210 



THE CIVIL ENGINEER AND ARCHITECT'S JOURNAL. 



I beK, m conclusion, to mr.ke the following additions and corrections in Ihe 

 (lata conlarned m the ar.icle above referred to. The cvlinders are fiftv-one 

 inches diameter, stroke 4 ft. ; air-pumps .3li inches diameter, Mroke 2 ft 

 b in.; steam pressure in the bo'ler 8 lbs. (on Monday last it was Irernientlv 

 as low as 7. and occasionally Gl lbs., perhaps sometimes lo«er still l' cut of 

 generally by the expansion valve at J. otherwise by the steam valve at four- 



revolutionsysO) but as Ihey generally make but 28, their power is conse- 

 (juentlv reduced to 84 (? 86) horses each. 



Hopins that the above remarks may be found u-orthy of attention, and may 

 ma" ha?e^'.r(!duced"' "^^''^^"'"' '''"''' ""^ ''"''^'^ '" ">is month's JourHol 



I r«main. Sir. 



/-..;_ 0.1.1 „ I ,o., Vour most olwJient servant, 



J.omlon.2itli March, mi. I'l.iLALETHEi. 



THE PRECURSOR. 



In a forroer number we made a few remarks respectinc this vessel and we 



the'prrurs"' 'f r" '" "^"''"^ '" "'^ ^"''J^"' ^he fo^lowi,,rarc a fet^f 

 tne 1 recursor s dimensions : — 



Diameter of cylinder .. .. ''ft 'o" 



Length of stroke j g 



minuT.)" '''^''"'' I""*" 520 the pair ("the piston fra'veliing at 245 ft. per 



Burlhenl555 tons O.M.. and 1751 tons N.M 



ix'ngih from figure head to taffrail . . oci n 



Length from stem to talfrail ... ?Xi 



L-ngih of keel and forerake for tonnage 2^2 2 



Kxlteme bieadlh over paddle-boxes 611(1 



Breadth ,n deck between pa Jdle-boxes ^7 4 



I'-xtreme breadth on deck . 21 r 



Depth of hold amidships . . '.'. Sl 



w!!Sk! "!■ "■"" '° ^ V'; ''""^' ^"J fastenings .' .' .' .' .' .' 193 tons. 

 Weight of copper in bolls, &c. .. 36 



W eight ot copper sheathing, 13,000 superficial ft. '.'. '.'. l(j " 



Weight of hufi "^''^' '■°=''^°"^' '^"'1^" ^"d >'ieir water SCO ., 



^^^sfovs'&c'w'^'''"^'''''''? ?'"'''"''^ "'« <■"'' complement of sto^^s, pro- 

 forwird and, 'T ''V°''',r°y'«''' =""' S60 t™^ of coals, is 17 ft. 8 in. 

 of icnn'.Ml 1 f'^'f'-.i ^I'cy^sel is provided «ilh tanks for the stowage 



been bTrnVd „ ' ' "^ "'^,^°?' ^^i''^" ^^' ''O*' ^"^"cd in these tanks has 

 l^ir^oftl, ;i ^T.-T'"' fil '^'1 «>'l' «a'cr, thereby preserving the proper 

 trimof the ship, and Ihe requisite immersion of the paddles, 

 to 'he em'!n'! %V"^' ''T,'^'", \" ^^'''' «>-™igement and genera! appearance 

 InJ, / F V"'?- ^'=>"<lslay and Co., but stronger. They are a hand- 



rellercl?in',T''' ^^"'^''='"'*^l P'^ce of workmanship^ and there are several 

 theClvdern n, !. [ ™"^''-"C""" not always to be fiund in the engines of 

 alvec^asfn" M f 7'V / ^'T "! ^^'"^ Peculiarities we shall notice. The 

 en^lh i,?°r,'lJ n, 1 ° ^""u' ^°^l"^ •'^ "''*^ '•y''"'!" throughout its entire 

 bottom iLriJ^T^''" ^'H' '^''"''" fora.hori distance at the top and 

 midr.'i bi, I ^'^^^ "^ *' ?*''"" f"™' ^ D-shaped pipe, and in the 

 "alve cas nl ui,r,r, ^"''■" "■ *^'.""" "'"'■ "> permit the expansion of the 

 rre^,nf.„.^il, -^ "7""""",^ ('■acturc, flexure, or strain. Many engines 

 Loner^.r ,! "' ■'"' "PP'-^^ce, and in large engines the want "of it 

 ^mne Ltu "'"""''' ^"lous injury. Previous to the starting of the 

 Se,;ee nf 1 '"''' " ^'"''•'' ^"' ='"<^ '^'' cylinder always co!d.\nd the 

 euler s^arMh^^oi'n "".'""fT'^'i-^P,"" ">'' difference of temperature must 



AhhAto , ,h J ■ '""I'' ['"' '-ylindcr, or tear the perls asunder. 

