1841.] 



THE CIVIL ENGINEER AND ARCHITECT'S JOURNAL. 



391 



Again, in respect to bolts, see that the heads are well welded on, also 

 the nuts well cut and fitted, and the nut and head in proportion to the 

 size of the bolt. Then again, in bolting timbers together, see that the 

 lioles are straight, for a bolt cannot be so strong if it be not straight. 

 Again, never permit the bolts to be driven with an iron hammer, (a 

 wooden one is best,) for it often happens that when the head comes in 

 contact with its situation, off it goes, or almost off. (Then where is 

 the strength ? ichij, it is lost.) Again, in preparing the wood work, 

 always have by tlie men a few temporary bolts, do not use your per- 

 manent bolts for every thing. Again, never permit your bolts to be 

 longer than necessary (and also not too short), for when the work is 

 finished, and one bolt is longer than another, it appears the superin- 

 tendent had no eyes, and also it is a waste of money. Again, I find in 

 bolting up the work, washers under the nuts are much required, for it 

 is almost impossible to get viorkftnn and solid without tlieui. Also 

 Tie very careful in the selection of your materials (if timber) ; suppose 

 for instance, you require 20 pieces, and they be one inch longer than 

 required, (there is 20 inches waste), the carpenter will say it is only 

 one inch, but I do assure you, if your employer had a sack full of 

 money, a careless servant will soon make him find the bottom of it. I 

 am aware many will at times make many shifts in carrying on works, 

 but if can ied loo far, it is naste : men cannot do their duty without ma- 

 terials, but if used too freely, then there they make waste. This case 

 I consider will answer in every department. Now in respect to men, 

 endeavour to obtain that price for their labour which is correct; also 

 in keeping their time, or measuring their work, be ;«.s/ — never give 

 nor tahe. Let them be paid for what they work and no more; for if 

 once you go beyond that mark the man is never satisfied, either with 

 his nork, money or master. I also beg to state, that in carrying on and 

 at the finish of the works, always keep them in a clear and comfortable 

 state ; then materials do not get buried up and wasted, the men are 

 enabled to go forward with their work to much greater advantage, and 

 also your employers can examine and inspect the work with that ease 

 and pleasantness which should always be considered by a superin- 

 tendent towards his employer. I know it will remove many anxious 

 thoughts and unburden the minds of those above you, in passing your 

 portion of work, after viewing the careless scenes and ways of others. 



I remain, your affectionate Father, 



VENTILATION OF THE NEW HOUSES OF PARLIAMENT. 



REPORT BY THE LORDS* SELECT COMMITTEE. 



That the committee have met and considered the matter to them referred, 

 and have examined witnesses thereon, and have come to the following reso- 

 lution, viz. : — 



" Resolved, that it appears from the evidence of Mr. Barry, that the only 

 expense necessarily to be incurred in the course of the next six months, with 

 the view of making preparation for the adoption of the plans prepared liy 

 Dr. Keid, for ventilation of the new Houses of Parliament, by means of a 

 central tower, consists in strengthening the foundation of tlie central saloon ; 

 that under these circumstances, and adverting to the fact, that according to 

 the evidence of Dr. Reid, he is still engaged upon a course of experiments 

 upon the subject of the ventilation of the Houses of Parliament, it appears 

 to the committee that it is not necessary to come to a final decision upon the 

 matter referred to them before the next session of Parliament." 



That the committee recommend in the meantime that authority be given 

 to Mr. Bany to increase the strength of the foundation of the central saloon, 

 as adverted to by Mr. Barry, in case it should be found necessary, before the 

 next session of Parliament, to proceed with the foundations of tliat part of 

 the building. 



October 1, 1841. 



Their Lordships examined only two witnesses — Dr. Reid, and Mr. Barry, 

 the architect. The following are extracts from the evidence : — 

 The Lord President in the chair (Sept. 27). 

 David Boswell Reid, Esq., M.D., examined. 



Do you tliink it desirable to carry the air from the new houses of Parlia- 

 ment through one chimney in the manner which has been proposed .■' — I do. 



