2S0 



THE CIVIL ENGINEER AND ARCHITECTS JOURNAL. 



[Skpt. 



111! rd will he no tendency lo run ofl' the rail ; and should there be any im- 

 jiedinient lo the «heels on one of the rails, those wheels may rise over 

 «uch impediment wilhout injury, owing to the opposite wheels retaining 

 their correct contact with their rail, so long as the raised \^heels do not 

 rise olf their rail lo an extent which will throw the diagonal line on the 

 opposite wheels bejond the perpendicular line. 



Figs. 1 and 2 ^huw the secliuu of r.tils upon ihe improved form, which 

 may be of wrought or cast iron. The invenlor does not confine himself to 

 the section shown, but the rail is such that the surface on which the wheels 

 C'ime is to be a portion of a cylinder, and part of ihe running surface of 

 the wheels is lo be struck to the same radius ; hence, the two cylindrical 

 surfaces will correspond. Fig. 3 shows a section of one of the wheels on 

 an axle, and also one of the rails ; Ihe spokes are to be set at an angle 

 of 22J' Fig. 4 is an enlarged view of the rail and tyre. 



The second improvement relates to suspending the body of thecarriagea, 

 as shown in tigs. 5 & 6, on axes at each end at /;, bearing on uprights c, lix< d 

 on the frame of the carriage d ; the body is prevented oscillating by means 

 of chains or straps c, which allow suliicieut movement to the body as may 

 be required. The frame (I is fixed on the springs mounted on the lower 

 frame e. The cl.iirn is for combining the suspension, as described, with 

 the use of straps or chains. 



The third improvement relates to applying ''an uncontrolled locking action 

 to the axles and wheels of radway carriages," as shown at tig. 7. a is a 

 strong bar formed into the arc of a circle, sliding in bearings li, fixed on 

 the frame; the bearings c of the axle of the wheels are made fast to this 

 bar, and can only move vvilhin a short space, there being stops at d d. l>y 

 this means, when a carriage is going round curves, the wheel accommo- 

 dates itself to the curve. 



REVIEWS. 



Metropolilan Bridges and fJ^es/mrnsfer Improvements. By Sir Howard 

 Douglas, M.P. Second edition. London : Boone, 1S46. pp. 27. 



The second edition of Sir Howard Douglas's pamphlet appears opportunely 

 at a time when much public interest has been excited by the report of the 

 dangerous condition of Westminster Bridge, and the proposal to replace it 

 by a new structure. The old bridge was erected about one hundred years 

 ago, and considering that it was built with scarcely sufficient strength to re- 

 sist the comparatively gentle current of the Thames when its tidal waters 

 were impeded by the huge piers of old London bridge, it would need no 

 prophet to predict that the removal of those obstructions must ultimately 

 involve the destruction of Westminster bridge also. The pamphlet before 

 us describes the defects in the original construction, and the progress of the 

 consequent injuries, but as these subjects are investigated with considerable 

 minuteness in the official report now before the public, it is not necessary to 

 enter into detail respecting them here. We shall prefer giving one or two 

 extracts in which Sir H. Douglas describes his proposition for the improve- 

 ments between Charing Cross and the river. 



"All that can be expected from the expedients which have been tried is, 

 that they may retard the ruin, which nothing, in fact, can avert — so that, 

 with proper precautions, the bridge may serve as a temporary means of com- 

 munication while a new one is being constructed ; but even for this it would 

 be prudent to lighten it as much as possible, by removing the masses of ma- 

 terials which form the foot-path on both sides, down to the level of the car- 

 riage-way, and to replace the stone balustrades, with a temporary railing or 

 parapet of wood. Should the piles, which form the present caisson or coffer- 

 dam about the pier on the Surrey side, be not removed, they might be cut 

 down ; and if that or any other pier should seem to be in danger of settling 

 further by the deepening of the water-ways, the expedient already pro|)osed, 

 of paving the bed of the river in those parts, or depositing there masses of 

 stone, might he adopted ss a temporary measure. It is somewhat remarka- 

 ble, that, notwithstanding the defective mode of construction of Westminster 

 bridge by caissons, and the large sums of public monev laid out in vain at- 

 tempts to rescue this bridge from destruction, it should be seriously proposed 

 to adopt the like expedient on an immense scale in Dover Bay :— to strand 

 caissons containing large portions of ready-made break-waters in 7 or 8 

 fathoms water for the formation there of a harbour of refuge ! A new bridge 

 cannot be constructed on the present site without previously removing the 

 old one; and this would involve an expense of at least 40,Oo6;. in erecting a 

 temporary bridge, to avoid stoppiiig altogether, the communication between 

 the Borough and Westminster, whilst the new work is proceeding. There is 

 no room for a new bridge between the Parliamentary Palace and the present 

 bridge, for these are already in contact ; and the construction of a bridge 

 any where below the present site, say from Maudslay's premises to Man- 

 chester buildings, would occasion a very great outlay in providing new ap- 

 proaches. But, if leaving Westminster bridge, in its present state, "as a tem- 

 porary communication, a new bridge were constructed from Lambeth stairs 

 to t' <■ reirest pnrt of the opposite bank, no expense for new approaches 

 wotild be incurred, a direct communication with Westminster would he esta- 



blished, and a magnificent entrance into the capital formed, at an interesting jj 

