1841.] 



THE CIVIL ENGINEER AND ARCHITECTS JOURNAL. 



403 



Risleij Church. — This pictui-esqiie little church, having undergone consider- 

 able repairs and enlargements, was re-opened for divine service on Sunday, the 

 3rd of October. Alterations have been effected according to the designs and 

 under the superintendence of Mr. Stephens, architect, Derby. A capacious 

 aisle has been erected on the north side, connected with the body of the 

 church by two gothic arches, capable of accommodating about 120 persons, 

 of which 61 sittings are free and unappropriated. A beautiful window, re- 

 presenting the two great apostles. St. Peter and St. Paul, painted by Mr. 

 VV'arrington, of London, has been placed in the chancel. 



The sum of £1,100 has been subscribed by the parishiouersof Tettenhall in 

 aid of the extensive alterations and repairs which are being made in the 

 church of that parish. 



Woolwirh .—The first stone of the new Scotch church at Woolwich was 

 laid on the 8th of September, with a very imposing ceremonial, there being 

 present above 500 of the military members of the church. Colonel Dundas 

 oflSciated on the occasion. The church is to contain 1000 sittings ; the di- 

 mensions of the interior in the clear are 76 ft. .3 in. by 51ft. 6 in. It is of 

 t!>.e Norman style with a spire. The contract for the carcase i%s been taken 

 l-y Mr. Jay for £1850. Mr. T. L. Donaldson is the architect. 



St. Pancras.—A new church is about to be built in Gordon Street, St. Pan- 

 eras, to contain 1200 sittings. Mr. T. L. Donaldson, the architect, has de- 

 signed the front in the style of the " Renaissance." It consists of 4 pilasters 

 raised upon a lofty stylobate. The doors are circular headed, and are between 

 the outer pilasters on each side, the window being the centre object, divided 

 in the middle by a column, and circular headed like those of Bramante The 

 whole is surmounted by a regular entablature, pediment and bell tower. The 

 committee have accepted Messrs. Haynes' tender to erect the carcase for 

 £2825. 



The Temple Church. — Probably the public may not be generally aware of 

 the extensive reparations which this ancient building is now undergoing. 

 The object which the society have in view is the complete restoration of the 

 church to its former state — to that in which it was originally completed. 

 The church is a mixture of the Norman and early English styles, and has 

 generally been considered the best of the few round churches of which this 

 country can boast. The Ulterior has been completely stripped of all its 

 former ornaments and monuments, of which those of sufScient value, and 

 which it is desirable should be retained, are being brought into a state which 

 will harmonize with the character of the rest of the building. The ceiling 

 of the choir and side aisles of the church, and particularly of the eastern 

 portion, which is a fine specimen of early English, was originally painted 

 and embellished in ornamental work of a very high character. The effect of 

 this, which can already be partially seen, will be very beautiful and striking. 

 It may also be in the recnllection of some, that in the large circular tower 

 next to the entrance of the church were several columns of the Corinthian 

 order. These from possessing a rather dilapidated appearance, arising from 

 Ihcir antiquity, will now be restored to the highly polished marble pillars of 

 the time of the Templars. There are many other parts of the building to 

 which we could wish to draw attention. The figures of the old Templars 

 will be preserved, as also those in the porch outside the entrance. The 

 church has already been closed for about a year and a half, and it is expected 

 it will take full that time in addition before the work is compl.ted. The 

 Temple Church will then rank as one of the finest buildings of the metro- 

 polis, carrying with it, as it does, the respect due to age. 



dZSCELIiAKEA. 



The Bude Light. — The new system of lighting and ventilating by means of 

 this improved light was most successfully shown at Christ Church, Albany- 

 street, Regent's-park, on Sunday, 1st ult.. at the evening service, a more 

 perfect illumination having been produced by two ornamental lustres (similar 

 to tliose used in the House of Commons} than by the 72 argand burners pre- 

 viously used there. The perfect ventilation of the church was likewise 

 effected by meaes of flues ascending from these lustres through the ceiling 

 into the open air, which carried oft' all heat, noxious products of combustion, 

 as well as air vitiated by respiration, so prejudicial to health in close or 

 crowded apartments. These advantages appear to be peculiar to a light of 

 this power, as lights of a lesser power must be placed at such distances from 

 the ceiling, in order to illuminate the lower parts of a room or building, as 

 would rentier impracticable any attempt to carry ventilating flues from each 

 light ; independent of which, the glare from a multiplicity of naked lights is 

 not only oflensive but injurious to the sight. These improvements were ad- 

 verted to in a very appropriate manner from the pulpit by tlie rector, Mr. 

