Page:The Building News and Engineering Journal, Volume 22, 1872.djvu/265

 wi Marcy 22, 1872. Ow Office Table. —EE AspHALTe Pavyiye ry Amertca.—The good qualities of asphalte paving seem to have commended it to our American cousins, but before they adopt it (except experimentally) we would advise them to wait a while and see how it will answer in London— a point which, to say the least, is highly problema- tical. The New York Times says:—‘ Paris gave up her velvet-like pavement of asphalte, and now is becoming, it is declared, the dirtiest and worst-paved city in Europe. London is fast laying down the asphalte, and is becoming, on equal authority, the best-paved of capitals. Is it quite out of the ques- tion to get asphalte in New York? The noise and unevenness of our great thoroughfares exceed even their filthiness, and why should we go without an improvement which is possible in the cities of Europe? As we set forth some time ago, asphalte costs less than granite. It cannot well be used on high grades, but this in New York is seldom an ob- jection. As regards the danger of fire, elaborate experiments lately made by Captain Shaw and Mr. Haywood have settled the question. Several kinds of asphaltum were used, and all showed that the material, as laid down, is practically non-combus- tible. The noiselessness of asphalte, once thought so dangerous, has not proved so in practice, and, on the other hand, the saving in wear and tear on carriages and horses—to say nothing of human nerves—is demonstrated to exceed very greatly any possible enhanced cost.” New Worrs on tHE Lonpon Anp Norre Western Rarmway.—The London and North Western Railway Company is about to commence new works on different points between London and the north and west, which will involve the expendi- ture of nearly half a million sterling, They will consist chiefly of new and enlarged stations, and will include no less than £23,000 for a large engine-shed at Willesden; £12,000 for the enlargement of the City goods station at Broad-street; £30,520 for the further enlargement of the Lime-street passenger station and the Canada Dock goods station, both at Liverpool; £15,000 for a new goods station at Bir- mingham; £20,000 for the erection of additional offices at the Euston station; £48,000 for the com- pletion of the Huyton and S. Helen’s line; £30,850 for the construction of new goods sheds and sidings at Crewe, and £11,975 for additions to their already large locomotive works there; £20,000 for widening the Central Wales line; and £8,400 for a goods station and sidings at Menai Bridge. The Company is also about to expend the eum of £151,423 in further accommodation at about 120 of their stations in different parts of the country, besides £50,000 in the purchase of additional lands. Tue Parks, SQuARES, AND GARDENS oF Panis. —A correspondent of the Gardeners’ Chronicle says, that when the Communal reign was over, and M. Alphand came to survey the parks and pro- menades which he had created, enlarged, or beau- tified, their condition was lamentable. Since his return he has been constantly at work, but, of course, with diminished means; still he has suc- ceeded in re-creating order out of chaos, and in another week or two the people of Paris will again begin to enjoy their parks and promenades. The collections of young trees in the various nursery grounds of the State and the City of Paris have been most useful, the small squares and gardens, where the trees were mere saplings, having assumed almost their former aspect. The case is, of course much worse in the Boisde Boulogne, the Tuileries, and the Luxembourg Gardens; there the fine old trees, in- eluding very many of the Acacia Avenue, were cut down for firewood, and these are poorly replaced by young trees. The same is the case in the Cours-la- Reine, and some parts of the Champs Elysées, and the outer boulevards. The park of the Buttes Chaumont and the charming Pare Monceaux are now nearly restored to their old beauty. A dozen of the small squares were in no way injured, and in their case nothing but the resowing of the grass, the replacement of a few hundred shrubs, and the re- storation of the flower beds had to be done. The squares of the Batignolles, the Innocents, and Mon- tholon, are still in course of reparation; the charm- ing fountain of the Nymphs, with Jean Goujon’s exquisite figures in bas relief (or copies of them), had a narrow escape. At Batignolles, the position of the petroleum trench is still marked. The square or park of Belleville was utterly demolished, and has to be entirely remade. It was there that the last struggle of the Commune took place. The trees were not cut. down, but all of them without exception : have received one or more balls. THE BUILDING NEWS. ResToRATION OF ExeTrer CarHeprau.