18-JG.] 



THE CIVIL ENGINEER AND ARCHITECTS JOURNAL. 



24S, 



I. To call upon Pr. Raid to lay before them the details of the system of 

 ■roarmins and ventilation, as intended to be applied to the New Houses of 

 Parliament?— In consequence of ibe instruction numbered I., we called 

 upon Dr. Held to lay before us the details of his system of warming and 

 »entilalioii, as intended to be applied to the New Houses of Parliament. 

 He has laid before us his general principles on warmins; and ventilaiion, 

 the details only to a limited extent, but suflicient to enable us to form an 

 opinion on the subject. 



II. To consider and to report how far it is practicable, and if practic- 

 able whether it would be advisable, that snch system should be extended 

 to the whole building, including the subordinate offices and private resid- 

 ences contained therein ; or whether the application of the system should 

 be restricted to such portion as comprises the two Houses of Parliament, 

 their corridors, libraries, kitchens, and refreshment rooms, or to a stdl 

 more limited poriion? — Agreeably to the instruction numbered II. we have 

 considered Dr. Keid's system as he has explained it to us. It consists of 

 of one general scheme for the warming and ventilation of the whole of 

 this extensive building, bringing in the atmospheric air from a considerable 

 altitude at the Victoria and clock towers at the two extremities of the 

 building, carrying olf all vitiated and impure air by a set of channels, 

 both conveyed to a central tower proposed to be of gre-iter elevation than 

 the towers already mentioned. Although the scheme may be practicable, 



' we are of opinion that it is too much complicated in its details and uUintate 

 management to render such a system advisable to be applied to the 

 whole building, including all subordinate offices and private residences 

 contained therein, and that the application of the system considerably mo- 

 dified should be restricted to such portions as comprise the New Houses 

 of Parliament, their corridors, libraries, kitchens, and refreshment rooms. 



III. To consider and to report whether there would be advantage in 

 applying the system, as far as its application should be deemed abvisable, 

 to different divisions of the building separately and independently of each 

 other? — In reference to the third instruction, we are of opinion that there 

 would be advantage in applying the system modified to two divisions of 

 the building— viz., to each House of Parliament, and the various rooms 

 and corridors belonging to it, and separately and independently of each 

 other. We are further of opinion that it \\'ould be unnecessary to apply 

 the system to the committee rooms, as we consider they are capable of 

 being warmed and ventilated in a more simple manner. That whatever 

 warming and ventilation may be requiied to the Speaker's residence and 

 the other private residences should be effected separately and independ- 

 ently of any other parts of the building, and from each other. 



IV. To ascertain and to report how far Dr. Reid's system of warming 

 and ventilation is compatible or ran be made compatible with rendering 

 the buildings or the portions thereof to which it is applied fire-proof? — 

 We have not been able to consider the fourth question so much in detail as 

 could be desired to enable us to express a decided opinion upon it ; but we 

 have a strong impression that the system of warming and veniilath)n, as 

 proposed by Dr. Reid (if earned out in conformity with his plan) cannot 

 be made compatible with rendering many portions of the building fire- 

 proof. 



V. And, according to the opinions which may be formed of the points 

 above mentioned, to ascertain and to report how far such plans and in- 

 formation in regard to the building have been supplied to Dr. Reid as are 

 sufheieDt to enable him to furnish to the architect corresponding plans and 

 information, in regard to ventilation, or if further information should be 

 considered requisite for either party, to what extent and in what manner 

 it should be furnished ? — With respect to the fifth point it appears to us 

 that Dr. Reid has had access to or been furnished with a great many plans 

 and sections of the building, and has received sufficient assistance to en- 

 able him to apply bis plans fur warming and ventilation to the building in 

 progress. 



Philip Hardwickc. 

 Geo. Stephenson. 

 Thomas Graham. 

 Soath Audley-street, 25th June. 



LIVERPOOL TOWNHALL DECORATIONS. 



The Liverpool Mail praises the deceptions employed in the decoration of 

 the staircase of the Liverpool Town Hall in the following terms : — By 

 «ome process, the invention of Mr. Ingram, decorative artist, of Birming- 

 ham and London, who is now, with about twenty of his own workmen, 

 carrying on this work, the walls, which are of the usual description, and 

 pillars, are mode to represent the finest polished marble, and are susceptible 

 of receiving a polish of great brilliancy. The walls are enamelled in imi- 

 tation of Sienna marble, and the columns are finished in Jasper marble. 

 So perfect is the work, that the best judges acknowledge the imitation to 

 be perfect, and, to the untutored eije, the deception, we are sure, iroutd he 

 camptete. On the window cases and framing are painted the arabesques 

 from the Vatican — the arabesque style being strictly observed, nothing 

 which has life being introduced. The door cases will be finished in imita- 

 tion of statuary marble, highly polished, and the Jasper pillars stand out 

 io bold relief from the Sienna and statuary marble. The whole of the or- 

 naments in the door cases and nnder the dome, the friezes, cornices, &c., 

 •re richly etched with gold. This enamelled style differs much from that 

 ofscagliola, inasmuch as that gr;at transparency and sparry character, 

 pecuUar to marble, can be produced." 



WORKING STOCK OF EXISTING RAILWAYS. 

 The following is an abstract of the Returns made to the Railway Depart^ 

 ment of the Board of Trade, in pursuance of an order of the House ef 

 Lords, of the " Working stock (engines, carriages, and wagons) belonging to 

 Railway Companies at present in operation" : — 



* 3 are stationary engines. 



t All are stationary engioes. 



t ? are stationary engines. 



i Passenger carriages provided by the Newcastle and Darllogton Company. 



AMERICAN PATENTS. 

 Granted in April, 1845, reported in the American Franklin Journal. 

 For " an Improvement in carriage wheels." Eliphalet S. Scriptara, 

 New York City. 



The object of this improvement is to arrange the spokes and bub in suck 

 manner as to afford a ready means of tightening the wheel when the spokes 

 become loose by shrinking, which is effected by inclining the spokes either 

 way from the plane of the wheel to form what is termed a double disked 

 wheel, one half of the spokes being inserted in a permanent hub or cheek 

 piece, and the other half in a movable hub, or cheek piece, which KliUe.s 

 on the pipe box, so that by means of a out the moveable bub can b« fen <d 

 with its spokes towards the other, and thus tighten the spokes. 



