1841.] 



THE CIVIL ENGINEER AND ARCHITECT'S JOURNAL. 



127 



quisite for the complete demonstration and development of tliis view of the 

 steam's action. 



It is gratifying to reflect how ninch the present state of our knowledge is 

 due to the discussions which have taken place at the meetings of the Institu- 

 tion. The Council look forward with great interest to tlie revival of these 

 discussions, and for some valuahle communications on this suhject which are 

 promised liy Memhcrs who have daily opportunities of making ohservations 

 and experiments on an extensive scale. 



Among the other communications, the Council would hrietiy advert to that 

 by Captain Basil Hall, on ohtaining for Lighthouses all the advantages of a 

 fixed light, hy means of refracting lenses in revolution. It occurred to that 

 distinguished' officer that hy placing a Fresnel lainii in the centre of an octa- 

 gonal frame, having a lens inserted in every side, and causing the frame to 

 revolve at a considerable velocity, a fixed or continuous light would be pro- 

 duced almost equal in brilliancy to the intermittent hght from the same lamp 

 when the frame revolved slowly. 



Many curious eifects are observed ; thus, when the lenses are fijst set in 

 motion the effect is a series of brilliant flashes ; as the velocity increases, the 

 light becomes more continuous — at about 44 revolutions per minute, absolute 

 continuity is produced — and at 60 revolutions nearly the steadiness of a fixed 

 light is attained. It would appear that the sensibility of the retina is afl'ected 

 by the succession of bright flashes, so that, judging by its intensity when seen 

 through coloured glasses, the light would appear to sutler but little apparent 

 diminution. 



Another subject rather novel in its nature, but of considerable interest to 

 the profession, on the " Application of Photography to the jjurposes of En- 

 gineering," was brought before the Institution, by your Member, Mr. Alexan- 

 der Gordon. The facility with which this discovery may be appUed to taking 

 accurate views of buildings, works, or maehineiT at rest, renders it an object 

 of great interest to Engineers; since by these means may be obtained the 

 general dimensions of works, with perfect accuracy in a very small space of 

 time, and by affixing a graduated scale to the objects to be copied, the pho- 

 tographic delineation would present the means of determining the dimensions 

 of every part. 



The Council cannot omit this opportunity of acknowledging the obligations 

 which the Institution is under to Mr. Cooper and Mr. Cooper, Jun., who 

 illustrated the preceding communication by exhibiting and explaining the ap- 

 paratus requisite for the production of the delineations of photography. 



The Council have to acknowledge the receipt of many valuable presents 

 during the past vear ; and to record the liberality and zeal thus exhibited in 

 the promotion of the ir.lerests of tlie Institution. 



By the liberality of your President and of Mr. Burges, you are in possession 

 of two portraits upon which every British Engineer must look with feelings 

 of great pride and satisfaction. To the President you owe the beautiful por- 

 trait of Huddart, now suspended in your Meeting Room, and to Mr. Burges 

 that of Smeaton, which adorns the walls of the Library. 



The Institution has to acknowledge the continuation of the liberality of 

 the Master-General of tlie Ordnance, of the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, and 

 of Colonel Colby, iu transmitting the sets of Ordnance Maps as they are pub- 

 lished. 



The Council has also to acknowledge the receipt of some additional works 

 &om the library of the late Dr. Young, presented by his brother, Mr. Robert 

 Young, whose liberality in making the Institution the depository of a laige 

 number of the works of that distinguished philosopher and benefactor to 

 practical science, the Council of the preceding year had also to record in a 

 similar manner. The Institution has also received a valuable set of Cliarts 

 of the Coast of France, pubhslied under the direction of the French Govern- 

 ment, from your President ; a number of books from the Minister of Public 

 Works at Brussels, collected by your Secretary during a recent visit to Hol- 

 land and Belgium, when a communication was estabhshed between the In- 

 stitution and the Ministry of Pubhc Works of those countries ; the Transac- 

 tions of the Royal Institute of Naples from Colonel Cueiniello, through Mr. 

 Albann ; a valuable set of Crane Drawings from Mr. Leslie, and Drawings of 

 the Carn Brae Stamping Engines from Mr. Sims, through Mr. Enys; some 

 interesting models from Mr. Hick, a Pneumatic Mirror of bis invention from 

 Mr. Nasmyth, and a Radiating Stove Grate for tlie Library, from Mr. Sylves- 

 ter ; to these must be added the very numerous List contained m the Ap- 

 pendix to this Report. 



The Institution has to regret the loss by death, of Mr. Francis Bramah, 

 Mr. Oldham, Mr. Rowles, and Mr. Rickman ; individuals distinguished for 

 their attainments in professional and general knowledge, and endeared to the 

 Institution by long association and deep attachment to its interests. 



Francis Bramah was the second son of the Ute Mi-. Josejih Bramah whose 

 numerous inventions, perfection of workmanship, and genius in the mechani- 

 cal arts, have rendered his name so widely and justly celebrated. The oppor- 

 tunities afforded to the son were ardently embraced by a mind of no ordinary 

 powers, deeply imbued with llielovc of knowledge. Although his attention 

 was in early youth more particularly directed to branches of minute mechanical 

 construction, his acquaintance with the principal departments of professional 

 knowledge and general science was very extensive. His attachment to the 

 arts and to science was deep and sincere, and among many proofs of this may 

 be particularly mentioned the valuable and essential services which he ren- 

 dered to your late Honorary Meitiber, Thomas Tredgold, both in his profes- 

 sional pursuits and in the prosecution and verification of his theories and 

 calculations. Mr. Bramah being professionally engaged at Buckingham 



Palace, in connexion with some other engineers, difference in opinion existed 

 and discussion arose, as to the true principle upon which the strength of 

 cast-iron beams to resist stress and flexure ought to he estimated, and with 

 the view of verifying the principles laid down by Tredgold, he instituted a 

 very extended series of experiments, on the deflection and strength of cast 

 iron beams. These he jiresented to the Institution, and they are published 

 in the second volume of your Transactions. 



