NA TURE 



THURSDAY, JANUARY 4, 1906. 



BRITISH PROGRESS IN ENGINEERING. 

 National Engineering and Trade Lectures. Edited 

 by Ben H. Morgan. Vol. i., British Progress in 

 Municipal Engineering. By W. H. Maxwell. 

 Pp. 182. Price 6s. net. Vol. ii., Britisli Progress 

 in Pumps and Pumping Engines. By P. R. Bjor- 

 ling. Pp. xii + 92. Price 6s. net. Vol. iii., British 

 Progress in Gas Works' Plant and Machinery. By 

 C. E. Brackenbury, A.M.I.C.E. Pp. xii + 105. 

 Price 6s. net (London : Archibald Constable and 

 Co., Ltd., 1905.) 



THESE lectures, as they are termed, are stated to 

 be " a project to stimulate and expand British 

 trade in colonial and foreign markets," and their 

 " primary object is to show colonial and foreign buyers 

 what progress Great Britain has made up to the pre- 

 sent time in the manufacture of all classes of 

 machinery and goods. Each lecture will emphasise 

 novel points of design and utility, and up-to-date 

 methods of manufacture ; and these points will be 

 graphically illustrated by reproductions of photographs 

 and drawings." They are, accordingly, evidently de- 

 signed to have an advertising and business character, 

 instead of the educational and instructive objects 

 which are generally associated with lectures. Engineer- 

 ing is assigned the first place in the British indus- 

 tries to be dealt with ; and the three volumes enu- 

 merated above are the first ones published of the 

 engineering series, eleven more of which are stated 

 to be in preparation by experts in the different 

 branches. 



The first of these books, relating to municipal 

 engineering, is definitely divided into three lectures, 

 the first commencing with an introductory review of 

 the progress of sanitary science and the work of 

 large British municipalities, and then proceeding to 

 deal with road engineering and maintenance ; the 

 second lecture treats of sewerage and main drainage, 

 and sewage and refuse disposal ; and the third -is de- 

 voted to water supply. 



Each lecture contains more printed matter than 

 could possibly be read within the usual allotted period 

 of one hour, not allowing for any references to illus- 

 trations ; whilst, on the other hand, the space given to 

 these lectures is far too limited to enable these very 

 important subjects, with their wide range, to be dealt 

 with except in a very cursory manner. The aim, 

 however, it must be remembered, of these so-called 

 lectures is not to explain the principles and describe 

 the practice of various branches of engineering, but 

 to indicate to persons in the colonies and abroad, by 

 the aid of illustrations and brief descriptions in some 

 cases, what are considered the best materials and the 

 newest and most useful types of machines for carry- 

 ing out works in these different branches, and the 

 names of the manufacturers in Great Britain who 

 supply them. For this purpose, in addition to the 

 names of manufacturers and companies, appended in 

 many cases to references to municipal works, plant, 

 and materials, in the text, and to the illustrations, a 

 NO. 1888, VOI . 7$~\ 



list is supplied at the end of each lecture of the 

 various makers of the plant, machinery, tools, and 

 materials used in the municipal works which it 

 describes, occupying altogether forty-eight pages. A 

 short appendix, also, at the end of the book, gives a 

 very useful list of the literature bearing on municipal 

 engineering, to assist persons desiring fuller inform- 

 ation on the subjects referred to. 



These lectures are well illustrated by 196 very clear 

 figures and views, consisting of photographic repro- 

 ductions and drawings, mostly in full-page plates, 

 with a few folding ones; and a fairly full synopsis of 

 each lecture, together with a list of the illustrations 

 at the commencement of the book, is considered to 

 serve the purpose of an index. Valuable particulars 

 about certain important municipal works will be found 

 here and there in the book ; but, whereas the two 

 succeeding volumes, on pumps and gas works, are 

 fairly well suited for the business objects of these 

 lectures, owing to their appertaining so closely to 

 mechanical engineering, the scientific, biological, and 

 civil engineering aspects of municipal works have had 

 to be, to a large extent, sacrificed to the main purpose 

 of these publications. 



In the second volume of this series, a brief introduc- 

 tion indicates the importance of pumping and 

 hydraulic machinery, and the main points that should 

 be considered in the selection of pumps under different 

 conditions; and the author then proceeds to describe, 

 with the aid of illustrations, the principal types of 

 pumps and pumping engines made by the chief 

 British firms, pointing out the special features to be 

 borne in mind in buying them, and the particular sort 

 of work for which each form of pump is best adapted. 

 Eight distinct classes of pumps are described in 

 separate sections, namely, pumps worked by hand, 

 pumps driven by water-power and wind-power, gas 

 and oil engine, hot-air, and compressed air-pumps, 

 electrically-driven pumps, and steam-pressure pumps; 

 and the different forms of pumps in each class are 

 given with the names of their makers, together with 

 allusions to their merits in special cases, and any de- 

 ficiencies in respect to certain conditions of work. 

 Electricity is being rapidlv extended as a motive 

 power for pumps, especially for underground working 

 in collieries and mines, and where the power has to be 

 transmitted to a considerable distance; and the con- 

 struction of directly-driven centrifugal pumps, pumps 

 driven by single, double, and treble gearing, and by 

 belt, the " Riedler " pump, and the sinking pump, is 

 briefly explained. The descriptions of steam pumps 

 occupy half the book, dealt with successively under the 

 four types of direct-acting, rotative, pulsating, and 

 rope- and belt-driven pumps. The book is illustrated 

 by ninety-seven views and drawings of pumps, 

 and at the end, after a short list of books on 

 pumps and pumping-engines published in Great 

 Britain, a directory of British manufacturers of these 

 machines is given occupying twenty-one pages. As 

 in the first volume, the table of contents and an un- 

 paged list of plates are the only index provided in 

 tliis and the succeeding volume; and the illustrated 

 reference to the English De Laval centrifugal pumps 



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