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THE CIVIL ENGINEER AND ARCHITECT'S JOURNAL. 



[April, 



VEIGHTS AND MEASURES. 



At one of the evening meetings of the Professors of University CoUege, 

 Mr TDc Morgan discussed the recent report of the commission on the ne» 

 stand'ird weights and measures. The imperial standard yard and bushel, 

 constructed in pursuance of the statute of 1826, were destroyed by the con- 

 flagration of the Houses of Parliament, and a committee of men of sciencf 

 va^ appointed to ^consider the best mode of restoration. The statute had 

 directed their restoration by what is called a natural method-the measure o. 

 the kn"th of a pendulum s« inging seconds in the latitude of London, under 

 rertain°condilions, but the progress of experiment has induced the commis- 

 sion to repudiate that method and to recommend the adoption of the od plan 

 of having standards constructed. It is to be observed that the experiments 

 of Kater, Kaily, Bessel, and others, have of late years shown, that as regards 

 the pendulum, the amount of correction due for the pressure of the atmo- 

 sphere level of the sea, terrestrial disturbance, and other causes, is far from 

 being ascertained. Professor De Morgan, indeed, intimated strong grounds for 

 the non-e.'iistence of anv such thing as a natural standard. Fortunately, it 

 has happened that the Royal Astronomical Society possesses a copy of the 

 standard yard, and from this the Commissioners propose that the new stan- 

 dards should be restored. Speaking of standards, Mr. Baily reported to the 

 Astronomical Society that the old standard yard, made in the time ot Queen 

 Elizabeth, and preserved at the Exchequer, w as in e.^.istence four years ago. 

 when he saw it. It is described as a most disgraceful specimen of workman- 

 ship, being little better than a common kitchen poker, filed at each end. while 

 at some distant period it had been broken in the middle, and the pmnt dove- 

 tailed and left loose, so as to tend like a pair of tongs. Of this implement 

 copies used to be furnished bv the officers of the Exchequer to foreign men ot 

 science, accompanied with a parchment certificate, on which the stamp duties 

 were four guineas, besides official fees-a circumstance truly designated as 

 productive of national disgrace. Several copies of the new standard measures 

 are recommended by the Commissioners to be preserved for use in diflerent 

 parts of the country, and four sets to be imbedded for preservation in a 

 stone in the foundations of the new Houses of Parliament, and only to be 

 removed by the authority of the legislature. The other recommendations are 

 —the abolition of the troy pound ; the establishment of a new long measure ; 

 and the introduction of a decimal coinage. The Commissioners propose that 

 a measure of one thousand yards should be authorized to be used, and should 

 be adopted by Government in the mensuration of public works, &c. This is 

 rot proposed, for the present, to supersede the mile, but to work concur- 

 rently with it : and they suggest that the new me; sure should be called a 

 milvard, a name rightly designated by the Professor as a barbarous mi.Kture 

 of Latin and English. He observed that the old English mode of combination 

 is exemplified in ihe word furlong, which signifies the forty long, that is, 

 forty poles long; so he would call the new measure a thousand long, which 

 would, like other words, ultimately be abridged by the public. He remarked 

 that we have already a decimal system, which has been introduced without 

 the authority of Magna Charta by the example of one man, and which has 

 now become engrafted on the whole system of our landed property-he 

 alluded to the surveyor's chain of one hundred hnks, the extension of which 

 as the standard measure of length he much wished to advocate. The Professor 

 did not say how he would apply this, but as it is a subject in which our pro- 

 fessional readers should interest themselves, we shall make some remarks 

 upon it. We have already the chain, and furlong of ten chains ; the next 

 step in ascent is a new mile of ten furlongs, being one old mile and a quarter 

 This new mile wou'd be nearly equal to two French kilometres, or as 22UU 

 yards to 2187-22. or a difference of only 1277 yards, or little more than one 

 lialf per cent.* Descending from the chain, we should have a fathom of ten 

 links, (6-6 ft.) being nearly the same as the new French toise, or as 2 01 16436 

 to 2i' and only six inches more than the common fathom. The tenth of the 

 new'fathom, or toise, is the link of '66 of a foot, or nearly two-thirds of the 

 present foot, and the tenth of this link or foot will give a new inch of about 

 four-lfths of the present inch. Were our professional readers to take this 

 subject in hand, and give it their support, we have little doubt tlwt, either 

 with or without Government aid, they woud be able to carry out the chain 

 standard. At the same time, we must call their attention to the serious evil 

 which will accrue to them from the adoption of the milyard or thousand-long, 

 which will not work well with the chain, and will create the greatest diffi- 

 culty in all land measurements, and much confusion as to landed property_ 

 The first step would be the adoption by the naval service and by engineers, 

 architects, and surveyors, of the fathom of ten links, which will prepare the 

 way for its general adoption. The close resemblance between the chain 

 measure and the French metre system is a farther recommendation. 



