this country. Several instances were mentioned in which extensive mischief had been done, both to places and individuals, by these turn-outs; especially the removal of Mr. Heathcote's bobbin-net manufactory into Devonshire, whereby 2,000 hands were thrown out of employment in the district from which he removed. Mr. Merritt mentioned the turn-out at Liverpool, four years ago, of all the workmen conected with the building trades, estimated at 16,000 in number. The objects they proposed to themselves were principally three: first, to put an end to building by contract; secondly, to obtain the same wages for a smaller quantity of work; and, thirdly, to include all workmen in the union; in all which objects they signally and completely failed. Several other striking facts were mentioned, all tending to show, that in every struggle of this kind the men have always been ultimately defeated.

Ruthven's Improvement on Iron Rails for Railroads. — Mr. Ruthven of Edinburgh has bestowed much time and labour in contriving a form of a rail which, he thinks, will be found to possess material advantages over the wrought-iron rails now in use. The subjoined figures represent a section of the rail (fig. 136. a) and the chair (b).

The rail (a) consists of a tube of cast-iron, about 4 or 5 inches in diameter, and thicker below than above. At top it extends upwards, leaving a flat surface (c) for the wheel of the car

riage. It is formed in lengths of 9 feet or more, and has a chair, marked by the dotted line d d, cast on it at the middle, and, of course, immovable. The chair for joining the ends of two rails

133

d

is of the form b. Its curved interior exceeds a semicircle; so that it embraces and retains the rails without any pins.

The advantages of this invention, in Mr. Ruthven's opinion, are the following:

1. The hollow rail (the bottom of which, it must be remembered, is one half thicker than the sides and top) is much stronger than a solid rail of the same weight and materials. 2. The tubular form is a security against its bending laterally outwards or inwards. 3. The joined ends, being embraced within the chair, are more effectually secured from springing up than in the usual way, by pins; while the rail is prevented from rolling in its seat by the fixed chair dd. 4. The longitudinal contraction or expansion of the rails, by variations of temperature, is provided for by the absence of the pins, without producing any looseness. 5. He thinks cast iron might be employed in this way for rails, instead of malleable, with a great saving of expense; and it is allowed, we believe, that, except for its frangibility, cast iron is the preferable material. The form, however, is quite consistent with the use of wrought iron. He has had some lengths of the rails cast; and he has found by experiment that a yard of it, weighing 48 lb., placed with its two ends on rests, supports a weight of more than ten tons.

We think there is merit enough in these rails to deserve a trial, which could be easily made by laying a space of 20 yards with them, in some of the existing railways, where locomotive engines are used.

We mentioned, some time ago, that Mr. Ruthven was erecting one of Avery's engines (an American invention), which works by the reaction of steam, without beam, crank, piston, or valve. It is now ready, and will be at work in his own premises as soon as the masonry and external parts are completed. (Scotsman, Aug. 26. 1837.)

The following account of Mr. Ruthven's rail has been addressed by himself to the editor of the Scotsman; that intelligent and scientific gentleman having, with his usual attention to every description of improvement, given the notice of it which we have just quoted.

"Having for many years devoted much attention to this important subject, it may be considered as the result of well-matured investigation; and, although it may surprise many that there should be any difficulty in deciding on the best form of rail that can be adopted, after the experience had in the various railways established both in Europe and America, yet it appears that much misconception in regard to the proper form is still entertained. For instance, the rails on the Liverpool and Manchester Railway, without being greatly varied in form, have been changed in weight from 35 lb. to 75 lb. a yard. The expense attending such a change need not be stated: this and many others are proof how far the strength and weight of rail has been considered necessary more than the form.

"It has been supposed that a proper knowledge of the strength of iron was generally known, and that nothing more was required but to increase the weight of rails, and the desired object would be attained. It may be demonstated, however, that form is equally important as weight. All admit that a tube is much stronger than the same quantity of material in a solid body. It may also be supposed to be admitted that the rails give resistance to the carriages, or weight on them, by the tension of the metal on the under side, and compression on the upper. Many interesting experiments have been made to ascertain the relative strength of rails, and compare one kind of iron with another; but this has been done more to ascertain the proportional strength in the difference in the weight of material, than in the variety of form; for a given weight of material appears hitherto to have been more considered than the form.

