Page:The Building News and Engineering Journal, Volume 22, 1872.djvu/346

 526 THE BUILDING NEWS. Aprit 19, 1872. divtercommunication, —_>—. QUESTIONS. [2532.]—Ice-House.—I shall feel obliged to any of your numerous correspondents who will inform me the best method of erecting an ice-house to hold about one ton.—R. H. [2533.]—Roofing Tiles.—A brick and tile maker would be obliged if any one could tell him of any known application which could be put to roofing tiles, before being burnt, to prevent the absorption of water after they are fixed on the roof. A glaze is objected to; but itis wanted to produce a dull gray colour, they now being bright red, and absorbent to the extent of filtering —CLERK oF WorKs. [2534.J—Value of Oak Architraves.—I should feel thankful if any reader would let me know the value of Dantzic oak architraves (as shown in sketch) per foot lineal, fixed, and prepared for polishing.— FN. REPLIES. [2518.]—Surveying.—“ W. R. A.,” in his reply, does not touch upon No. 2 of ** Young Surveyor’s ” question. I endorse all that he has said, and add the following: From the well-known theorem ‘that the sum of the 3 angles of a plane triangle = 2 right angles” is easily deduced ‘that in any plane rectilineal figure the sum of the interior angles + 4 right angles = twice as many right angles as the figure has sides” —i.e., in the examples given the interior angles of a together amount to 1080°, and of b to 540°; but the earth’s surface not being a plane, this theorem does not hold with regard to the angles of an enclosed figure (of considerable size) on its surface. The sum of the 3 angles of a spherical triangle exceeds 2 right angles by an angle which bears the same proportion to 4 right angles that the area of the triangle bears to the surface of the hemisphere, the excess being known as the spherical excess ; and the fact of this excess existing in any case in actual practice is rather a test of the accu- racy of the work than the reverse.— T. H. E. [2527./—Area of Triangle.—The equation area = 4 506 = 90 is meant as an approximate solution. Had “Student” understood the theory of irrational quantities he would not hayeasked thequestion,—LeEpus. [2527,.,—_Area of Triangle.—If ‘Student ” will learn Surd Arithmetic he will find that V7 x § = 32 =4 V2,andthat4 W2 x 11 x 23 =4 V506= 4 x 22494488 = 89°977712 the correct area, practically considered as 90. The object of the rule is to induce practitioners to use the ordinary tables of the square roots of quantities, and so save the extraction of large products,—Ss. J. [2527.]—Area of Triangle.—The following is the solution: Area = VS x (S — A) x (S— B) x (S—C) where S = semidiameter, or } (A + B + C) and A, B, C the sides of the triangle; therefore area = 23 x (23 — 12) x @3 — 15) x @3— 19), or area = 8096 equalto W506 x 16, or 4 506, but ./506 — 22°49, therefore area = 90 square feet (nearly), There is a mistake in the formula of ‘ Student,” who makes S = 4 product, instead of } sum of the sides.—Kaye. [2527.|—Area of Triangle.—There are two mis- takes in the quotation from Dobson and Tarn’s work, which may occasion the difficulty. First, the book says S= 4(12 + 15 + 19) = 28, but the quotation gives the multiplication sign x (the plus sign askew) for the plus sign +. Again, the book correctly says the area of the triangle = ,/23 x 11 x 8 x 4, but the quotation has no vinculum or line beyond the radical sign ,/, which, therefore restricts the meaning of such sign to the first factor 23. Whenever brackets ora line immediately follow the radical sign ,/ they cause every- thing embraced by them to be influenced by the sign. Now, the sign ,/, which is a corruption of the letter 7, means that the quantity to which it is prefixed is only worth its square root—that is, another quantity which, multiplied by itself, exactly equals it ; as, for example, a/144 = 4/12 x T2 = 12. Hence, when the root is found, the sign may be dispensed with, and since a/38 x 11 x 8 x 4=./23 x 11 x 2 x 16 (for twice 16 equals eight times 4), the root of 16, which is 4, can be placed without the sign, so that the expression be- comes 4/33 x 11 x 2 = 44/506 = 44/22) x 224 = 4 x 224 = 90.—NopDE. _ (2531,]—Constructing Reservoir.—The sketch is not a good section in all respects. The thickness of the wall is sufficient, but the following reflections occur: If the bottom is a retentive clay, then all is right, except that there needs no clay puddle, as shown 12in. thick. If the bottom is not a perfectly-retentive clay, then the form of the floor puddle is at fault— first, it is not thick enough, it should be at least 1Sin. ; second, the floor puddle should be continued under the wall, and the upright puddle at the back of the wall joined to it. That part of the puddle standing under the wall should be worked in a different manner to the rest. It should be beaten down hard with rammers, very little water being used in working it. There needs no counterforts,—C, § WATER SUPPLY AND SANITARY MATTERS. CoventrY.