 Dodsworth, to whom, as well as to the Hon. Captain Maude, one of tha 

 churchwardens, much credit is due for their exertions in providing a remed y 

 for evils of this nature, which had been much complained of in this church- 

 evils to whicli all unventilated apartments must be more or less liable. 



Gigantic Chimney. — A chimney of extraordinary dimensions is being built 

 at St. Rollox chemical works, and will, when completed, be elevated upwards 

 of 600 feet above high-water level at the Broomielaw ; it is founded upon a 

 bed of solid sandstone rock, 20 feet below the surface of the ground ; the 

 diameter of the outer chimney is 50 feet at the foundation, 40 feet diameter 

 at the surface of the ground, and will diminish in one unbroken curved line 

 or " baitr" to a diameter of 14 feet 6 inches, when it will have attained an 

 altitude of from 420 to 430 feet. The inner chimney is a cylinder of sixteen 

 feet diameter, rising perpendicularly to a height of 260 feet. This inner 

 chimney is unconnected with the outer one, but comes very nearly in contact 

 at its teraiination, allowing only space for the e.\pansion arising from the 

 temperature. The br,cks used in the work are a compositioa of common 

 clay and fire-clay, cootaioiug a small portion of iron ore. 



New Raiiwai/ Sii^nah. — A rievv system of signals for railroads has been in- 

 vented by Mr. Hall, the managing director of the Eastern Counties Railroad, 

 intended to supersede the red and white flags now carried and exhibited by 

 policemen at certain distances, and which have been sometimes found inade- 

 quate to the purpose. The new signal, which Mr. Hall calls the '• Panel or 

 fan signal.'' has, when put in operation, the appearance of an upright post 

 of about 12 feet high, surmounted by a piece of woodwork resembling in 

 shape that of a closed fan. Where they both join is a strong iron frame- 

 In tno upper woodwork three panels are encased, which are worked by ma- 

 chinery, and when brought down to the iron framework before described, as- 

 sume the appearance of a crimson quadrant of a span sufficent to be visible 

 in a straight line for two miles. When a tram is due to start, the three 

 panels are lowered. As scon as it has started and reached the signal, the 

 man in charge of it sets in motion a piece of machinery, which grridually 

 works up the three panels in 15 minutes, and the signal at the end of that 

 time presents its original appearance. By this arrangement engine-drivers 

 will be able accurately to calculate the time which has elapsed since a train 

 has passed ; one panel indicating five minutes, two ten, and three a (juarter 

 of an hour. The new signal w ill, in a few days, be put in operation on the 

 Eastern Counties Railway. 



Jl'ear of Granite Pavement. — During 17 months, the fcliouingwas the rela- 

 tive wear of pavement made of the granites named, laid down on the Com- 

 mercial-road in London: — Guernsey, I'O; Herm (an island close to Guern- 

 sey), l'I9: Budle (a Northumberland whinstone). 1-316; blue Peterhead, 

 2 08 ■• Heyton, 2238 ; red Aberdeen, 2 524 ; Dartmoor, 3 285 ; blue Aberdeen, 

 3'571. These difl'erences are very considerable, and are, in a great measure, 

 to be attributed to the mineralogical structure of the stone, granite being 

 comi>osed of at least three species, mica, feldspar, and quartz, of which the 

 quartz is the hardest and the mica the softest. Permeability to wet is also 

 a rapid cause of disintegration, especially in conjunction with frost. It is 

 melancholy to see many of our public edifices rapidly hurrying to decay, 

 from the bad qualities of the stone employed in their erection. Great atten- 

 tion should be paid to the qualities of the stone, in selecting railway blocks ; 

