350 



NATURE 



[August 8, 1895 



country. That, however, remains to be seen, and one must 

 remember how diflicult it is to shalce trade customs, however 

 much they may stand in the way of advancement in manufactur- 

 ing processes. 



.Mr. I)e;»s" |)aper on Clyde navigation improvemenls was an- 

 other excellent contribution to the procccdini;s of the Institution, 

 although perhaps rather of the nature of a civil than a mechanical 

 engineering paper. We use the term "civil engineering " in 

 its restricted but more generally accepted sense. The Clyde 

 is probably the most artificial tidal river in the world. What 

 man has done for the Clyde, and what the Clyde has done 

 for Cilasgow, ever)' one has heard. Mr. Deas carries the 

 det.ails of the narrative a step further, showing how he built up 

 gixxi and eniluring quay walls svhere the nature of the ground 

 rendered the task one of the greatest difticulty. The most 

 striking feature was the series of hollow concrete cylinders, 

 sunk into the natural sanil or gravel to form a foundation for the 

 <(uay walls. The methcKl of sinking was ingenious, anil to those 

 interested in these matters a perusal of the pajier will be of 

 great interest, both in regard to this and many other points. 



Mr. Kllington's jxtper was one of great interest, as, intleed, 

 were all the memoirs read at this meeting. The author has 

 taken the foremost position in the introduction of the distribu- 

 tion of hydraulic power from a central station. The first example 

 <jn a large .scale was the installation al Mull, which w;is laid 

 down in 1877. This was followed, after an interval of seven 

 years, by the London scheme, which has now reached large 

 <iimcnsions, not far from ten million gallons of water being 

 pumpe<l per week at a pressure of 750 lbs. to the s<iuare inch ; the 

 mains extending over the most imporl.ant p;irls of the melro])olis. 

 Since then the system has l>een applied in Liver]>ool, Melbourne, 

 Birmingham, Sydney, and -Antwerp ; the latter city using over 

 three million gallons |ier week. The latest examples are Man- 

 chester and Cilasgow, where the pressure has been increased to 

 1120 lbs. to the square inch. Il was the (ilasgow .scheme that 

 .Mr. Kllington chiefly <lescribed. These woiks have been 

 •carried out under the su|K-rvision of Mr. Corl)et Woodall, acting 

 for the Cor|K)ration. The engine-house is laid out to contain 

 six sets of triple conipounti engines of 200-horse jxiw er each. 

 There are two accumulators having rams iS inches in diameter, 

 and 23 feet stroke; each is loaded to 127 tons. The capacity 

 is 57,500 gallons ))er hour at the standard pressure of 1 120 lbs. 

 to the s<|uare inch. The water supply is taken from the 

 •CorjKiration mains ; in Ijindon Thames water is used. The 

 mains are 7 inches in tliameter, there being gutta-percha packing 

 rings at the joints. 



.Speaking of the efiiciency of the system, the author founded his 

 remarks chiefly on his experience in London, and it w.as found 

 that the aver.age for ten years was o'9243. The ctTiciency is de- 

 lennined by the fraction representing the ratio of the (juanlily of 

 water registered by consumers' meters to the (juanlily pum|ied 

 at the central stations. In Liverpool a slill better coeflicient 

 is obtaincil, the efiiciency being 0'9555. A Parkinson meter is 

 used by the author ; this is very like a gas meter. The Kent 

 ]>ositive low-pres.sure meter is largely usetl in London. 



rerha|>s the most interesting [art of Mr. Kllington's |)a|)er 

 was that in which he com|>ared the cost of hydraulic power sup- 

 ply and electric supply. The results were largely in favour of 

 the water system, and were certainly somewhat surprising to 

 many. In making this coiu|>arison data were taken from the 

 reconis of the Ix>ndon Hydraulic I'ower Company and of the 

 Wcslmin.ster Electric Supply Cor|)oratiim. In making the 

 comparison looo gallons o( water at 750 lbs. \ki square inch is 

 laken as equivalent lo 6 5 1 8 Boaril of Trade units of electricity. 

 Thi- analysis showed thai the slalion cost o( hyilraulir |i<iwer is 

 5I72</. |>cr thou-sind gallons pum|>ed at a previure of 750 lbs. 

 jier Mjuarc inch. The corres|)<>nding cost of an ei|uivalent 

 r<ni'runt of electric energ)', reduced lo the same hydraulic 

 rl. is 9'oi4y/. |>er thousand gallims ; on an electrical 

 r.l i.f Hiiard of Trade units of 0793^/. and 1 ■383^/. for 

 I I electrical energy res|KCtively. Il was a curious 



' ■\\.\\. in nuaking ihis comparison, ihe capital outlay, 



• ...;,,.;. ,..,;, lily vild, and average price obtained were nearly 

 ihe same ; il was only in cost of pr'Kluction that the divergence 

 was remarkable. .\ further point that came out in the di.scussion 

 wa.H ihai the dividends jiaiil by the two companies res|)eclivcly 

 were not greally ilifferenl. The author could come lo no other 

 conclusion on the figures than that, from some cause nol 

 hitherlfi- explainer!, hydraulic |)ower is much less cr>stly to 

 priKluce than eleclricily. I'rof. Kenne'ly, who occupieil the 



chair, and who is so largely responsible for the distribution of 

 electrical energy, could find no fault with Mr. Kllington's figures; 

 but we believe the matter is likely to become the subject of 

 further investigation. 



