1S41.] 



THE CIVIL ENGINEER AND ARCHITECT'S JOURNAL. 



O/ 



formed of iron or other metal pipes, placed in the thickness of the walls. 

 When the required elevation is obtained, a concrete of any suitable materials 

 is poured into the framing, and fills up the vacant space, giving firmness and 

 solidity to the structure ; a concrete of gravel and lime is preferred. To give 

 steadiness, lead is to be introduced between the joinings of the iron work, in 

 the manner well understood by workers in iron. The doors and v^^ndow 

 frames are to he fastened to the walls by any of the usual known methods. 

 The main beams and cross beams of floors and roofs may be of cast iron, or 

 formed of iron and wood ; or tliey may be formed of one or more pieces of 

 plate iron, bent up into an oval form, and straightened by an iron or wooden 

 bar passing through tliem lengthwise, the upper edges of the metal being 

 turned over to increase the strength. In the interval between the beams 

 there are to be iron roils running in various directions, and supporting a me- 

 talhc wire work, which forms the foundation of the ceiling. Similar wire 

 work is to be employed in lieu of laths for all plaster surfaces. The claim is 

 — 1. The mode of constructing the walls of buildings by appljing frames of 

 iron filled with concrete. 2. The mode of constructing beams of bent plates 

 of iron. 3. The mode of fonning ceilings and other plaster surfaces by the 

 application of wire work in place of laths. — Mechanics' Magazine. — [The last 

 claim was adopted in the building of the Pantechnicon, near Belgrave-square. 

 — Ed. C. E. and A. Journal.] 



RAILWAY CONFERENCE. 

 On Tuesday, 19th ult., a general meeting of railway directors and mana- 

 gers was held by appointment at the large room in the Queen's Hotel, Bir- 

 mingham, at which were present delegates from the following companies, 

 namely : — Birmingliam and Derby, Birmingham and Gloucester, Chester and 

 Birkenhead, Eastern Counties, Great Western, Hull and Selby, Lancaster and 

 Preston, Liverpool and Manchester, London and Croydon, London and 

 Greenwich, London and Birmingham, London and Brighton, London and 

 South-western, Manchester, Bolton, and Bury, Manchester and Leeds, Mid- 

 land Counties, North Midland, North Union, York and North Midland. — 

 George Carr Glyn, Esa., was called to the Chair, and a lengthened dis- 

 cussion took ])lace upon the objects of the meeting. The following is a copy 

 of the resolutions, which were unanimously adopted : — 



1.. — That in consequence of the public an.xiety occasioned by the accidents 

 which have taken place on various railways, the companies here represented, 

 in order to profit by the combined experience of the principal lines, have 

 deemed it expedient that a general conference should be held, for the pur- 

 pose of taking into consideration the causes and circumstances of such acci- 

 dents, and the means that may be available of more effectually guarding 

 against their occurrence for the future. 



2. — Tliat this meeting acknowledges the grave responsibility which at- 

 taches to railway directors, and the obligation under which they lie, to adopt 

 all judicious and practicable expedients for ensuring the general accommo- 

 dation, comfort, and safety of the passengers entrusted to their charge. That 

 under a strong impression of tliis responsibility they have assembled on this 

 occasion, and have pursued their deliberations at the present conference. 



3. — That this meeting, while it deeply regrets the accidents which have 

 occurred, looks forward with confidence to the beneficial result of unremit- 

 ting vigilance and habitual caution steadily enforced and estabhshed, as the 

 great means of safety to railway conveyance, and accordingly would depre- 

 cate any sudden or hasty legislation on the subject ; being convinced that 

 the means referred to, aided by such improved arrangements and mechanical 

 adaptations as a more matured experience may suggest, will amply accomplish 

 the desired object. 



4. — That the moral character and general fitness of enginemen and fire- 

 men, as well as of policemen and other servants, in the correct performance 

 of whose duties the public safety is involved, are so essential to the security 

 of railway travelling, tliat this meeting recommends to all railway companies 

 the strictest examination into these points ; and that it should be a rule more 

 generally adopted amongst different managements, not to employ servants 

 having worked on other lines, without authentic and satisfactory testimonials 

 from their former employers. 



5. — That in case of serious neglect of duty on the part of railway servants, 

 it is desirable more frequently to put in force the penal provisions of Lord 

 Seymour's Act, in order that the strictest discipbne may be maintained ; at 

 the same time this meeting considers it due to men whose services are so 

 arduous, to encourage the requisite discipbne and obedience of orders, by 

 adequate remuneration, and by suitable rewards for extraordinary exertions 

 or long sustained good conduct. 



6.— That the directors at this meeting assembled have taken into their 

 serious consideration the expediency of placing on the engine a tliird man as 

 conductor or captain, in addition to the engineman and fireman usually em- 

 ployed ; and they are of opinion that such a measure, by distracting atten- 

 tion, dividing authority, and removing or diminishing the responsibiUty of 

 tlie enginemen, would increase rather than lessen the risk of accidents to 

 the trains. 



7. — That this meeting considers it desirable that there should be a uniform 

 system of regulations and signals recognised as applicable to all railwavs; 

 and they recommend tliat the following rules and regulations, with this view, 

 be submitted to the consideration of each railway company. 

 The following is the code of signals recommended : 



Signals bv Night. 

 The while light stationary, indicates that all is right ; but if waved up and 



doion, is a signal to stop ; if waved to and fro, sideways, to proceed cautiously 



The red light is a signal always to stop. 

