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THE CIVIL ENGINEER AND ARCHITECFS JOURNAL. 



[November, 



notches cut in them, so that when the first wheel counted units, the second 

 wheel indicated tens and so on progressively. 



The principle of these machines was carried out in a complex manner 

 which required very neat adjustment to prevent their being deranged while 

 working; the author after he succeeded liis lather as engineer to the Bank 

 of England turned his attention to this point, and the result has been the 

 production of the machine described in the paper. 



Four wheels, each divided by 10 notches, leaving a facet between each, 

 engraved with constructive numbers from 1 to 0, are placed upon a shaft, a 

 portion of their breadth being turned down .about one-half of their depth, 

 having a boss or collar between each ; upon these bosses and tilling up the 

 spaces, rest latches, and over each wheel is a pall, the width of the first 

 being equ.!] to that of the unit wheel, and the breadth of the others equal- 

 ling that of the wheel and latch ; — the palls are driven by a crank, by each 

 revolution of which, the first wheel is moved tliroiigh a space equal to one- 

 tenth of its entire circumference, bringing regularly forward the numbers 

 from I to 0, at which point, the latch of the second wheel is depressed, and 

 the wheel moves forward one division, marking the tens ; the same process 

 is repeated with regard to the other wheels, and thus any amount of num- 

 bers can be registered, by simply increasing the number of the wheels in 

 proportion. 



Machines on this plan are now generally adopted in the Bank of England 

 with perfect success, and in some cases they are added to the Bramah num- 

 bering machines; and as the author believed that they might be adapted to 

 other purposes than Bank-note printing, he presented the drawings and des- 

 cription of them to the Institution. 



June 14. — The President in the Chair. 



" On Iron Sheathing, broad-headed Nails, and Inner Sheathing for Ships." 

 By J. J. Wilkinson. 



These three papers complete the subject which the author commenced in 

 the year 1841, and continued during the present session.* 



The first treats of the use of beaten iron, and iron nails, even in Ycry an- 

 cient vessels, their corrosion, and consequent abandonment ; the attempted 

 introduction of rolled iron for the purpose of sheathing. It touches hghtly 

 on the construction of iron vessels, and on various atteraps to protect them, 

 which experience has now shown to be unnecessary, as the first iron steamer 

 built by Mr. A. Manby in 1821, at the Horseley iron-works, has been in con- 

 stant use on the river Seine up to the present period, without showing any 

 symptoms of oxidation, although the only precautions taken, have been to 

 apply a coat of pitch, as often as to a wooden vessel. Extracts are then 

 made from Mr. Grantham's treatise on " Iron as a material for Ship- 

 building."t A list is then given of the patents connected with iron sheathing 



» Minutes of Proceedings, 1841, pp. 318, 357, and 360, Vol. IV, and 1842, 



p K9. 



+ Iron ns a Material for Ship-luilding. By John Grantham. .Simpkin and 

 Co., 1842. Pages 6, 7,' 8. and 9. 



" The first iron steam-vessel, and the first that ever put to sea, was built 

 at the Horsiley Iron Works, for the IliTer Seine, and called the ' Aaron 

 Manby,' after the name of the projector and builder. I have lately been 

 favoured by Mr. Manby viith the parliculars relating to this vessel, which 

 are very interestins; as recording the origin of iron steam-vessels. He slates 

 in his communication, dated 19th February. 1842, that under a patent «hich 

 he took out in France for iron steam-boats, in 1820, he, with his friend 

 Captain (now Admiral Mr Charles) Napier, formed a society, and immedi- 

 ately be^an to construct the first boat at Horseley, but owing to some cir- 

 cumstances connected with the parties at Pari.';, she was not completed till 

 the fnd of 1821. .She was then sent to London in parts, and put together in 

 the .Surrey Canal Dock. She took in a cargo of linseed and iron castings 

 and Captain Napier took charge of her, and navigated her from London 

 direct to Havre, and thence to Paris, withoutunloading any part of the cargo, 

 she being the first and only vessel of any description that ever went direct 

 from London lo Paris. Mr. Manby continues, 'Some time after, I built 

 another iron steam-vessel of the same description, with a few alterations, at 

 Horseley; bit, owing lo the navigation laws in France, she could not be 

 admitted, and w."S obliged to be shipped in parts, anil 1 put her together at 

 Charenton. near Paris, w here I had then established iron-works, and where I 

 subsequently ronslructed two olher iron steam-boals, the whole for the navi- 

 galion of the .Seine. They continued prosperously at work till 18.30, when, 

 owing to the Revolution, and some disputes among the shareholders, they 

 were sold to a new society. In this new society I had no further interest, 

 but they continued navigating up to the period of my quitting France, and I 

 believe" are all at work at the present time. From 1822 to 1830 the hull of 

 the ' Aaron Manby " never required any repairs, although she had been re- 

 peatedly aground, with her cargo on b ard.' 



'• The next iron steam-vessel with which I am acquainted was one built by 

 the Horseley Company, under my father's (Mr. Grantham, sen.) superintend- 

 ence. This vessel was commenced about the year 1824; was put together in 

 this port (Liverpool^, and after a series of delays, crossed the Channel in 

 182.5, and proceeded to her destination. Lough Derg, on the river Shannon. 

 .Since then she has been constantly at work, and is now in good condition. 



