426 



THE CIVIL ENGINEER AND ARCHITECT'S JOURNAL. 



[Dkoember, 



The Cornish, and Boulloii and Walt Eiigints, creeled at the East 

 London Water Works, Old Fo,-d. Tuo.mas Wicksteed, Engineer. 

 London : Joliu \V(>.ile, 1S12. 



Mr. Wicksteed lias been unceasing for tlie last live years, in bring- 

 in" ri>rwar<l the merits and tlie superiority of tlie Cornish engine, for 

 piTinping; lie has manfully fought through all the prejudices that 

 were raised up against it. Before the Institution of Civil Engineers, 

 has he night after night contended, almost single handed, with iiis op- 

 ponents; in the engine room lias he daily watclied the progress of the 

 construction of the engine, and hourly has he experimented upon 

 every part of the ponderous machine, to trace the cause of the supe- 

 riorily of the Cornish engine for pumping, over that of the ordinary 

 engine; all lii« experiments he has recorded publicly, in such a plain, 

 candid and unostentatious manner, that it has called forth the praise 

 of all ; these were published some time since, and reviewed by us in 

 the Journal, p. 30S, vol. 4. Now, he has given us the engine ilself, so 

 accurately set forth in plan, section, elevation, detail and dimensions, 

 without attempting to conceal any portion, so that any engineer may 

 set to work and construct an engine from the drawings he has fa- 

 voured us with. Besides the Cornish engine, Mr. Wicksteed has 

 also furnished us with drawings and descri|)tion of the Boulton and 

 Watt l^umping Engine and Boiler, upon which lie also made the ex- 

 periments before alluded to. The plates are elaboralely engraved by 

 Gladwin, of the size of imperial, and are accompanied w ith a very clear 

 deseri|ition, drawn up by Mr. Graham, the Secretary of the Society 

 of Arts. There are four plates of the Cornish engine and boilers, 

 and four plates of the Boulton and Watt engine and boilers, 

 which likewise exhibit Stanley's Feeding Apparatus; and with the 

 letter-press there is an engraving by Lovvry, of Messrs. Harvey and 

 West's Patent Pump Valve, similar to the one with description that 

 was inserted in the /o«rHa/ for February ISIO, vol. 3, p. 41. These 

 valves ought to be adopted for all large pumping engines. 



We arc sure it is unnecessary for us to recommend such a very valu- 

 able work to the profession, ifor we feel certain it will soon be in the 

 hands of every one who takes a lively interest in the steam engine. 



Companion lo the Almanac for 1S43. 



Ok this new volume of the "Companion" we shall say very little at 

 present, it being our intention to notice the architectural subjects it 

 contains next month, when we shall be able to speak of them more 

 fully than we can now do oft-hand, just as our number is going to 

 press. In the interim we merely mention some of the articles in the 

 bill of fare, viz. Messrs. Wyatt & Brandon's new church at Wilton, 

 and their Assize Courts at Cambridge ; Mr. Poynter's church, Broad- 

 way, Wcslminsler ; the Wesleyan College or institution, Richmond; 

 and Mr. Ewart's offices, Liverpool ; which last structure is not the 

 least commeudaljle for the taste displayed in it. Although these con- 

 stitute the more prominent subjects, several other buildings are no- 

 ticed, and some of ihem are rather fully described — for instance, the 

 houses composing the facade and building in front of Marks' Carriage 

 Repository, Langham Place, or rather what is the principal one of that 

 graip of houses, and which, though it does not show itself externally 

 to be larger than the rest, is internally eijual to three of them. This 

 residence is laid out in very superior style, and has a libiary or gallery 

 very striking in its plan and effect. 



"There can be no doubt that the "Companion" has contributed not a 

 little to render the subject of architecture more popular tluui it used 

 to be, as it is a very widely diffused publication; nevertheless, that 

 portion of the work is susceptible of improvement, for a greater num- 

 ber of pages might be allowed for it. 



Philosophical Conversations. By Frederic C. B.^kewell. Lon- 

 don : Harvey and Darton. 



This is the second edition of a cheap and popular work on the ap- 

 plication of natural philosophy to the pursuits of daily life, and is an 

 explanation ot the most striking terrestial phenomena, and which 

 we strongly recommend to the young friends of our readers. 



Ancient and Modern Architecture. Edited bv M.Jules Gailuabaud. 

 Part -2. London : Didot & Co. 



The present number is of more interest even than its predecessor. 

