Page:The Building News and Engineering Journal, Volume 22, 1872.djvu/428

 406 give the dimension of the height. This should be multiplied by the superficial area, including all the walls. ‘The cubical contents so produced are multiplied by the sum per foot cube which it is supposed would be proper for the class of building to be estimated. The amount will be the probable cost, exclusive of fittings, which will, of course, vary according to the taste and requirements of the occupier-—S,. TURNER. [2554.)—Substitute for Glazed Bricks.—“ An Architect” asks for a substitute for glazed bricks, which, from his statement, he does not appear to be very well acquainted with, as glazed bricks were never so low in price as now, and never more plentiful, and not difficult to procure at any time. They vary in price as in quality and colour, from £3 10s. to £20 per thousand.—A. BARFIELD, 27, Audley-street, W. [2555.]—Contents of Cistern.— q = AvD 222 a m = 1298 x v6 T= aa . T= 174°552 _ 9.9135 minutes 1089°576 60 548100 or 2 min. 55 sec.—P. W. D. 2556.]—Removable Fittings.—‘ ©. P. E.” will find the information he needs as to the law of fixtures, &e., in Holdsworth’s “Landlord and Tenant” (a shilling handbook), or in the larger works of Woodfall, or Alfred Cox, or most standard books on property law. — PADDINGTON, [2556.]—Removable Fittings.—A good list of these, as well as of those which may not be removed, is given in a book entitled ‘‘ The Choice of a Dwelling.” But as“ C. P. EB.” may not have that book, I here append a list copied from it: Barns, granaries, &c., set on blocks or pillars, blinds, cisterns, clock-cases, cup- boards, grates, iron backs to chimneys, iron Ovens, lamps, marble chimney-pieces if ornamental, marble slabs. Movable buildings laid on brick foundations not attached thereto: Ovens, pumps, ranges, shelves, sinks, wainscot or panelling fixed by screws. The following are debateable: Greenhouses, hothouses, &c., pave- ments, sheds, verandahs, and wood or iron porches.— EXPERANTIA. (2559.]—Tiling Floors.—A man experienced in tile-laying recommends the placing a sheet of stout zine over the floor, as without this there is great danger of the timbers shrinking from the quantity of water used in the process, EXPERANTIA. [2559.)—Tiling Floors.—Maw & Co. say:, Wood floors in upper stories may be readily replaced with Mosaic, the foundation being prepared by nailing fillets to the joists at three inches from their upper surface, and the old floor boards sawn into short lengths and fitted in between the joists upon the fillets. Concrete may then be filled in flush with the upper face of the joists, and brought to a perfectly level surface by a thin coating of cement, allowing about a quarter of aninch more than the thickness of the tiles for the cement to be used in bedding them. ‘The tiles and cement will occupy about the same space as the floor boards they replace.—P. W. D. ——_>——_ STATUES, MEMORIALS, &c. Mazz1n1t.—The Italian papers announce an open competition for a statue in white marble representing Joseph Mazzini in proportions somewhat larger than life. This statue is intended to replace the bust which was deposited at the Capitol on the 17th March, 1872. The competition will close on the 18th June this year. Designs are to be sent to 81, Via della Croce, Roma. MONUMENT To THE LATE Henry Brery.—A hand- some monument of Aberdeen granite is about to be erected on the banks of the Olyde at Helensburgh, in memory of the late Henry Bell, who first applied steam to navigation on that river. It consists of an obelisk 25ft. long and 3ft. square at the base, being thelargest ever produced at the works from onestone. The block, which came from Messrs. Macdonald, Field, & Co.’s quarries at Stirlinghill, near Peter- head, weighed seventeen tons in its rough state, and, as now shaped and polished, it has a weight of eleven tons. The obelisk is to be set on a series of steps of the same material ; and, with dado and plinth, the total height of the monument will be 34ft. Nicr.—A monument to the memory of Mrs. Lamb has been erected at the cemetery of Cimies, near Nice, from designs of Mr. E. Welby Pugin. It is executed partly in various coloured marbles, and partly in Portland, Mansfield, and Bath stone. On the altar tomb is placed a recumbent figure of the deceased, with angels holding a cushion supporting the head, the feet resting upon a Paschal Lamb. Around the tomb are sculptured the seven corporal works of Mercy, the eighth panel being filled with the family arms. From the bronze tie-rods hang eight flower baskets, by Messrs. Hardman & Co. The angels’ wings are also copper-gilt, every feather being worked and planted on separately. The cost of the monument has been something under £3,000. THE BUILDING NEWS. Ow Oftice Table, ——.