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THE CIVIL ENGINEER AND ARCHITECTS JOURNAL 



[APRIi, 



drawn by 3 horses, were passed over them ; tliis roller was cniistructed 

 on the Polonceau principle, and made of wood lined on the inside with 

 lead, and the outside covered with sheet iron, anil fllled with sand ; 

 it weighed 3 tons. 



Interior Slopes. — In ordinary canals the exterior slopes are frequently 

 of earth turfed, and if they have stone or timber facing at any point 

 it is generally in those places where there are wharfs, however, on 

 the Birmingham Canal stone and timber facings have been sub- 

 stituted in the upper part for earth banks, the slopes having been 

 preserved below the surface of water as a counterpoise to the masonry 

 and timbpr work, this method shown in section fig. S, allowed the 

 v^harf walls to be made thinner, and the stakes or piles of the timber 

 facing to be reduced to a minimum length. Thus the foundation of 

 the masonry hardly goes down to the level of the bottom of the 

 canal, and the piles are not driven to a greater depth, these piles are 

 placed from 3 to 4 feet apart from centre to centre, and have a cap- 

 ping or campshed 7 inches square, which serves as a support to the 

 planks placed behind to keep up the ground between one pile and 

 another; these timber facings are very simple and very cheap, and 

 may be made at all seasons without forming a coffer-dam, or laying 

 the canal dry. 



./Irdrossan or Paishy Canal. 



The section of this canal is shown in fig. 9, the breadth at top is 35 

 feet, depth below the ordinary surface of the water 4 feet, and G feet 

 from the top of the banks to the bottom. The banks are faced with stone 

 as shown in figs. 9, 12, and 13. In section fie;. '.', the stone facing is 

 laid IG inches below the water surface, and 12 inches above : it is 

 constructed with 1 courses of rough stone laid dry and scabbled on the 

 face, the lower course projects forward, and small stakes are driven 

 every 2 feet at the base, to protect the stone work. Section tig. 12, 

 is constructed in a similar manner, excepting the stones are larger and 

 in 3 courses, and have no stakes to protect the foundation. Section 

 fig. 13, has 4 courses of large stones as fig. 9, but they are set like 

 steps. These two l;is"t sections were only tried by w'ay of experiment, 

 that which is now adopted is shown in fig. 9, it gives the greatest re- 

 sistance, and is best calculated to deaden the action of the waves, or 

 surge of the water, and at the same time the most economical. 



Forth and Clyde Caital. 



This canal has a mean breadth of GO feet at the top, and 8 feet deep 

 below the water surface, and 12 feet deep below the top of the bank ; 

 different methods of lining the banks have been adopted to prevent the 

 abrasion of the banks by the action of the water, occasioned by the 

 establishment of quick passage boats, as shown in sections figs. lU, 13, 

 16, 17 and is. On the towing-path bank of section fig. 10, the facing 

 is laid in the same manner as in fig. 9, of the Ardrossan Canal, except- 

 ing the courses of stone are more numerous, and there are no stakes to 

 protect the foundation. On the opposite bank, as those points most 

 likely to be affected, they are cased with rubble work. .Section fig. 1.5, 

 shows a broad bench at the bottom, and the stone facing laid on a slope 

 of 45", which is carried up to one foot above the water surface. Sec- 

 tion fig. 18, the stones are laid on a slope and continued up to the top 

 of the bank, which is capped with a fiat stone 1 foot S inches wide. 

 Section fig. IG, shows another method of construction, the stones are 

 laid to the form of the curve of degradation : the stone work does not 

 extend more than 12 to 15 inches below the water level, and the same 

 same height above. Section 17, consists of 4 courses of basalt, each 

 10 inches high and 1 foot 8 inches to 2 feet deep, it is carried up to 

 the top of the bank, the top course oversailing at the back, and forms 

 the fender. 



These different systems of stoue facing for banks have been tried on 

 a scale sufficiently large to form a tolerably correct judgment as to 

 their expense and efficiency. The last section fig. 17, is evidently the 

 best, but the cost is very high, and the same may be said with regard 

 to section fig. IS, besides neither of these two last sections have the 

 advantage of deadening the effects of the wave. The section ultimately 

 adopted is that shown in fig. 10, its cost is 2s. id. per yard forward. 



The Union Canal. 



