1841.] 



;the civil engineer and architects journal. 



43!) 



i out of the chimney. His object was to arrest the heat in its progress, and 

 give it out at tlic right jilace. The current of hea passing alun^ tlie plates 

 of the boiler rendered them only tranverse conductors ; hut the heated pins 

 Tv-ere longitudinal conductors. He also showed several iron pins that had long 

 been e.sperimentally in use in the boiler of a steam vessel wuh great success. 

 He had endeavoured to ascertain the proper lengths of which they should be, 

 so as to remain as durable conductors of h^^at. 0;ie of seven inciies in length 

 liad become slightly oxidized. Another, of 4 inches long.ivasso little aflecied 

 that the smallest mark of the hammer, which it originally bore, was distinctly 

 visible. He. therefore, considered about -1 inches to be the proper length. 

 13e further illustrated his invention by three evaporating pans, one of them 

 with pins projecting into the boiler aiid also into the flues, which he called 

 double conductors; another with jiins projecting into the flue only, called 

 si'gle conductors ; ami the third, a p'ain boiler, on i.he usual plan without 

 any such conductor. The first he had found the more powerful in producing 

 speedy evaporation ; though the second was scarce'y inferior. The third, 

 or plain boiler, was greatly behind either in evapova'i'ng power. A gas lamp 

 was affi.-;ed at one end of the double conducting pan. containing 22 lb. of 

 iva'er, and the evaporation appeared to be rapid. With 30 feet of gas the 

 eva[ioration was as i'ollows : 



Evaporation. Waste Heat. 



Common Pan 4 lb. 14 oz. iOti 



Single Conductors 7 13 320 



Double Ditto 8 5 284 



Here we see the quantity evaporated is in an inverse ratio io the waste heat 

 by the chimney. He had tried them often with precisely the same results, 

 so that there could be no error. 



He then combated, in a clear and comprehensive manner, an opinion ex- 

 pressed by Dr. Fyfe, of .Scotland, in a tract published by him, that anthracite 

 was the best fuel or coal for engine boilers. That opinion was fornded solely 

 on the fa!t that anthracite contained the greatest quantity of fixed carbcii, 

 or, in other wc.rds, left the greatest residue of coke. He difiered from the 

 deduction of the doctor, with whom he had corresponded on the subject. 

 That gentleman had begun at the wrong end j he should hive considered not 

 the fuel ali.ne, but the vessel in which it was consumed. He (Dr. V.) hacl 

 taken no mei-ns to ascertain the quantity of heat that escaped in the gases 

 or by the chimney. He had set clown the hydrogen at nought, be ause he 

 liad not hid the po« er of consuming it by the common furnace and boiler. 

 He (Mr. W.) felt certain that the connnon Scotch coal was superior, if pro- 

 perly em|doyed. 



Mr. Williams's communication was listened to with great attention, and 

 te was frequently greeted by bursts of applause. Shortly before he concluded, 

 llr. Durance, engineer of the Liverpool and Manchester Railway, stated that 

 he had tried the pins on the lecturer's princi;!le in the boiler of one of their 

 stationary engines with great success. He had only 105 pins driven into the 

 boiler, arid the steam, which could not before be kept up, was now abundant. 



The Chairman then invited discussion on the subject, and some doubts 

 were expressed and questions put as to the advantages of the invention, all 

 cf which were ably replied to oy Mr. Williams, and ended in the complimen- 

 tary acknowledgment of all who demurred, and the concurrence of all i\1jo 

 were present, that tlie invention constituted a valuable and immense practi- 

 cal improvement in the construction of engine boilers. — Liverpool Albion. 



FINAL TRIAL OF THE DEVASTATION STEAM FRIGATE. 



Commander Hastings Reginald Henry, and all the officers of this fine ves- 

 sel attended on Tuesday Nov. 2 on board, to make a final trial of her capa- 

 bilities previous to the engines being reported upon (o the Lords Commis- 

 sioners of the Admiralty. At 11 o'clock in the lorenoon Captain the Hon. 

 J. F. F. De Ros, R.N. and F.R.S. ; Captain the Hon. Edward Plunkett, R.N., 

 and several scientific gentlemen : Messrs. Maudslay and Field, eni;ineers ; 

 and Mr Ewart, chief engineer of the Woolwich Dockyard, went on board, 

 and shortly afterwards the vessel was loosed from her moorings, ofi Wool- 

 wich, proceeded down the river to Long Reach, to the measured ground, 

 where the sjieed of steam-vessels is ascertained with the greatest correctness. 



On this occasion the Devastation, lor the purpose of giving her a fair trial, 

 and testing her powers, had a cargo of 320 tons of coal put on board, and 61 

 tons of water in casks. Her draught of water was 13 feet 4 inches forward, 

 and 14 feet aft, which afforded her paddle-wheels a clepth of water sufficient 

 to propel her with greater velocity then on the former occasion, although the 

 strokes of the engine were only the same number, about 18 to 19 per minute. 

 She accomplished the measured mile against the tide in 5 minutes and 48 

 seconds, and w ith the tide and against the wind in 4 minutes and 42 seconds, 

 being nearly at the rate of 12 and l-.5ih statute miles on the average per 

 hour. Mr. Ewart. the chief engineer, whose duty it will be to report as to 

 the efficiency of the engine, and the speed of the vessel, expressed himseli in 

 the highest terms relative to the eas' and smoothness of her motion, and 

 added, that " he never timed any that could approach her in speeci liefore, 

 and he was of opinion she was decidedly the fastest; vessel in Her Majesty's 

 navy.'' 