Will yon explain the course which the air would take in passing through 

 the buildings, and the way in which you propose to manage it.' — This is a 

 general illustrative section (producing a section), intended to represent the 

 principle, not the details. We find that the air as it is discharged generally 

 from various altitudes in London passes horizontally much more frequently 

 than in any other direction; hence, if there was a considerable discharge of 

 foul air from any chimney or shaft, either from the houses or the neighbour- 

 hood, it might enter at one part of the building but not at another ; it is 

 accordingly recommended that there should be two openings provided for 

 the ingress of fresh air, so that if the external air were blowing in one direc- 

 tion, and the foul air being discharged in the same line, one of these might 



be shut, and the other being opened we should have a purer atmosphere in- 

 troduced, while at the same time the natural force of the wind filling with a 

 plenum movement all these chambers below, and there tending to pass into 

 all the several apartments from this reservoir in the basement, and having 

 been led subsequently into the individual apartments, its entrance into each 

 of those being regulated by valves, its own ascending power, arising from the 

 heat communicated to it, would not be lost, but added, as it were, to Ihe 

 original impetus communicated by the wind, and tend to convey it from each 

 individual apartment till it all centred in this large shaft ; so that were this 

 shaft adopted, or any central discharge equivalent to it, there would be at all 

 times and seasons a power of movement upon the atmosphere throughout the 

 whole of the buildings which would perpetually renovate the air, whether 

 machinery were employed or not. But it is considered desirable (more espe- 

 cially since I have seen at the bar of the House of Lords fully nine members 

 of the House of Commons upon every square yard — that is, a man to every 

 foot), in order to check and prevent entirely the draughts whiih under those 

 circumstances are apt to be perceived if a sufficiency of air be introduced, to 

 assist from time to time a mechanical power whenever the apartments are 

 crowded, by placing machinery under the central hall ; so that even on those 

 days when the air is dull and sluggish, from a similarity of temperature within 

 and without, this moving power may be brought into operation in supplying 

 the proper quantity of air without incurring the risk of partial draagbts at 

 the doors. Further, it has been recommended strongly, that while fireplaces 

 may be introduced in the individual apartments, still it would be impurtantto 

 warm the air generallv in the centre, which may be considered the heart of 

 the building ; so that, instead of local currents flowing unequally, there would 

 he a general warmth communicated to the atmosphere of the whole building, 

 so as to sustain not only the apartments but also the passages at a compara- 

 tively uniform temperature. It has further been suggested, connected with 

 the general outline represented here, that smoke might be entirely avoided 

 were particular kinds of fuel adopted which are quite competent to produce 

 a cheerfid and agreeable-looking fire, as I am prepared to demonslrate by 

 models, and also by fireplaces which have been constructed for the purpose, 

 the flues being led from each individual apartment and being carried into fire- 

 proof channels communicating with the central shaft. Then the risk of fire 

 wonld be very much avoided, and all sweeping would be rendered unneces- 

 sary, for which there is a very considerable expenditure annually even in the 

 present buildings ; and at the same time, while comparative security from fire 

 and general ventilation would be attained, there wonld he a complete and 

 entire prevention of all return of smoke, or even where no visible smoke was 

 produced, all return of foul air from the cbimnies would be utterly and en- 

 tirely averted, from the certainty of discharge iusiured by the power of draught 

 in the central shaft. 



Suppose this to be the east and that to be the west, if the wind is in the 

 east you bring the air in here by this valve, and vou shut the other valve ? — 

 Yes. 



Then the air coming iu here, you bring it to that point, and it expels the 

 foul air up this chimney .' — It does. I would beg to add, that since f had 

 any thing to do with these houses I have sometimes found that the demand 

 for air is exceedingly great. On the late occasion, when Parliament first met, 

 which is the first time that there have been crowded houses in the autumn, 

 so far as I have had an opportunity of observing, we found that 50,000 cubic 

 feet per minute was far too small : in both houses they called for a larger 

 supply of air; and I was obliged to put on additional power by the action of 

 heat, which increased the supply to about 70,000 cubic feet per minute. Now, 

 the observation I wish to connect with that is simply this, that if the pure 

 air he driven down into those vaults below which have been left expressly 

 for this purpose, then, during warm and oppressive weather, we shall not only 

 he able to obtain air of comparative purity, but we shall also have the power 

 of cooling this atmosphere in those extensive vaults, which will warm the air 

 as much iu winter as they will cool it in summer. 



Would it be possible to apply this method of letting in the pure air and 

 driving out the foul air only to the Houses of Lords and Commons, without 

 extending it to the other apartments, and would that decrease the expense 

 very considerably ? — It would certainly decrease the expense considerably, 

 but I should question whether it would increase the comfort, or whether it 

 would diminish the annual expenditure. After the experiments which I made 

 with 100 people in an apartment constructed expressly for this purpose, I 

 found that the great difficulty in all cases of ventilation was, that when a 

 great amount of air was required, when a number of individuals sat within a 

 certain space, there were sensible currents. This led me to the idea of uni- 

 versal diffusion in introducing the air, which forms the principal peculiarity 

 of my plans; but in adapting that universal difli'usiou to the new houses it 

 occurred to me that if certain arrangements are permitted connected with the 

 mode of placing the seating, the same extent of diflusion might be obtained 

 without the risk of any portion of the air coming through a part of the floor 

 on which a foot had trod. I would aho beg to be permitted to say another 

 word upon this point, namely, that even with universal diffusion it is difficult 

 to reduce sensible currents. It is found that iu this city there is a difference 

 of temperature extending to a range of 35 degrees as far as different indivi- 

 duals like or dislike the atmosphere introduced. An average, therefore, only 

 can be attained under such circumstances: and in endeavouring to attain 

 this, and knowing the desires and requests which are continually urged upon 

 those who are in attendance for tbe purpose of regulating the state of the at- 

 mosphere, I think I have at last ascertained that by introducing air in large 



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