Page:The Building News and Engineering Journal, Volume 22, 1872.djvu/509

 f June 14, 1872. THE BUILDING NEWS. oc 2 eal Se OE he re a liquid curtain rushes from the feet of Erin, enclosing them within this centre cave. There is another cave on either side of the central arch, with rocky pathways over ; leading from these, flying rustic bridges lead to the galleries. In front of the smaller caves on either side are spirits of the land, standing in basins, which are supported on light ribs converging above a rock basin, over the whole of which the water is pouring, while each figure bears above its head a basin composed of shamrocks, from which ornamental jets are thrown up. Another fountain has been erected inside the building situated in front of the entrance hall at the end of the grandthall; this has been executed in the new patent Marezzo marble. The principal centre group of this magnificent fountain consists of three parts; the undermost por- tion is formed by representations of the four provinces of Ireland, reclining upon four nautilus shells, while the sails of the nautilus support the basin ; the second portion consists of a serpent lying coiled beneath a toad’s-stool; and the basin above, the third portion, supports a figure of the patron saint (S. Patrick) searching for the last serpent, and expelling him from the fair Emerald Isle. This figure is again surmounted by a basin, from which is thrown a magnificent jet of water. The rim (this is an ellipse swelling out at the sides, and ends into semicircular spaces) which forms a capital contrast to this centre group (sic. in MS.). The combination of imitated materials used in this fountain is most elegant and unique. The various marbles employed are violet vein marble for the rim, Sienna marble for the scotion and shaft, Italian gray marble for the basins; the figures and nautilus shells and sails being in majolie tints, ap- proaching those of nature as closely as possible, the whole producing a novel and imposing effect. Both of these novel and singularly effective designs have been supplied by the architect, Mr. Walter Emden, and reflect very highly upon that gentleman’s taste and judgment of artistic effect. There have likewise been erected two colossal figures of S. Michael thrusting his spear into a serpent on the basins of the two exterior fountains, which have up to the present time been incomplete. [We print the above word for word as it reached us from the hand of the author. Not being able to visit the Lublin Exhibition in propria persona we have permitted the architect to speak of his own per- formances in his own way. The reader will see what an exquisite artist an architect is when describing his own works. For anything we know to the con- trary, there is not an adjective too much in the above highly coloured description. We hope, for the sake of architecture as well as for the sake of Mr. Emden, that his architectural ability is equal to his descriptive power. If so, the Phenix genus spoken of in another column is not extinct. What a splendid place the Dublin Exhibition, in the opinion of its architect and decorator, must be! We must say we long to see “the brilliant transformation ” it has undergone, with “its chaste and elegant aspect.” We should also like to see the walls and pillars which are so ‘exquisitely coloured and panelled,” with their “brilliant and chaste contrasts,” and ‘“ their scrolls and foliage most richly decorated.” We should also like to see the organ and orchestra, which are “decorated in harmoniously contrasted colours,” with the ‘‘screen resembling most elegant drapery, pre- senting at once a novel and beautiful effect.” We should also like to make the acquaintance of “ the magnificent fountain,” with its ‘magnificent jet of water,” and ‘the combination of imitated materials used,” which are ‘most eiegant and unique.” In fact, we should like to stand uncovered in the pre- sence of both fountains, which are such “‘ novel and singularly effective designs,” which “have been sup- plied by the architect, Mr. Walter Emden, and reflect very highly upon that gentleman’s taste and judg- ment.” In fact, the whole scene must be enchanting, if the witness, who has the best right to speak of his own handy work, can be relied on. This is not the first time that Mr. Emden has favoured us with de- scriptions of his exquisite work, for which we are grateful, but itis the tirst time we have been enabled to find room for them.—Eb. | ——__>—__——_- The church of 8. Paul, Burslem, has just been renovated and redecorated by Mr. G. T. Langley, of Burslem. The vicar of Tottenham has caused a citation to be issued, for an alteration and enlargement of the parish church, at an estimated expense of £5,000, which, when done, would only furnish accommoda- tion for seventy-five more people. As there is sufii- cient accommodation for the congregation, and as the money would be better employed in building a new church, the parishioners haye agreed to enter an appearance against the citation, THE EQUITY AND LAW ASSURANCE SOCIETY. ase new offices erected for this Society on the north side of Lincoln’s Inn-fields, of which we reproduce the architect’s elevation, are now complete and in the occupation of the Society and its tenants. The building covers the site of the two houses Nos. 17 and 18. The front is