244 



THE CIVIL ENGINEER AND ARCHITECT'S JOURNAL. 



[July, 



the steam engines ami the extent of surface of the vanes or hlades, whicli 

 have tlic appearance of small windmill sails, and have heen very approjiriately 

 named rerolviny screw scullers : each set consisting of five pairs are six feet 

 in diameter. The vanes of one set work betwixt the vanes of the other in 

 the same manner as the teeth of cog wheels j by this arrangement the two 

 sets, although six feet in diameter, are together contained in a paddle-box 

 (there being only one) : it is !l ft. 8 in. in width, and iilaccd at the stern of 

 the vessel ; the smalliiess of the space occupied offering great convenience for 

 passing locks. — The scullers are well ])rotected from the hanks or sides and 

 bottom of the canal, with which it is almost impossible they can ever come 

 in contact. The paddle-box occupies seven feet in length, and has the effect 

 of extending the boat so much. The width or breadth is regulated by the 

 width or breadth of the boat, which in the present instance is 1 feet outside. 

 The two shafts or axes are placed at an equal distance from each other, as 

 well as at equal distance from the sides of the boat or box containing them, 

 and with which they run ])arallel; and as we have before observed, the shafts 

 or axes are so arranged in respect to each otlier, that the vanes or oblique 

 surfaces of the one can enter between the vanes of the other shaft or axis ; 

 thus obtaining a great extent of propelling surface within a very confined 

 space. The axes are placed considerably above the water line, and the curved 

 oblique vanes or scullers are affixed upon the shafts or axes in opposite direc- 

 tions, that is, they are affixed upon one shaft or axis in such a manner that 

 they may be said to form parts of a right-handed screw, and upon the other 

 shaft or axis, so tliat they may be said to form parts of a left-banded screw. 

 This novel propelling apparatus is worked by a pair of SCTHi-ro/a^ry s^ram 

 enijines, also Mr. Taylor's invention. The steam boiler is of the same descrip- 

 tion as those used upon the railways. It is placed towards the stem of the 

 vessel, and the steam engines close up to it. To one axis of the propelling 

 apparatus is coupled a shaft, which runs lengthwise to the steam engines. 

 The starting, reversing, and slopping apparatus is connected with the regula- 

 tor of the steam engine, and affixed at the stern of the boat, within reach of 

 the steerer, who manages the wiiole when uecessary. This is a most simple 

 and beautiful arrangement, the helmsman being altogether independent of 

 the engineer. He can start, stop, or reverse the engines at bis pleasure. The 

 helm or rudder is placed in the usual position, and is immediately behind the 

 propellers. 



The vessel has been engaged during the last month on the Bridgewater 

 Canal towing boats ; at one time she towed six boats, their united cargo 

 being equal to nearly 600 tons, at the rate of three miles per hour, and at 

 another time she towed four fly boats equal to 60 tons, a distance of six uiiles 

 in one hour 16 minutes. — Manc/ies/er Times. 



BENEVOLENT INSTITUTIONS OF THE ENGINEERS. 



Since the notice which we gave in our last, the promoters of the plans for 

 giving relief to the members of the profession and workmen employed by 

 them, have succeeded in organizing an institution for each of their respective 

 objects. That for the relief of distressed engineers has received the coun- 

 tenance of the Institute of Civil Engineers, and the Society for the workmen 

 goes on, receiving increased support from the mechanical engineers, who we 

 trust will give every support to an object so well deserving ; a subscription 

 list is now open, it has been, we are happy to say, liberally signed bv the 

 masters. 



KING'S COLLEGE. 



We are glad to learn that the department in King's College hitherto de- 

 voted to engineering, and to the mechanical and manufacturing arts is about 

 to be extended, so as to embrace also the principles and practice of architec- 

 ture. The existing provision in King's College for the education of the 

 engineer having also drawn thither students in architecture in search of in- 

 struction adapted to their pursuits, the desirableness of the proposed exten- 

 sion became evident. King's College is then likely to be the first collegiate 

 establishment to undertake the preliminary education of the architect as such, 

 as well as in literature and science generally, and we cannot doubt of its suc- 

 cess in so doing, nor of the good that will be thereby eflected both to the 

 profession and to the public. 