 although the opinion of railway engineers is now most inclined for timber 

 bearings. Leaving out the question of first and last cost, longitudinal tim- 

 bers uitii iron cross trees, decidedly make the most pleasant r^ad ; and the 

 efl'ect of this, not only on the passengers, but the engines and carriages will, 

 in our opinion, put the ultimate cost on one side. We shall not easily forget 

 the smoothness of the Great Western Railway, which was so evident as to 

 admit of no doubt, although, when we went on it, we were much prejudiced 

 against it, from what we had heard ; our prejudices were soon dispelled. — 

 Railroad Journal. 



Discovery of Ancient Pavement. — In addition to the ancient paintings dis- 

 covered lately by Mr. Devon, in tiie Chapter-house Record-office, he has 

 found under the present wooden floor a pavement composed of the ancient 

 Norman tile, which is characterizid by figures in gold, burnt in brick. The 

 figures on these tiles are very beautiful and various. Among them are the 

 arms of England, as borne in the thiiteenth century, when the building was 

 erected, lions placed back to back, female figures seated on chairs with hanks 

 on their wrists. David playing on the harp, <Tiusicians playing on the violin, 

 and various other patterns, making altogether a most magnificent ground- 

 work. The art of preparing similar tiles has been recovered, and fac-similes 

 of those in the Chapter-house are now being manufactured in England for 

 the Temple Church. 



Absorbing Wells. — The Council General of the Department of Isere has 

 voted the sum of 1800 francs for the application of absorbing wells to the 

 drainage of the numerous ponds and maishes in the neighbourhood of Bour- 

 goin. The principal engineer of the mines. Gueynard. on whose report the 

 grant has been made, is to superintend the fii-st cxpenments. Ii, as it is be- 

 lieved, there lies between the diluvial soil and the turf or peat of these 

 marshes a stratum of clay, it will only be necessary to penetrate through it 

 to attain the sand and diluvial gravel, which form the subordinate strata, 

 and the success of the undertaking will then be placed beyond all doubt. 

 The drainage of the bogs of Verpilliere, Bourgoin and La Tour du Pin will of 

 course follow ; and those of Dauphiny, whicli up to this period have been so 

 unprofitable, will develop a new source of riches for a country which has 

 hitherto only considered them as a serious inconvenience. Should the ab- 

 sorbing wells have the success which we anticipate, the turf districts of Bour- 

 goin will assume, in regard to Lyons and Grenoble, the same importance as 

 those of Menecy and the department of the Eure have held in relation to 

 Paris and Rouen. Every one is aware that turf has the property of carboni- 

 zation like wood. — Courrier de Lyons. 



New Locomotive. — M. de Ridder has completed a new locomotive, in which 

 he has found means to turn to account the quantity of steam which is suflere^i 

 to escape in other locomotives. The result of this improvement is a great 

 saving of fuel, besides diminishing the weight. The dimensions of these new 

 locomotives are such as to hinder the use of them on iron railways. Per- 

 haps M. de Ridder had in view the realization of his projected railway by 

 St. Nicholas. However that may be, we have examined attentively this ma- 

 chinery in all its parts, and it appears to us to be one of the most satisfactory 

 of the kind hitherto made in Belgium. — Brussels Paper. 



China Grass-cloth. — If any person will be at the trouble of cutting a leat 

 from an aloe plant, which is reared and encouraged as an exotic in this 

 country, he will, upon close inspection, detect a course of long white fibres, 

 posse-sing considerable tenacity. These, when taken from the fleshy part 

 of the leaf, and place<l together by themselves, will exhibit a very beautitul 

 clean hemp, corresponding precisely with the material of which the linen 

 called China grass cloth is composed. The aloe grows wild and in great 

 abunilance throughout China, and the people of that country have lurned it, 

 as they do everything else, to a profitable account. The flax which consti- 

 tutes ihe fishing lines known under the name of Indian twist, but which is 

 in reality a Chinese producimi. is manufactured from the same identical 

 commodity. There are many Chinese inventions, at present retained as a 



