Page:The Building News and Engineering Journal, Volume 22, 1872.djvu/534

 512 THE BUILDING NEWS. June 21, 1872. [2586.]—Ties and Struts.—A tie is “‘a piece of timber or metal for binding two bodies together "—to wit, ‘tthe beam which connects the bottom of a pair of principal rafters and prevents them from thrusting out the wall” is called a tie-beam. A strut is ‘a piece of timber obliquely placed from a king or queen post to support a rafter,” andis, again, ‘‘any piece of timber in a system of framing which is pressed or crushed in the direction of its length.” Thus: Ties are subject to tension, struts to compression, and are easily distin- guished in any roof.—F, f2586.)—Ties and Struts.—In answer to this I will quote Tredgold, who says:—‘ By atteuding to the following considerations this may be easily determined : From the point on which the straining force is exerted, draw a line in the direction it would move in if the framing were taken away. When this line falls within the angle formed by the pieces strained, then both pieces are compressed. But when it falls within the angle formed by producing the directions of the sustaining pieces, then both the pieces are in a state of tension.” Thus, in Fig. 1, both pieces are in compres- FIG.2 FICS sion; while in Fig. 2, A Bis in tension and B C in compression. In the latter case the straining force takes neither of the positions mentioned above—ie, its position lies neither between the pieces strained nor between their directions produced,—CARPENTRY. —__ > —_ PARLIAMENTARY NOTES. THE ORDNANCE SuRvVEY.—In reply to Mr. Cow- per-Temple, Mr. Ayrton said, on Friday last, there would be no objecfion to lay upon the table of the House a copy of any minute made for the regulation of the promotion and pay of the civil assistants em- ployed on the ordnance survey by the committee of inquiry appointed to investigate the same. BATHING Ponps tn VicTortA PARK.—In reply to Mr. Holms, Mr. Ayrton stated on Monday that steps had been taken to obtain an adequate supply of fresh water for the bathing ponds in Victoria Park by means of boring, and that the necessary work would be completed in the course of a short time. It would not be desirable to empty the lakes in the present warm weather; but when the proper season arrived they would be cleaned out. How long that operation would take it was impossible to say. IncLtosurEs.—Mr. Leeman asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether, having regard to the report of the Inclosure Commissioners, and to the fact that for the last two years all in- closures of any part of the eight million acres of common and commonable lands had been practically suspended, the Government was prepared to bring in a general Inclosure Bill, and actively to prosecute the same during the present session. Mr. Bruce said the Government acknowledged the importance of the subject, and were prepared to introduce a bill in the House of Lords, but haying regard to the other measures of importance already before Parlia- ment they could hardly hope to pass such a bill during the present session. THE BIRMINGHAM SEWAGE Bitu.—The first two hours of the morning sitting of the House of Com- mons on ‘Tuesday were taken up with a debate on the Birmingham Sewage Bill, which came on for the third reading, on which, though the bill is a private bill, some questions of public interest arose. Sir Robert Peel, who moved the rejection of the measure, stated that its object was to enable the Corporation of Birmingham to use a tract of land near his residence, containing about 900 acres, for the deposit and filtration of the sewage of that town, and he complained in feeling terms of the injury that would be inflicted thereby on himself and the inhabi- tants of the neighbourhood. Sir 0. Adderley fol- lowed with a protest against the assumption on the part of the inhabitants of towns of their right to convert to their own use any land which it suited their pleasure or conyenience to take. On the other hand, Lord Henley, Mr. Dixon, and Mr. Muntz pointed out that as this was the only outlet for the sewage available, the bill was an absolute necessity. The third reading, however, was negatived by 148 to 145. —_—_—_>——————_. New Yorxk.—A statue of Shakespeare has just been erected in Central Park, New York. ‘he sculptor was J. Q. A. Ward. If is said to be con- sidered a great success. Our Ottice Table, Loxpon Scnoot Boarp Competirions.