1841.1 



THE CIVIL ENGINEER AND ARCHITECT'S JOURNAL. 



303 



and partly on the nature of the Hme, but on account of the cheapness 

 of sand there is always a disposition to deteriorate mortar by a too 

 liberal employment of it. The proportions given by Pliny are 1 of 

 lime to 1 of sharp pit-sand, and 1 of lime to 3 of round grained sand 

 from the sea or river, an improvement, he says, may also be made by 

 the addition of a third part of pounded tiles. The common London 

 mortar is made of one part of white chalk lime and 2i of clean sharp 

 river sand, but not unfrequently, dirty pit-sand is substituted, and the 

 lime itself, being imperfectly burnt, the mortar never becomes hard, 

 and has not sufficient adhesion to the bricks. White lime, when really 

 good, will take a larger proportion of sand than the brown limes do, 

 but it is an additional proof of the badness of common chalk lime, that 

 in the London practice the reverse generally prevails. 



Upon the question whether any chemical action takes place between 

 the lime and silica in mortar, Mr. Aikin admits that it is difficult to 

 come to a decision, but he alludes to several facts which seem only 

 explainable by the existence of chemical acts. 



in enumerating the water cements our author states, on the autho- 

 rity of Vitruvius, that the cement used by the Romans in the con- 

 struction of moles and other structures in the sea, was one of lime and 

 two of puzzolana, from which the proportions of Mr. Smeaton's ce- 

 ment, used in the construction of Eddystone Lighthouse do not ma- 

 terially differ, namely, equal quantities of Aberthaw lime in the state 

 of hydrate and in fine powder, and of puzzolana also in fine powder ; 

 the cement was also well beaten till it had acquired its utmost degree 

 of toughness. The Dorking gray chalk is used in proportions of 1 of 

 lime to 3 or 83 of sharp river sand ; and for filling in the interstices 

 of thick walls, 1 of lime to 4 of coarse gravelly sand. In setting the 

 bricks, that form the facing of the London Docks to the depth of 14 

 or IS inches from the outside, a cement was used of 4 lias lime, G 

 river sand, 1 puzzolana, and 1 calcined iron stone. 



This sketch of Mr. Aikin's mode of treating one subject will be 

 sufficient to give an idea of the work, which we leave with the con- 

 viction that it is one highly useful and instructive. 



Letter from Sir Frederick Trench to Viscount Duncannon. London: 



Ollivier, 1841. 



In this letter Sir Frederick proposes a railway from London Bridge 

 to Hungerford Market, to run in the river parallel to the northern 

 bank. This is to consist of an embankment one mile and three quarters 

 in length, faced with stone or plates of cast iron to imitate stone ; on 

 this, 4 feet above high water Trinity mark, is to be a promenade, bearing 

 on iron columns, 13 or 14 feet high, a railway thirty feet wide, to be 

 ■worked by fixed engines on wooden rails. At intervals in the embank- 

 ment are to be arches for the passage of barges. The embankment, 

 railway and all, as far as we understand is intended to pass under the 

 arches of the bridges. With regard to the bed of the river between 

 the channel and the shore. Sir Frederick proposes to leave it as a 

 space for a carriage road, wharfs, warehouses, houses, docks, or open 

 mud banks as the case may be. The estimate given on the authority 

 of Mr. Bidder and Sir Frederick Smith is, for the embankment 

 £110,000, elevated platform £100,000, machinery £70,000, stations 

 £25,000, interest£3O,500, for filling carriage road, paving, lighting and 

 sewers £ 100,000. Total £435,500. The time for the works is calcu- 

 lated at two years. 



Sir Frederick urges the necessity for an embankment on account of 

 the changes made by London bridge and the embankment before the 

 new Houses of Parliament, from which he says have resulted a great 

 increase of shoals, and the production of a number of mud-banks 

 covered with vegetation, and in a pestilential state of decomposition. 

 These are evils which are but too apparent, and it is evident both as 

 a measure of health, commerce, and ornament, that some plan of em- 

 bankment should be adopted, whether Sir Frederick's, Mr. Walker's, 

 or Mr. Martin's, we do not say ; but we feel sure that the day is at 

 hand when a great and general improvement will be effected on the 

 metropolitan river, and placing it on a par with its Parisian and Dub- 

 lin rivals. 



To the plan of Sir Frederick Trench there are many objections, and 

 some, and not the least, are those suggested by considering it as a 

 plan for the adornment of the metropolis. Passing, as this railway 

 proposes to do, through three bridges and touching a fourth, it is evi- 

 dent that it will not only abstract from the grandeur, but absolutely 

 spoil the view of those noble monuments, without any adequate com- 

 pensation. The view of Somerset House will not be improved, and 

 St. Paul's will be the only edifice which will derive any advantage, 

 so that on that ground we fear that any measure so extensive is inex- 

 pedient. How the railway is to pass under the bridges we coafess 



we do not see, and as to passing over them, it is out of the question 

 A stronger objection is as to the effect such an embankment will have 

 in producing depositions of silt and off below Woolwich, which may be 

 looked upon as a certain result. As to the estimates, although a good 

 foundation may in most places be obtained, we are decidedly inclined 

 to think that they are too low. 



