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Improvement of the clyde navigation
Improvement of the Clyde Navigation.
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the expenses. This subject was pursued, illustrated by tables, wittI refi'.renee t o tile c o u v e v a n c e , o f passengers, of various classes of" goods~ cattle, &e. The applicability of these tables to test the substantial characre,' of new schemes was made apparent. A necessary conclusion of Mr. WitIiams's investigation is, that expansibility in the railway system. (both as regards the nleehanical power and the mode of management) is required ; a n d that it is theiuterest of the compauies to inereas% ill a g r e a t dearee, both the goods and the passenger trattie by a system of low charges. It isto the interestof the pnblicthat as mucll traliic as possible should belong to each line, and thus competing lines are highly injurious to the public, by preventing the reduction in. c!rarges that can only be the result of the eouveyanee of numbe, rs of perseus aud quautities of goods ; iu other words, tile machine should be kept fully e m p l o y e d . - - T r a n s . ,S'falistieal 5'oe. Athenteum.
Improvemen! ~f lhe C@de Nuv@ation. The discussion upon the improvement of the Clyde Navigation was renewed by a statement froul Mr. Atherton, tbrmerly resident engin e e r o f iheClyde umler Mr. Telford. Ilo gave a brief exposition of the past hislory of tl,o Clyde navigation, from the time when the only craft on the river was a li~xv herring boats, and the water was sufl\~.red to overflow a wide extent on either side of the channel, converting it inlo all extetasive morass, lie then gave the various projects for improving the navigation~Smeaton's design tbr a leek on the main channel, which fortunately was never executed. To Rennie, it appeared to be universally admitted, must be altributed the eredit of propounding the genera[ principle of the Clyde improvements, which were commenced under him, and were so successfully continued by Telford and others. Rennie's principle was, that the whole surface waters of the river should be brought within definite limits; that in the lower paris those limits should be very spacious, btlt gradually and equally diminishing upward, not by sudden ialakes, but by" gradual convergence of the restricted width. By this principle, the current of the land flood being concentrated, their power of augmenting tile depth of the elmnnel would have full opportunity of acting beneficially. It was also expected, that the rising tidal waters, entering between tile widely extended limits of the lower districts, would expend their momentum as they ascended the conveying channel, in raising the height of the tidal wave, and produce an effect analogous to the extraordiuary elevation attained by the tides in the Severn, in consequence of the gradual convergence of the shores of die Bristol Channel. Thus, the land floods and t h e s e s tides were to combine in producing useful effeets--the velocity of" the former in deepening the channel at low water ; the latter in preserving or continuing the surface of high water, even to Glasgow, at the estuary level. T h e difficulty was in commencing the works without funds; they were, however, begun in an economical manner, by running out .jetties of faseines of wood and stone, from the opposite sides of the river, so as
23S
Civil E~gineering.
to bring the channel within certain limits. The effect of these jetties was to commence the deepening of the channel, by increasing the scour. Owing to the increase of manufactories, and of tim iron and coal trade at Glasgow, shipping began to fl'equent the river; the port dues were kept low ; and an ammal revenue commenced; greater exertions were made to increase the facilities for admitting ships of greater draught. Telfbrd tifllowed in Rennie's footsteps, by uniting by stone dykes, longitudinally tile extremities of lhe projecting jetties: steam dredgi~g boats were employed to cut a w a y the shoals, and diving-bells to remove the rocks which impeded the fl'ee current o[' the stream. Walker fbllowed the same course, and the result was, that the depth of water was so increased, that instead of otdy being capable of receiving fishing-boats of a draught of water of under 6 ft., vessels drawing I7 ft. were tugged by steamers to Glasgow quays, and the annual revenue of the port at present exo.eeded 50,000L The speaker proceeded to comment with eulogy upon the proceedings of the Clyde trustees and their e n g i n e o r s ~ a n d dissented [kern the views of the Tidal I l a r b o r Commission, in their recommendation of opening up tlle river fbr the free admission of the tidal water, so as to cause them to act by re[lax ; which it was contended by the speaker generally would not be so elTcctive, as continuing to improve the eham~el, and persevering in the same course which had hitherto proved so effectual. Some discussion ensued, as to the propriety of some rneasures being adopted in certain parts of the river: but it appeared getlerally admitted that the work, so wisely conceived, had beell very ably eondueted~ and that the results were to render the Clyde a model for works under similar circumstances.-- Trans. I~zs. Civ. E~W. Min. Joue,
On the Lines of Promdsio~z in the A~teamboat, Locomoliv% ~.¢. 2?It 'F. W. BAK~WELL, Esq. The writer is not aware of any scientific examination to determine the poin[s throngh which the lines of propulsion p a s s - - a s respects a steamboat, a railroad locomotive, or a boat when rowed. The erroneous opinion prevails, that the lines of propulsion in the above cases, are in the axles of tile wheels, with the steamboat and. locomotive,--a~d in the gunwale of the boat on which the oar rests. The line of propulsion of the steamboat is in the paddle, at the centre of percussion, beneath the surface of the water. The locomotive has the lines at the circumference of the driving wheel, where it touches the rail, and its direction is parallel thereto. And the row boat has tile line at the end of the oars in the water. In the locomotive, fbr instance, this principle m a y be plainly perceived by supposing a rope made thst ahead, stretched along the rail, and passing under the wheel,--so that the locomotive should advance by winding the rope round the wheel~ instead of by adhesion on the rail. Now it is evident that tile line of propulsion remains unchanged--
~87
the expenses. This subject was pursued, illustrated by tables, wittI refi'.renee t o tile c o u v e v a n c e , o f passengers, of various classes of" goods~ cattle, &e. The applicability of these tables to test the substantial characre,' of new schemes was made apparent. A necessary conclusion of Mr. WitIiams's investigation is, that expansibility in the railway system. (both as regards the nleehanical power and the mode of management) is required ; a n d that it is theiuterest of the compauies to inereas% ill a g r e a t dearee, both the goods and the passenger trattie by a system of low charges. It isto the interestof the pnblicthat as mucll traliic as possible should belong to each line, and thus competing lines are highly injurious to the public, by preventing the reduction in. c!rarges that can only be the result of the eouveyanee of numbe, rs of perseus aud quautities of goods ; iu other words, tile machine should be kept fully e m p l o y e d . - - T r a n s . ,S'falistieal 5'oe. Athenteum.