—Result of the recent limited competitions for school building : —Old Castle-street School, Whitechapel. to accommo- date 1,040 children, Mr. Bivern; Essex-street, Stepney, 1,000 children, Mr. A. G. Hennell; S. Paul’s-road, Bow-common, 1,040 children, Mr. Phéne Spiers. In the open competition :—Beasley- crescent, Old Ford, 1,000 children, Mr. Keith D. Young. GrerMan AND EnGusm Arcurrecrs.—The im- portant competition for the Berlin Houses of Par- liament has been decided altogether in favour of German architects, with the solitary exception of Mr. G. G. Scott, R.A., and his son, who have re- ceived one of the second-class premiums. This (observes the Globe) is only natural, and what might have been anticipated. The wonder is that any English architects should have been induced to enter the race, seeing that the judges were wholly German, and that the plans were not sent in under motto, but with the names of the authors attached. WarcompBe Terra Corra Works.—It was dis- covered some time ago that near Torquay there were fields in the beautiful district of Watcombe which were bedded with clay of a very valuable nature, and after experiments had been made it was found that this clay, without undergoing any admixture with foreign matter, could be worked into strong and beautiful articles of domestic use and adorn- ment. Hence a thriving little industry has rapidly grown up, and from present appearances is likely to extend. Tue Deerest WELL IN THE WorLp.—Twenty miles from Berlin is situated the village of Speren- berg, noted for the deepest well that has ever been sunk. Owing to the presence of gypsum in the locality it occurred to the Government authorities in charge of the mines to attempt to obtain a supply of rock salt. With this end in view the sinking of a shaft or well 16ft. in diameter was commenced some five years ago, and at a depth of 280ft. the salt wasreached. The boring was continued to a further depth of 960ft., the diameter of this bore being reduced to about 13in. The operations were subsequently prosecuted by theaid of steam until a depth of 4,194ft. was attained. At this point the boring was discontinued, the borer or bit being still in the salt deposit, which thus exhibits the enormous thickness of 3,907ft. The boring would have been continued in order to discover what description of deposit lay under the salt but for the mechanical difficulties connected with the further prosecution of the operations. During the progress of this in- teresting work repeated and eareful observations were made of the temperature at various depths. The results confirm very closely those which have been already arriv ed at under similar circumstances, Tue Posr OrriceE AND THE Press. — The Atheneum points out that by the absurd regulation issued with regard to the halfpenny postage, the Post-office authorities have contrived to make it almost unavailable for the transmission of printed matter. The public are not generally aware of the fact that these perplexing regulations are promulgated in order that the almost unavoidable transgressions of them may provide employment for the superior officials of the department. We recently had con- siderable pleasure in delaying the payment of a trivial but arbitrarily-enforced penalty until we had been honoured by four visits, and the receipt of two long official letters and a large piece of green ribbon, all for 2s. 84d.! We just remember, by the way, that in the course of a week or two we shall be com- pelled—thanks to another stupid regulation, which up to the present we have resisted—to spoil the illus- trated title-page which we present to our subscribers, by printing on it the date of the number with which it is issued. CrviL AND MrecranrcaL ENGrNeers’ Socrery.— The annual meeting of members of this Society was held on Friday, the 7th inst., at the Board Room, 7, Westminster Chambers. The session thus concluded was reported by the Council to have been one of the most prosperous the Society had known, there having been an increase of more than twenty-five per cent. in the number of members. Cordial votes of thanks were passed to the President, Mr. A. C. Pain, Assoc. Inst., C.E., and the other officers, and the following members were elected office-bearers for the year 1872-73 :—President : C. W. Whitaker. Vice-Pre- sidents: Charles H. Rew and George W. Willocks. Members of Council, Messrs. R. M. Bancroft, F. E. Cooper, Charles H. Driver, C. Kingsford, William Meakin, C. J. Samuda, A. T. Walmisley. Hon. Treasurer: W. F. Butler. Hon. Secretary: Owen Ordish. Hon. Accountant: J. Wagstaff Blundell. Semi-Detacuep TowrErs or CuuRcHEs.