>—_. A Foreten Estrate or Enousn ArcHirec- rurE.—Referring to the competitive plans for the German Houses of Parliament, a writer in the Cologne Gazette, perhaps inspired by the recent article in the Quarterly Review, says:—‘‘ From England about ten plans have been received ; among others by Sang (?), Robert Start (?), Wilkin- son, Green, Turner, Emerson, Spandon (?). Gilbert Scott, Robinson. The English have set much value on appearance. Gigantic water-colour paintings, richly framed, represent in the most interesting manner the masses of buildings, with many towers, or richly crowned ‘with mighty cupolas, with the effect of sun glances breaking through a gray clouded sky. Some of these plans recal the wonders of Indian architecture, and the impression is so striking that one is inclined to believe in the truth of the architectonic miracle, and to put aside the (in Prussian architecture) unavoidable question of unconditional and exclusive adjustment to the pur- pose. The German architects, whose works are modest, and kept within narrower limits, will have their difficulties in presence of these fairy works, as they come forth from the English fogs.” Woop y. AspHatte.—While the municipal authorities in London are replacing the last relic of the old wooden pavement with asphalte, experiments with wood pavements are being made in Paris, whence we derive the asphalte system. The trials are made with rectangular blocks, about 7in. in depth by 8in. long and 34in. wide, set on a din. bed of cement. The wood is suitably prepared and rendered damp-proof beforehand, and the ends of the blocks are cut at an angle of forty-five degrees. The surfaces of the street are level in one case, and on a slope in another. The cost is about 10s. per square yard. TIyrorMAtion ON BuripinGc Sronrs.—Professor Hull, head of the Geological Survey of Ireland, has in the press a work designed to render practical service to builders and architects by information about the varieties of stone and their respective ad- vantages for building purposes. ‘In arranging the matter treated in this work,” says Professor Hull, “T have not followed any very definite order, but rather that which the subject seemed to indicate.” Regretting the incorrect nomenclature which is em- ployed in the architectural classification of natural building materials, and yet feeling that the adoption of the mineral basis of rocks as the priaciple of arrangement would render his book less useful for reference by architects, the author has followed the plan drawn out on his fourth page. ‘“ Commencing with the noblest of all rocks, granite, I have been naturally led onwards to the allied rocks, such as syenite, porphyry, and from those to other plutonic or yoleanic rocks. After these the metamorphic serpentines and marbles form a transition series through the simpler and rarer ornamental stones into those adapted for building, and of aqueous for- mation.” The work will be published by Messrs Macmillan & Co. ADVANCE IN THE Price or Bricks.—On Thurs- day (yesterday) week a well-attended meeting (there being only two masters absent) of the master brick- makers of the district of Farnworth and Kersley was held at Kersley, for the purpose of considering the present price of patent and common bricks.—Mr. Grundy was voted to the chair, and urged an advance in the price of bricks.—Mr. Oakes said that in consequence of the increase in wages, and the augmented cost of fuel and other materials, an advance in the price of bricks should be adopted at once. At present the net cost of bricks to the maker was 22s. 1d. per thousand, but they had only charged the public a little over 20s. for the past twelve months.—After further discussion, it was unanimously resolved that on and after Monday, May 13, common bricks should be charged 24s. per thousand, and patent bricks 27s. per thousand. Deatu or M. Lescarne.—The Atheneum an- nounces the death of M. Lescarné, sculptor, of Paris, which took place on Sunday, April 21. He was born at Langres, in 1799, attracted considerable notice before he was thirty years of age, and sustained his reputation by statues of “* Andromeda” and “ Clytie.”” The “Marguerite” on the terrace of the Luxembourg was by him; his other works, which are numerous,have considerable excellence ; among themis the monument of Cardinal Marlot, in the Chapel of S. George, Notre Dame, Paris. Hints As To THE EMPLOYMENT OF BLASTING Powper.