 and venerable part. The river face of the new Parliamentary Palace, would 1 

 be seen to great advantage ; ami, no longer disfigured and obscured on the 

 other flank when the distasteful structure which now defaces it shall have 

 been removed, the edifice standing gracefully and boldly out, would form a 

 beautiful object upon the concave sinuosity of the river, extending thence to 

 Blackfriars' bridge, and Somerset House, wbicli, for this purpose, should be 

 reclaimed from its present unwholesome and disgusting slate by the proposed 

 embankment and terrace, which it were easy to show is an interference with 

 the state of the river much required at that part, — and thus that pestilential 

 locality would be transformed altogether into a beautiful and highly embel- 

 lished portion of the metropolis. From the Westminster end of this new 

 Lambeth bridge, a street should be opened to lead directly to Shaftesbury 

 terrace, Eaton and Belgrave squares, or to communicate with some part of 

 that which is now being executed under the provisions of a bite act, &c. ; 

 and another formed by the river hank, to Victoria Tower ard Whitehall, 

 passing between Westminster .\bbey and the Parliamentary Palace. Enter- 

 ing the Court end of the town by this magnificent porial— ^l. Margaret's 

 church removed, in conformity with the unanimous reconinrendation of a 

 Select Committee, from the immeiliate vicinity of a splendnl and ample 

 place of worship, which requires not the aid ol an iiiljnimug chore h, and the 

 relies which lie around that incongruous building, exhumed — the western 

 face of the quadrangle, by which, according to the present design, it is in- 

 tended to enclose Westminster Hall, set hack, to give greater space between 

 it anil Henry the Seventh's Chapel ; — I'arliauieiit street widened, by remov- 

 ing the block of buililiiigs between it and King-street — Downing-street 

 finished — and the Board of Trade completed, a majestic CDiuniunication 

 would be formed, between the Regal and Parliamentary Palaces ; and if 

 Whitehall-street may not, or cannot be straightened throughout, those build- 

 ings at least should he thrown back, which, on approaching Trafalgar-square, 

 obtrude, more immediately on the left, to destroy its symmetry." 



The last sentence of this extract pleases us but little. We would much 

 rather see St. Margaret's Church restored than destroyed. It was once one 

 of the most magnificent churches in London, as those who have seen the old 

 prints of it can testify ; the work of desecration has, it is true, proceeded 

 very far, but not beyond remedy ; and in the hands of a judicious architect 

 St. Margaret's Church might once again raise its head unmarred by the vile 

 barbarisms of the last age. The desire of removing this structure for the 

 purpose of obtaining a clear and uninterrupted view of Westminster Abbey, 

 proceeds from ignorance of the true principles of Pointed Architecture, 

 which always appears most beautiful when it alfords picturesque combina- 

 tions of numerous detached parts. ^A'e accordingly see that the mediaeval 

 architects loved to group a great many difTerent structures together, and ad- 

 jacent to a cathedral usually erected its cloister, chapter house, baptistery or 

 collegiate buildings. It is precisely this combination of a crowd of pinnacles 

 and towers, steep roofs and massive buttresses, from which arises the magni- 

 ficence of a pile of Pointed buildings : and for this reason also (though there 

 are many others) the demolition of an ancient church in the neighbourhood 

 of a cathedral can never be justified except on the plea of unavoidable neces- 

 sity. St. Margaret's is at present covered over with a thick coating of plaster, 

 the tracery of the windows has been destroyed, the panel-work of the tower 

 concealed by stucco, the finials and crockets churchwardenised ; but great 

 as are these injuries, they are not past all surgi ry, and we unhesitating re- 

 peat that a judicious restorer of this ancient church would have the honor 

 of adding one more to the number of beautiful buddings with which this inte- 

 resting spot is crowded. 



For the same reason that we would retain St. Margarets' Church we would 

 resist any project for erecting a continuous pile of buildings concraling W'est- 

 minster Hall. The irregular outline of the Palace of Westminster on the 

 Abbey side is far more in accordance vi'ith the spirit of Pointed architecture 

 than the flat unbroken surface of the river front. It is most desirable that 

 the present pseudo-classic law courts should he removed, and that the mag- 

 nificent flying buttresses on either side of Westminster Hall should be dis- 

 played; hut the proposition for enclosing it altogether is unjuslifiable. Neither 

 do we see the necessity of throwing down the buildings which " on ap- 

 proaching Trafalgar-square obtrude more immediately on the left to destroy 

 its symmetry." We quite concur with the general opinion that for the sake 

 of the national character for good taste, Trafalgar-square ought to be kept 

 out of sight as ranch as possible. 



To turn to a difl"orent subject, we must notice what seems an error of 

 principle in a note (p. 7 — 14), the object of which is to prove that Hunger- 

 ford bridge is not built with sufficient strength. It is first shown that the 

 utmost load which can by any chance be put on the bridge at one time is 

 less than one-third of the weight which would impair the chains. This ex- 

 cess of strength is pronounced insufiiiient ; hut the opinion is not confirmed 

 by very conclusive reasoning : among other things the curve of the chains is 

 assumed to be a common catenary, which it is not. The note then proceeds 