"I shall now, therefore, call your attention, and those connected with this national improvement, to the interesting fact, published in your paper of the 16th inst., as having been stated at the recent meeting of the British Association in Liverpool, by Messrs. Fairbairn and Hodgkinson ; viz., The next experiment was on castings of a T form, or resembling railway rails, which were broken with the flange both upwards and downwards. In the first experiment, with the flange downwards L, the bar of cold blast iron bore a weight of 1050 lb. They then reversed the bar's position, putting the rib downwards T, and the bar broke with a weight of only 266 lb. ; so that there was a great difference, and this was of great importance in reference to the shape of rails, beams, &c., for bearing heavy weights.' This is certainly too important to be passed over without particular notice, and is the point to which I wish to call attention. The rail proposed by me is tubular; and, being laid horizontal, increased strength is gained by increase of thickness on the under side of the tube, producing similar effect to the above L bar, which in this position made a difference of strength in the ratio of 1050 to 266 over the former T. But the improvement in strength is made greatly more than the form, by continuing the flange, until it meet the bar at the upper side on which the wheels run, as shown in fig. 134.; for a rail weighing 48 lb., in this form, is able to sustain, without fracture, a pressure of upwards of ten tons bearing on the centre of it. By this circular or tubular form, in addition to general strength, the rail is secured against side deflection, which takes place in the rail at present in use, destroying the power employed, and the rail itself to a great extent, and is generally the cause of a carriage running off the railway.

134

"This, then, may be considered as two important objects gained; that of strength with less materials, and avoiding deflection both vertical and horizontal. The chair at the joinings is the next point to call attention to. The hollow rail being circular, the chair is formed to embrace more than a half of the tube, as illustrated by the diagram given in your paper of the 26th ult., which most effectually secures the rail from rising, or, indeed, every motion (except expansion or contraction), merely by the form, which supersedes the necessity of locking or keying as hitherto, and avoiding the disagreeable shake in passing over the joinings of the rails; this, therefore, may be stated as a third improvement; as a fourth, the saving of expense, which will be found,

cæteris paribus, to be greatly less than those at present in use. I have it not in my power to make these rails on a great scale; but I have some yards ready to exhibit to the public, and shall be happy to give every information desired to those who may consider it deserving their attention. - I am, Sir, &c." (John Ruthven, in Scotsman, Sept. 23. 1837.)

ART. II. Foreign Notices.

FRANCE.

MONUMENT to Joachim Murat.-The Council-General of the department de Lot has just voted 5000 francs towards erecting a monument at Cahors to the memory of King Joachim Murat, who was a native of that district. Subscriptions have also been opened for the purpose. Madame Murat, now Countess de Lipano, has presented the department with Gerard's portrait of her husband. (Paris Paper.)

The Antiquarian Commission for the Côte d'Or have been continuing their excavations at the ruins of Alize, in the arrondissement of Semur, and have recovered specimens of the arts, which already form a valuable collection in the Museum of Dijon. They have also made some researches near the sources of the Seine, and have discovered traces of an ancient temple, supported by columns in the purest style, and ornamented in the interior with rich marbles. Fragments of capitals and mosaics of porphyry and bronze, as well as numerous Roman medals, have been brought to light; and, as these works are continued, the existence of a grand monument, which, according to tradition, was erected by the Romans on this spot, will be probably established. (Paris Paper.)

GERMANY.