—lt would appear (says a local paper), from a public meeting of citizens, held at the Guildhall recently, that the work of Cathedral “restoration” goes brayely on. The Dean of Exeter, in his sketch of what had been and what remained to be done, re- gretted that whilst the ‘‘ Divine Person”—meaning Jesus Christ—could be artistically represented, there were no means of representing the ‘‘ Satanic Person” —meaning the Deyil. He had, however, out of the abundance of his theological and ecclesiastical re- sources, sketched out an ‘‘idea,” which the artist “thought might be useful to him.” Tre Heavruresr Sires ror DweLLinc-Hovuses. —The healthiest sites for dwelling-houses (said Dr. Hime, in a paper recently read before the Sheffield Architectural and Archgological Society), are known to be those on trap, granite, and other metamorphic rocks, where water readily escapes, and the soil, and consequently the air, is dry. Cholera is rare in houses on such sites. Permeable sandstone, gravel, and chalk, if unmixed with clay, are alsohealthy. Sands which contain organic matter, clay, and alluvial soils, are always to be suspected. Thorough draining, both subsoil and surface, is a necessary preliminary to building. Dampness of ground necessitates dampness of the air and of the walls. Houses should never be built on ground filled up with ashes and other debris. The large amount of organic matter contained in it, which is freely exposed to the action of the air and moisture, becoming decomposed, must cause poisonous emana- tions, destructive to those who, living above, must breathe it. AsPHALTE Payine oyeR GRANITE.—A contract has been entered into by the Commissioners of Sewers with the Patent British Asphalte Company for pavingone half of Princes-street, Mansion House. King William-street is also to be paved by that com- pany, asphalte is to be laid over the granite cubes, thus insuring a more solid foundation, and obviating the expense of removing the present pavement. Prizes ror Arr Workmen.—The Painters’ Company offer three prizes for competition by artisans, apprentices, &c., in alto-relievo and decora- tive painting. The specimens must be produced by apprentices or by workmen who have served their apprenticeship, and are to be sent in between the 18th and 25th of May next. THe QuApRANT, ReGent-Srreer.—It is not often that we can speak with unqualified approval of the manner in which our public buildings or works are treated by those in authority, and it is therefore with pleasure that we notice the very effi- cient manner in which the cleansing and painting of the Quadrant is now being proceeded with. Our readers are aware that every year, about this time, the Commissioners of H. M. Woods cause the fronts of the houses in this, our finest London thorough- fare, to be simultaneously cleaned or painted, and no doubt some have distinct and unpleasant recol- lections of the manner in which such works were wont to be carried out; a forest of scaffolding occu- pied for weeks the footpaths—very much to the annoyance of the tradespeople and passengers, the latter, often being made unwillingly conscious of the work going on above. All this has, we are happy to say been done with, and the only evidence now of the operations going on is a number of swinging stages suspended from the roofs of the houses, and on which the men work, and rapidly and quietly proceed with the cleaning and painting. No impe- diment whatever is offered to the traffic, and the business of the shopkeepers suffers not in the least. The Quadrant in its elevations embraces a large sur- face. The work was commenced by Mr. John Sykes, of Essex-street, Strand, at the beginning of this present month, and is now fast approaching com- pletion, a fact which will, even to those acquainted with the nature of such works, come upon them with something like the force of novelty, and we therefore commend the principle to all having works of any magnitude requiring painting or cleaning. DisricurinG tHE THAMES EMBANKMENT.—The Metropolitan Board of Works have taken astep in the right direction by prosecuting a newspaper pro- prietor for posting his bills on a hoarding on the Thames Embankment. We trust they will vigorously follow up the line of action they haye commenced, and summons every one of the tradesmen and others who at present advertise for nothing on the Embank- ment, by means of stencilling, bill posting, and paint- ing. Itis bad enough to have nearly every street in London disfigured by vulgar posters, and the little art that has been allowed to adorn our more recently built railway stations marred by hideous advertising announcements; but in these cases the cupidity or bad taste of irresponsible individuals prevents the 247 it is otherwise with the Thames Embankment, and that the Board of Works, though apparently re- solved for ever to leave the noble thoroughfare in its present incomplete condition, are determined not to allow others to cover it with show bills with impunity. Roya Instirure or Bririsa Arcurrecrs.