Page:The Building News and Engineering Journal, Volume 22, 1872.djvu/332

 314 THE BUILDING NEWS. Aprit 19, 1872. get area of trapezoid, Fig. 97, multiply the base by half the sum of perpendicular sides ; thus, if base 12in. and sides 9in. and 3in., we say 9 + 3 12, half 12 6; then 12 x 6 = 72in., which is just half of a square foot. Errata.—At page 272, in Fig. 49, put ina “J” at each sque, and in third column, tenth line from bottom, for ‘‘our next,” read <‘ on side next; ” and page 273, third column, twenty-first line from top, for ‘fine zinc clips,” read ‘‘ five zinc clips.” (To be continued.) ——$—$—$——— BUILDERS’ FOREMEN AND CLERKS OF WORKS’ INSTITUTION. R. T. CHATFEILD CLARKE, F.R.LB.A., and Member of the London School Board, gave a very interesting lecture, entitled “A Sketch of Old London,” before the members of this Institu- tion on Wednesday evening last, Mr. Merriman in the chair. After some introductory remarks, the Jecturer said he should confine his remarks to Lon- don in pre-Reformation times, and mainly to the twelfth, thirteenth, fourteenth, and fifteenth cen- turies. Having described the old London Wall, with its various gates, the Tower of London, Bay- nard’s Castle, and the Fleet River (which was then the western boundary of the City), he remarked that the streets of the City in those days were what we should call mere lanes. Water was brought into the City by conduits, Conduit-street, Regent-street, where the present meeting was taking place, deriving its name from one of those conduits formerly passing along or near it. The buildings mainly consisted of churches, convents, houses, and the Tower, with some Schools attached to the convents. In almost all the old City records it was shown that one of the greatest dangers to the City was fire. Further than this, there were constant plagues, and, as in the present day, there was a great deal of drunkenness, Fitz- Stephen constantly speaking of the great amount of quafling” among “ the ignobler sort of men.” The City consisted, in Stephen’s reign, of houses of wood, thatch, or baked tiles. In 1189, in Fitz-Alwyne’s mayoralty, what might be called the first Building Act was passed. As a protection against fire, the party walls between the houses were ordered to be 3ft. thick, but not more than 16ft. high. The cup- boards in such walls were only to be recessed to the extent of 1ft., so thatif there were cupboards on both sides of the wall, there would still remain between them a wall 1ft. in thickness, This regulation was made as a protection against fire. The houses gener- ally had but one floor above the ground floor, and the npper floor was gabled over the street in a picturesque manner. In the time of Richard I. glass was only used by the wealthy classes, and there were no chimneys in middle-class houses in Fitz-Alwyne’s time. In the time of Edward I. it would seem that people in the City might even keep swine in their houses, for it was ordered that such swine were not to be allowed to encroach upon the streets. To show how far some of the German towns of the present day were behindhand in sanitary matters, Mr. Clarke said that he had been informed by an eye-witness that pigs were allowed to be kept by the inhabitants; these pigs were turned out of doors early in the morning to pick up their living, and at night they returned to their owners, every pig knowing his own home (laughter). So that bad as London was from a sanitary point of view in the Middle Ages, there were towns in Germany quite as bad in some respects even in this age of progress. In ancient London charcoal was the principal fuel, “sea-coal” being scarcely used, except by the wealthier classes. As a protection against fire, the couvre-feu, or curfew, was rigidly enforced. The lecturer then proceeded to describe some of the most prominent buildings of Medieval London. Old S. Paul's (of which a sketch, showing Inigo Jones's portico, was exhibited) was founded in the year 610, and was longer even than the present building. Its spire, as it originally existed, was 520ft. high. At one time it became a kind of fair, called “ Paul's Walk.” Paul’s Cross, of which a drawing was ex- hibited, was intimately associated with the history of the City. ‘Folk-motes’” were held there, at which the citizens maintained their rights, and preaching was carried on there. The old church of S. Mary-le-Bow was a very interesting one. A thunderstorm destroyed its spire in 1090, killing many of the inhabitants, and, to show the state of the City streets at that time, it Was on record that some of the rafters and other parts of the steeple were driven into the mud. The present church was comparatively modern. The Tower, old London Bridge, and other interesting structures having been referred to, the lecturer