174 



THE CIVIL ENGINEER AND ARCHITECTS JOURNAL 



[May, 



competition designs are often gut up, but it is greatly to be lamented 

 that committees are not often so competent and resolute in dealing 

 with tlicm : — 



Norwich Assizes. — April 7, 1841. 



Jlrown V. Laiu/shaw, Clerk . 



Karly in Die year 18:i7, the pari.sh church of St. Andrew the Great, Cam- 

 bridge, was found to he in a ruinous condition, and a subscrij)tion was raised 

 and a committee appointed for tlie purpose of rebuilding it. The committee 

 applied to several architects for designs, and live were laid before them, 

 among which that of -Mr. Brown of Norwich, was conspicuous for its elegance 

 and ornamental character — so much so, that the committee were not only 

 greatly surprised at tlie high talent shown by Mr. Brown, in producing 

 a design so suiierior to those of his rivals, and to any thing whicli had 

 ever been imagined practicable for so small a sum as four thousand 

 pounds, (the limit set to the expenditure in the conditions accepted by the 

 architects,) but some of them also doubted the possibility of a mislake in >lr. 

 Brown's estimate, an accident which docs sometimes happen in affairs of this 

 kind. As the architect professed himself to be perfectly clear on this point, 

 liis design was accepted and offered for contract. Several respectable builders 

 of Cambridge having declined to compete, two tenders only were obtained, 

 the lowest of which, instead of falling within four thousand pounds, amounted 

 to something lilic six ! — a dilemma which the architect was (piite prepared to 

 meet by altering his design so as to bring it within the jircscribed limits. 

 The majority of the committee (whicIi was not composed exclusively of parisli 

 oflieers), being however troubled with a prejudice that such a course of pro- 

 ceeding might not be altogether just to the other parties who had expended 

 tlieir time and labour upon the faith of the conditions under which they were 

 invited to compete, came to a resolution to dismiss Mr. Brown, who there- 

 upon brought an action against the chairman, the Rev. Mr. Langshaw, to 

 recover the smn of .1'300 and upwards, for preparing his designs. After 

 keeping this action banging over the heads of the committee for nearly four 

 years, it has at length been tried as aforesaid, and upon the facts proved by 

 the plaintiff's own evidence, the learned judge stopped the case, and a verdict 

 was found for the defendant. 



Obsen-a/ions on Railway iloitoj/olies ami Remedial Measures. By Alex.^xder 



GoRPON, M. Inst. C.E. London: Weale, 1841. 



Mr. Gordon is particularly known to the public for bis great exertions for 

 the introduction of the steam carriage on the common road, it is not perhaps 

 so well known that he labours under a railway phobia, which is the cause of 

 the production of the present pamphlet. This like all Mr. Gordon's works 

 abounds with much that is valuable, but it is so tinctured with the expression 

 of his prejudice against the railway system, that much of the weight of his 

 remarks is counteracted. His zeal for the welfare of his profession is a pro- 

 minent feature in his character. 



Peckstoii on Gas-Lighting. Third Edition. London: Weale, 1841. 



Mr. Peckston has been before the p\iblic for the last twenty years as a 

 writer on tliis subject, so that we may fairly conclude that bis merits must 

 be pretty well known without any commentary of ours. We have now another 

 edition of liis work, embodying all the recent improvements, and abounding 

 with all that extent of illustrations, which makes Mr. Weale's merits as a pub- 

 lisher of engineering works conspicuous. We do not recommend our readers 

 to buy Mr. Peckston's book, because we know that if they want to acquire 

 any information as to gas-lighting they must refer to him. 



On Harbours. By W. A. Brooks. London. 



Mr. Brooks's work contains much that is new and valuable, it requires 

 however more consideration on our jiart before we can adequately discuss the 

 views put forward. In the meanwhile the engineering student may with ad- 

 vantage refer to this volume, which has evidently been written by a man of 

 research and ability. It contains some good information as to the views en- 

 tertained liy French and Italian engineers. 



A Neio Treatise on Mechanics. By the Author of a " New Introduction 

 to the Mathematics." London: Whittaker & Co., 1841. 



This is one of those laudable attempts to simplify a subject too often 

 mystified, which is well deserving encouragement. The pubhc are sure to 

 gain by attempts of this nature, for though new errors may sometimes be in- 

 troduced, more is gainc<l by the removal of old ones. 



Map and Section of the Brighton Railmoy. By J. R. Jobbixs. London : 

 Grattan and Gilbert, 1841. 



This map the scale of three miles (o an inch, includes the whole of the 

 Greenwich, Croydon, lirigbton, Blackwall, West Loudon and Thames Haven 

 lines, the South Eastern to beyond Tunbridge, the Eastern Counties to 

 Chelmsford, the Northern and Eastern to Broxbourne, the Birmingham to 

 Tring, the Great Western to Maidenhead, and the South Western to Woking, 

 witli the country 25 miles north of London, 45 miles south, and 30 miles 



east and west, including the course of the Tliames and the country between 

 Windsor and Chatham. It seems to be executed with great accuracy, and 

 for cheapness and extent of information is highly valuable, being equally use- 

 ful either as a railway or general map. Appended to it are sections of the 

 Croydon and Brighton lines, bhowing also by a novel plan the surrounding 

 country. 