— Nommation or New Memerrs.—At a_ special general meeting of this Institute on the 4th inst., the President, Mr. T. H. Wyatt, in the chair, the recom- mendation of the Council with regard to the nomi- nation of new members having been read and adopted, it was resolved that Bye-law 3, Section III., be supplemented by the following clause: ‘The nomination paper must be accompanied by a separate written statement by the applicant as to his pro- fessional education. in the case of Associates, and as to his professional education and works in the case of Fellows; and by another written statement by one of the three Fellows who have signed the nomination paper, giving particulars of his acquaintance with the candidate in the case of Associates, and of his ac- quaintance with the candidate and his works in the case of Fellows.” Sourn Kensryeron Disrricr Scuoor or Anr.— The prizes awarded to the art students of the South Kensington District School were distributed by Sir Coutts Lindsay, Bart., on Wednesday, in the Lecture Theatre of the South Kensington Museum. There was a large assemblage of ladies and gentlemen to witness the ceremony. The chief prizes were gold medals to Owen Gibbons (for a design for ceiling) and George F. Munn (model from the antique); silver medals to Frederick E. Bodlim (head from the antique), George Clausen (design for entrance gates), W. F. Randall (design for ceiling), Miss Mary E. Butler (design for lace), Miss Marianne Mansell (design for muslin), and Miss Emily Jack- son (flowers painted in water colours from nature). Sir Coutts Lindsay expressed his intention of giving a prize of £5 to the best designer of a comfortable and habitable dwelling-house ; and also a prize of £5 for the best study in marble of such portions of the human frame as might be selected: also £5 for the best understood and most gracefully arranged drapery- Burutweron House, Prccaprtty.—On Saturday afternoon last, by the kind permission of Messrs. Banks & Barry, the architects, a large number of the members of the Architectural Association paid a visit to the new buildings in progress at Burlington House, Piccadilly, which are being erected for the accommoda- tion of several of the learned societies of London, Mr. Daniel Ruddle, clerk of the works, conducted the» members over the works, and a yery pleasant and profitable hour was spent. Tue Boarp or Works {License FoR CONCRETE Watts.—At the last meeting of the Metropolitan Board of Works, the committee appointed stated that having considered the letter from Tall & Com- pany (limited), requesting the Board to make such analteration in the license issued by them for the erection of concrete buildings as will admit of the mixing of large pieces of solid materials with the cement, they saw no reason to recommend the Board to alter the terms of the license already approved and acted on by the Board. Proposep Improvement At §. Pauu’s Cuurci- YARD,—At the City Court of Sewers on Tuesday a report was brought up from the Finance and Im- provement Committee on their proceedings with regard to the improvement at the western area of S. Paul’s Cathedral since their report, and stating that the dean and chapter of 8. Paul’s accept the offer of £15,000 for the ground, &e., to effect the improvement, and further stating that the Dean antl Chapter would be prepared to give up an increased space on the north and south sides of the area for a footway, which latter proposal the committee recom- mended should be referred back to them to consider and report on. The report was adopted. Grade Fetus. oe WAGES MOVEMENT. MANCHESTER.—The labourers’ union held a meeting on Monday, at which it was announced that the mem- bers of the society had resolved to make a demand for an advance on the present rate of wages of one farthing an hour, which would make the rate 54d. an hour, and would be equivalent in the summer to an increase in the wages of ls, 14d. in the week of 544 hours. It was proposed and carried that the advance should take place on the Ist April next, and that the masters be seryed with notices to this effect. Lestre.—The masons of Leslie haye now resolved to adopt the fifty-one hours’ limit, to begin on the Sth We are thankful to find | April.
 * adoption of any remedy.