—Mr. Rawlinson, C.E., C.B., held an inquiry last week, on behalf of the Local Govern- ment Board, into an alleged nuisance said to be created by the draining of the Harlsdon sewage into an open ditch running from the Coventry and Nuneaton Railway to Butts-lane, near §. Thomas’s Church. The Coventry Local Board of Health seem to dispute their liability to remedy the nuisance, inasmuch as it was one produced by the inhabitants of Barlsdon. Mr. Rawlinson has not yet given his decision. LeyToN SEWER Ovrratn Worxs.—Leyton, which was quite a rural parish some fifteen years ago, has now become, in consequence of the easy access to the city by rail, a great suburban one, with a considerable population. The question of the disposing of the sewage has for some time engaged the earnest attention of the inhabitants. The outfall works for this purpose have just been completed. These works retain the sewage matter, allowing only the effluent water to escape into a tributary of the river Lea. The plan adopted con- sists of a series of depositing, settling, and filtering tanks. The works are divided into two longitudi- nal sections exactly alike, so that by means of pen- stocks fixed at the point where the sewer is sepa- rated to form two inlets, in direction resembling the sides of an isosceles triangle, one series can be worked while the other is being cleaned out. Hach section is an enormous tank 76ft. long, 18ft. wide, and 10ft. deep, which is divided into four sub-tanks, or, to prevent ambiguity, we shall call them cham- bers, by walls running across and at right angles to the course of the stream which enters at the end. The first chamber receives the sewage, which passes through aniron yertical grating on the top of the wall into the nexi ehamber, which is the settling one; the liquid part now passes through closer iron grating similarly placed as in the last ontoa bed of screened gravel and shingle 4ft. thick, in the first filtering chamber. The gravel is laid on iron grating fixed on piers 2ft. high above the floor of the tank, so that there is a clear space of 2ft. in depth under the grating to receive the water percolating through the gravel, and leaving on it the particles which passed through the vertical gratings. This is called the “downward filtra- tion.” The next chamber is constructed in the same manner as the last, except that the water enters it at the bottom, passing up through the superincumbent gravel, or by “an upward filtration.” It then flows into the outlet. The works do credit to the knowledge and ability of Mr. Ashbee, who designed and superintended them. Messrs. Black- more and Morley were the contractors. SrovcH.—On Monday last Mr. Robert Morgan, one of the inspectors appointed by the Local Government Board, held an inquiry at the Board Room, Slough, in reference to the petition of the Slough Local Board of Health for compulsory powers to purchase land belonging to Lord Hare- wood, at Upton, for an outfall for the drainage of the district. WatH AND West Metton WATER WorkKS.—A new storage reservoir, to enlarge the capabilities of the company who supply the towns of Wath and West Melton with water is on the point of com- pletion. It is of considerable size, and is calculated to contain about 200 days’ consumption for the whole district. The filter beds in connection there- with are some 6ft. in thickness, and through them the whole of the water is passed. The contractor is Mr. Charles Ford, of Wolverhampton; the engi- neer Mr, John M‘Landsborough, C.E., of Bradford. —»_—_ CHIPS. A deputation cf the National Sunday League waited on Mr. Forster on Tuesday on the subject of the opening the Kensington Museum and Sheep- shanks’ Gallery on Sunday. The Marquis of Ripon, for Mr. Forster and himself, said the subject should receive the careful considération of Government. The Prussian Society for the promotion of Indus- trial Advancement at Berlin offer as a prize a silver medal, or its value, and the sum of 1,875f., to the in- ventor of a yellow solder possessing the properties and quality of ordinary tin solder, and to be used for soldering brass or similar alloys, so that the seams will not be visible. Hallwachs, a German chemist, has found that not only green but also the red-coloured carpetings fre- quently contain arsenic. He particularly asserts that the brilliant dark red colours, now so greatly in demand, contain enormous quantities of this poison- ous substance. The goods burned with the blue flame of arsenic, and gaye its characteristic garlic odour. Mr. William Tucker, a native of Taunton, and formerly an art teacher in the Taunton School of Design, has just been appointed to the Mastership of Kidderminster Art School, one of the most import- ant institutions of the kind in the provinces. PARLIAMENTARY NOTES. THE COMMISSION ON FRIENDLY AND BUILDING Socretres.