 m;rvlp^,"V^. ='"1' °\ 'h's vessel are of such a large size, the valves 

 Sint -T'L-' I'-'f '!'"''■ 'r" "'''^" 'hey are cold and the grease of the 

 hke h,?Meer^nf^K f^T 't™' ?'" '' "'''''eved by means of a wheel 

 ntrasecnrln",)^^ ' "^u'.^'P'.,.::''-'^'^ ^'^'e^ ■"""«" '0 '^ piniou Working 

 mlanVrfl a O ,M ™'" f "*'■ „^'>'^ ''"entrie rod is thrown iut of gear, bv 

 Z imdir s^ e nf V" '""' '■'■'■""•^,'' '' "" ^'PPe'- e»d. The roller presses upon 

 Lofll.evnLl. f,r""l''''™^^^ ''"'^ '"'^ it sufficiently to disengage the 

 Cinl levlr tori. ""' ^'■'"" '^' ""** "^ ">e eccentric rod. This 3isea- 

 ftagmg le\cr turns upon an eccentr c axis, and is so adiusted that the 



tr;t"eeth''.7 the,"''"' '■" P*r?- "'"'^•' S'vesmotfon to The s^ 'and dra 

 the teeth of the pinion out of the teelh of the sector when the disengasin- 



lhrn'fhe"fccen,ric f T"™' ''"'' '^'\ '^°*'^-°» ^^^ "'» "ne proper to thITee? 

 rhestardn.uh. 1.^^ " '", ^'f- ^y "^''^ J'^'ieious and'elegant expedient 

 hrnwf,l^^.n,in " "^T ^' ''''T" ^y "'e engine, for the sSme act which 

 throws the engine in g-ar throws the starling wheel out of gear and the 



fnTar"?:;' m,'^,' """"" ""' "f gear^'"'°'°' .browing the Itar't ng whee 

 ufr,valv Tn ™"'T ^'^'•'e'l,ljy«l'eels this expedient is wanting, and 



:<^ls'in^ev''t^abfe';?Pn°elJ;r"' "'^'" "''''" '""'" ^^ "'^ ^^^i-s at, 

 h IS most gratifying to find that the sole plate and condenser are cast in 

 rass'^™hrS it "ti' ""''"''" '^ above ihc^ole plate, and "he main c.entr 

 sTd e con.a? , '.hi ^''^''^ ''.'" °/ '^' ,!"'""* ^PPe'^'" '" ''C made by the 

 S v a 1 e rid 1 ""■"'•'"eiy-fittcdmetaf surfaces, without rust, and with 

 "r^eescaealvesTh '"'"''"'•''■ ^^,' ^> '*"'''■" "^^e provided with good 

 an.Tannea'rinl^f .1 ' e^Pansion valves arc situated in the steam pipe, 

 ?,?lt',^Lf vn° . 1 ''" "'■^'""y description, with a compound cam. .adjusted 

 ends there are'r ^'^'''u ?' '■^l'?"»'™- '^he boilers .are fired from'' bolh 

 between ii,!r, 'I' '''i"! '"'^''•^ "^^ "^"^1 "("'^'-e f"'™. with a passage 



mki^.^6^;na;.'J"^^'''.■^^ '*,""" "^y "'■'''^ ■ each has four furnaces 

 Western or^n.Zwl".M'-r^''' ^°!^"' "'' '"" "'"'y '"^'B^' ^' '"'' '^t' Creat 

 and hev' dn nl, =^''' l"''',^" '""',' ''<^^'» Packets constructed in the Tliames ; 

 of cons!dpr!ld° ,^'Tf''' '" ^' '"■?^^' "■ "'" ^" '°"Per, although the engines are 



nd LeelW.L*^,.' *' ■f'°"'7- ihs paddle-wl.eels are of Ihe most substantia! 



nd excellent cor.slruction of <,«y that wc have seen. Of the internal parts j 



JUNB, 



of the engines, we cannot be expected to speak from our own observation, 

 we have aVanled"""* '° the externa! jiartsthey must partake of t!ie praise 



If we might be permitted to make a suggestion where everything appears 

 to have been so well managed, we should say that the boilers ou|ht to b^ 

 clothed ,„ore efTiciently The fronts of them are without clothing li all. ai^ 

 some of ihe steam pipes appear to us insufficiently covered. Thfs is a point 

 nvolvmg not comfort merely, but also economy of fuel, and we also consider 

 that^the wrought iron work is badly proportioned, the cross-heads are too 



The cabins of this vessel are most commodiously and tastefully arranged, 

 and especial at ention has been paid lo the conditions essential to ventilatTon 

 cleanliness, and comfort, in a warm climate. The beams and all the other 

 scantlings are of such dimensions as to ensure abundant strength in everv 

 par., and the fastenings and excellent system of diagonal trussing employed 

 are such .as to unite all the parts into a rigid and substantial wliole. 