—Mr. Couch, in his entertaining and accurate ‘“‘ History of Polperro,” mentions that the tower of Talland, or S. Tallan’s Church, in Cornwall, “is built on a hillock above and apart from the church on its south and west side, and connected with it by a low porch only.” A correspondent of the Guardian asks if such semi-detached towers are common in Cornwall, whether any list of such towers remaining in England has been made, and if it can be clearly proved in the case of any of them that they have always been detached, and never formed part of an older church, as at Malmesbury and some other places ? ———— CHIPS. On Saturday afternoon last the memorial stones of a new Wesleyan Methodist Chapel, to be erected in Caroline-street, Stalybridge, were laid. The building is to accommodate 860 persons, at an outlay of abont £3,200. On Saturday the foundation stone of the new Congregational Chapel, Waterlane, Radcliffe Bridge, was laid by Mr. H. Lee, of Sedgley Park. The estimated cost is £3,000, accommodation being pro- vided for 750 persons. The church of S. Paul, Covent-garden, having been refitted and partly decorated under the direction of Mr. Butterfield, is to be reopened on Sunday next. The corner stone of new parish schools for the district parish of S. John the Evangelist, Holborn, was laid on Tuesday. The schools will accommo- date nearly 600 children. The cost, including site, is £6,235. A suggestion has been made that Columbia Market, which is said to be “a szene of desolation, ” should be turned into a school for girls. Grade ANetvs. —_>—— WAGES MOVEMENT. Crapiey.—A meeting of operative painters was held at the Reindeer Inn, Cradley Heath, on Thursday week, when it was resolved to cease work on the 23rd June unless the demand for increased wages and reduced hours was conceded. Hererorp.—At a meeting of the carpenters and joiners of Hereford, on the 7th inst., the men resolved to strike on the following Monday unless the masters consénted to pay them 54d. per hour, 564 hours per week to constitute a week’s work. The strike still continues. Lonpon.—On Tuesday morning, at 9 o'clock, the delegates of the carpenters and joiners re-assembled at the Brown Bear, Bloomsbury, for the purpose of reporting the result of the voting of the men they represented upon the proposal submitted to them by the committee of masters as their wtimatum prior to & lock-out. The chairman read the three proposals to be voted upon, as follows:—*1. For and against the men now on strike from the firms of Mr. Brass and Messrs. Jackson & Shaw resuming work at once upon the old terms, pending any arbitration that may take place. 2. For and against submitting the question of the nine hours and 9d. per hour to arbitration. 3. For and against holding a conference of an equal number of masters and workmen to consider if any code of work- ing rules can be arranged for the better regulation of the trade.” The total number of men voting was about 4,000, but as the results only were supplied to the press the exact numbers voting for and against each proposal cannot be given; but it is said to have been ascertained that only about 350 voted for the first proposal, for the men on strike resuming work; that the votes in favour of the second proposal, for sub- mitting the nine hours and the 9d, to arbitration, were under 1,250; while the voting for the third proposal, of holding a conference of masters and workmen on 4 code of working rules, was almost unanimous in its favour. At the conclusion of the voting the Chairman said he declared the first proposal to be rejected by an overwhelming majority, the second pro- posal had been rejected by alarge majority, while the third proposal had been nearly unanimously adopted. This announcement was received by the delegates with loud cheering, followed by ‘Three cheers for the nine hours and 9d. per hour.” A resolution was then moved that the result of the voting be taken to the Masters’ Committee by a deputation of four delegates, but this was very strongly opposed by a great majority, and it was ultimately resolved that the secre- tary should enclose the result to the committee of masters in a letter sent by a special messenger, which was accordingly done, and the meeting adjourned. The Masters’ Committee at once despatched a circular to every master builder in the Metropolitan district, re- questing him to carry out the resolution passed at the. meeting of the metropolitan builders on the 7th of June, by closing all shops and works within the district over which the district surveyor has jurisdic- tion, from the 19th inst. until such time as Mr. Brass and Messrs. Jackson & Shaw shall inform the com-
 * mittees of the Master Builders’ Association that they
 * have been able to resume their works,