Page:The Building News and Engineering Journal, Volume 22, 1872.djvu/409

 May 10, 1872. THE BUILDING NEWS. 387 lated impurities of hundreds of years. To counter- -yail this nothing effectual has yet been done. In Ruthin there is the extremity of sanitary neglect, and, as a consequence, a town which, from its natural advantages and from the absence of un- wholesome occupations, ought to rank high amongst towns for healthiness, is found to have an habitual death-rate exceeding that of some manufacturing cities. Starr or TrRuro.—The Local Government Board Inspector, Mr. Morgan, has just held an inquiry at Truro, a memorial having been sent com- plaining of the neglect of the sewer authority to supply sufficient drainage: There is a Town Council, but the sanitary authority is a Board of Commis- sioners, who: appear to have exhausted their powers, and to have done little or nothing in the way of sanitary improvement. Great complaints were made as to the condition of the river, into which all the sewage is poured; and Mr, Williams, surgeon, said that typhoid fever had existed for two or three months, and that there were now four cases arising from the abominable stench from the river. Mr. Morgan seemed to suggest the desirability of super- seding the Commissioners, and of making the Town Council the sanitary authority. It is to be hoped that means will be provided for this in the forth- coming Sanitary Bill. ——>—_—_— CHIPS. Tho next election of pensioners in connection with the Builders’ Benevolent Institution will take place on Thursday, the 23rd inst. The Americans are about to build a new church in Rome. The site is the Via Nazionale. “Rebekah at the Well,” by F. Goodall, R.A., is to ‘be the Art Union Plate for the coming year, £11,930 12s. 6d. was subscribed last year. The New Liverpool Society of Water Colour Painters, whose inaugural exhibition is now open, has turned out asuccess, Large numbers of pictures haye been sold since the opening, while at the private view alone works were disposed of to the value of nearly £1,000. Amongst the exhibitors are several of the best known London artists. The address to be presented to the Corporation of London by the Paris Muncipality is to be a chef dwuvre of penmanship, M. Léon Say having o%ered a prize for the best executed copy. The arms of Paris will ornament each corner, and those of the City of London will form the heading. The address will be in a frame of carved oak leaves, intermingled with medallions representing the principal Parisian monuments. The County Magistrates of the hundred of Black- burn are intending to erect a Police-court, offices, and residences for constables, together withcells and otherrequisite buildings, on land recently purchased, situate in King-street, Blackburn. The design has been entrusted to Mr. William 8. Varley, architect, Blackburn. Stallingborough Church, Lincoinshire, is about to be restored and reseated. Niblo’s Theatre in New York has been destroyed by fire. The theatre has always held its own among the very first places of public amusement in America. Macready, Vandenhoff, Hackett, and Hammond were familiar to its boards. A paper was read on Thursday evening before the Society of Antiquaries on the arrangement and furniture of the Abbey Churches and Conventual buildings of Westminster, 8. Alban’s, and Waltham, at the time ot their dissolution, founded on docu- ments recently discovered. Mr. John Savage, of the Metropolitan Board of Works, has been appointed a member of the Kew and other bridges committee, in the place of Mr. Westerton, deceased. Egyptian asphalte dissolved in benzole and tur- pentine makes a fine transparent stain for darkening walnut, and makes a good imitation of that wood if applied to poplar, or wood of similar grain. At a meeting of the Birmingham ‘Town Council, on Tuesday, it was resolved to co-operate with the Council of the Midland Institute in making an addi- tion to the present Free Library buildings of the Edmund-sireet end. The cost of the work to the Town Council is not to exceed £11,000, at which outlay a new and larger art gallery will be secured, while the reading-room and reference library accom- modation will be considerably increased. On Monday the new schools in connection with Christ Church, North Shields, were opened. The buildings are of red and black bricks with stone mullions and dressings. ‘The contract was let to Mr. R. Bolton for £2,065. Mr. F. R. N. Haswell, of North Shields, is the architect. The plans and specifications have been sanctioned by the Bradford School Board of an infant school at Horton Bank Top, by Mr. E. Simpson, and a school at Whetley-lane, by Messrs. Healy, the former to cost £3,465, and the latter £7,800. A new memorial stained glass window has been erected in the church of All Saint’s, Maidstone. The subject is the Ascension, and the cost about £1,000. The artist is Mr. J. B. Caproanier of Brussels. On Oftce Table, —.