1870.] Engineering — Civil and Mechanical. 405 



ground for the first 13J miles, and then rises to a height of 2500 feet 

 by means of inclined planes of 1 in 10, worked by stationary engines. 

 From this summit, for a distance of 68 miles, the lino crosses a suc- 

 cession of short ridges and valleys, with occasional deep cuttings and 

 embankments. A description of " The St. Pancras Station and Eoof, 

 Midland Eailway," was read by Mr. W. H. Barlow on 29th March. 

 As this work has already been noticed in this Journal, we shall not 

 give any further account of it now. " The Maintenance and Ee- 

 newal of Eailway Eolling Stock," by Mr. E. Price Williams, on 

 12th April, is a most important and interesting paper, but it is so 

 filled with statistics and figures as to render any short abstract im- 

 possible. On May 3rd, Mr. George Berkley read a most important 

 paper " On the Strength of Iron and Steel, and on the Design of 

 parts of Structures which consist of those materials." And on 24th 

 May two papers were read, the one by Mr. George Fowler, " On the 

 Belative Safety of different modes of Working Coal," and the other, 

 " On Coal Mining in Deep Workings," by Mr. Emmerson Bain- 

 bridge. 



Institution of Mechanical Engineers. — At a general meeting of 

 this Institution, held on 28th April, amongst other business a paper 

 was read " On a Steam Eoad-Eoller." This roller was 25 tons weight, 

 and 9 feet wide ; it could roll an area of 300 square yards per hour, 

 with a consumption of coal of about 1 cwt. per hour. The adhesion 

 was found sufficient for gradients as steep as 1 in 9. 



South Wales Institute of Engineers. — On the 5th May, at the 

 usual general meeting of this Society, held at Newport, Monmouth- 

 shire, discussion was resumed on Mr. J. Brogden's paper " On the 

 Comparative Merits of large and small Trams for Colliery Use," and 

 " On Bernard's Coal-Washing Machine." A paper was also read " On 

 the Application of Blast of a High Temperature to Blast Furnaces 

 of moderate Elevation," by Mr. Thomas Whitwell. 



The Neiv York Society of Practical Engineers. — A well-timed 

 paper was read on 20th April last by Mr. C. Williams, " On the 

 Old and New Methods of City Transit," in which a history was pre- 

 sented of the various methods from time to time attempted to facili- 

 tate locomotion in cities and towns ; and the paper wound up with 

 a description of a method of applying compressed air to locomotive 

 purposes. 



Literature. 



' Eeport on the Maritime Canal connecting the Mediterranean 

 at Port Said with the Eed Sea at Suez,' by Captain Eichards, E.N., 

 F.E.S., Hydrographer to the Admiralty, and Lieutenant-Colonel 

 Clarke, C.B., E.E., Director of Engineering and Architectural 

 Works, Admiralty. This report has been published by Govern- 