entirely of Portland stone, its breadth of effect being undisturbed by the intro- duction of polished granite or any other strongly- coloured material. The eastern entrance is for the exclusive use of the Society's offices. It opens directly through an inner porch into the public office, a room about 40 x 20, including the part separated by a glazed partition for the secretary. The fittings and woodwork of this room are of teak, mahogany, and ebony. In the rear is the Society's board-room, about 30 x 22, lighted by a glazed lantern and panelled with the ornate Elizabethan woodwork taken from the old board-room. <A por- tion of the basement is retained for the Society’s use, and therest arranged for letting. The upper floors are approached through the western entrance, and are all, except the attic story, arranged for the occupation of tenants, each floor being fitted with its fire-proof safe and other conveniences. The third floor rooms form an attractive suite of resi- dential chambers, overlooking as they do the orna- mental garden of Lincoln’s Inn-fields. The building has been erected by Messrs. New- man & Mann. Mr. Waterhouse is the architect. ——_@—__ HOUSE PLANNING COMPETITION. HE design illustrated last week, bearing the motto ‘One in a Hundred,” is one in which the author has used the cheapest and most generally available materials, it being proposed to use picked stocks, relieved by projecting and coloured bands for walls and tiled roof. Among the special advantages claimed are the following: On reference to the plan it will be seen that the hall, into which the recep- tion-rooms open, is square and centrally placed; the dining and drawing-room having a good aspect and a way into the garden ; the library, being the business room of the house, is conveniently piaced nearest to the entrance; the breakfast or morning room is next to kitchen, and does not open directly into hall but at side of staircase, which is also well placed; the water-closet, cloaks, and lavatory next vestibule are noticeable for good position. There are four good bedrooms, bath-room, dressing-room, &e., on first floor, and it is proposed to get four bedrooms and nursery in attics, giving ample sleeping accommodation, and by utilising the usually wasted space in roof for bedroom, &c., it gives the great facility of a compact ground plan. In endeavouring to solve the problem set forth, it has been designed with a view to form a plan of a villa that might be erected to advantage in the suburbs of our great city. The author of this design is Mr. John Watts, of 35, Bucklersbury, E.C. J. W. ge OUR PRESENT KNOWLEDGE OF BUILDING MATERIALS, AND HOW TO IMPROVE IT. Tron (Continued from p. 434), N order to ensure our getting a suitable class of iron, it becomes necessary to have it properly tested. Let us suppose that some wrought-iron tension- bars are required, and thatit was specified that the iron was not to break under a strain less than 23 tons to the inch; and supposing their actual breaking strength turned out to be 25 tons to the inch, that fact alone would be no guarantee that the iron was fit for the purpose for whick it was required. If the elon- gation of the bars before fracture, or the reduction of the area at the section of fracture, was next to nothing, the iron could not be relied upon; though standing an exceptionally high tensile strain, it would be hard, brittle, and wholly unfit for use where it might have to resist the sudden shocks of a live load. The elasticity or ductility of the metal must therefore be ascertained, in addition to its direct tensile or compressile strength. In testing wrought iron for tensile strength, this is most readily done by noting the reduction of area at the point of fracture, in addi- tion to the force required to produce rupture. So that, in drawing up a specification for wrought-iron work, it is quite sufficient to specify that the iron shall be capable of bearing a given stress per unit of section, slowly applied, with a reduction of area at the point of fracture equal to a certain percentage of the original section, depending on the quality of iron required; or, which amounts tothe same thing, that the iron shall bear a certain stress per unit of fractured area. The best relations between the original and ultimate length of bars of iron of dif- ferent classes broken under slow tension, or their original and ultimate sections of fracture, and their breaking strains with regard to the different pur- poses for which the iron may be required, can only be ascertained by a most complete and careful series of experiments. The author was, however, enabled to lay before the meeting the results of a great num- ber of experiments made by Mr. Kirkaldy, which had, so far as they had gone, been arranged by him in tables for the special use of the engineers of the Public Works Department in India in drawing up specifications for wrought-iron work. In the table irons of different well-known brands are classed under the letters C, D, E, F, G, according to their ultimate strength and elasticity. In addition, there is a model clause for insertion in ‘Conditions of Contract,” which, with but slight modifications, would be applicable to any contract :— fin Sas 3 S3a a at SHS oo © am BSa Gi) Ons cert Mies) eran ROS g eS
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