Page:The Building News and Engineering Journal, Volume 22, 1872.djvu/413

 May 17, 1872. THE BUILDING NEWS. 391 the cabinet-maker or other manufacturer. The first especially deserving of notice is the Red Cedar. This magnificent tree grows to the height of from 100ft. to 150ft., and attains a diameter of 36in. to 48in. The colour is dark brown, with a fair amount of figure, so that it would make excellent furni- ture, pianoforte cases, &c. It is extensively exported from Queensland to other colonies, and will, no doubt, in time, be much used in England. The Blue Gum is also well adapted for use in furniture making. It is hard and close-grained, and can be had of large square, the specimen being about 30in. wide, but it would not look so well when manufactured as the red cedar. The Barkeyla Syringefolia grows from 40ft. to 50ft. high, and from 12in. to 15in. in diameter. The wood is close and straight-grained, and dark. gray in colour. It is almost too sombre to be of much use to the cabinet-maker, except for inlay- ing, for which purpose it would be valu- able. Beef-wood is a prettily-figured wood, light red in colour, and might be used for a similar purpose, but its small size— Sin. to 12in. diameter—would prevent its general use. Smooth-barked Gum has very much the appearance of straight-grained Honduras mahogany, and is strong and durable. The trees run from 70ft. to 90ft. in height, and 24in. to 56in. in diameter. Silky Oak is a very valuable wood, and should our supplies from Europe fail us from any cause, will be largely imported here. Growing from 100ft. to 120ft. in height, with a diameter of from 24in. to 36in., it is especially adapted for all kinds of furniture, and in Australia is in great request for that purpose, and also for making staves for tallow casks. Better staves could not be had than those made from this oak, and the high price of Memel and Dantzic may induce consumers to turn their attention to Queensland, where the first cost is so little as to counterbalance the extra freight. The Bursaria Incana is another hard-textured wood, which takes a good polish, and would be of use for inlaying or enrichments. It is somewhat like satin-wood in appearance, and attains a height of from 30ft. to 40ft., and a diameter of 6in. to Yin. The “ prickly-leaved tea tree,” which is of a light fawn colour, and grows from 20ft. to 30ft. high, with a diameter of Qin. to 12in., would be useful for a similar purpose, but its small size would operate against its general use. The Gray Gum is a very common tree in Queensland. Straight, close-erained, and not unlike some Honduras mahogany, it is probably destined to be an impor- tant article of commerce. Its great dia- meter, 24in. to 36in., renders it peculiarly adapted for cabinet-makers’ work. ‘The wood of the ‘‘She Pine,” which grows 50ft. to S0ft. in height, and from 24in. to 36in. in diameter, is hard, fine grained, and flexible, but not having any figure, would be objectionable for the better sorts of furniture ; but for ordinary purposes it is all that could be desired. ‘The Dark Yellow Wood has much the appearance of American walnut, and is soft and fine- grained, but without much figure; its height is from 60ft. to 70ft., and its diameter 12in, to 24in. It could be largely used for piano- forte cases and chairs. There is a very pretty specimen of cork tree in this depart- ment, from which the natives make shields. Tt is, of course, very light, but could be used for many purposes. It is doubtful, however, whether it will ever be imported in large quantities, as its lightness, compared with its bulk, would necessitate too heavy a charge forfreight. The tree grows from 30ft. to 40ft. high, and from 12in. to 24in. in diameter. The Mangrove, which in Australia is used for such purposes as making stonemasons’ mallets and the knees of boats, would here make handsome drawing-room tables, or any furniture of a similar class. It takes a fine polish, and is¢lose-grained, but has not much figure ; height from 20ft. to 30ft., diameter not unlike satin-wood in appearance, is hard and close-grained, and is very durable under- ground. It would make handsome piano- forte cases, or any description of furniture ; its height is from 40ft. to 50ft., and diameter 12in. to 24in. The Cypress Pine is also similar to satin-wood, and light gray in colour, with some figure. A suite of furniture made from this wood would show admirably against blue hangings. Moreton Bay Pine is a magnificent wood, which would make up with better effect than even walnut. Dark, and with a satin-like appearance, it will be in great request, should circumstances ever allow of its extensive importation, ‘ Woolly Butt” is valued for its strength and tough- ness. Itis straight-grained, and useful for ordinary purposes, and would make good shipbuilding timber. Its height is from 50ft. to 70ft., and its diameter 24in. to 36in. River Oak, of which the Australians make bullock yokes, is strong, durable, fine grained, and takes a good polish. It is valuable from its property of resisting the attacks of the white ant, and consequently should be in request in India. It grows to a_height of from 100ft. to 150ft., and from 24in. to 36in. in diameter. It would be most valuable for ship-building purposes, and, in addition, is in request for dye. The Cypress Pine is light in colour and of good appearance and fragrant. Its uses would be for pile driv- ing, ship-building, and furniture. Its height is from 40ft. to 60ft., and its diameter 24in. to 36in. The last there is space to notice is the Sweet Plum, of a rich dark brown colour and handsome appearance. It is hard, heavy, and capable of receiving a brilliant polish. Its height is from 70ft. to 100ft., and diameter 24in. to 48in. Nothing could surpass the beauty of furniture made from this wood, and a table made from it would far excel the finest walnut burr ever seen. If Queensland had rothing more to show than the above-men- tioned woods, her contribution to the Exhibi- tion of 1872 would still be worth study. But a question or two require answering. What is the probable cost in this country? And this mainly depends on the facilities of trans- port to the nearest Australian port, and the freightage to Great Britain. Wood is gra- dually becoming dearer in this country, and it is important to obtain all possible infor- mation respecting colonial produce, for a time will come, and that soon, when it will be cheaper to import from such places as Queens- land than pay prices which are constantly advancing. Besides Australia, we have in India and Africa almostinexhaustible supplies. How to utilise them will soon become a pro- minent question, and one which we should be prepared to answer in time. en PLUMBING.