25S 



THE CIVIL ENGINEER AND ARCHITECFS JOURNAL. 



[August, 



longitadinal beariDgs have a tendency to loosen the screws which bind the 

 rail lo llie balk. 



Break of ;;augp is of little consequence in reference to passengers, but 

 becomes a great difficulty in transferring heavy i;,iods. It becomes a mat- 

 ter of importance lo devise the best, cheapest, and quickest mode of 

 transhipment from the one gauge to the other, whelher it be by removing 

 the goods from one carriage to another carrlHse, or by moving the boJy of 

 one carriage on to another set of wheels by mechanical power; it becomes 

 a question of cost. The measure of the inconvenience is the cost per ton 

 to do it quickly. The expense of constructing powerful lifting machines 

 of little importance where the traffic is large; has lanl out 1130,000 to 

 save about a halfpenny per ton upon the shipping of coals. Could put up 

 apparatus to move 25 wagons in one minute, or in a couple of miuules, 

 requiring the employment of not less than 50, nur more than 100 men. 

 The cost of transhipment would be a triQe upon a long line, but a large 

 item upon a short one. It is perfectly easy lo make wagon frames and 

 wagon bodies for a large trade that wonid go to any part iif the country ; 

 the bodies must go quite through, and return again ; the frames would 

 keep on iheir own lines, and the wagons would simply drop into them. 

 There would be no difficulty in constructing passenger carriages lo move 

 in the same way ; if there is Iraflic enough to render it worth doing, there 

 is no difficulty in doing it. 



THE HOUSES OF PARLIAMENT. 



Ventilation has taken the character of stagnation in its effect upon the 

 progress of the Houses of Parliament; more especially those parts of 

 the interior whose completion is soonest required — at legist impalieutly 

 demanded. Talking and Reidhig have considerably retarded operations. 

 l>io one room is yet anything like Bnished, — or much more than merely 

 sketched out,— though the main work, that of construction in the rough, is 

 nearly terminated in the House of Peers and the royal approach lo it. At 

 present, the picture is merely drawn in and dead-coloured ; llierefore we 

 pretend not — especially from such cursory insperticm as ours has been — to 

 judge of intended effects otherwise than conjecturally, and with due sub- 

 mission to correction for any misunderstandings into which we may have 

 fallen. 



To begin, then, with the royal entrance from the giganlie porch beneath 

 the Victoria Tower :— the Scala Regia, which is parily lighted by lanterns 

 in its vaulied and groined ceiling, ascends in a direction, as seen from the 

 entrance, turning to the right or southwards, in two successive flights. 

 We forgot lo count the number of s'eps in eacli (light, which Lord Sudely 

 found fault with as being too many for architectural dignity. But there is 

 a precedent for more multi stepped, and certainly for loftier, flights, in 

 what is, perhaps, as magnificent an example of a staircase as any we 

 know of — viz., the Parade trep/ie in Giirtner's new building of the Biblio- 

 thek at Munich. This greatly exceeds in point of amplitude, splendour, 

 and perspective display, what the Westminster staircase promises to be. 

 In one respect, indeed, the latter is almost unparalled, — the risers being 

 unusually low, and the treads broad ; so that what, iu moderation, contri- 

 butes to elegance and convenience, is here carried to such excess as to be 

 likely to prove an incommodity. It is not only somewhat fatiguing to 

 walk up such very shallow and broad steps, but rather difficult to do so 

 without seeming to stride or jerk along, or making two steps of each stair. 

 Some little practising will be necessary for either ascending or descending 

 majestically. Passing through the sliell of the Victoria Gallery and an- 

 other room, we enter the House of Peers, at Ihe w est, or throne, end ; — 

 the first glance at its ceiling, a wide expanse of gorgeously carved and 

 gilded work is already striking enough. How far more imposing — almost 

 bewildering — will be the first coup d'ccil of this spacious and niagniHcent 

 ball when completed in all its decorations— its walls arrayed in gilding 

 and emblazoning, displaying a series of coniparliuenls of fresco below, 

 with a corresponding range of richly painted windows (six on each side) 