—“ Powder is a good servant, but a bad master,” and too much care cannot be taken in handling it, says an Australian paper. Strict atten- May 17, 1872. tion to the following rules would prevent many an accident :—First, only the best powder and safety fuse should be used; the stuff used for tamping to be free from quartz, spar, or flinty matter—clays, slate finely pulverised and dry, will be found to be the best; second, ragged holes to be made smooth by claying, or the safety fuse to be protected by a tube of guttapercha or indiarubber, or by being bound in some hempen substance ; third, no powder should be left about the walls of the hole; fourth, the charge should be passed down through a tube — having a funnel or bell mouth; fifth, wet or damp holes should be charged with a cartridge, or the powder placed in a bag made of some impervious — material—a composition of pitch and coal or wood tar would answer well. The ramming bar to be copper, or iron tipped or capped with copper. Sixth, a mis-fired hole, or hole holding fire, should never be bored out, the drill or borer always cutting deeper than the water, reaching the charge first. Holes have been known to hold fire for many hours, IxcreasinG Scarciry or AMERICAN TIMBER.— The last report of the United States Agricultural Bureau makes a very strong appeal to the people to do what they can to make up for the loss of timber by planting young trees. A little attention on the part of landholders to this matter (says an American paper) would not only add greatly to the beauty of the country, but would increase the value of the estates, and prevent what is really in danger of over- taking us—a wood famine. Over 50,000 acres of land were denuded of timber between 1850 and 1860, and are now fruitful farms. Aside from the uses of wood for fuel, fencing, &e., it ranks as a necessity in many of the arts and in various industrial call- ings. American oak, pine, and walnut enter largely into our exports. When we think of the immense amount of timber required for the construction of wharves, piers, railways, &ec., it becomes apparent that measures should be taken not only by the indi- vidual owners of land, but by the Legislature, to provide against wanton destruction of forests, and for the repairing of necessary loss and waste of timber. It appears to us, also, that in view of the rapid decay of wood used for piles, sleepers, and other similar purposes, it would be well to subject the material so used to the Bethell or some such process, for the purpose of resisting decay. It is: said that wood which, after being submitted to that process, was used for railroad ties and bridge timber, was found, after a quarter of a century’s use and exposure, to be as sound as new timber. “Tron Famine” (!).—The Boston (Massachusetts): Globe sounds a note of alarm at the threatening iron famine. It is stated that 2,600,000 tons were used in the United States last year, of which 2,000,000 were produced, and the remainder imported. A careful estimate of the increased consumption during the present year, and of the probable supply, demonstrates that there is too much reason to expect a very large deficit in supply. Prices of American and imported iron have advanced fully one-third within the last three months. CoMPENSATION TO WORKMEN FOR ACCIDENTS. —The Leeds Mercury says: A Bill will shortly be introduced by Mr. Morrison which will cause some- what of a flutter among employers. Its object is to alter the existing law with respect to compensation granted to workmen in case of accidents, and to make it more favourable to the men. Mr. Hinde Palmer and Mr. Melly have agreed to place their names on the back of the measure, which has received the sanction and approval of the Parliamentary Committee of Trades’ Unions. Tur Parent Universan Oursipe Brinp.—A new outside window-blind, introduced by Mr G. A. Williams, of Bayswater, deserves notice on account of its simplicity and the great saving effected in making and fixing it. It is also very simple, and when drawn up occupies so little space that the case necessary for it excludes far less light than the cases of other blinds. Sra-WaArer 1x Lonpon.—It only needs, we (Lance?) think, a little energy on the part of the caterers for London wants to bring to a successful issue the project first started in our columns of placing the metropolis in possession of such a supply of sea-water as would be sufficient for the regular bathing of as many Londoners as may wish to avail themselves of this most salutary practice. If the sea-water was once brought to town—and this seems to be an easy matter from an engineering point of view—the demand for it would, we believe, be much larger than is generally supposed; and in place of a solitary floating bath here and there to which per— sons could gain access for an occasional plunge, in process of time no part of the metropolis would be without its small salt-water lake. Wedo not despair of seeing the Serpentine supplied with sea-water-