1S4I.] 



THE CIVIL ENGINEER AND ARCHITECT'S JOURNAL. 



HI 



weather. This, too, is on a part of the coast at a short distance from 

 that of France, the government of which has caused essential improve- 

 luents to be elfected in various ports opposite to the English shores, 

 and to which their steamers can resort in time of war, much to the 

 annoyance and injury of onr commercial marine, while our shores have 

 no such port or protcetion. 



That part of the coast and Channel here referred to, is navigated 

 by a greater number of valuable ships and cargoes than any other 

 channel in the w orld, except the N.E. coast ; consequently the loss of 

 valuable property (.£;),000,000 minuallij, and the more valuable human 

 lives, 100,) is in the proportion to the number of vessels passing up 

 and down the British Channel, losses which are occasioned by the 

 lack of harbours of refuge, (as a committee of the House of Commons 

 have determined,) and yet the legislature of the greatest of all naval 

 and maritime commercial nations has negatived a proposition of such 

 vital importance to the safety of the uavy, and the protection of our 

 merchant vessels and their crews ; an object of primary and vital im- 

 portance. 



The Right Honourable the Chancellor of the Exchequer was pleased 

 to observe, in his opposition to the motion, "as regarding the com- 

 mission he did not hesitate to say, that from the cliarar.ter of those 

 composing it, and their fitness for the task assigned to them, no com- 

 mittee of the House of Commons could have the same weight with 

 the public." But the public might have had much more coniidence 

 in the opinions which would have been elicited from scientific and 

 practical men, whom such a commitlee would examine. The right 

 lion, gentleman subsequently said, '-With respect to the report of the 

 commissioners, one part of it was somewhat doubtful ; " (a most im- 

 purlanl part;) "Three difterent plans were proposed, and the es- 

 pences were estimated at £0,000,000: now he rfoHifet? whether means 

 could not be adopted for effecting the purpose at a much less expense." 

 In a petition which I had presented to the House of Commons in 

 the session of 1840, I endeavoured to show that the sites selected, and 

 the plans recommended by the commissioners for the construction of 

 three refuge harbours, could not obtain the proposed advantages, i. e., 

 eligible harbo\u's of refuge, with safe ingress and egress al all times ; 

 and, that much beneficial improvement might be effected at Dover, 

 and that all (hat could be obtained in that vicinity was attainable at a 

 cost of ^3,000,000. 



The estimated cost of constructing a harbour at the Xortb Foreland, 

 at Dovor, and at Beachy Head, as contained in the report referred to, 

 emanated from the engineers who were of the commission; the accu- 

 racy of these estimates is doubted by the Chancellor of the Exchequer, 

 if those gentlemen were in error on that part of the case which im- 

 mediately belongs to their department, no correct information ought 

 to be expected from them on the nautical part of the subject, i.e. an 

 eligible site for construction, and the best method of forming the en- 

 trance and departing passages. 



It is essential to remark here, that the harbours of Lowestoft, 

 Dovor, Hartlepool, &c., demonstrate two important facts, that the 

 appUcation of sluicing or scouring water is a most fallacious principle 

 to pursue, either in constructing or in improving harljours, and that 

 the impetus of the wave and the influence of the wind and tides, are 

 not to be controlled by mathematical calculations; harbours and bars 

 are affairs exclusively to be managed by men of long nautical expe- 

 rience, possessing local information ; but other ]iarties being consulted 

 give cause to the many failures in attempts to improve and construct 

 harbours, and the immense loss of money in such attempts: e.g. 

 Lowestoft, an entire failure, with the loss of an expenditure of about 

 .£100,000, now offered for sale by her Majesty's loan commissioners 

 for £17,000. Dovor, after a large expenditure — bar accumulating. 

 Hartlepool — sluices injurious, and therefore discontinued. 



The competency of the other gentlemen of the committee is not 

 proved by their previous practical knowledge of the S. E. coast, for 

 if they have at any time navigated that part of our seas, it was, no 

 doubt, under the direction of pilots. The report bears testimony that 

 to the places and principles for constructing harbours on the S. E. 

 coast, as recommended by them, there is an insuperable objection. 



Regretting that a subject of so much importance should have been 

 so long neglected and again procrastinated, a subject brought before 

 a committee of the House of Commons in 182G and 1827, and again 

 in 183G, 



I remain, Sir, 

 23rrf Marci, 184 1 . Tour's, &c., 



Henry Barkett. 



COLES'S PATENT SOCKET AXLETREE. 



Mr. Coles the Inventor of the Anti-friction Wheel Carriage described 

 in the Journal vol. I, p. 407, has lately taken out a patent for an im- 

 provement in axle-trees for railway carriages, whereby one of a pair 

 of wheels may turn without the other. It is well known that there is 

 great friction between the flange of a wheel and the rails when work- 

 ing round curves, particularly if they be sharp ones ; to obviate this 

 evil, Mr. Coles has invented a socket axle-tree as described in the an- 

 nexed engraving, whereby it will be perceived that either wheel may 

 turn whilst the other is standing still, at the same time the axle pos- 

 sessing all the rigidity of one that is fixed to both wheels; by this 

 arrangement the outer or off wheel when working round a curve can 

 make a larger number of revolutions than the inner wheel, and wheu 

 running on a straight line they will both make the same number of re- 

 volutions. 



The axle-tree is thus formed, a hollow axle is carefully turned with a 

 socket or tube nearly the whole length of the width of the carriage, 

 into which is fitted the axle of the other wheel, this axle is carefully 

 turned with a shoulder at each end three or four inches wide, the small 

 vacuity between the shoulders, and also between the outer and iimer 

 axle-trees is filled with oil, which lubricates the rubbing surfaces of 

 the axle. 



Transverse section of a carriage sho-wingthe frame, axles and wheefe, 

 for working on common rails or roads. 



A A, the frame ; B B, the ground"»hee!s.°which are anti-friction ; C C, the 

 large anii-friclion wheels: DD, working or friction wheels ; K. the spring; 

 F. top of carriage ; G.^upperrcross stay ; HH, axles!' working in fockeis ; K, 

 the bottom cn.ss slay. 



Government Sfuseum of Economic Geology.— The arrangements for the open- 

 ing of this new institution are progressing but slowly, and nothing has yet 

 been decided as to when it will be tlirown open to tlie public. It occupies 

 the two corner houses, Nos. 5 :md 6 in Craig's-eourt, which have undergone 

 extensive alterations for the purpose. In addition to several rooms w hich « ill 

 fce devoted to the arrangements ot the cases and cabinets composing the mu- 

 seum, there is a well-stored laboratory for instruction in practical analysis 

 upon the ground lloor. A large and prominent part of the collection in the 

 museum is the extensive series of specimens of stone obtained by the commis- 

 sion for investigating the best material for building the now Houses of Par- 

 lia:nent. The depositorv f<jr mining records, forming ;another branch of the 

 estr.biishment, is already rich in stadstical annals and dctads connected with 

 the mining industry ot the kingdom. Each department will be open to the 

 public m three or moredaysia the week under certain restrictions.— Morning 

 Pott. 



