120 



THE CIVIL ENGINEER AND ARCHITECTS JOURNAL. 



[April, 



they are the nail, and are throughout the structure the support. The 

 building has been admired not only by your judicious writer " Eder," 

 but by many whose opinions are at least as well worth having as that 

 ei the sharp- siglited H. 



I am, respectfully, 

 King Street, Manchester, Edward Cokbett, Architect. 



3TdMonth2, 1841. 



RAILWAY ACCIDENTS. 



Sir — As the greater number of fatal accidents which have recently 

 occurred on railways may be fairly fat least in my opinion) traced to 

 a wantof sufficient look-out ahead, it has occurred tome, that great ad- 

 vantage would result from having a third person as a conductor on the 

 engine, whose duty it should be exclusively to attend to the signals, 

 keep a look-out ahead when the train is in motion, and apprise the 

 engineer of any other train, workmen, materials, &c., being on the line 

 from which danger may be apprehended, as also to apprise such train, 

 workmen, &c. of the approach of that to which he is attached. 



This person should not be associated with the engineer and stoker 

 on the stage behind the tire-box, but should be elevated on a seat be- 

 fore the cliiuiney, where he would at all times have a much better 

 opportunity of keeping a look-out than the engineer has, whose view 

 is often partially or entirely obstructed fas I have frequently observed) 

 by the steam escaping from the valves, or by the smoke and steam 

 from the chimney, besides the disadvantage the engineer always labours 

 under in looking along the side of the boiler. The situation of the 

 conductor would be particularly advantageous in the night for observ- 

 ing the signal lamp of a train in advance, which from its position may 

 be easily overlooked by the engineer, who has the light of his own fire 

 to distract his attention. 



The situation of the conductor which, is herein advocated, I am aware 

 would be attended with little advantage without an adjunct. I there- 

 fore propose that there shonUl be two whistles on the boiler, over the 

 lire-box, with levers and rods attached to them, leading to the seat of 

 the conductor, so that by means of them he may easily communicate 

 with the engineer, or give warning to the train or workmen, &c., on 

 the line before him. One of these whistles should be used as a 

 warning only, and the other to convey to the engineer a peremptory 

 order to stop the engine in case of a sudden emergency. The engineer 

 should still have, as at present, the means of working the cautionary 

 whistle, independent of the conductor; and he might be funiished 

 with an apparatus to arouse the attention of the latter in case of his 

 being in doubt. 



The responsibility and attention of the engineer would not necessarily 

 be diminished by the adoption of this plan, on the contrary, while he 

 should be required to keep as vigilant a look-out as at present, the 

 superior situation of the conductor would be a great additional security 

 to the lives and property of the public. The directors of railways 

 incur, as was very properly expressed by them at their late meeting 

 at Birmingham, a fearful responsibility, and it behoves them to take 

 every precaution in their power for the protection of the lives and 

 property intrusted to their caie. 



Should this suggestion prove to be the means of lessening the danger 

 of the public, and the responsibility of those whose duty it is to pro- 

 tect them, the object I had in view by troubling you with this, will be 

 fully answered. Begging the favour of your giving this a corner in 

 your valuable Journal, 



I remain, Sir, your most obedient servant, 



A Civil Engineer. 

 Thornhilt, near U-'akeJield, 

 March 11, 1841. 



PUBLIC SAFETY AND CONVENIENCE. 



Sir — It is to be hoped that the recent accident of two houses falling 

 down in so public a thoroughfare as Fleet Street, which is constantly 

 thronged during the day time, will at least have the good effect of 

 exciting greater vigilance for the future. But, at present, it seems 

 there is no adequate authority which can interfere imperatively and 

 instantly in such cases ; or, if there be any authority and responsibility, 

 there must be most scandalous and criminal negligence somewhere or 

 other. 



Passing the other day through that not very refined but now classical 

 locality of Pickwick celebrity, ycleped Goswell Street, 1 was struck 

 by the frightful manner in which, owing to the accumulation of earth 

 behind it, the churchyard wall bulges out above in such manner, that it 



looks as if about to give way. Would it not, therefore, be advisable 

 to ascertain whether there is any real danger of its doing so, and 

 whether it would not be prudent to strengthen it by buttresses at 

 intervals ? 



That far greater attention is paid to the comfort and security of 

 pedestrians in London than in any other capital or city, may be readily 

 admitted ; nevertheless there are improvements which might be 

 adopted, were all that relates to the care of the public streets placed 

 under the control of a general Board for the whole metropolis. 