>_—_. Tur Luynyi Tonpu ANd OcGmMorE CoAL AND Tron Company.—A new company, under the above title, has been formed for the purpose of acquiring and working three properties now in active opera- tion, which, together, will form one of the most extensive coal and iron works in the kingdom. The capital is £550,000, of which £200,000 is taken by the vendors, the remaining £350,000 being issued in 7,000 shares of £50 each. A guarantee is given by deposit of securities that within five years the net profit upon the share capital called up will amount to an average profit of 10 per cent. per annum for the five years. Messrs. Chadwick, Adamson, Collier, & Co., are the promoters of the company, and their long experience in the investment of money in coal and iron properties gives additional weight to the commendatory terms in which they introduce the present venture. Tue LATE Mr, Treveryan Goopari.—The final meeting of subscribers to the memorial to this artist was held on Tuesday, April 30, at University College, Gower-street, when propositions as to the disposal of the fund were submitted to the executive com- mittee. It was proposed that the memorial should take the form of an art scholarship, to be awarded biennially, and to be tenable for three years; open to pupils in the University College School (where the late Mr. Trevelyan Goodall was educated) who wish to prosecute their studies in the Slade School of Fine Art in University College, and who intend to become artists. The hon. secretary having read the report, and the treasurer having announced that the total subscriptions reached close upon £500, the propositions of the executive committee were adopted. A Rerrocrape Movement.—The Metropolitan District Railway Company raised their fares very considerably on Monday. The fare for a first-class (single ticket) from West Brompton to Charing- cross is now exactly what a return ticket could be had for on Saturday. The third-class single fares have been increased from 3d. to 4d., and the second class from 4d. to 6d. Frxau Ciosinc or THY Surrey THEATRE.—On Monday the Surrey Theatre was closed, never, pro- bably, to be reopened as a theatre. The property will shortly be sold by auction, and, it is said, will be conyerted to commercial purposes. It was originally opened in 1780 as a circus. It was burned down and rebuilt in 1805, and in 1809 Elliston took it, converted the ring into a pit, and commenced the performance of the regular drama. The speculation was a failure, and the house subsequently passed into the hands of the Dibdins. In 1847, Messrs. Creswick and Shepherd undertook the management, and under their auspices the fortunes of the house revived. The theatre was again burnt down in 1866, and again rebuilt. Liverroon AncnirecrurAL Socrery.—At the last meeting of this society the judgment of the Council was given for the students’ competition for the year 1872. The subject given was designs for three blocks of semi-detached cottages suitable for a gen- tleman’s estate. The drawings were generally pro- nounced to be of unusual excellence both as to design and carefulness of execution. The first prize was awarded to Mr. E. H. Banner, pupil in the office of Messrs. W. and G. Audsley ; and the second to Mr. W. C. Hardisty, of Mr. Hay’s. Tue Instrrution or Crym Enerneers.—It has been decided that the annual soirée given by the President, Mr. Hawksley, to the members of this society, shall this year take place in the Machinery Court of the International Exhibition at South Ken- sington, supplemented by the British Picture Gal- lery immediately over that court. The evening set apart for the entertainment will be on Tuesday, the 28th of May. The north-west entrance, through the West Orchid House of the Horticultural So- ciety, will be the access at which the visitors will be received. Mr. GLADSTONE AND THE “ QUARTERLY.”—Mr. Gladstone, in his speech at the Royal Academy dinner on Saturday last, in alluding to the article on archi- tecture inthe Quarterly quoted by us ast week, and commented on elsewhere, said—‘ There has, ‘in- deed, appeared within the last few days an article in a distinguished and well-known periodical—the Quarterly Review—which, dealing with the condi- tion of one of the arts embraced within the scope of the Royal Academy, represents as entirely deplorable the condition of British architecture. I do not know whether many at this table have under- gone the same disagreeable sensations I myself have in perusing that article. 