Davies's Map of London and its Environs. 



Mr. Davnes's map includes all the recent improvements in the neighbour- 

 hood of London, giving the cemeteries, railway stations, and other matters. 

 It includes the boundaries of the metropolitan borough, and much other use- 

 ful information, so as to serve e<pially as a map of London and of the sur- 

 rounding country. 



MOTIVE POWER FOR I.MPELLING :^I.4CHINERY. 



Henry Pinkus, Esq., late of Panton-square, Coventry-street, but now of 

 No. 36, -Madilox-street, Regent-street, Middlesex, for improvements in the 

 methods of applying motive power to impelling macliinery, applicable, amongst 

 other things, to impelling carriages and vessels, and in the methods of con- 

 structing the roads on which carriages niav be impelled, enrolled March 24, 

 1841. 



One of the improvements to which the i)atentee lays claim is what be terms 

 the differential railway. It consists of a double Une of railway, on which, at 

 certain distances, is affixed a gas-explosive apparatus, described in the speci- 

 fication of a former patent obtained by him, provided with two large horizon- 

 tal wheels, one above the other, round each of which an endless metal band 

 passes; and between each apjjaratus thus described is an intermediate appa- 

 ratus, provided also with a pair of wheels. The band proceeding from one 

 of the horizontal wheels passes round one of the wlieels of an intermediate 

 ajiparatns placed in one direction, whilst the baud from the other horizontal 

 wheel passes round one of the wheels of an intermediate apparatus placed in 

 the opposite direction. 



The bauds pass over wheels placed in the centre of each line of rails, and 

 put those wheels in motion, which motion is communicated to the train of 

 carriages by means of bars extending from the bottom of the same, and which 

 are kept in contact with the wheels. 



Another of tlie patentee's improvements is for a mode of propelling boats 

 on canals by " gaso-pneumatic " powar. Along the whole length of a canal, 

 on one or both banks, a suspension rail is constructed, and along the canal, 

 in a line with the rail, is laid down a gas main. On the rail is suspended an 

 impelling machine, which consists of a frame running on wheels, and provided 

 with two horizontal pulleys, round one of whicU an endless band passes from 

 a pulley in the boat to be imjjelled, and in which is placed the gaso-pneuma- 

 tic explosive engine. This engine actuates the pulley in the boat, which by 

 means of the endless band communicates its motion to the horizontal pulleys, 

 and they in turn communicate it to the running wheels, and cause the im- 

 pelling machine to move onward and impel the vessel, .\nother mode of ap- 

 plying power on canals consists in using a steam engine in place of the gaso- 

 pneumatic engine, to give motion to the impelling machine : and in order 

 that boats may travel in opposite directions with only one line of rails, the 

 impelling machines are made to move over one another when they meet, and 

 so proceed on their respective courses. 



"The following is n mode of constructing roads or ways, also included in 

 this specification : — la a given area of land a station is erected in a central 

 situation, in which is placed an electric batteiyor batteries; or wells or tanks 

 are constnicted in any part of the said area. From tlie station, or from any 

 of the tanks, a system of mains or pipes is laid down, and all along these, 

 at intervals of from one to two hundred yards, are erected short vertical 

 branches, terminating in a box with a moveable lid. In the mains are laid 

 continuous metallic wires, and these wires are so arranged that when their 

 ends at the station or tanks are brought into contact with the positive and 

 negative poles of a battery, they constitute metalbc circuits. 



In order to put implements into action by means of this power, the paten- 

 tee uses a locomotive engine similar to tliat described in the former specifi- 

 cation, except that the cylinders, piston-rods, and their appurtenances are 

 dispensed with, and the dram may be of smaller dimensions. Round this 

 drum is coiled a pair of wires, and these are attached to a similar pair in one 

 of the boxes before mentioned. To the locomotive engine an electro-magne- 

 tic engine is applied, and, in order to set the former in motion, chemical ac- 

 tion is induced in tlie batteries at the station or tanks, and electrical influence 

 is thus generated, the force of which, acting through the metallic circuit, will 

 put the impelling engine in motion. 



The patentee uses the electric power to prevent the coUision of trains on 

 railways, by causing it to put the breaks of carriages into action ; he also at- 

 taches an electric battery to the locomotive engine, so that when trains are 

 approaching each other, the battery being brought into action will, by means 

 of connecting wires, apply the breaks, pull the lever of the whistle, and shut 

 off the steam. 



Tlic patentee also shows a mode of constructing engines, and of actuating 

 them by means of electric power. 



The electric power is also tised for lighting railways, tunnels, roads, &c. 