—X. (Continued from page 352.) E come now to treat of soil-pipes, and waste, or discharge-pipes ; and as these are either altogether fixed up inside the building, or, at least, have branches carried forward more or less into the interior, it is necessary that they be fitted up in such a manner as, while allowing free passage to the soil, &c., to also prevent any foul air from them, or from the drains into which they are led, getting access to the interior of the house. dm order to work well, therefore, it ought to be observed that the pipes are large enough, strong enough, securely fixed, properly jointed, properly trapped, and well ventilated. To give soil-pipes fair play they ought to be, at least, 44in. in diameter internally. This size of pipe allows of a large rush of water and soil through it without filling it up, which, therefore, prevents said rush from in- terfering with the water lying in the various syphon traps. Where several water-closets and baths, &e., are led into one gsoil-pipe the diameter of main soil-pipe may with advan- 12in. to 24in. The ashes ‘are much used for | tage be 5in. or Gin., the branches being less. soap making. “Che Broad-leaved Tea Tree is | Where the water-closets are situated just inside the back wall of the house a common 43in. cast-iron pipe is sometimes put up on outside of wall with branches coming into it. One plan often adopted in regard to these branches is to have branch pointing into wall, as per U, Fig. 111, into which branch-pipe V is led; but this, although it may save a little pipe, often proves a dangerous plan for the health of the inmates, as when the slip-joint at U, Fig. 111, begins to get slack, or is, perhaps, left slack, and allows the foul air to get out, this foul air, unless the hole in wall around V is solidly and securely built up, finds its way along outside of V into house. To prevent this, instead of making the hole for branch-pipe immediately behind main soil-pipe, make it alittle to one side, and put a bend on branch pipe coming out through wall, as per Fig. 112. In this latter case, although slip-joint should be slack, it is out- side wall, and the hole in wall at bend, W, can be easily made good. These remarks about Figs. 111 and 112 are also equally applicable to waste-pipes of kitchen sinks when sinks are put up inside of flatted houses. In slipping in these branch- pipes the plumber ought always to see that they are not slipped in too far. I have seen many instances in which this has been the case, and a chokage caused thereby. ‘These slip joints outside may be made good with red-lead putty. Although this is a cheap style of doing the work, yet if fairly executed it does well enough, only do not neglect to ven- tilate pipe at top. One disadvantage, how- ever, of either soil-pipes or waste-pipes put’ up outside the building is their liability to being frozen up in frosty weather, and so pre- venting the proper use of the water-closets, and sinks, &c., or, if they are used, causing the property to be flooded. In such cireum- stances the branch being put in as per Fig.. 112 is found to be often of great service, asi by cutting a slit in the top of the portion of the lead bend W, Fig. 112, which is outside: the wall, the water may be allowed to run off at this slip, and so prevent damage inside. When soil-pipes and waste-pipes are put up inside the house great care should be. taken that they are properly fitted up and securely jointed. If the main upright-pipe is of cast iron then it ought, fora good job, to be heavier and stronger than the ordinary iron rain-water pipe. ‘The iron in the latter may only be about ‘one-eighth of an inch thick, but about double that thickness, or. more, ought to be used for the former. And, if any slip joints are made where the lead branch-pipe joins the iron, the joint should not only be made with red lead and hemp, packed in firmly, but it ought also to be either lapped or a good elastic indiarubber band 3in. or 4in. broad put over it. Where hot- water is used another plan is to have flanged iron branches, as per X, Fig. 113, a corres- ponding lead flange being made and soldered to lead pipe, as per Y, Fig. 1138, after which the two flanges are red-leaded and packed, and then firmly bolted together with four iron bolts and nuts, as shown, an iron ring or ‘‘washer” being used at back of lead flange to strengthen it. In fitting up these heavy iron pipes, and, indeed, all soil-pipes and waste-pipes inside a house, it must be seen that, as stated above, they are securely fixed. When this is not done the fact of having them large enough, strong enough, properly trapped, and well-ventilated is, after the lapse of a little time, quite useless in preventing the escape of sewage gas into the house, as when the pipe is not securely fixed it by-and-bye slips down, and the syphon- trap, instead of being properly locked, as shown at Z, Fig. 113, is dragged down at its outlet until it assumes the position shown at A, Fig. 114, and so becomes quite useless. T have seen many examples of this, espe- cially in connection with syphon-traps of kitchen sinks. In order to prevent these heavy iron pipes from slipping down, a good plan is to have a strong iron heel cast on to and along with lower length or ‘ boot,” as