 It introduces to the architect the Persian monument ofNakshi Kustam, 

 a most curious specimen of that ancient school of art. The accom- 

 panying plates illustrate the well known cave temple of Ellora, in 

 the East Indies. 



Record o/ Patent Inventions. By Alexander Prince. 



A valuable addition to this class of periodicals. It takes upon 

 itself as its distinguishing characteristic, the duty of giving all spe« 

 cifications as they are enrolled, which appears to be done with great 

 clearness. 



Adcock's Engineer's Pocket Book for 1843. London : Simpkin 

 and Marshall. 



This contains the usual mass of valuable tables and useful informa- 

 tion for (he engineer. 



English Patents. By Andrew Pritchard. London: Whittaker 

 and Co. 



This is a useful list of patents for 1841, with an index. 



PROF. DONALDSON'S LECTURES ON ARCHITECTURE. 



We have on several occasions attended Mr. Donaldson's courses 

 at University College, and are pleased to see the success that at- 

 tends him in the discharge of his duties, and in the number of his 

 pupils. The courses at present are purely elementary, and are well 

 illustrated with drawings and experiments. From time to time ex- 

 aminations of the pupils on the previous lectures take place, when 

 the pupils answer either orally or by drawing the subject to be 

 described. It was evident from these examinations that the class 

 possesses the best qualifications in students — attention, and they seem 

 also to take a great interest in the lectures. In a recent lecture on 

 the Corinthian order, Mr. Donaldson observed, in reference to the fa- 

 bulous origin of the capital, that some people were inclined to look 

 with a severe eye on such tales. He, however, did not think that in 

 a studv so abstruse as theirs, the imaginative should be quite dis- 

 carded. He thought that they ought to be allowed to beguile them- 

 selves a little in the regions of imagination. Paraphrasing Cicero's 

 saying — "Nemo unquam mugnus fuit sine aliquo artlatu divino," he 

 went on to remark that, "no man ever produced a great work without 

 great eftbrt of their imagination; and that if they rejected the fable 

 on historical grounds, they could at least learn one lesson from it — 

 always to look at nature, and they might derive from the commonest 

 objects happy ideas which they might introduce into their own works. 

 Even going along in his walks in the neighbourhood of the me- 

 tropolis, he often saw in the rank weeds of the ditches, luxiu'iant fo- 

 liage, well calculated for architectural effect, and took out his pencil 

 and sketched them." He gave it as his opinion that the original 

 Corinthian capital was to be sought in those specimens where the 

 corniculi are deficent and where only a row or two of foliage sur- 

 rounds the cap. 



WHITE LEAD. 



A new process of manufacturing white lead or carbonate of lead, (and for 

 vhich a patent has been granted for Great Britain and lri.'land,) is now being 

 exhibited at the late •' Pin Manufactory," in the Bmough Koa:l, Southwark. 

 We have not yet had an opportuniiy of fully satisfying ourselves as to the 

 white lead produced by it, and shall therefore notice it in our next number. 

 However, as far as we can judge from examining some small samples which 

 have been furnished us, we are of opinion that the (juality is quite equal to 

 the best made by the ordinary or old process. The rapidity, cheapness, and 

 simplicity with which the metallic lead is converted into a carbonate by this 

 process, is sufficient to recommend it to the investigation of those who are 

 eugnged in the manufacture of so important and indispensable an article. 

 We are informed that a manufactory, by the process alluded to above, has 

 been for 2 years successfully in operation in America, and that patents have 

 ban secured in most of the Continental kingdoms. 



Soulli Eastern RuilHiiy. — The Saltwood Tunnel. — 'llus work which h.os 

 hilhorlo assumed a very formidable aspect owing to the immense ijuantity of 

 water, ue are happy to slate is being successtiiliy dealt with ; the stratum is 

 the lower green sand, containing an immerse volume of waler; the ditfuully 

 Inis been in sinl\ing the shafts and driving the adits at the level of the 

 boitom ot the tunnel, »hich arose from the rapid collecting of llie water 

 so as to compel the miners to retreat from the worUs or they would have 

 been drowned ; this has now been successfully overcome, and the adit is 

 formed completely ilirongli tlie bill so as to let all the water run out at one 

 end, where nearly 3(J,U0U gallons of waler now How uvcry liour ; «e are in- 

 Ibnnc'd that about 'M millions of gallons of water were drawn to the surface, 

 during the time ihc workmen drew 3-000 yards of earth or about 30 times the 

 weight of waler compared with the earth. The tunnel is now commenced 

 ami there appears to be no real difficulty left in the w.iy of its completion. 



