18 iS,] 



THE CIVIL ENGINEER AND ARCHITECT'S JOURNAL. 



283 



ON THE PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION OF THE ENGINEER 

 AND ARCHITECT, THE BUILDER AND MACHINIST. 



The Classes of Architecture and Engineering at University College, 

 under Professors Donaldson and Harmau Lewis, closed on the 15th of 

 June. The distribution of prizes, of which we were compelled last month 

 to defer the notice, took place ou the 1st July as follows : 



In Architecture. — First year's course in Fine Art : Prize and First Cer- 

 tificate to J.Benwell; Second Certificate to F. Lawrence (see below). 

 First year's Class as a science : Prize and First Certificate to G. P. Boyce 

 and F. Lawrence, equal (see below) ; Second Certificate to B. J. Benwell 

 (see above). Second year's course : Fine Art Prize and First Certificate 

 to John Pollard Seddon ; Second Certificate to W. Wood Deane (see 

 below) Second year's course as a science : Prize and First Certificate to 

 J. G. D. Allasou ; Second Certificate to W. Wood Deane (see above). 

 In Engineering:. — Prize and First Certificate to F. Lawrence (see 

 above); Second Certificate to — IVlackenzie. 



The advantages of the courses of instruction followed at this Institution 

 must be obvious to every one. It has hitherto been too much the practice 

 for young men in this country, in almost every department of professional 

 knowledge except the medical, to neglect a systematic elementary course 

 of education, and to rely upon the experience of actual practice to carry 

 them through their arduous career. 'The consequence has been that men 

 of an inferior rank in society, moved by greater energy of purpose, more 

 self denying habits and activity of mind, have devoted their spare hours to 

 master the elementary branches ; and thus having fitted themselves for 

 great undertakings, have stepped forward and acquired reputation and 

 wealih, while their more genteelly connected competitors have been thrown 

 in arrear by the weight of the more solid acquirements of the humliler 

 aspirants. Nay, we feel assured, that if, in the inferior ranks of construc- 

 tion and mechanical science, those connected with such pursuits as build- 

 ings and machinery would make themselves acquainted with the element- 

 ary principles of science, their inventive genius would receive greater 

 development, obstructions would be more readily overcome, and they 

 would find less difficulty in giving reality to their conceptions. In every 

 dep^riment of knowledge there is now a great advance, and those, who 

 wish to succeed in the contest for wealth and fame, must piepare them- 

 selves for the struggle by their superior attainments. The student, the 

 apprentice, the mechanic, the foreman, the clerk of the works, niay, iu 

 such courses as these, learn to regard their pursuits in a methodical system 

 of instruction and reasoning. Commencing from first principles and mas- 

 ters of ihe elements, they proceed to the consideration of their applicaliou. 

 The choice of materials, their applicability and adaptatation for economic 

 purposes, are brought before them ; a wide and comprehensive view of 

 the world of science is opened ; they acquire the habit of reasoning with 

 precision and of a systematic consideration of objects; they have explain- 

 ed to them, in addition, the finest examples ; they learn the history and 

 progressive development of invention, with the names and characters of 

 the most illustrious men ; they are also made acquainted with the value 

 and importance of the best scientific liteiary works. They are thus tho- 

 roughly grounded with a fund of knowledge, which the hurry of subse- 

 quent practical life forbids their ever acquiring, and which they canuot 

 gain in the oflice of the professional man. It were idle to suppose that 

 this system can supersede the knowledge to be gained under the architect, 

 engineer, or builder ; but it completes, at all events, the practical experi- 

 ence acquired on the works of the master: and the education of the young 

 roan being perfected by tiiis combination, he is enabled to follow up his 

 pursuit, the matured and well grounded architect, engineer, builder, or 

 njechinist, and not with the raw inexperience of unskilled youth. 



Both the Professors accompanied the classes during the session to works 

 in progress, and explained the principles which directed the conception 

 and execution. Professor Donaldson has had to acknowledge the liberal 

 courtesy of the Deans and Chapters of VFestminster and St. Paul's, they 

 having granted unrestricted permission to the Professor and his pupils, to 

 visit every part of those edifices, the examination and description of which 

 occupied in each case many hours. 



To give an idea of the habits of thought inculcated in the class rooms, 

 we transcribe merely two of the questions out of the series which the 

 students had to answer for the prizes ; and we will ask, if the qualification 

 to answer these does not presuppose a course of previous study of incal- 

 culable benefit to the future candidaie for fame : — 



" Take a review of the history of architecture from the third century of 

 the Christian era, and investigate Ihe influences which probably caused 

 the modifications of sentiment perceptible in the edifices of the diil'ereut 

 epochs of niediteval art in various countries." — " Supposing that the ex- 

 pres.-.ion of a leading principle in buildings may be distinguished, accord- 

 ingly as the leading lines of ihe elevation may be either vertical or hori- 

 zontal ; examine this theory by reference to the ed.fices of ancient and 

 n.odern art, and state under what class respectively should be ranged the 

 uiouuweuls of Egjpt, Greece, Rome, and the Middle Ages." 