Several important works were executed under his direction, among which 

 the iron work 'of the Waterioo Gallery at Windsor Castle, the cranks, the 

 lock-gates, and their requisite machinery, at the St. Katherine's Docks, and 

 the massive gates at Constitution Hill and Buckingham Palace, may be par- 

 ticularly mentioned. Mr. Bramah was an early and deeply-attached member 

 of this Institution ; his constant attendance at the meetings, the information 

 which he communicated, and his unwearied zeal as a member of the council, 

 cannot he too highly estimated, and his loss will be deeply felt and regretted 

 within these walls. The variety of his attainments, his refined taste in the 

 arts, his amial)le character and the warmth of his affections, had secured to 

 him the respect and esteem of a most extensive circle of friends, by whom, 

 as indeed by all in any way connected with him, his loss will be most deeply 

 and sincerely felt. 



John Oldham, the engineer of the Banks of England and Ireland, was born 

 in Dublin, where he served an apprenticeship to the business of an engraver, 

 which he practised for some time, but subsequently quitted to become a mi- 

 niature painter, wherein he acquired some reputation. He pursued this 

 branch of the arts for many years, but having a strong bias towards mechani- 

 cal pursuits, he devoted much of his leisure time to the acquisition of that 

 knowledge which was to prove the foundation of his future celebrity. In the 

 year 1812 he proposed to the Bank of Ireland his system of mechanical 

 numbering and dating the notes, and on this being accepted, he became the 

 chief engraver and engineer to that establishment. The period of twenty-two 

 years, during which he held this appointment, was marked by contimially 

 progressive steps of artistical and mechanical ingenuity. The various arrange- 

 ments which he projected and carried out attracted great attention, and con- 

 ferred considerable celebrity on the establishment with which he was con- 

 nected. 



The late Governor of the Bank of England, Mr. T. A. Curtis, had his at- 

 tention directed to these important improvements, and under his influence 

 the whole system of engraving and printing, as pursued in the Bank of Ire- 

 land, was introduced into the national establishment of this country, under 

 the superintendence of its author, who continued in the seiTice of the Bank 

 until his death. 



The ingenuity of Mr. Oldham was directed to other objects, especially to 

 ?. system of ventilation, of which an account was given by the author during 

 the session of 1837. Great versatility of inventive faculty, persevering indus- 

 try, and social qualities of the highest order, were the prominent features in 

 his character, and the success which attended his exertions is one of the 

 many gratifying instances to be found in the history of this country, of 

 talents and industry, destitute of patronage attaining to eminence in the 

 professions to which they are devoted. 



HeniT Rowles, the chairman of the Rymney Iron Works, was educated in 

 the office of his relative, Mr. H. Holland, the architect, on quitting which he 

 entered into business as a builder. He was engaged, among other extensive 

 undertakings, in building several of the East India Company's Warehouses, 

 the Royal Mint, the Excise Office, and Drury Lane Theatre. He was an 

 active Director in several docks, railway, and other companies, and finally 

 became managing director of the Rymney Iron Works, in the active discharge 

 of the duties of which office he continued until his death. The Institution 

 owes to him the drawings of the iron works made ijy Mr. Richards. 



John Rickman was educated at Lincoln College, Oxford, and graduated 

 there ; he subsequently devoted himself to literary pursuits, to political 

 economy, and to practical mechanics. For some years he was conductor anri 

 principal contributor to the " .Agricultural and Commercial Magazine." in 

 1801 he removed to Dublin, as Private Secretary to the Right Hon. Cha^ie^ 

 Abbot, then Keeper of his Majesty's Priv-y Seal iu Ireland. Upon the eiec. 

 tion of Mr. Abbot to the Speaker's Chair in the House of Comnmns. Mr. 

 Rickman continued to be his private secretary, and in 1S14 he was appointed 

 to the table of the House of Commons. He also acted as secretary to tlie 

 two commissioners ajipointed by act of parliament in 1803, ** for the making 

 of roads and bridges in Scotland, and for the construction of tlie Caledonian 

 Canal," and to the commissioners "for building Churches in the Highlands." 

 The ability and energy which he displayed in the discharge and conduct of 

 tiie duties of these laborious offices, for more than thirty years, in addition 

 to his constant attendance at the House of Commons, called forth the wann- 

 est acknowledgments of public meetings held in the Scotch counties on his 

 retirement, and various resolutions were passed expressive of the sense 

 entertained of the unremitting exertions, and uniform and disinterested assi- 

 duity, with which he had promoted every object connected with the improve- 

 ment and general jirosperity of the Highlands and Isles of Scotland. The 

 conduct of the affairs of the Highland Commissioners brought Mr. Rickman 

 into constant intercourse with their engineer, .Mr. Telford; an intimate 

 friendship was formed between them, and Mr. Rickman completed and pub- 

 lished the account of the life and works or that eminent man. which was but 

 partially arranged at the time of his decease. 



Mr. Hickman's chief work is the Census of Great Britain, in six folio 

 volumes ; he is also the author of numerous papers connected nith statistics, 