 above. Still, we have our misgivings : because, though casual visitors 

 may be more than satisfied— even enchanted—" My Lords," themselves 

 are likely to ftel sated by Ihe constant blaze of so much anhiteclural and 

 pictorial pomp. Such a sumptuously, not lo say extravagantly, adorned 

 ball, would be more in place within the walls of Windsior Castle, for royal 

 banquets and fcslivilies, Ihan as a place for solemn debate on grave and 

 anxious matters. Putting propriety of purpose out of the question, we 

 entertain great doubts, too, as to Ihe effect which such profusion of painted 

 glass as is intended will have upon the fresco paintings. Hesides that 

 gleams of coloured light may occasionally fall from the windows upon 

 parts of Ihe mural pictures, quite different in hue from the colours on the 

 latter, — will not the windows overpower the paintings, anil cause them to 

 look flat and dull, by comparison? — or can that inconvenience be remedied 

 by exaggerating the colours of the frescoes, and palming them up accord- 

 ingly ? We may be allowed also to ask, whetlur another matter has been 

 taken into consideration — because if it has hitherto been forgotten or over- 

 looked, attention should be directed to it wilhoiit further delay. Will not 

 the ellect and character contemplated for the " House" be, in great mea- 

 sure, lost at those particular times when the pla' e will be chiefly used for 

 business? After dark, the painted windows will not show themselves 

 otherwise thau as gloomy gaps and vicancies, occupying the upper half 



of the two side walls. A singular degree of brilliancy might, however, 

 be obtained at niglil, by lighting up the house chiefly, if not entirely, from 

 without, by means of gas burners on the outside of Ihe windows. This 

 would be further useful as helping ventilation. The plan appears to us to 

 have, independently of its novelty, much to recommend it; should there be 

 objections lo it, not perceived by us, we yet hope that while they have 

 their due weight, the suggestion itself will not be wholly disregarded, 

 merely because it is a suggestion. — Athenceum. 



PROCEEDINGS OF SCIENTIFIC SOCIETIES. 



ROYAL SCOTTISH SOCIETY OF ARTS. 

 June 8, 1846, — John Beatson Bell, Esq., V.P., io the Chair. 

 The following communications were made : — 



1. Description of the machinery us.'d,arid of the manner in which the land 

 at the sides and end of the open-cutting was supported during the excavating 

 and buildiny of the works of the Edinburgh, Leilh, and Granton Railway 

 Tunnel in Scotland Street. I5y Mr. William PATtRSON, F.R.S.S.A., Resi- 

 dent Engineer of the Tunnel. In this communication, Mr. Paterson described 

 the machinery used, and the manner in which the sand at the sides and end 

 of the open-cutting was supported during the excavating and building of the 

 works of the tunnel in Scotland-street. A beautiful and accurate model was 

 at the same time exhibited, representing the face of the tunnel, and the man- 

 ner of disposing the beams to resist the pressure. There were also plans and 

 sections of the works shown. The Society were greatly interested in this 

 communication, which was cleaily illustrated by the model and drawings. 

 Referred to a committee. 



2. Description qf a Patent Crane, by Datid Henderson, of Renfrew, ia 

 which the important peculiarities of his improvements will be illustrated by 

 drawings and a working model. Mr. Slight described this patent crane, dis. 

 tinctly showing the important peculiarities of Mr. Henderson's improvements 

 by the aid of drawings and a working model. One of these patent cranes is 

 at work in Mr. Slight's own works, and the valuable invention is coming into 

 general operation in the west. In the ordinary crane as the Derrick rises the 

 load also rises, and much time and labour are wasted ; but the relative forces 

 of the present have been all calculated by Mr. Henderson with mathematical 

 accuracy, so that it combines great power and efficiency with safety. The 

 barrel and wheels are so constructed as to afl'ord a self-acting check ; that is 

 to say, although several tons weight weie suspended, and in the act of being 

 raised or lowered, the handle of the crane can be let go at once, and the ma- 

 chine remains in statu quo. Mr. Slight pointed out several other valuable 

 properties of this invention, the principle of which consists in the Compensa- 

 tion Barrel, by which after the load is raised as high as necessary, it is then 

 brought in nearly on a level, although the Derrick be raised. This of itself 

 saves much lime and labour. 



3. Description of a Revolving Valve for Locomotive and other Steam En- 

 gines. By John .\ndlrson, Esq. The principles and construction of this 

 valve are entirely new. Instead of the reciprocating or alternating motion, 

 so long in use, Mr. Anderson adopts a continuous rotary motion. The valve 

 may be said to consist generally of two circular metal discs, connected to- 

 gether by a tube, placed opposite the ports of the cylinder. These discs are 

 divided into two chambers, the one having communication with the steam, ' 

 and the other with the exit passage. Into each of these chambers ports are 

 cut so as to form, al certain parts in the revolution of the valve, a free pas- 

 sage, either for the ingress or egress of the steam, the disc for the npper part 

 being so placed that Ihe one may be admitting steam into the cylinder while 

 the other is allowing it to escape. The whole valve works in a cylindrical 

 case, having ports corresponding with, and opening into, those of the cylin- 

 der, the same as that of Medhurst's, but with this important difference, that 

 the one revolves, while the other moves in a vertical direction. The revolv- 

 ing valve, Mr. Anderson states, possesses the following advantages : — 



1. The valve, by its continuous rotary motion, effects a great saving in 

 power, especially in locomotive engines, where the motion is very rapid. 



2. The valve is devoid of pressure, and superior in that respect to the long 

 and short D, or slide-valves. 



3. The valve creates no loss of steam in the ports, as is the case in the 

 short D, or slide-valve. 



4. The valve wears equally, and can, at a comparatively small expense, be 

 given any length of lap or lead. 



5. The valve can be easily examined and packed when required. 



COLLEGE FOR CIVIL ENGINEERS, PUTNEY. 



It is very gratifying to those who take an interest in the advancement of 

 practical science to find that a sound knowledge of the exact sciences is be- 

 coming more publicly recognised as a necessary part of the education of the 

 engineer. Compared with the stupendous public works which have been 

 undertaken during the last few years, the greatest engineering labours of the 

 ancient world are as nothing : and when it is reflected that the lifes of 