Improvemen! ~f lhe C@de Nuv@ation. The discussion upon the improvement of the Clyde Navigation was renewed by a statement froul Mr. Atherton, tbrmerly resident engin e e r o f iheClyde umler Mr. Telford. Ilo gave a brief exposition of the past hislory of tl,o Clyde navigation, from the time when the only craft on the river was a li~xv herring boats, and the water was sufl\~.red to overflow a wide extent on either side of the channel, converting it inlo all extetasive morass, lie then gave the various projects for improving the navigation~Smeaton's design tbr a leek on the main channel, which fortunately was never executed. To Rennie, it appeared to be universally admitted, must be altributed the eredit of propounding the genera[ principle of the Clyde improvements, which were commenced under him, and were so successfully continued by Telford and others. Rennie's principle was, that the whole surface waters of the river should be brought within definite limits; that in the lower paris those limits should be very spacious, btlt gradually and equally diminishing upward, not by sudden ialakes, but by" gradual convergence of the restricted width. By this principle, the current of the land flood being concentrated, their power of augmenting tile depth of the elmnnel would have full opportunity of acting beneficially. It was also expected, that the rising tidal waters, entering between tile widely extended limits of the lower districts, would expend their momentum as they ascended the conveying channel, in raising the height of the tidal wave, and produce an effect analogous to the extraordiuary elevation attained by the tides in the Severn, in consequence of the gradual convergence of the shores of die Bristol Channel. Thus, the land floods and t h e s e s tides were to combine in producing useful effeets--the velocity of" the former in deepening the channel at low water ; the latter in preserving or continuing the surface of high water, even to Glasgow, at the estuary level. T h e difficulty was in commencing the works without funds; they were, however, begun in an economical manner, by running out .jetties of faseines of wood and stone, from the opposite sides of the river, so as
23S
Civil E~gineering.
to bring the channel within certain limits. The effect of these jetties was to commence the deepening of the channel, by increasing the scour. Owing to the increase of manufactories, and of tim iron and coal trade at Glasgow, shipping began to fl'equent the river; the port dues were kept low ; and an ammal revenue commenced; greater exertions were made to increase the facilities for admitting ships of greater draught. Telfbrd tifllowed in Rennie's footsteps, by uniting by stone dykes, longitudinally tile extremities of lhe projecting jetties: steam dredgi~g boats were employed to cut a w a y the shoals, and diving-bells to remove the rocks which impeded the fl'ee current o[' the stream. Walker fbllowed the same course, and the result was, that the depth of water was so increased, that instead of otdy being capable of receiving fishing-boats of a draught of water of under 6 ft., vessels drawing I7 ft. were tugged by steamers to Glasgow quays, and the annual revenue of the port at present exo.eeded 50,000L The speaker proceeded to comment with eulogy upon the proceedings of the Clyde trustees and their e n g i n e o r s ~ a n d dissented [kern the views of the Tidal I l a r b o r Commission, in their recommendation of opening up tlle river fbr the free admission of the tidal water, so as to cause them to act by re[lax ; which it was contended by the speaker generally would not be so elTcctive, as continuing to improve the eham~el, and persevering in the same course which had hitherto proved so effectual. Some discussion ensued, as to the propriety of some rneasures being adopted in certain parts of the river: but it appeared getlerally admitted that the work, so wisely conceived, had beell very ably eondueted~ and that the results were to render the Clyde a model for works under similar circumstances.-- Trans. I~zs. Civ. E~W. Min. Joue,
On the Lines of Promdsio~z in the A~teamboat, Locomoliv% ~.¢. 2?It 'F. W. BAK~WELL, Esq. The writer is not aware of any scientific examination to determine the poin[s throngh which the lines of propulsion p a s s - - a s respects a steamboat, a railroad locomotive, or a boat when rowed. The erroneous opinion prevails, that the lines of propulsion in the above cases, are in the axles of tile wheels, with the steamboat and. locomotive,--a~d in the gunwale of the boat on which the oar rests. The line of propulsion of the steamboat is in the paddle, at the centre of percussion, beneath the surface of the water. The locomotive has the lines at the circumference of the driving wheel, where it touches the rail, and its direction is parallel thereto. And the row boat has tile line at the end of the oars in the water. In the locomotive, fbr instance, this principle m a y be plainly perceived by supposing a rope made thst ahead, stretched along the rail, and passing under the wheel,--so that the locomotive should advance by winding the rope round the wheel~ instead of by adhesion on the rail. Now it is evident that tile line of propulsion remains unchanged--