Monument in IVestpJialia. — A remarkable monumental structure is at pre- 

 sent raising, or about to be raised, in that part of Westphalia where Arminius 

 overthrew the Itoman legions, commanded by Varus, to commemorate that 

 event. The monument is to consist of a statue of the German hero, similar 

 to the many images which may still be seen under the name of " Ermin 

 Soeulen," in various parts of Germany, and wliich became, in the early periods 

 of the Christiau era, objects of idolatrous worship. The statue is to be of 

 copper, 42 feet high, and to the point of the uplifted sword 75 feet ! It is 

 to he placed on a circular temple 90 feet in height, on the tO]) of the liill 

 Teut, in the Teutoburger forest. The monument promises to do honour to 

 German art, and the idea of erecting such a work is a proof of the patriotic 

 feeUng of the Germans. The expenses are to be defrayed by subscription, 

 and all the sovereigns of Germany have contributed. 



SEVEKX NAVIGATION IMPROVEMENT. 



Abstract of the Engineering evidence/or improving the River Severn, given before 

 the Committee of the House of Commons, on the Bill, May 5, 6, 7. fo 11, & 12. 



1841. 



Mr. K. L. WUiams, Engineer, was examined and stated that the fall in the 

 Sfivern is slight compared with Ihc Thames. The fall in the Th imes from 

 Abinidon to Henley is 2 feet per mile. The fall in the Severn in this district 

 is .about 9 inches per mile. On the Thames also there were the conflicting 

 interests of millers and others who had private rights connected with the 

 water which was not the case with the Severn. The operations on the 

 Thames h.ave been to the benefit of the navigation. The course of the Severn 

 is comparatively straight, and its width comparatively uniform, which cir- 

 cumstances are favourable for our operations. I attribute the shoals of de- 

 posit to variations of width. There is little tide abo.e Gloucester, and 

 this will not afiect ns. Our first weir is below L'pton. M'e propose there to 

 make a lateral cut, with a lock in it with a lilt of five or six feet Between 

 Upton and (iloucester below the lock we propose to equalize the area, or 

 water-way of the river, by contracting it by embankments in certain parts 

 and widening It in others. The effect of coutracting it will be to preseiTC 

 clear what we liave dredged. AVe shall contract the area by decreasing the 

 width and lining the banks with stone. I have experience of the natural 

 way in w Inch the water-way is preserved. The finest channel in the river is 

 from Sandy Point to the M'vthe Bridge near Tewkesbury, which preserves 

 the water-way throughout from the quality of the sectional area. I infer 

 that if we form the same results we shall produce the same eflect. The ave- 

 rage depth there at low summer water is from 10 to 12 feet throughout. I 

 anticipate that the artificial banks will be principally confined to the district 

 between the Mytbe anJ the Haw Bridges. This snace includes the Deerhurst 

 and other shoals which we propose to drp<lffe. I nave liere the sections of 

 what we propose to do. The first shoal of importance we propose to dredge 

 IS at Gloucester, in tlic eastern channel alongside the Quay at Gloucester, 

 extending from tlie lock of the Gloucester auj Berkeley Canal to the other 

 bridge. In fact we propose to dredge to a trifling exent from the 'SVestgate 

 Bridge fo Sandhurst, a distance of two miles. In the western channel we 

 propose to dredge sufficiently to allow canal boats to enter the Gloucester and 

 Hereford Canal. M"e then come to AVainlode Hill ; there is not much dredg- 

 ing to be done there. \l"e then come to the Haw. which is laid down for 

 dredging to a certain extent, but not requiring the shoal to be taken out. 

