of the four walls of the basin, a new 

 bed for the Orme 2,700 metres long, and the two yeliier of Oysterham. 

 Some an-'ry observations have been made on account of the opening of 

 the Orme having cost 800,000 francs, while the original estimates amount- 

 ed only to 280,000. 1,200,000 francs have been voted for improving the 

 navi-'ation of the Vilaine in the environs of Rennes, comprising earthwork, 

 excavations, aqueducts, bridges, &c. Now a credit of 15,000,000 rancs 

 is asked for the completing of the branch canal to the Garonne, between 

 Toulouse and C'asterts." The allusions made by M. Adolphe Beaumont 

 to EnWish canals, in the Chamber of Deputies, are not without interest. 

 " In England," said he, " canals give way to railroads. I have spoken in 

 London of our proposed canals, but no one would believe me. The can. 1 



from London to Birmingham, which yields 4 perct. is merely an adventitious 

 exception, because their has sprung up on its banks manufactories, which 

 are its main support. The only remedy against the monopoly of railroads 

 are the railroads themselves. The expense of 15,000,000 of francs for a 

 canal at the present time is an anachronism." 



Submarine Vessel. — Some experiments have been, of late, made with a 

 boat constructed after the plan of Dr. Payerne, and called by him bateau 

 cloche (bell-ship). It is made of iron, and to be seen near the Pont Iioyal 

 at Paris, where it is now moored. On its last experimental trip, elevea 

 persons were on board, and the craft passed (invisibly to the public) through 

 the space between the Pont Royal and that of La Concorde. None of the 

 passengers felt the least inconvenience, although there was a sort of telc- 

 iM-aph established for communicating with those above water. 

 " Completion of E. Gerhard's work on Ancient Sculptures hitherto unpub- 

 lished.— Ihis work, which was formed after those of Winkelman's " Mo- 

 numenti Inediti," and that of Zoega, has, at length, reached its concluding 

 parts, not without many a sacrifice on the part of the author and publisher. 

 The plates are folio lithographs, the letter-press r.ijal Svo. They contain a 

 rich harvest of sculptures collected by U. Gerhard in his many peregri- 

 nations Ihrough Italy. The publication extended over the period froni 

 1828 to 1841. M. Gerhard was one of the contributors to the splendid 

 work on Ancient Rome, in which Chevalier Bunsen also took a share. 



Supjjhj of Water to the City of Uladrid.— Tins metropolis is very scan- 

 tily supplied with water, which the poorer classes have to purchase. An 

 extensive contract (su6h6(<i) has just been entered upon for supplying it 

 with water for drink and irrigation. The contractor has to furnish the 

 town with 10,000 reals of water (the standard Spanish measure), which is 

 to be available even to tlie highest parts. The adjudication amounts to 

 the great sum of 71^ millions of reals, and the works are to be completed 

 within the term of two years. If we compare this projected supply with 

 the present which is only 500 reals, it may be easily imagined what a boou 

 will be conferred on Ihe cnmfort and heafthfulness of the humble classes. 



The New Post-office (/ //amiuiff/'.— The judicious grandeur with which 

 every part of the destroyed city, especially its public edifices, are re-con- 

 structed, becomes every day more conspicuous. The Post-oflice, whicfi 

 combines the iom/e of four especial post departments, erecting after the 

 designs of M. Charies Teauneuf, has next the street a length of 27.) feet 

 by a'depth of 87 feet, including the courts 27 feet broad. The front is 

 faced with sandstone and ornamented with cornices; has a height ot t).j 

 feet above the pavement; the roofs will be covered with thick lead plates. 

 On the east side of the edifice will be erected the new telegraph tower, 

 150 feet above the pavement, or 169 feet above the average height of the 

 Elbe, not including the signal staff. Immediately below the roof will be 

 the observation room, of an octagon form with a window at each end. 

 The building will include the dwelling of the Director, printing and other 

 ofiices. The clock will be at an elevation of 150 feet, lighted in the night 

 by a Bade light; each of the two dials will be of the diameter ot 6^ feet. 

 All the rooms in the lower story of the Post-office will be vaulted. Be- 

 sides spacious halls for the public, there will be a general room for those 

 who wish to read their letters. The building will be in some parts three, 

 in other four, stories high, and contain altogether 110 rooms. Ihe paving 

 along the main front will be 17 feet wide. 



New G«/ra«icTc(e?ra;i/i.— German journals speak of a new discovery 

 of M. Leonhard, watchmaker, at Berlin, relating to the above subject. At 

 present, it has been only executed between Berlin and Potsdam, but it is 

 to be prolonged successively to Brandenburg and Magdeburg. The outer 

 form of the machine is simply that of a writing desk; on these, two dials 

 are to be seen. A hand indicates the letter or sign which has been made 

 at the other station. Both machines are connected by metal wire chains, 

 and have been hitherto placed on wooden blocks, but will hereafter be 

 conducted under ground. JI. Leonhard is also said to have discovered a 

 new system of railway telegraphs. . , „ . 



The great Danube Docks ai Alt-Ofen executed by English Engmeers.-r- 

 The extent of the Danube Steam Navigation Company is such, that Ihqy 

 possess at present thirty-seven boats for pas.-engers, and two barges for 

 the conveyance of goods, both combined of 3,926 liorse-power. 1 he docks 

 of AltOfen, since they have been under the direction of M. Massjohn, who 

 studied in England, have assumed the shape of a real manufacturing 

 colony. Since 1844 alone, there have been built at this place tea boats of 

 13UG horse-power. Thirty iron barges, each of the burthen of 5,000 cwt., 

 are in preparation or nearly ready, besides four iron coal barges, and eight 

 for merely convejing pigs and other cattle, one guu-boat for the Austrian 

 government, and twenty moveable piers with the boats appertaining 

 Thereto. The establishment is now in a position to manufacture in its OWQ 

 workshop all the requisite parts of a sleani boat of from 200 to 250 horse- 

 power, and eveu all the tools fur ship construction, which hitherto they 

 were obliged to obtain fr.mi Engfand. The greatest part of the hitherto 

 wooden building has been replaced by IM. Massjohn by fire-proof struc- 

 tures, and boats and machinery have been much improved. Ihe passen- 

 "er boats now ascend Ihe Danube from Pesth to Vienna in 18 hours, and 

 from Vienna to Linz m 17 hours,— a considerable saving ou former voya- 

 ges Boats of 4,000 to 5,000 cwt. burthen do not draw more than 4 feet 

 water, and can, therefore, safely pass over the sand shoals, which formerly 

 much impeded the navigation of this river. M. Massjohn has also esla- 

 bli,hed a superior mode of discipline and order amongst the 1,2UU mea 

 who constantly work at these docks. Still, the Austrian railroads consume 

 a great quantity of iron, which has had the eflect, that the above number 

 of steamboats is only half of what would ha»e been othervtise made. 