REGISTER OF NEW PATENTS, 



If additional informatioD be required respecting any patent, it may be obtained at Ulc 

 office of this Journal. 



PURIFYING GAS. 



John Robert Johnson, of Nelson-square, Surrey, chemist, for " Im- 

 proremeni sin Purifying Gas anilin the treatment of products of gas-works." 

 —Granted December 20, 1845 ; Enrolled June 20, 1846. 



This invention relates, first, to a new mode of purifying gas used for 

 illumination, from those impurities which consist of ammonia and its com- 

 pounds. The inventor ellects tlie separation of the ammonia, by using 

 the substances possessing the property of absorbing ammonia or its com- 

 pounds in the dry, or more properly speaking, solid state, instead of in 

 the state of solution, as has hitherto been practised. Among this class of 

 substances are comprised, the solid acids, such as the phosphoric, boracic, 

 and other acids ; the salts with excess of acid, as the bisulphates of pot- 

 ash, of soda, and of ammonia, the biphosphates of these bases and other 

 salts of this class ; the salts of alumina, and of some other earths. Those 

 substances which absorb the compounds of ammonia entirely, acid as well 

 as base, entering into combination with the components of the substance 

 used. The metallic sails, containing the requisite quantity of water, will 

 serve more or less perfectly for the purpose required ; but the salts of iron 

 and manganese, from their cheapness, will be found preferable to others. 

 These salts are reduced to powder, and used precisely as the moistened 

 lime is used in dry lime purifiers. 



The second part of the invention consists in a new mode of treating the 

 ammoniacal liquor of the gas-works, for the purpose of preparing the 

 salts of ammonia in a purer slate than they have been usually obtained, 

 and without the noxious exhalations which attend the ordinary mode of 

 operating. The liquor is placed in a vessel A, similar to an ordinary 

 steam-boiler, and heat applied through the furnace B. The liquor consists 

 principally of hydrosulphuret and carbonate of ammonia, with small 

 quantities of other salts of that base. As soon as the temperature rises, 

 the hydrosulphuret of ammonia comes over, it being the most volatile pro- 

 duct. A slow fire is kept, so as to volatilize this product exclusively, and 

 during its passage is conducted by the pipe a, into the vessel C, contain- 

 ing a solution of some substance which has the property of absorbing the 

 sulphuretted hydrogen and Ihe deleterious gas, as the salts of iron and 

 manganese. The product, after sufficient of the vapours have passed to 

 saturate the material employed, is a solutiou of a salt of ammonia, holding 

 iu suspension the sulphurtt of iiou or manganese. In this plan, one vessel 

 for holding the material through which the vapours are passed is sufficient, 

 but if more be employed they are charged with the same solution. W hen 

 lime or alkali is used to absorb the sulphuretted hydrogen, the ammonia 

 is liberated and must be conducted into a second vessel D, charged with 

 an acid. At the end of this part of the operation, that is, when all the 

 hydrosulphuret of ammonia has passed over, the products found in the 

 first vessel are sulphuret of lime and some free ammonia, and in the second 

 a solution of a salt of ammonia. If the acid was but slightly diluted, the 

 solution may be obtained saturated and fit to christallize on cooling. The 

 liquid remaining in the boiler, and now consisting principally of carbonate 

 of ammonia, may be treated in the ordinary way for preparing the salts, 

 or the evaporation may be continued in the boiler at a higher temperature, 

 iu order to drive over the other volatile sails and the vapours passed 

 through acid to absorb the ammonia. In the latter case the apparatus 

 just described may he used, the cock E being opened. The vapours then 

 pass through the pipe b, and through the acid in the vessel D, without 

 entering the vessel C, containing the lime, and are then absorbed. The 

 evaporation is continued until the volatile salts of ammonia are all driven 

 oft", when the liquor in ihe boiler may be rejected, unless it be found that 

 Ihe fixed sails remaining in the liquor are iu sufficient quantity to be worth 

 extracting, which may lie asceriaiiied approxiniatively by evaporating a 

 drop of the liquor on a strip of glass, or accurately by evaporating to 

 nearly dryness a known quantity of the liquor, and by weighing the re- 

 sulting salt. These fixed salts may be obtained by entirely evaporating 

 Ihe liquor in a lead vessel, or by adding to the liquor, while in the boiler 

 A, a certain quantity, more or less, according to the quantity of the fixed 

 suits present, of sulphuret uf lime ia solutiou. This substance may b« 