gave some interesting particulars as to the origin of the names of some of the City streets. Gutter-lane was once “ Gutheron’s-lane.” Barge-yard was so called from the fact that barges used to come up as far as there, and in building new premises for Messrs. Corbyn, the chemists, in the Poultry, Mr. Clarke said that in digging for the foundations the men came upon wooden piles, with hooks and rings in them for mooring the barges to. The Poultry was so called from the fact that the poulters or poul- terers carried on their business there. Gracechurch- street was formerly ‘“Grass-church” street, from herb markets being held there. Many other ex- amples of the origin of street-names were given by the lecturer, but our space forbids us going at greater length into this point. Passing on to notice the trade and laws of ancient London, Mr. Clarke entered into some very interesting particulars as to the rate of wages, the price of food, restrictions on freedom of action in trade, and penalties for adulteration of food or fraud in its sale. He said that in the time of Edward I. the rate of artisans’ wages varied with the seasons. Between Michaelmas and Martinmas (7..c, 11th November) wages were 4d. per day, or 14d. and their table; between Martinmas and the Purification (i.¢., 2nd February) 3d. per day, or 1d. and their table; between Purifi- cation and Easter 4d. per day, or 14d. and their table ; and between Easter and Michaelmas 5d. per day, or 2d. and their table. Employers paying higher wages than these incurred a penalty of 40s. The City guilds were next described—their power, their quarrels, and their pageants on land and water— the lecturer expressing his hope that they would now devote some part at least of their immense wealth to the fostering of technical education and skill in those industries with which they were more imme- diately connected, nominally at least. The habits and dress of the period were next described, it being remarked by the lecturer that it was a mistake to suppose that female extravagance in dress was con- fined to modern times. Some drawings copied from old MSS. were exhibited, and fully bore out the lecturer’s remarks. Mr. Clarke concluded his inte- resting lecture by briefly describing the principal games and amusements of the Londoners of Medixval times, showing that although the citizens lived a life of great hardship and insecurity, they lived a jolly life. He trusted that his lecture would induce his audience to study the subject of Old London for themselves, as it was ong that would afford great interest and amusement to them. The Liber Albus and Stowe’s work would give a great deal of information on the matter, and a good work on the costumes of the pericd was that by Fairholt. Mr. Mixer (Librarian) proposed, and Mr. JosEPH Kay seconded, a vote of thanks to Mr. Clarke for his interesting lecture, and the motion having been unanimously adopted, Mr. Clarke acknowledged the compliment, and the proceedings terminated. aS PROPOSED NEW FARRINGDON MARKET. AS a special meeting of the Court of Common Council yesterday (Thursday) week, the Markets Committee brought up a report on a refe- rence to them by the Court as to whether it was advisable to take any steps for the improvement of the existing Farringdon Market, or whether it would not be desirable to reconstruct the market. The Committee reported that after a full and careful consideration of all the circumstances of the case, they were of opinion that no repairs that could be done to Farringdon Market would have the effect of rendering the same more advantageous for letting, and having regard to the great improvements that have been effected by the Corporation in that neigh- bourhood by the formation of S. Andrew’s-street, the widening of Shoe-lane, and the opening of S. Bride-street, and the necessity that exists for a good and convenient market for the sale of vegetables, flowers and fruit within the City, they thought that the best course to be pursued with respect to Farringdon Market would be to reconstruct the same in accordance with the plans and models sub- mitted by the City Architect, Mr. Horace Jones. And the Committee recommend that they should be authorised to carry the same into execution, at the estimated expense of £120,000. And they further re- commend that the Billas introduced into Parliament by the Improvement Committee should be prose- cuted; and in the event of Parliament granting the powers thereby sought to be obtained in reference to Farringdon Market, they should be authorised to stop up Stonecutter-street, either wholly or partially, and to purchase the property that may be requisite for that purpose, and for the reconstruction of the market, the cost whereof has been estimated by the architect at the sum of £30,000, making the estimated net expenditure of carrying these recommendations into effect amount altogether to the sum of £150,000. Mr. Fricker, the Chairman of the Committee, in moving the adoption of the report, said that the ex- isting market, which was erected on the site of the old Fleet Market, was opened in 1829. Unfor- tunately, the construction of the market was very faulty ; it was a great mistake. The gradients of the surrounding streets were so steep and the entrances so narrow and inconvenient that it was very difficult to get loaded waggons into the market, and when inside, the space was so narrow that they could not turn round. The pedestrian entrances were even more objectionable ; they were exceedingly steep, they were approached by steps, and it was with danger to life and limb that porters went in and out of the market. The consequence was that the covered avenue was com- pletely blocked up, and was of no use whatever. He thought that the failure of this market had been entirely owing to its ill-construction, and to its being utterly and entirely unadapted to the business which was intended to be carried on init. The pro- posed new market would surpass anything of the kind in the metropolis or in the country. Looking at the model, it would be observed that it was in- tended to construct the market upon two levels. That on the level of Farringdon-street would be the wholesale and retail vegetable market; that on the level entered from Shoe-lane and the new thorough- fare, S. Bride’s-street, would be the wholesale and retail fruit and flower market. There would be car- riage ways into the market, traversing the whole of the frontage of the shops ; there would be ample head— way in each market, and sufficient arrangements would be made for lighting and ventilation through- out the whole building. The carriage ways in the vegetable market would be about 50ft. wide; there would also be sufficient pavements for foot pas- sengers. The height from the floor of the vegetable market to the ridge timbers of the roof would be 58ft. The arcades in the fruit and flower market would be ornamental in their design, and would far surpass the central avenue in Covent Garden Market. These would be 25ft. wide and 35ft. high. Vaults: would be constructed under the whole area of the market, for the storage of potatoes and other root vegetables. The whole area of the market, including: Stonecutter-street and a piece of land that would haye to be taken from the Improvement Committee, would be about 87,000 superficial feet, or as nearly as possible two acres. Mr. Fricker then went into the financial aspect of the proposal, the figures cited by him showing that there was every prospect of the new market turning out a success in this respect as well as being a great improvement. A good deal of discussion ensued on this point, in the course of which it was strongly insisted upon that the bad arrangement and construction, and the cramped-up area of the present market, have been the causes of its failure financially, while, on the other hand, all the old tenants had agreed to become tenants in the new market, and, in addition, sixty members of the Market Gardeners’ Association had promised to be- come tenants, owing to the bad and limited accom- modation available at Covent Garden. Ultimately the report was adopted, subject to such modifications in the model and plans as may be hereafter agreed to by the Court. ——_>———_. WEALTH AND DIRT. pens frequently associate poverty with dirt, and cleanliness with wealth. This, however, is not always the case. Dr. Whitmore, the medical officer of health for Marylebone, in his last report, says:— Tt is generally supposed that the wealthy and well-to-do are sufficiently alive to the importance of keeping their own houses in proper sanitary con- dition, and that any interference on the part of the sanitary inspector is unnecessary. This, however, is a very mi8taken idea, for very recently my atten- tion has been called to the condition of a highly- rented house in one of the most respectable streets in this parish, which I can designate by no other term than that of disgraceful. The entire basement is filthy in the extreme, the walls of the kitchen and other domestic offices are black with smoke, the at- mosphere is close and fetid; and how the domestic servants whom I saw on my visit (five or six in number) manage to exist there surpasses my com- prehension. But this is not an isolated case; there are many other houses of the same class that I can point to, in which the condition of things is not much better. I need hardly say that in all these cases orders for sanitary work are promptly made upon the owners, and I take care that ne unneces-
 * sary delay in carrying them out is permitted.”