1 trust it is not likely to be followed by similar criticisms on painting and sculpture. The enly consolation it appears to leave is this—that we have arrived at the very lowest deep —we are at the bottom of all deeps, and if we move at all we cannot do otherwise than rise hereafter. However, I cherish the hope that even the severest criticism applied to art in this free-spoken country will do nothing but good.” Harsour Scueme ror Canars.—Another new scheme for making Calais Harbour available for steamboats of 3,000 or 4,000 tons at all times of the tide has been brought before the authorities. The engineers are Messrs. Liddell and Richardson. Their proposition is to construct a landing and embarking pier about three-quarters of a mile into the water from Calais, and to connect this pier by a subway from the railway station. By going so far out into the Channel they will avoid “silting-up,” and by making a basin for the steamers at the extreme dis- tance they will be able to land in shelter at any time of tide, wind, or weather. It is estimated that the cost will amount only to about £400,000. Guur.—Ordinary glue can be rendered insoluble in water by adding to the water with which it is mixed, when required for use, a small quantity of bichromate of potash, and exposing the articles to which it is applied to the light. Chromic acid has the property of rendering glue and gelatine in- soluble; and, as the operation of heating the glue- pot is usually conducted in the light, no special exposure of the article to which it is attached need be made. It is probable that paper could berendered impervious to water by pasting the sheets with this prepared glue. The bichromate is said to render rubber particularly hard and unattackable by hot water. The proportion of bichromate to be taken must be ascertained by experiment ; for most pur- poses one-fiftieth of the amount of glue employed will be found sufficient. A New Mernuop or Purtrying AND Uritt- Liste Sewace.—Mr. James Brough Pow, of Worcester, has patented a method of purifying and utilising sewage. Hesubjects the sewage matter to a triple treatment, viz., that of subsidence, the use of chemical reagents, and filtration, by means of his improved ascension filters. He thus collects all the solid matter held in mechanical suspension, and by precipitating the combirations he obtains nearly the whole of the oxidisable material found in chemical solution. The precipitated mass of sewage is then dried in specially devised kilns, and employed as manure. The effluent water is afterwards purified by being subjected to a process of filtration, aéra- tion, and oxidation. eee eee MEETINGS FOR THE ENSUING WEEK. TUESDAY.—INSTITUTION OF CrviL ENGINEERS.— (1) Continued Discussion “On the Con- struction of Heavy Artillery.” (2) “On Explosive Agents for Industrial Pur- poses.” By Mr. F. A. Abel, F.C.S. 8 p.m. WREDNESDAY.—SOCIETY OF ARTS.—S8 p.m. FRIDAY.—ARCHITECTURAL ASSOCIATION.—*‘ Notes on Modern French Architecture.” By Mr. G. H. West, A.R.L.B.A. 7.30 p.m. CrviIn AND MECHANICAL ENGINEERS, Socrery.—‘*On Water Supply to Towns and Villages.” By Mr. G. W. Usill, F.M.S. 7.30 p.m. Grade Aetus. WAGES MOVEMENT. DoncasTER.—A dispute has been amicably arranged in the building trade at Doncaster between the masters and the bricklayers. The former have already con- ceded the 54 hours per week in the summer, and the misunderstanding had reference to a matter of detail concerning the winter months. The men wanted to commence at seven, and half-an-hour for breakfast ; the masters stood out against the men breaking off for breakfast, but have conceded the half-hour in another way, the men commencing work at half-past seven, and after breakfast. DuptEy.—In consequence of the number of con- tracts which the Dudley builders haye in hand, the operatives of the various branches of the trade haye agreed to postpone their full demands until August next, The half-day holiday on Saturday the masters have agreed to concede at once. Lonpon.—A meeting in support of the short time movement in the building trades was held on Tuesday night at the Pimlico Rooms, and was well attended. It was stated that the movement was making rapid progress, and it only wanted combination on the part of the men to make it a success. Resolutions were passed approving of the objects of the movement, and pledging the meeting to support it. Lreps.—The Leeds bricklayers and their labourers have struck for an advance of 3d. per hour.