Steam Ku 



1 1 , V ""'^r"''°" "" ','"" ^'""»«--There are now 16 steam vessels running 

 daily between Graveaend and London, tile same number to Woolwich 20 to 

 Greenwich, ntitnerous small steamers, the boats of the Waterman's Company, 

 and of tlie Old Woolwich Company— between Greenwich and Blackwall; 



viay to and from Dover, Ramsgate, Heme Bay, Southend, an 1 Sheerness. 

 the (general .steam Navigation Company musters 49 steamers, all sailin-^ 

 from London, a lieet superior to the steam fleet of any of the continental 

 fi mnmn"' T ' "W^ merchandise and properly t„ the amount of 

 if OOaOOO sterling weekly, and whose consumption of coals exceeds in value 

 ioO.OOO per annum. There are not less than 5U other large steam vessels 

 trading beHieen London and various ports in Great Britain and Ireland- 23 

 steam-tugs, carrying from 30 to 100 horse power each, exclusively en^a^ed 

 m lowing ships between Gravesend and the Pool ; 20 iron and wooden 

 steamers navigaiing the river above bridge, between London Bridge and 

 Uielsea; 2 constantly running between the Adelphi I'ier and Putnev; and 5 

 to Richmond. ■' 



The Tartarus steam vessel. Commander T. W. Smith, arrived at Woolwich 

 on Monday, April 2.3, from the West Indies. She has bt-en upwards of four 

 years in commission, traversing during that period a distance of 73 000 miles 

 and consuming about J400 tons of coal, witho it, in a single instance, bein<' 

 detained one hour from service for repairs to either hull or Ijoilers. ° 



Tlie Ho7i Company's Slram Frigate Acbar.—Oa Sunday at noon. 15th ult 

 this splendid war steamer left her anchorage at Gravesend. Iieanng the 

 lendant of Commodore Pepper, of the Indian navy, « ho will assume the 



manufactured -y Robert Napier of Glasgow, and are of a verv superior 

 uescnption she has four copper boilers of about seven tons each The 

 armoury i-, filled up with 100 percussion muskets, pistols, cutlasses, and mus- 

 ketoons, &c,tlie whole in beautiful order, and presenting a most warlike 

 appearance. The Acbar carries 500 tons of coal, which, with a consumption 

 ot a ton an hour, will enable her to steam 20 successive davs. She made her 

 passage from Gravesend to Falmouth, a distance of 370 miles, in 36 hours 

 which gives an average speed of more than 10 miles an hour. 



.American Marine Engines.— \V<t have been both astonished and gratified bv 

 the reception ol a drawing sent to us from America of an excellent side lever 

 marine engine constructed by Messrs. Stillman and Co. of New York for 

 two steamers built for the Spanish Government. '• El Regent" and - El Con- 

 gresco. It has been so much the habit of Europeans to regard the American 

 imchinery as rude and dangerous, as well as ur.suited to vessels intended for 

 the navigation of llie ocean— an impression in which, to a certain extent we 

 ourselves parlicii,ated— that this drawing has, we confess, suri.rised as m'uch 

 as It has dehghted us ; and it is an act of justice we feel called upon to render 

 to say that, so far as this drawing will enable us to form an opinion Messrs 

 Stillman s performance will not suffer by a comparison with Ihe work of even 

 the first of British nianufacturers. The framing of this engine rcsemblL's the 

 framing of Messrs. Fa»cett, Caird, and Borrie, and every part of it appears 

 to us well proportioned and arranged. The ingress and egress of the steam 

 to and and from the cylinder is regulated by spindle valves wrought bv an 

 eccentric ; whether these valves are of the single or double beat description 

 the drawing does not specify. The eccentric rod is provided with a Ion" nut 

 furnished with a right-handed and a left-handed thread, so as to diorlln or 

 lenglhen the rod at pleasure. There is an expansion valve of ihe common 

 descrinfion situated in the steam pipe, and «rought in the usual manner We 

 should have been glad lo have possessed more precise information respecting 

 the Ulterior of these engines, as for example, tlie nature of the piston 

 packiigs of the valves, air oump buckets, as well as some particulars respect- 

 ing tlie construclion of Ihe boiler, the consumpli.in of fuel, and the nature of 

 the performance as determined by the indicator. We trust we may be 

 favoured with such details, and no eftbrts of ours shall be wanting to make 

 the merits of the m.ichinery of America as extensively known and as hichlv 

 appreciated as its excellence appears to deserve. 



PROGRESS OF RAILVSTAYS. 



Railways in /Vance.— The Chamber of Peers assembled on Monday 9th 

 May, in their committee rooms for ihe purpose of electing a committee to 

 ie[iort on Ihe railway bill, brought up from the Chamber of Deputies. This 

 bill contains— first, a general classification of the lines intended to be con- 