We are willing, however, as we before said, to support some plan 

 of embankment, but one so general we do not think under all circum- 

 stances is applicable. That the terraces of the Temple, of Somerset 

 House, of the Adelphi, and of Hungerford Market, should be united, 

 we are ready to admit, but we are well aware that there are great 

 difficulties in the way. As to the consideration of making a profit 

 from the undertaking, we think that they need not be taken into ac- 

 count on the present occasion, for the urgency of some plan of embank- 

 ment is such that the funds must be furnished regardless of any other 

 objects than the public benefit to be effected. 



In thus dissenting from the details of Sir Frederick Trench's plan, 

 we cannot do so without expressing how much the public are indebted 

 to the gallant General for the great exertions he has made for the im- 

 provement of the Thames, and how much the successful result will be 

 owing to his counsels and active co-operation. 



CANDIDUS AND THE VENTILATION FOLKS. 



" Cease rude boreas, blust'ring railer." 



This humble petition is addressed to Candidus, who last month took 

 out " a licence to blow on whom he pleases." We pray that he may 

 abate his sweeping gale against the " ventilation folks," who most hum- 

 bly acknowledge their fault in daring to acquaint the public that car- 

 bonic acid gas from a chimney — or sulphuretted hydrogen from a 

 drain, do not strengthen the lungs, refresh the nerves, and invigorate 

 the constitution. We will say with Candidus that the vocation of a 

 tailor is more conducive to longevity than is that of a ploughman — 

 that there is real salubrity below deck under London Bridge — even 

 that a cargo of slaves enjoy the most refreshing change of air, and that 

 their sickness and death of 50 in a hundred, is a proof of their sullen 

 ingratitude to their owners. We will say that the metropolitan im- 

 provement trustees are egregiously in error not to consult Candidus. 

 That 'old London may be revived with its neighbour-like projections, 

 its lanes and alleys, so contributary to disease ; its overground kennels, 

 its annular visitation of plagues and pestilence, its lamentations and 

 cries, bring out your dead; we will turn all serious proofs of modern 

 blessings into frivolity for a month. We will say with Candidus, that 

 the great orb of day, " is sun or moon, or a penny rushlight," to ap- 

 pease his anger ; and when in cool reason he will debate upon this 

 question upon which we live and die, "we will argue with him upon 

 this theme until our eyelids will no longer wag." 



Some of the Ventilation Folks. 



THE NEW ROUTE TO INDIA BY THE EUPHRATES. 



The Commerce publishes some private correspondence dated Aleppo, June 

 10, 1841, which states that the English steam boats Nimrod and Nitocris 

 had arrived at Beles, on the Euphrates, after a navigation of 16 days and a 

 distance of 375 leagues. Lieutenant C^ampbell, who commanded the expedi- 

 tion, had ascertained that both the Tigris and Euphrates are navigable for 

 large vessels, and that those rivers present a new passage to the British pos- 

 sessions in India. "Documents stolen from M. Lasraris at Alexandria, in 

 the year 1814," continues the writer, ■■ contained important information col- 

 lected by this gentleman, who was despatched by the Emperor Napoleon to 

 explore Mesopotamia and the Euphrates, in order to ascertain the possibility 

 of discovering a passage to India by the Orontes. The British Ministry de- 

 termined to verify those plans. Colonel Chesney was deputed on this mission 

 in the year 1835. Great Britain then ascertained that the Orontes, which 

 falls into the Mediterranean, was navigable as far as Latakia (the ancient 

 Antioch). That the ancient harbour of Selencia, situate at the mouth of this 

 river, could be rendered an excellent harbour at a small expense. That it was 

 easy to make a road to Aleppo, and thence to the Euphrates through the 

 vallies, and that the distance, 45 leagues, could be easily traversed. A coal 

 bed was discovered at the foot of Mount I'aurus, 16 leagues from Tarsus. 

 Near this coal bed, which is of cunsiderable extent, has been discovered an 

 iron mine, which gives 60 per cent, of metal. These mines are surrounded 

 by oak woods of great value. 



The writer calculates that the journey may be made from Bombay to 

 Liverpool in 34 days— viz., from Bombay to Beles 16 days; from Beles to 

 Alexandrette, 3days ; thence to Liverpool, 15. The letter concludes l)y stat- 

 ing that there is no doubt but that in a few years the English will monopo- 

 lize the trade of Bagdad, Bassora, Aleppo, and all Mesopotamia. 



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