"The first step" .says Professor de Morgan, "to decimal weights and 

 measures is a decimal coinage, a system which the Commissioners have re- 

 commended gene rally, without la;ing down any particular plan. Mr. De 



' This new mile would be .'j.5fi to the degree, instead of (JSl, and would be 

 to the Irish mile as 2200 to 2240, 



Morgan's proposition is for a gradual introduction of the plan. He would, 

 in the first instance, without any Act of Parliament, introduce a two- 

 shilling piece, and withdraw the half-crown. To this two-shilling piece, it 

 would be advantageous to assimilate to the East India Company's rupee, so as 

 to make that important branch of our currency unifor.ni with that of the seat 

 of empire. He would then coin a piece of twopence-halfi'enny, five of which 

 w ould make a shilling and a halfpenny, and ten a two-shilling piece and a 

 penny. The working of this would be, he considers, to produce practically 

 the fifth of a shilling; lor the public would, inmost dealings, make the 

 tradesman give them the advantage of the halfpenny or penny, and so m the 

 end decimalize the two-shilling piece. He would then, by Act of Parliament, 

 reduce the nominal value! of the copper coinage four per cent., by which the 

 farthing would become the thousandth part of a pound, and the decimal 

 system be established. 



STEAM NAVIGATION. 



The West India Mail Steam Packet Company's Steam Ship"Trevtr—We have 

 been much gratified by our visit to this vessel, which left the Thames on 

 the 27th of February. The machinery is by Messrs. Miller. RavcnhiU Sc Co., 

 and in every particular of its structure, proportionment, and disposition, 

 manifests the most eminent engmeering ability. There is not a detail in the 

 whole of the machinery which is nut calculated to excite the conviction that 

 its specific character is the result of the study of an able mechanician, and 

 that its adoption has been the consequence of mature reflection, not ot an 

 incunsiderate reference to existing modes of construction. 'The power of these 

 engines is 430 horses ; the diameter ot the cylinder 74 inches ; the length ot 

 the stroke 7 feet. The condenser, the cylinder bottom, tlie air-pump bot- 

 tom and the support for the main centre, are cast upon the foundation plate. 

 The condenser is lieneath the foundation plate, so that the main centre does 

 not pass through it as it does in many engines. The framing has been con- 

 structed with reference only to the strains to which it will be subjected, and 

 without any attempt at what is termed architectural decoration; with one 

 exception, where it could not be eflected. all the principul joints are meta lie 

 that is the metallic surfaces of the joints are planed, and so accurate y fitted 

 as to be perfectly tight without the aid of rust, or without any substance 

 interposed except a little red lead. With a view to increased durability brass 

 and copper have been introduced with an unsparing hand, many of the parts 

 which are made of iron in ordinary engines being of brass or copper m these. 



The performance of the engines attests the skill and care concerned in their 

 nroduction. They work with great smoothness and efficiency, and «itii a. 

 ?on umpti^in of only 16 cwt. of coals per hour. \1 ith a pressure in the 

 boiler of only 3-78 lbs. per square inch, the mean pressure on the piston is 

 1417 lbs per square inch. The dilTerence between the vacuum in the con- 

 denser and the vacuum is only .28 lbs. of pressure per square inch. 



We are unable to enter into further details respecting this machinery at 

 present, but we purpose next month to give a description ot the machinery 

 of the his. which started on Tuesday, 29th ult., also by Messrs. Miller, when 

 we shall enter more fully into the merits of Messrs. Miller s arrangements, 

 and hope to adduce good reason for our commendation. 



miSCSLIiANEA. 



Inl.vid Orvajjen-t.^l Tilf-s.— Last month we noticed a work that had 

 iust beeu published, containing numerous examples of encaustic or inlaid 

 tiles selected from various ecclesiastical buildings in England: we are now 

 enabled to announce that Messrs. Wyatt, Parker, and Co. have commenced 

 the manufacture of these tiles. From the specimens sent us, we can judge 

 that thev will be found to be verv durable, and far less porous than the 

 ancient t'iles, and will form an admirable addition to the architecture of our 

 churches bv using them instead of stone or deal floors, m the side and centre 

 aisles and such parts as are not covered with seats ; they may also, with 

 equal taste, be used for Uning the walls. The specimens now before us are 

 made from Staffordshire clay of a dark red colour, and inlaid with yellow. 

 Messrs Wvatt have also sent us some specimens of pottery of an hexagonal 

 shape 'of 'various colours, for paving halls, dairies, ic, or for huing the 

 latter- likemse small squares, from half an inch to an inch square for mosaic 

 pavement. A variety of specimens of paving may be seen at Messrs. AV yatt & 

 works. 



Continent,,! .W.r;,i»e™.-We perceive in the the Eco Mia Bo,sa ofkhUn, 

 that exlPiisive mills have been erected in Lombardy for spinning ot cotton 

 and siik! and that there is now bemg added another on a very extensive sea e, 

 ?or spinning and weaving of flax Jnd hemp. It is undertaken by a public 

 ecmimny at the head of°which is S. Battaglia the banker. It is situate near 

 M Ian, 01 the Adda. We observe that the entire direction of projecting and 

 e'ecut ng this neu- concern was confided in 1840 to Mr. Albano. C. K, of 

 LmXn it is ststed to be the most complete mill in all its details that has 

 ever been erected. Tlie powerful water wheel, and the mill gear for driving 

 llie spinning machinery, are of a superior description and were made in this 

 coun ry, bv the celebrated firm of W. Fairbairn and Co., of Manchester In 

 CO sequence of the prohibitory character of our export laws, the sunnmg 

 S Uiery is to be matle in Belgium, although the C™^1«">; "f„"^'^,^'/";"^ 

 i that it should be made in England. Here is another example of the ruinous 



