66 



THE CIVIL ENGINEER AND ARCHITECT'S JOURNAL. 



[Feb. 



SUPPLY OF PARIS "WITH WATER. 



An Englishman of the name of Miles lias addressed a memorial to the 

 Frfnch autliorities, on the subject of a projiosed supply of water to Paris. 

 Some of the statistical facts put forward may interest our readers. The city 

 of Paris, he observes, possesses very peculiar advantages for such an under- 

 taking. In London, the quantity of water consumed daily is 168,826 cubic 

 metres (French) for 191,066 houses. In Paris there are about 40,000 houses, 

 which is little more than one-fifth of those in London. The expense of 

 pumping by steam-engines this quantity of water from the level of the 

 Thames at London, to an elevation equal to the Canal de I'Ourcq, above the 

 Seine, would cost £69,000 per year, the whole of whicli would be saved by a 

 supply from the Canal de I'Ourcq. The houses in London may be calculated 

 at six persons each, making a population, in 191,066 houses, of 1,146,396 

 inhabitants. The 40,000 houses in Paris contain 909,126 inhabitants, equal 

 to 22 or 23 to each house, or of four families of six persons each. The length 

 of the pipes required for Paris will not exceed a fourth part that of London, 

 and their dimensions will be less, on account of the descent of the water 

 affording a greater velocity. The exact length of pipes required cannot be 

 stated without a plan and section of all the streets — it is probable that the 

 length required would measure about 1 70 English miles. If this quantity of 

 iron pipes were delivered atf20 sterling per ton, it would amount to the 



sum of £480,000 



The expense of laying, with the apparatus of cocks, &c., for ser- 

 vice, may be stated at , 120,000 



Making a total of £600,000 



Supposing 10 per cent, interest, the sum to be paid annually would be 

 ±'60,000. At present, it is allowed that Paris pays annually for the purchase 

 of water, not exceeding 50 litres per day for each house, £160,000 ; so that, 

 upon the present rental, a saving would take place of £100,000 per year, 

 and the inhabitants would receive tlie most abundant supply of water. M. 

 Girard estimates the quantity of water supplied by the Canal de I'Ourcq at 

 260,820 cubic metres per day. Supposing this calculation to be exact, it wdl 

 be necessary, first, to deduct all the water necessary for the supply of the 

 present public fountains and markets ; and secondly, what is consumed by 

 the locks on the Canals St. Martin and St. Denis, which may be calculated 

 at 1,0.54 cubic metres for the passage ofa barge, or of 105,400 cubic metres 

 for the passage of 50 barges on the two canals. The quantity of water con- 

 sumed daily in each house in London, in 1810, before the establishment of 

 the new water companies, did not exceed 50 gallons, but since that period 

 the consumption has reached 200 gallons (.') per house per day. This includes 

 manufactures, baths, &c. If a similar increase in the consumption should 

 take place in Paris, the quantity required would be 140,000 cubic metres per 

 day, for the use of the 909,126 inhabitants. London pays annually for water 

 the sum of .£284,188, averaging about 32s. (58) per house for six persons; 

 consequently, if Paris were called upon to pay .£60,000 per year, it would 

 average about eight shillings for every family of six persons for an equal 

 supply. When plans and sections of the streets shall be made, the engineer- 

 in. chief will be able to construct a system of perfect drainage, parallel to the 

 water-pipes, and of the same inclination. — Athenienm. 



THE PALMIPEDE. 



We have a long account in the Morning Post of a newly-invented loco- 

 motive po'.ver. (the invention of the Marquis deJoufiVoy,) said to be applicable 

 to steamers, from which we select the following extracts, describing this 

 wondcrfid invention ; but to our dull comprehension it appears to be a 

 " mountain in labour" ; — 



'■The scientific world will readily appreciate the justness of the prin- 

 diples, according to which the Marquis de JouSniy constructed his machinery, 

 and ai'plied it with complete success, as we can asssert, to aschooner of about 

 120 tons (French) burden, rigged as usual, like a sailing vessel. Her measure- 

 ment is as follows : — 



'• Twenty metres 15 (62 feet French) from stem to stern, and 5 metres 20 

 (16 feet French) beam,; drawing when hiden two metres forward, and two 

 metres 37 abaft; the area of the parallelogram of the portion immersed 

 amid-ships. 11 metres square, allhous^b. on account of the build of tlie ship's 

 bottom, this area is really but seven metres s'Uiare. 8he carries a steam- 

 engine, mean pressure, of from 20 to 40 horse-power, ml libitum. 



" Ahnfl the vessel, on deck, is a platform four metres long, moving horizon- 

 tally on a vertical axis fixed in the stern-post, cine half of the said platform 

 being without the vessel, and the other half witliin. the hitter sustains the 

 two oscillating cylinders of the steam-engine, the piston-stems of which 

 communicate the movement, in a direct manner, to an iron arm fi.xed to the 

 platform outside tlie vessel. This arm is composed of five cranks, two of 

 v.liich receive the extremity of the pistons, the three others, articulated by 

 means of double cranks to the levers, serving as a fulcrum in the fluid. Tliree 

 couples of these levers are suspended from pivots at the exterior extremity of 

 the platform ; these act parallel to the course of the vessel, and carry articu- 

 lated jialms, three in number, which reach to the level of the keel, each 

 presenting to the fluid, at the moment of pressure, a surface of two metres 

 s(;iiare. After each impulse forwards, these palms close of themselves to 

 return, and open again only to give the next impulse. 