—Mr. Gourley asked the right hon. mem- ber for North Devon, on Thursday week, whether the statement in the fourth paragraph of the Report of the Royal Commissioners on Friendly and Building Societies just issued—* As a matter of fact we have had occasionally to receive evidence of which, we fear, none of those who heard it could doubt the deliberate falseness; we have failed, in many eases, to elicit that which we believe would have been im- portant; and*we have been compelled to leave almost untouched a whole line of inquiry, of which the evidence of Mr. Aspinall, the coroner for Liverpool, may show the significance, but which, as involving criminal charges, could not adequately be carried out without powers of compulsion and powers of indemnity ”"— did not refer to friendly and burial societies exclusively; and if the commission had not received every assistance and information from the representatives of building societies.—Sir 8. Northcote said that when the evidence on which the report was founded was produced, as he hoped would soon be the case, it would be quite clear what points were referred to in the paragraph quoted; but he might say at once that it did not refer to building societies, and that the line of evidence which was referred to related more to burial societies, and to certain statements bearing on the dangers to infant life arising from certain procsedings connected with burial societies. With regard to the latter part of the question, he might svy that the commission, in the course of their inquiries in the autumn, did receive much assistance and information from the re- presentatives of building societies, and the only point on which they had to complain of the friends of building societies was that those societies used their influence to prevent the passing of a bill which, though it did not affect building societies, would, if it had been passed, have enabled the commission to pursue their inquiries in respect of other societies in a much more effectual manner than they were en- abled to do. SuMMER IN THE ParKs.—Mr. M. Guest asked the First Commissioner of Works whether the season had not arrived for the laying down of tan or soft gravel inthe Park between the Marble Arch and Rotten-row, for the convenience of people riding, as in former years.—Mr. Ayrton said that as there had been two fine days in succession it was thought that the time had now arrived when it would be possible to carry out the hon. gentleman’s wishes, and that, course would be followed accordingly, unless the weather should change (laughter). eed MEETINGS FOR THE ENSUING WEEK MonpAyY.—Royau INSTITUTE OF BRITISH ARCHI- TEcTs.—‘tOn the Necessity and Method ° of Testlng Building Materials.” tain Seddon, R.E, 8 p.m, By Cap- INSTITUTION OF SURVEYORS.—Discussion on Mr. C. Cadle’s paper ‘On Leases v. Yearly Agreeements.”’ S$ p.m. TUESDAY.—INSTITUTION oF CIyIL ENGINEERS.— “On the River Witham Drainage Pumping Machinery and Works at Lade Bank.” By Mr. Edward Welsh, M. Inst., C.E. (2) ‘*Onthe Construction of Heavy Artillery, with Reference to Economy of the Mechanical Forces Engaged.’” By Mr. Bashley Britten. § p.m, FRIDAY.—ARCHITECTURAL ASSOCIATION.—Meeting of Class of Construction and Practice ; subject: ‘“‘Mechanics,” 6,30 p. m.—Meet- ing of Class of Design; subject: ‘ Sculp- tured Stone Reredos,” fin. scale. 8 p.m. —_—_—_@—_——_—. A Fixe Cuurcu Bapty SrruArep.—The new parish church at Kensington, which is being erected from a design by Mr. G. 8. Scott, R.A., promises to be one of the few buildings of the kind that, in or near London, can be called ornamental, and will cost about £50,000 in erection. Unfortunately, as the Pall Mall Gazette points out, it is by no means in the best of situations, being crowded in upon and surrounded by old houses and other buildings, which detract from its otherwise almost imposing aspect and dimensions. And this isnot the worst. In addition to all existing buildings, it is intended to have a new one, to be placed right in the front of the tran- sept of the church, in such a situation as must con- ceal a large portion of the building from view from the road. The new building is a police barrack, to be built of brick with stone facings, and of which the foundations have already been laid. Imme- diately adjoining there is a police station, and the police authorities have bought up the ground for the erection of the new barrack and the formation of a yard, We cannot blame them for doing so, but it is strange that the people of Kensington should have remained so long apathetic and indifferent, and to be only now—when it is almost certainly too late— awakening to the circumstances of the case.