Eye-shaped Windows. The peculiarity of this place, and one which kept us laughing at the recollection for nearly a mile after we left it, was the windows in the roofs of the houses. They are shaped exactly like eyes: the tiles swell up gradually like a lid above and below, elongating towards the end; and in the oval space between these twinkles the little bright window pane, just in the place of the pupil. It was, in fact, as exact a model of the human eye as could be made out of such materials. I never saw any thing so funny. The whole village had an éveillé Argus-like look, that was irresistibly droll; all the houses laughing, and blinking, and peeping at us as we drove in. The shape being long, and the lower lid rather straight, gave them a sly, sleepy, half closed expression, and, withal, a look of fun and merriment, as if the house were "holding its sides" with laughter. Sometimes we came to a great Cyclops building, with its one staring optic in the middle of the roof; and then appeared a comical intelligent-looking thing, with a pair, that twinkled and screwed themselves up at us as we passed, in the most provoking and impertinent manner possible. It was really too bad. (A Lady's Souvenirs of a Tour in Germany.) The Glyptotheca at Munich. - A book recently published, called the Spas of Germany, by Dr. Granville, F.R.S., contains an admirable account of that magnificent building, the Glyptotheca at Munich; and, being accompanied by a plan and elevation, is well worth the attention of architects. The doctor appears to be an amateur architect, and some of his observations are sensible and judicious. He touches at some length upon the new Houses of Parliament; and I, for one, most cordially agree with the opinion he expresses as to a change of the style to be adopted in these buildings. I would infinitely prefer an edifice rivalling the glories of ancient Greece or Roman architecture, to the perpetuation of a style which is the representative of a dark and ignorant age; and which is, besides, ill adapted for the purpose. Although I am

convinced that the works could not have been entrusted to an abler man than Mr. Barry, yet I cannot but regret, as many others do, that his genius has been restricted to one particular style. Could not our legislators be induced to pause ere it be too late, and rescind their Gothic decree? Should this be the case, I believe, as Mr. Hamilton, in his able Letter to the Earl of Elgin, says, that Mr. Barry's "well-known abilities, and his own purer taste, will readily and heartily respond to the instruction: all the Gothic barbarities will vanish with a stroke of the pen; buttresses will be instantly transformed into columns or pilasters, pinnacles into capitals, and towers into pediments; the windows will expand, and assume their proper proportions; armorial bearings and heraldic symbols will give way to more appropriate historical decorations; and, as the Roman public applauded when Michael Angelo transformed the sharp and angular projections and broken members, and other trifling, half Roman, half Gothic, impertinences of San Gallo's model of St. Peter's, with a diminution of expense too, into a style which combined the correct forms of the antique with the elegance and beauty of the more modern principles, which he had already brought into vogue amongst men of judgment, we shall hail the exchange of light for darkness, of truth for illusion, of majestic simplicity for cumbrous ornament, and of reason for licentiousness. Now that the noble architecture of Greece is beginning to be fully understood and duly appreciated, it will indeed be a reproach to us if, neglecting so fine an opportunity for its display, we tacitly confess ourselves unequal to the task of producing a building superior to those erected by our rude and uneducated forefathers. G. B. W. London, Oct. 9. 1837.

BELGIUM.

Town Embellishment Society. A company has just been formed under the name of "Civil Society for the Enlargement and Embellishment of the Capital of Belgium." The object of this new company is to build new quarters within or without the city of Brussels, particularly a quarter between the Louvain and Namur gates, to be called the Quarter Leopold. The capital of the company is five millions. The affairs of the Society to be managed by seven directors, without salary, and a secretary. This Company is formed between the General Society, the Society of Commerce, the National Society, and another society. (Morn. Chron., Oct. 20.)

Madame Malibran's Monument at Brussels. The design of the above monument has been at length decided upon. It is to be in form of a rectangular chapel, with a cupola, surmounted by a cross. A splendid white marble figure of the celebrated cantatrice, in her favourite character of Norma, will be placed in the interior, which will be lighted by a lamp from the dome. The figure will be perceived to great advantage through the fretwork of the intervening spaces; and the whole, when completed, will form one of the most interesting embellishments to the capital. (Morning Chronicle, Sept. 20. 1837.) SPAIN.