The result of this trial is one of great importance to the country, and of 

 which it has reason to be proud, as the engines are the simplest, as they have 

 proved to be the most efficient, of any yet introduced to public notice, and 

 on that account our steam r.avy will be far superior to the steam navy of any 

 other country. Messrs. Maudslay and Field have done themselves great 

 credit by the liberality with which they undertook to fit this vessel, as a spe- 

 cimen of the advantages of their invention, and are deserving of the complete 

 success they have met with, and there can now be no doubt Iheir engineer 

 will be introduced into all the new powerful vessels built for Her Majesty's 



service in lulure. The disconnecting rods were tried during this trip, and ia 

 one minute and a quarter one of the powerful paddle-wheels, 25 feet in dia- 

 meter, was detached from the engines, and the whole of their power applied 

 to the other wheel. In three quarters of a minute the stupendous lever of 

 the wheel was again attached, and the vessel sped through the water with 

 the greatest velocity. On returning up the river, she overtook the Manches- 

 ter and Duchess of Kent large s'eam vessels, and their crews appeared as- 

 tonished that the Devastation had got su tar a-head of them before they 

 arrived opposite Woolwich. 



The Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty have very judiciously complied 

 with the application of Commander Henry, and ordered one of Porter s an- 

 chors, of 28 cwt., for the Devastation, and it was delivered at the dockyard 

 yesterday, fur the purpose of being tested. Commander Henry Boyej, ot the 

 'Vixen steam frigate, ol the same mould as the Devastation, iias obtained an 

 order to be supplied with one of PorLer's anchors of the same weight, to be 

 delivered in about a fortnight. ^ 



MISCELLANEA. 



Kent.—'ihe ceremony of laying the first stone of a new church at Plaft, in 

 the parish of Wrotham, was performed on the 8th ult., in the presence of a 

 large concourse of spectators, by the daughter of the rector of Wrotham, the 

 Rev. Geo. Moore. The architects are Messrs. U hichwed and Walker, of 

 Maidstone. The church about to be erected is on .■>, site, the gift of — Lara- 

 bard, Esq., being part of three acres of land which it is contemplated to lay 

 out in a picturesque and a'lvantageous manner, in building a parsonage 

 h use, school rooms, and alms-houses, 'ihe church will be biiilt of Kentish 

 r.ag stone, in the early pointed style, and is cruc form on plan. The dimen- 

 sions wiih'n tiie walls (exclusive of the tower) are 78 feet from east to 

 west, and (iO ft. in. from north to south, by 25 ft. 6 in. in width. It has a 

 tower at the west end 70 ft. ia height and 21 feet squiie, with an octangular 

 turret at the north-eastern angle, in which is a stone staircase, leading to the 

 varii.us floors, and roof, of the tower. The organ gallery (the only one iu 

 the church) is situate in the tower, and is lighted by a large 3-light windovv 

 in the western wall. The chancel has a corresponding window, under whicU 

 is a series of small pointed arches, and on either side a niche to serve as a 

 seat for the officiating m nister. The roof is an ornamental open timber- 

 framed roof, with hammer beams and moulded ribs running down, .and r.'sting 

 on stone moulded corbels. At the intersecuon ot the transepts, the trusses 

 are placed diagonally. The church will contain sitings for SOO persons, 

 120 in pews. 210 in tree seats, and 170 for children. The pews are placed in 

 the transepts, the free seats in the nave, and the children on raised seats, at 

 the west end of nave, and in the organ gallery. The ends of all the seals 

 next the aisles, are moulded and finished with a carved fiiiial. The pulpit 

 and reader's desk are placed at the south-east angle of the intersection of 

 the nave and transepts. The total cost of the church will not exceed £2500. 



Trading Paper. — We have received from Mr. Dixon a sample of drawing 

 paper made perfectly transparent for the purpose of tracing off' drawings, 

 which will be a great acquisition to tbe jwofession. that was much wanted, 

 the ordinary tracing paper being too tiimsy for general use. 



Sir Frnncis Ckmitrey. — We regret to announce that this highly talented 

 sculptor, died suddenly on the 2(jth ult. 



The following is a summary of a comparative statement of houses inhabited, 

 &c., in Great Britain and islands in the British seas in 1801, 1811, 1821, 1831, 

 1841 :— 



Houses Inhabited. Unirhibiled. Building. 

 1801. 



England 1.467,870 53.965 



Wales 108,053 3 511 



Scotland 299,553 9,537 



1811. 



England 1,678.006 47,923 15,189 



Wales 119,398 3.095 1,019 



Scotland 304.093 11,329 2,341 



1821. 



England 1.951,973 66,055 18,289 



Wales 136.183 3.652 985 



Scotland 341,474 12,657 2,405 



Islands in British Seas . . 13,763 427 9 8 



1831. 



England 2,326.022 113,885 23,462 



Wales 155.522 6.030 1.297 



Scotland 369;'593 12.719 2.568 



Islands in British Seas .. 15,658 697 226 



1841. 



England 2,753.295 162.756 25,882 



Wades 188,196 . 10.133 1,769 



Scotland 503,3.57 24,307 2.760 



Islands in British Seas .. 19,159 805 220 



Tlic Foundation Stone of a New CImreh at Manchester.— "Oie committee of t'le 

 Ten Churches Association have commenced, on Pin Mill Brow, tbe erec.ijn 