 There is a section laid down for the other channel, and there is sufficient 

 water for the purposes of navigation under one arch of Haw Bridge. W e 

 then come to Deerhurst, nbere the area is to be equalized and the channel 

 dredged. At Slieplock we do the same thing ; also at Lower Lode up to 

 Cumberland, where similar operations are required. \Ve then come to Bush- 

 ley Reach and Saxon's Lode, w here we dredge and equalize the area. Then 

 we come to Upton, where we make our first lateral cut. There « ill be no 

 interrupliou to the navigation while the cut is being made, and when the 

 weir is being made the lock will be open. The lock will be '20 feet wide. 

 100 feet long, with 5 ft. 6 in. lift. We then place our weir obliquely to the 

 current, about midway between the upper and lower entrance. The length 

 of the weir is 600 feet. It will be constructed with sheet piling and rubble 

 stonework. The height of the weir above the surfice of the present bed of 

 the river will be seven feet. The effect of this weir will not prejudicially 

 affect the drainage of the surrounding district. I have surveyed the falls of 

 the lowest drains in the district, and find the lowest will be above our per- 

 manent water line. This answer will apply to all the drains throughout our 

 operations. I have taken the greatest pains to satisfy myself on these points. 

 AVe do not raise the water there in any way ; and 1 believe the eff'ect of the 

 works will be to expedite the passage of flood water and not to detain it, be- 

 cause we clean out the channel. Above Upton we do raise the level ot the 

 water in some places, but in all cases it will be below the drains. I have 

 made a section of Lord Sandv's drain. I find there is a fall of 9 feet in the 

 first 100 yards of the land drain. The drain itself is below the weir, and 

 consequently cannot be affected by it. We then come to the shoal at Ryal 

 Watering, and take a little off' the top of it by dredging. At llanley we do 

 not dredge, as we shall get sufficient water from the pound to pass over. 

 Dredging with simultaneously pounding back the water would produce a bad 

 eff'ect. At the Rhydd we take the top of the shoal off'. At Clevelode, Pix- 

 ham, and Kempsey, we do the same. These are the shoals mentioned as 

 affected by dredning. We then come to the Ketch shoal, which is to be 

 dredged. The .Silver Ford shoal is to be dredged slightly. We then come 

 to lock No. 2, which will be similar to the previous one, a cut with a lock iu 

 it, each of the same dimensions as the other, with a lift of 7 ft. 6 in. and a 

 weir. The water is penned back sufficiently at Upton Bridge by the shoal ; 

 the height of the weir will be 11 ft. 6 in. from the bed of the river, the length 

 400 feet ; it will also be placed at a sharp angle, and constructed in the same 

 manner as the other ; the piles are elm. oak, and fir. After the water has 

 passed over the dam of sheet piling, it will fall on a dam of stone work, and 

 we thus prevent a pool there ; this «ill remove the obstructions immediately 

 above. \Ve have now passed M'orcester and are come to Bevere Islanil, 

 where is our third lock ; the river there divides itself into two branches, 

 which supersedes the necessity of an artificial cut. and we deal with it as 

 such, placing a lock of the same dimensions in one branch and a weir in the 

 other.; the lift is 4 ft. 6 in., the length of the weir is 400 feet ; it will be placed 

 obliqt'icly as the others ; with some trifling dredging this is sufficient up to 

 Holt, where we have another lock, No. 4. The length of the proposed cut is 

 about a quarter of a mile on the Ombersley side, on Lord Sandys property. 

 I know of no damage that the estate can suffer by our taking that bit of 

 ground. Our works w ill not be in sight of Ombersley House, which is a nvle 

 and a half to the left ; the length and construction will be the same, the lift 

 4 ft. 6 in. ; the locks will be built of brickwork : the length of the weir there 

 will be 3.50 feet, the height 7 feet from the bed of the river ; the obliquity is 

 to give facility to the passing of the w ater, this will operate to prevent dredg- 

 ing except very slightly up to Lincombe Hill, where is our fifth and last cut : 