Spanish Architecture. - Don Manuel de Godoy, Prince of Peace, in his Memoirs, vol. ii. p. 207., mentions the names of the following Spanish architects of his period: Don Ventura Rodriguez, Don Francisco Sabatini, Villanueva, Arnal, Lopez, Freyre, Don Francisco Martinez de la Torre, Don Joseph Asensio, and Quintilian. He mentions, also, that Don Joseph Ortiz de Zanz, librarian to the king, was commissioned to make a translation of the works of Andrea Palladio, to which he added some useful commentaries; and (at p. 241.) that Don Joseph Castañeda executed a translation of the Abridgment of Vitruvius, by Perrault. So little is known of Spanish architects or architecture, that we should be glad to avail ourselves of any authentic information on the subject. The recent work of Roberts, which contains such beautiful views of many of the splendid edifices of that country, is sufficient to excite our curiosity. It is true, that Spain has been generally indebted to Italy for her architects; but there have been many native artists whose works are not devoid

of much merit, although they may not equal in purity the more classic models of the Palladian school. Still, there is richness and originality of design in many Spanish edifices; and we would fain be more intimately acquainted with the history of this portion of European architecture. Mr. Owen Jones has made another journey to the Alhambra; and is possibly there now, with the view to complete his studies of the Moorish architecture and peculiar style of coloured embellishments, to which those extraordinary edifices owe so much of their attraction. We trust that he will return with a rich harvest of materials, and meet with that encouragement which one deserves who, at so considerable a risk, and with so much study and perseverance, has undertaken to illustrate this remarkable style of architecture.-M. I. B. A. London, Oct. 1837.

RUSSIA.

St. Petersburg, Oct. 7. 1837. The first public trial of the iron railroad to Zarskoji Selo was made to-day. It is five versts in length, and begins in the midst of the city, near the church and parade of the Seminow regiment of the guards. The price of 2 rubles for seats in the first and second carriages is considered to be much too high for such a distance. (Newsp.)

A Gas Company is at present laying down pipes at St. Petersburg; so that in the course of the present autumn, a part of the city will already be lighted with gas. A second company has likewise been formed there, to supply the shops with portable gas. (Morning Post, Sept. 13. 1837.)

ART. III. Domestic Notices.

ENGLAND.

THE London Water Companies.-Our readers will recollect that, a few years ago (see Architectural Magazine, vol. iii. p. 365.), much was said in the newspapers, and in the reports by Mr. Telford and others laid before Parliament, respecting the impurities of the Thames water, as supplied by the water companies to the inhabitants of the metropolis. It appears that an attempt is now making by the three grand companies, which received their water from the Thames, to remedy the evil, by lifting the water into immense basins, there to deposit its mechanical impurities, before being conveyed to the supply reservoirs in the immediate vicinity of the metropolis. The Grand Junction Company are seeking for purer water further up the river, and forming their reservoir at the east entrance of Brentford, upwards of 63 miles from their reservoir at Paddington. The cast-iron pipes which communicate between the two reservoirs are 2 ft. 6 in. in diameter within, and 1 in. thick. They are in length between 8 ft. and 9 ft.; and the joints, which are of the spigot and fauset kind, will require about 1 cwt. of lead each. The total expense is estimated at 81. per yard. The engines for lifting the water out of the Thames into the reservoirs, and for forcing it along the cast-iron pipes, have a power equal to that of 500 horses. Contrary to what might have been expected, the level of the reservoir at Paddington is about 86 ft. above the works at Brentford. The West Middlesex Company are forming a similar reservoir on the Surrey side of the Thames, opposite their present engine in Hammersmith parish, the water from which will cross the river, and be forced along to the supply reservoir at Kensington Gravel Pits. The Chelsea Water-Works Company are also forming a reservoir in Battersea Fields. So far the mechanical impurities of the Thames water will be diminished; but the chemical impurities noticed by Dr. Granville and others will remain the same. Perhaps the simplest mode of getting rid of these would be by a system of intercepting sewers, such as we have already suggested in different parts of this Magazine; or, what would perhaps be much cheaper, the establishment at the outlet of each sewer, before the water entered the Thames, of a steam-engine, to pump