We do nol propose dealing with the many excur.sions that 

 were made, and which included visits 10 a large number of 

 shipyards, engine works, iron and steel works, as well as the 

 large Corporation undertakings, such as the gas and water works. 

 To describe these at all adequately would require a volume 

 rather than an article. It will suffice to say here that these 

 excursions were well attended, and the meeting was highly 

 successful generally. 



NO, 1345, VOL. 52J 



THE INTERNATIONAL CEOCKAFH ICAI. 

 CONGRESS. 



""rilK closing meeting of the Internalional (leographical Con- 

 Jiress took jilace on Saturday morning (.August 3). and there 

 seemed to be no dissentieius from the opinion thai in all its 

 tieparlments the Congress has Ijeen a great success. In parti- 

 cular, Ihe meeting is to be congratulated on accomplishing much 

 important work, and combining ihcrewilh a large amount of 

 entertainment and social intercourse, without imduly taxing the 

 energies of its members. While there was no reason to expect, 

 in a scientific body like Ihe Congress, any serious complication 

 of interests, it is specially satisfactory to recognise the spirit 

 which showed itself in all the sittings from day today, and found 

 its most definite expression in the graceful and courteous speech 

 in which General (Ireely seconded the proposal ihai the Congress 

 accept the invitation of the Cerman delegates 10 hold the next 

 meeting in Berlin. The Congress has not as yet met in 

 (Jermany, and it was felt that a large number of mendiers would 

 have great ditiicvdly in attending a meeting at Washington, 

 although a visii in ihe L'niled Stales otVerecl many inducements 

 lo accept the cordial invitation which came from that cuuniry. 



At the close of its proceedings the Congress gave deliverance 

 on a number of inqxirlant questions which we may lake as 

 representing the general views of geographical experts on matters 

 of special moment in thai branch of science. With regard to 

 -Africa il was agreed that it is desirable to bring to the notice of 

 the ( ieographical .Socielies inlerested in .Africa the atlvantages to 

 be gained : — 



(1) Hy the execution of accurate topographical surveys, lased 

 on a sufficient triangulalion, of the districts in .Africa suitable for 

 colonisation by lairopeans. 



(2) By encouraging travellers to sketch areas rather than mere 

 routes. 



(3) By the formation and publication of a list of all the places 

 in unsurveyed Africa, which have been accurately determined by 

 astronomical observations, with explanations of the methods 

 employeil. 



(4) By the accurate determination of the position of many of 

 the most important places in unsurveyed .\frica, for which 

 operation Ihe lines of telegraph already erected, or in course 

 of erection, afi'ord so great facililies. 



Kesolulions were pa.sscd as to the collection and cataloguing of ' 

 cartographic materials, and urging that all maps should bear ihe 

 dale of their publicalion, and the reporl of an influential 

 commission api)ointed al Berne to consider a pro|)osed map ol 

 Ihe world on a scale of 1 : 1,000,000 was adopteil in a form 

 endx>dj^ing a resoluliim that : - 



(1) "The Commission has received the Report of ihe Heme 

 Conunillee, and feels gralefiil for the work done by it. ^ 



(2) The Comniissiiin iledares ihal ihe production of a map of 

 ihe earth lo be exceedingly desirable. ^ 



(3) \ scale of 1 ; i.ooo.coo is recomniemled as being more 

 esiiecially suited for that purpose. 



(4) The Commission recommemls lhal each sheel of Ihe map 

 l)c bounded by arcs of parallels and of meridians. .A poly-conical 

 projecliim is the only one which is deserving ol consideration. 

 K.ich sheel ol the map is to end)race 4 degrees of latiuide and 

 6 degrees of longitude, up lo Oo degrees north, and 12 ilegrces 

 of longitude beyond lhal parallel. 



(5) The Connnission recommends uniinimously that ilu- 

 meridian of I'lreenwich and the metre be accepted for tliis map. 



(6) The Commission recmmnends goverimienls, institutions, 

 and socielies, who may publish maps, lo acccepi the scale' 

 recommended. 



(7) The Commission lays down ils mandate, nnd recommends 