 By Day. 



The red flag is the signal to stop. 



The Hue flag is to stop second class coach trains, luggage, or picking up 

 trains, for tlie purpose of sending on wagons. 



Tlie black flag is used by plate layers to indicate that the road is under- 

 going repair, and tliat trains must pass slowly. 



It is to be understood that any flag or lamp, of whatever colour, violentlg 

 waved, is a signal to stop. 



[We think it is a great pity that such a great assembly should have taken 

 place to produce such a trifling result. Parturiunt montes, nascitur ridiculus 

 mus. It does appear to us that the directors might have been better em- 

 ployed, or have lirought out a more efficient code. The whole affair is quite 

 in the British Association style. — Editor.] 



ROYAL POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTION. 

 We promised ourselves and our readers, last month, a more extensive ac- 

 count of this valuable institution, which we shall now endeavour to give 



although, probably, it will be a work of supererogation, as so many of cm- 

 readers must be either contributors to it, or visitors. The building itself we 

 have sufliciently described on a former occasion, when we gave a plan and 

 engravings of it, so that it now only remains for us to notice some of the 

 many attractions in the exhibition. Going into the HaU of Manufactures, 

 we find a four-horse power double-cyUnder condensing engine, by Humphrjs, 

 of Lambeth. Entering the gallery of the Great Hall, we meet with one of 

 the first of a series of artistical exhibitions ; here you may have your profile 

 taken, go to another artist, and for a trifling fee he models your likeness, this 

 you may have electrotyped, engraved on copper, or lithographed, all in the 

 same establishment. 'The assemblage of models of planets, on a scale of an 

 eighth of an inch to a mile, is an epitome of the wonders of creation well 

 calculated to suggest serious meditation ; the little globe on which we live 

 is dwindled to the proportions of a chUd's taw, and yet, to place these 

 planets in their due positions, would take a space of seven miles diameter. 

 Long's engine-turning on glass presents old specimens of a standard favourite.' 

 Close along side are some of Grace's works in papier mache. In the case 

 marked B are some truly valuable examples from the factory of Mr. Apsley 

 Pellatt, of the progress we have made in the manufacture of glass. W'e wish 

 we could particularize some of the well-executed ornaments from the Elo-in 

 marbles and other antiques. The chess table, painted on slate, in imitation 

 of various marbles, is a very good proof of the skill of the artist, and of the 

 value of the material as a ground for decoration. In ease F are some of Mr. 

 Reid's engines. In a side room is a great variety of vases and other works 

 of art, and objects of utihty, from the Royal Swedish Poqihyry Works at 

 Elfdal, in Sweden. There is only one objection we see to the general use of 

 this stone, and that is the dearness of the articles, which, although they are 

 of everlasting durabiUty, tells upon the pocket. A little encouragement, 

 however, and the proprietors will find means of reducing their prices. Here 

 we may mention the many fine specimens of stained glass by several artists, 

 and of flower painting by Madam Comolera. Now we have spoken of 

 painting on glass, a reviving art, we must call attention to the specimens of 

 wood carving exhibited, which will serve to show that we only want en- 

 couragement to revive this also— one by a boy of 9 (No. 438), is promising. 

 Sir George Cayley, with the intention, probably, of competing with Cinde- 

 rella's Crispin, has deposited, in case H, a pair of slippers, the uppers (we 

 were going to write upper-leathers) composed of glass — these were doubtless 

 the true Cinderella shoon. Elsewhere are some other good specimens of 

 glass weaving. No. 531, &c., are 72 specimens of earths taken in boring a 

 well 220 feet deep at Colebrook Cottage, Ishngton, showing the difference of 

 the strata at every foot after the first hundred, wiiicli were principally blue 

 clay. Osier's anemometer is an ingenious macbiue, but we should not think 

 works favourably in its present position, as the registering apparatus must be 

 interfered with by the elasticity of the floor, and the moving about of the 

 company. In the lower part of the Great Hall are a number of engines and 

 models, of which it is next to impossible, in our cramped space, to give any 

 account. We must say the same of those relating to marine engineerinL'. 

 In the North-West Sky-light Room is a splendid mosaic table ot° Swedish 

 porphyry, consisting of nearly 10,000 pieces, and of great weight ; the price 

 asked is, we believe, 3000 guineas. Goiug behind the Great Hall we get 

 into a labyrinth of darkened passages, from which are views of a number of 

 dioramic subjects, among which we must particulariy call attention to the 

 Typorama, or model of the Undercliff, in the Isle of Wight. In the West 

 Balcony Room is the porcelain Table des Marechaux, painted by Isabey ; 

 five thousand guineas is asked for it, and it is said to have cost twelve thou- 

 sand, but we fear it will be long before the raflie is filled. Anotlier gorgeous 

 and costly affair is the escriban or cabinet of Margaret of Parma, in the East 

 Balcony Room. Dispersed about are mauy fine works of art by Mr. Long- 

 bottom, and eminent artists. 



Tlie best idea we can give of the Polytechnic Institution, is to call it a 

 bazaar of science ; you have a number of separate exhibitions and collections 

 thrown into one, you witness the exercise of several arts, you have the use of 

 two lecture rooms, and from the gallery a band converts tlie halls into a pro- 

 menade concert, and this morning and evening : — and so with this epitome 

 we shall leave the Polytechnic and its crowded halls to the occupation of 

 our readers. 