 Though it may be thought a very trifling matter in itself, it would be 

 well were tl)ere some kind of authority to regulate the names of streets, 

 and thereby prevent the inconvenience sometimes occasioned by the 

 same name being borne by half a dozen or half a score different streets 

 in various parts of the town. Surely it would not be a matter of great 

 difficulty to find a distinct name for every street, even were the me- 

 tropolis to grow to twice its ])resent size. Therefore, although to 

 attempt now to correct the present nomenclature, by naming afresh 

 some of our numerous George Streets, King Streets, Castle Streets, 

 might occasion iis much confusion as it would obviate, there might 

 be a regulation, ordering that in future, no new street should have 

 a name already appropriated by some other. 



Far more essential is it to the public that they should be enabled to 

 cross such exceedingly wide carriage ways as those in Oxford Street, 

 Regent Street, Charing Cross, Whitehall, Holborn opposite Furuival's 

 Inn, &c., with less inconvenience and danger than they now incur. 

 What objection there can possibly be to erecting a lamp-post here 

 ;jnd there, with short posts around it, so as to form a secure spot 

 midway of the crossing where foot-passengers might stand in security, 

 it is difficult to conceive. It is true something of the sort has been 

 done already, but not effectually ; fur the crossings are still left dan- 

 gerously wide, as for instance, that opposite Northumberland House, 

 where there ought to have been two lamp-posts and resting-places 

 instead of a single one. Besides, why should there be none at all in 

 Regent Street, &c., where they are quite as much wanted ? or does it 

 not matter whether people be run over by carriages in those particular 

 places ? Another thing that might be attended to, were it made any 

 body's duty to do so, is the sweeping the crossings in dirty weather, 

 for the swept pathway is generally so narrow, that if two persons 

 meet, they must either jostle against each other, or one of them step 

 into the mud. At the time of the thaw, some weeks ago, the streets 

 were almost impassable for foot-passengers; which would not have 

 been the case had the snow been entirely cleared away from the cross- 

 ings, leaving there a passage of about 12 feet broad. 



There ought to be some regulation for providing urinals at suitable 

 distances, whereas, at present, there seems to be no regulation at all 

 in regard to them, that being a public accommodation left entirely to 

 chance ; so that in many parts of the town it is difficult to meet with 

 any place of the kind. Yet, if no where else, one might be fixed at 

 the entrance to every carriage mews; and not only might they be better 

 contrived than they usually now are, but it should be made the duty of 

 the police to see that they are not scrawled over in the disgusting 

 manner they frequently are. 



Unfortunately it is worth nobody's while to make a stir about such 

 matters, because they are not of the kind which the newspapers gabble 

 about. Xo! any one might gain greater celebrity any day by merely 

 standing on his head at Charing Cross. 



I remain &c. &c., 



A PfiDSSTRIAN 



Metallic lialirf Engraving. — As you are ever anxious to give the first tidings 

 lit new inventiuns, 1 doubi not the two follow inj^ embryo methods of engrav- 

 ing will be as interesting to yourself as to your readers: — Take a tablet of 

 plaster of Paris, and, having heated it, apply wax for absorption to all the 

 laces save that on which you intend yovr drawing to be. and to that one ap- 

 ply your drawing, execuied with lithograiihic ink, on lithographic transfer 

 paper. Let the sule ot the tablet on which is the translerred drawing, be now- 

 dipped in weak acid and water, and then permitted to absorb a solution of 

 sulpliate of copper. By electro-metallurgy a deposition of copper can be 

 made on all parts sained with the sulphate. Ere this coating be too thick, 

 let the tablet be removed from the vessel in which this last operation has been 

 carried on, vvaslied i-iireJuUij. dried, and a mixture of isinglass and gin be 

 poured on it; its redundancy be .uently blotted oft with lilotting-paper till 

 the surface be level {i. e. the cojiper lines and isinglass cement be oi tbe same 

 height) : again, let the deposition take place, and again its succeeding opera- 

 tion i alter which let common black lead be rubbed over the whole surface ; 

 and the deposition being renewed, a copper mould, from wh cli a type metal 

 block may be sub equently cast, is now tormed. — Another method. — Draw with 

 a pen dipped in warm isinglass coloured cement, and when your drawing be 

 dry, for an instant expose it to steam, and ihen coat it wiih leaf gold. Pro- 

 ceed by eleclro-metallargy, as in last method, and no cast is necessary. — 

 Atltenteum, 