This canal has a breadth of 40 feet at the top, and a mean breadth 

 of 37 feet on the line of the water surface, the depth below this line is 

 ii ft. 3 in. and 1 ft. G in. to 2 ft. 3 in. more to the top of the banks. This 

 section, as will be presently described, is more favourable for passage 

 boats than the section of the Forth and Clyde Canal. 



it is on this canal that stone facing have been adopted to the greatest 

 extent since the establishment of passage boatS) and on wliich circum* 



stances have been most favourable for this description of traffic. The 

 same systems have been tried as on the Ardrossan and the Forth and 

 Clyde Canals, but the nature of other materials on the spot have caused 

 the adoption of a different system for those canals, more simple in 

 operation and better adapted to effect the end proposed. The section 

 fig. 1 1, shows the stone facing of the bank, it is nearly similar to those 

 of the l-'orth and Clyde Canal fig. 10. On the towing-path bank there 

 is however a slight batter or inclination given to the facing, and also 

 on the opposite bank are laid large pebbles placed irregularly to a 

 certain thickness, instead of rough stone. 



A considerable length of bank is faced with stone as shown in sec- 

 tion fig. 18, of the Forth and Clyde Canal, and another system has 

 beeu tried similar to section fig. 19. But the facings adopted and 

 generally followed are those shown in sections figs. 20 and 21. In 

 section fig. 20, stone slabs of different lengths, from 28 to 32 inches 

 wide, and 2^ to 3 inches thick form the facing, they are sunk into the 

 clay puddle of the bank : it was found that the upper part of the facing 

 was not sufficiently firm, consequently another narrow slab was laid on 

 the top horizontally, as shown in fig. 21, which prevented the pressure 

 of the earth against the top of the facing, and made a base for the 

 turfing of the slope of the fender. 



The facings of the towing-paths on the banks of the Union Canal, 

 between Falkirk and Edinburgh, have been made the same as the two 

 last methods just described, nearly throughout the whole length, and in 

 some cases the opposite bank also. This description of facing has an ex- 

 cellent effect, both as to appearance and as to its operation on the waves 

 of the canals. The joints being well secured, no water can get in to 

 injure the bank, and this plan which gives the best appearance to the 

 work, is in leality the most economical, the cost being only from in:. 6d. 

 to 3s. per yard forward, while the work in fig. II, costs from 3s. to it. 

 The reason ior this cheapness is the abundant supply on the spot of a 

 slaty stone well adapted for the purpose. 



Canal de L'Ourcq. 



The canal de I'Ourcq had already suffered very much from the ac- 

 tion of the water, on the two banks between la Villette and Claye, 

 when it was proposed to run passage boats upon it. It therefore be- 

 came necessary to repair the banks, and the expense of stone facing 

 on the English plan, and the want of good materials rendered a distinct 

 course necessary. The canal company having a large quantity of 

 brushwood and cuttings, wished to have a trial made to protect the 

 banks with fascine work, as in section fig. 5. Stakes of oak 4 inches 

 thick were therefore placed at every twenty inches distance, and 

 driven into the ground 2 ft. 3 ni. to 3 feet deep, and fascines placed 

 behind them. It was soon found, however, that the fascine work was 

 ineffective, as the water got in during the undulations, and on retiring 

 carried away the earth. The fascines have therefore been removed, 

 and oak planks laid behind the stakes, as shown in fig. 14. This plan, 

 there is every reason to believe, will prove cheap and work well. 



On other parts of the works another plan, as shown in figs. 2 and 7, 

 has been adopted, like that on the Ardrossan and Forth and Clyde 

 Canals. The works however get on slowlv on account of the difBculfiy 

 of finding stones large enough. 



RAILWAYS BILL. 



Since our last number, Mr. Labouchere's bill has made farther pro- 

 gress, and such is the want of effective opposition, that it would 

 doubtless have passed through all its stages by this time, had not Sir 

 Robert Peel interfered to get it referred to a select committee. From 

 this committee, however, we expect little good, although Sir Frederick 

 Smith is said to have been sorely discomfited in his examination by 

 Sir Robert Peel, when his incompetency was shown so fully as to have 

 been convincing to the minds of unprejudiced persons. Mr. Labou- 

 chere felt this, and was in the greatest possible rage, so that, to cool 

 himself, he endeavoured to harrass several of the witnesses in such a 

 manner as to call down the remarks of the chairman, although he 

 effectively succeeded in frightening some parties. 



The opposition, as it is called, which is t:ow being carried on, pro- 

 ceeds from a committee of the delegates of boards of directors, who 

 have overstepped their powers, and are disunited among themselves. 

 Several of the chief of the delegates are, indeed, publicly charged 

 with giving underhand support to the Government plan, while they 

 throw every obstacle in the way of those who attempt to carry on the 

 opposition in earnest. From such parlies no good can be expected 

 ! under any circumstances, and we need scarcely say that they are 