".Shortly after this time, Mr. John Laird of Nnrlh Birkenhead, com- 

 menced building them on a large scale, and has since been extensively and 

 successively engaged in this pursuit. Mr. Fairbairn, of Manchester, also 

 very early took an interest in iron-vessels, and was a party to a series of 

 experiments made at Glasgow, in which iron vessels were employed. 



•' The ' Ironsides ' was the first iron sailing vessel of any magnitude that 



and the various modes of preserving it from corrosion, alluding particularly 

 to the valuable labours of Mr. Mallet (of Dublin) on this subject in the 

 archives of the Institution.* 



The next division treats of metallic sheathing or a coating of metallie 

 o.xide, formed by driving broad-headed nails nearly in contact with each 

 other, into the sheathing board ; this process is called filling. The nails 

 used for this purpose by the Romans, were of the same form as those of the 

 present day. There are autlientic records of " filling " being generally ia 

 use in this country in 1660 — but it is conjected that it was practised much. 

 antecedent to that time, and it has continued in use until recently in Swedish 

 and Danish ships. This mode of protecting the piles of harbours and piers 

 from the ravages of the worm is then treated of, and examples are given of 

 its success in various situations. 



The third division treats of the inner coating or sheathing, which it has 

 been found necessary to use, independently of the external metallic sheathing. 

 It is stated, that some of the stronger and more adhesive kinds of inner 

 sheathing, have proved mainly instrumental in preserving vessels from sink- 

 ing, when the outer sheathing has failed or been destroyed. 



Hair is noticed as among the earliest materials used for inner sheathing ; 

 it was usually applied in a loose state and fixed by pitch or other resinous 

 substances; it was subsequently woven into and used as a cloth — the coarse 

 part of flax was in the time of the Romans bruised and driven between the 

 seams of their galleys. A vessel was discovered in the Mediterranean Sea 

 (between the years 1458 and 1464) in a depth of water of 12 fathoms, 

 where it is supposed to have lain for nearly 1400 years; the deck and sides 

 were covered with paper, linen, and leaden plates. In all the oldest vessels 

 which have been discovered the hair was perfectly fresh, although the timber 

 was in a state of decay, and it is stated that the worm never penetrates 

 through an inner sheathing of hair. In the year 1701, when copper 

 sheathing was introduced, experiments were tried upon dift'erent kinds of 

 paper for lining, and after trying white-lead and other substances, thick 

 brown paper dipped in tar was found to be the best. 



A list is then given of the patents for different kinds of "felt" now used 

 for inner sheathing — noticing particularly that of Messrs. Borrodaile and 

 Co. which appears to be that wliich is most generally approved. Cocoa-nut 

 fibre and cork, and many other substances, which have been tried at different 

 times, are noticed, and the paper concludes with a copious list of the ex- 

 periments upon the subject, which the author has compiled from various 

 sources. 



" On the Sinking and Tut>l/ing, or Coffering of Pits, as practised in the 

 Coal Districts of the North of England." By Robert Thomas Atkinson, 

 M. Inst. C. E. 



This communication describes the means usually adopted in the Northern 

 coal districts, for effecting the " winning" of those valuable mines, and the 

 author expresses the obligation he is under to his uncle Mr. Buddie, to whose 

 valuable documents he had free access during the progress of liis labours. 



It commences with noticing the early periods of mining, before the intro- 

 duction of steam power for pumping, when the extraction of coal was almost 

 wholly confined to such tracts as could be drained by free water-courses, 

 " adits," or levels ; the chain and bucket pumps, and other limited and ex- 

 pensive means, are then explained, with the principles of free drainage, 

 showing that it was generally only applicable to districts of small extent, 

 and that the best mines were left untouched. 



Steam-engines upon Newcomen's principle, were first used in the New- 

 castle district in the beginning of the last century, and they underwent many 

 modifications, before they were superseded by the Boulton and Watt engines 

 now generally used. The consequence of this introduction of steam power 

 for raising coal, instead of accomplishing it by means of horse gins and 

 other rude contrivances, is that the capability of supply appears only limited 

 by the demand. 



Over and above the weight of coal raised, it is necessary to draw immense 

 quantities of water for the purpose of draining the mines. In some col- 

 lieries the weight of water pumped up, amounts to as much as four times 

 that of the coal raised. At the Percy Main colliery (which is rather an ex- 

 treme instance) 3922 tons of water are pumped up daily, while only 636 

 tons of coal are raised in the same time. At the Benwell colliery, which is 

 an average case, the weight of water amounts to 2020 tons per day, and the 

 coals raised to 768 tons or 38 per cent, of the weight of water. 



The principal technical mining terms in use in the northern districts, are 

 then explained, and the author proceeds to describe the methods of sinking 

 the shafts, noticing the difficulties which occur in traversing strata of various 

 kinds, and the modes of overcoming them — the temporary timbering with 

 " cribs " and " deals " pievious to walling — and the diflferent kinds of " tub- 

 was employed for sea voyages, and she has been highly successful. She has 

 made three trips to and from South America, and fully realizes all the ad- 

 vantages proposed in her construction." 



In a letter from Cliarles Wye Williams, Esq., dated Dublin, August 21, 

 1842, he says, " The old iron steamer called the ' Marquess Wellesley.' built 

 for Mr. Grantham at the Horseley Works, is sliU working and in good order. 

 I went in her recently through Lough Ree and some of the tributary streams 

 that run into the Shannon,'"— (Sec. Inst. C. E.) 



» Minutes of Proceedings, 1840, p. 387,Vol. IIL 