'• The cranks of the pistons being fixed according to two planes, each at a 

 right angle with the oilier, the moving force is nearly equally distributed 

 during one evolution of the articulated arm ; but. by the arrangement of the 

 double cranks which CGnimnuicate to the articulated palms, each of these 

 exercises its pressure ujjon the fluid during only one-third of the evolution, 

 and the maximum of this pressure takes place in a very short space of time 

 the remaining two-thirds of the evolution are taken up" in the return and in 

 tilt' opening of the palms. 



"Although the technicality of the above description may render a con- 

 ception of the new invention rather difficult at first sight, its eft'ects may be 

 easily conceived by imagining the backward and furward motion of two 

 v.ebbed palms, propelling a vessel forwarils. one palm opening and moving 

 parallel to her course, whilst the other, having [ crformed its functions, 

 closes by the pressure of the fluid acting on the articulations, and returns to 

 its place in a direction opposite to the vessel's course, again to advance when 

 its companion is on the point of returning, having in its turn performed its 

 office." 



ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. 



Dec. 20. — .Announcement was made of the completion of the great Geolo- 

 gical Map of France, by Messrs. Dufresnoy and EUe de Beaumont. It was 

 commenced in 1823, under the direction of the late M. Brochant de Villiers; 

 eleven years were occupied in geological researches in loco, and the other 

 seven years in the classification of materials, in drawing, engraving. &c. The 

 map, divided into several sheets, is now published, with a volume of descrip- 

 tive letter-press. 



A report was read on the works undertaken by Dr. Fontan and M. Fran- 

 cois, engineer, for improving the thermal sources at the Bagneres de Luchon, 

 in the Pyrenees. By driving horizontal galleries into the rock, near the old 

 mouths of the sources, they had succeeded, not only in obtaining water in 

 great quantity, but also of greater heat. Some of the old springs have dried 

 up in consequence, but the general improvement of the springs was very 

 great, and it had been accomplished at a cost of only 30,000fr. The works 

 lasted two years. 



.\ series of observations and questions was addressed to the Academy, from 

 the Minister of Marine, on the natural history of the silk-worm, with propa- 

 gating the growth of silk in the West Indies. M. Perottet had been sent 

 out to examine into the best means of promoting this object. This gentle- 

 man had remarked that silk-worms' eggs carried to the West Indies from 

 France, and kept in those hot countries for seven or eight years, could not be 

 hatched until the end of eight or nine months, notwithstanding the high 

 temperature, and then only at long and irregular intervals ; but when the 

 same eggs were put in an ice-house for four or five months, they were hatched 

 within ten days from their being exposed to the circumambient atmosphere, 

 and nearly all at once. Directions for the proper treatment of worms under 

 these circumstances were demanded of the -Academy. The subject was refer- 

 red to the Section of Rural Econoajy. 



The greater part of this day's sitting was occupied with the reading of me- 

 dical and anatomical papers. 



THE RIVER CLYDE NAVIGATION. 



In the " Glasgow Jrgus.'' of the 6th ult. we find an address presented to 

 the Owners of the Steam Boats on the River Clyde, to the Trustees : wherein 

 is mentioned that the steamers on the River Clyde carrying passengers have 

 competed most successfully with the New Railway runniig parallel with the 

 Clyde, from (ilasgow to Greenock. The following is an abstract of the ad- 

 dress. 



Gentlemen— The first season since the opening of the (ireenock Railway 

 having terminated, we beg to apprise vour honourable Board of the compara- 

 tively great and almost unlooked-for success which has attended the River 

 traffic during the summer months, notwithstanding the formidable opposition 

 we have had to encounter, in our novel and confessedly powerful competitor. 

 " '' " We beg specially to express our gratitude for the invaluable 

 boon conferred on us, in authorising the river steamers to arrive at and de- 

 part from the New ^Vharfs. adjoirung the Glasgow Bridge, and which we 

 have no hesitation in stating has been the means of cntinbj mving our River 

 trade ! '■ ' '' Seeing the resolution by w liich this grand measure has 

 been effected was passed unanimously at yu'ur Board, we feel that it w^ould 

 be almost invidious to particularize any individual as being more .serviceable 

 than another in carrying that resolution into practice. Vet. while we know 

 that we are deeply indebted to every member of the Trust individually, we 

 cannot close this address without adverting in marked terms to the greai ex- 

 ertions and personal sacrifice made by James Hutchison, Esq., as contriljuting 

 in a very eminent degree to the succtss of the new arrangements. Tlie almost 

 daily attendance of this gentleman at the new wharfs tor a considerable 

 period about the time of their opening, striking evinced the warm interest he 

 felt in the object for which they were erected. We would beg most respect- 

 fully also to notice the unremitting diligence, and skilful co-operation of 

 your invaluable river engineer, Mr. Bald. The care and attention with which 

 he studied the working of his plan in all its bearings,— carried into efiect 

 whatever suggestings he judged likely to be useful, and in every possible way 

 devoted his tune and his talents to the furtherance of this new undertaking. 



