286 THE BUILDING NEWS. Apri 5, 1872.
or western elongation. The compass is also subject to
a diurnal variation, being most towards the west about
12 o'clock at noon. The compass, also, is subject to
season variations, more westerly in summer than in
winter. The compass or needle is coming towards the
true north every hour. There are many works upon
quantities—Dobson’s, Reid's, ‘Tables of Earthworks,”
by Sir John Macniel, &c.—W. R. A., Uckfield.
———— ae
LEGAL INTELLIGENCE.
THE ALLEGED DANGEROUS OONDITION OF
ADELPHI-TERRACE.—Mr. Biron attended at the Bow-
street Police-court on Tuesday, with Mr. Hayward,
the district surveyor to the Metropolitan Board of
Works, by the request of Mr. Vaughan, with refer-
ence to an application for an order for ejectment,
under the Dangerous Structures Act, which he (Mr.
Hayward) made on Monday the 25th March. The
application was made respecting the dangerous state
of five or six houses in Adelphi-terrace by Mr. Hay-
ward, and the result was that Mr. Vaughan granted
an order for the removal of the inhabitants of the
houses in question, one being the Junior Garrick
Club. On the following Thursday several of the
inhabitants, accompanied by Mr. Fladgate, solicitor,
of Craven-street, Strand, waited upon Mr. Vaughan,
and in consequence of their assertions that the
houses were perfectly safe, Mr. Vaughan suspended
the order, and requested Mr. Fladgate to attend the
following Tuesday, when notice would be given to
the representatives of the Metropolitan Board of
Works to be present also. Mr Fladgate stated that
the houses had been built about 100 years, and had
been somewhat neglected in consequence of the liti-
gation connected with them. He admitted that there
were cracks in the walls and basement, but that they
had not increased during the past ten years. They
were sufficient, perhaps, to frighten the district sur-
veyor, who had only recently seen them, but their
true nature did not justify the steps which he had
taken to eject at once the inhabitants——Mr. Robert
Driver, of Whitehall, stated that he had been sur-
veyor of the Adelphi estate for twenty years. He
had recently examined the houses on Adelphi-
terrace, and was satisfied of their stability. No. 1a,
the Junior Garrick Club, was in the same condition
as it had been for the past ten years. There were
large cracks, but they had not increased during the
past ten or twelve years. There was certainly no
danger of the house falling. The same remarks
applied also to Nos. 1 and 2, except that the latter
was the worst. No. 3 was in very good order.
No. 4 was not so good, but there was no danger.
Some of the cracks might have got a little larger,
but there was no fear for people sleeping there.—
Mr. Biron submitted the witness to a close cross-
examination, and questioned him respecting the
arches and vaults beneath the houses which formed
their foundation.—The witness replied that he had
seen the arches beneath, and noticed the crumbling
or crushing of the bricks and concrete. Some of
the brickwork had become rotten. and the arches
had been well shored up by Mr. Scurry.—Mr.
William Scurry, architect and surveyor, deposed
that he had received notice to shore up the founda-
tion, and the work was in progress. He had made
a careful survey of Adelphi-terrace, and considered
the houses quite secure. The club was perfectly
safe. Some of the houses were in a very bad state,
but were not dangerous. Cross-examined, witness
said that one of the piers or supports of the arches
under one of the houses needed rebuilding, and he
was appointed to see to the repairs. He had shored
the place in such a manner that there was no imme-
diate danger of the house above falling. He had a
perfectly safe method of rebuilding the pier by
means of what was technically called a “needle.”
This would afford the necessary support while the
original one was being repaired.—In answer to
Mr. Vaughan, Mr. Fladgate said that he had other
witnesses, but their evidence was only in corrobo-
ration of what had already been said—Mr. Hay-
ward was then called, and stated that his attention
was first called to the condition of the place by
some of the inhabitants. He considered that the
houses were in a very dangerous condition, and that
the reconstruction of the piers was a very delicate
operation. It was exceedingly unsafe for people
to remain in the house while the reconstruction
was being carried on. He had ordered a hundred
men to work at it on Sunday on account of the
immediate danger.—Mr. Geo. Vulliamy, the super-
intending architect to the Board, made similar
statements.—Mr. Vaughan said he was quite pre-
pared to express his opinion that the order must
not be cancelled. He had come to the conclusion
that there was a great amount of insecurity about
the houses, but he was desirous to hear all the par-
ticulars on both sides, for he did not think that
persons should be ejected from their houses under
the Act without the greatest necessity. ‘The order
for the ejectment was then held good.
ee
On Monday afternoon last the foundation stone of
a new Roman (Catholic) School at West Hartlepool
was laid. Mr. W. Harrison of West Hartlepool, is
the architect, and the cost will be about £1,000.
LAND AND BUILDING SOCIETIES.
British AMERICAN LAND Company.—The annual
meeting of the proprietors of this company was held
on Wednesday week at the London Tavern, General
Alexander in the chair. The Chairman, in moving
the adoption of the report, congratulated the pro-
prietors on the satisfactory nature of the past year's
working. The sales of new land comprised 23,340
acres for £12,545, against 15,765 acres for £8,786 in
1870. Of these 13,900 acres were sold to settlers for
agricultural purposes. The unsold land at the end
of the year, inclusive of lands reverted, was 363,855
acres, standing at a cost of £88,699. The Sher-
brooke town sales were 35 acres, and the town pro-
perty now comprised 7034 acres, at a cost price of
£29,200. The profit and loss account showed a
larger balance than in any previous year, £11,330
having been raised to the credit of surplus ac-
count, which showed a balance of £36,092 at the end
of the year. The directors recommended a dividend
of £1 per share, leaving £6,165 to be carried for-
ward. After some discussion, the motion was
adopted.
GENERAL MUTUAL PERMANENT LAND, BUILDING,
AND INVESTMENT Society. — The third annual
meeting of the shareholders was held on Wednesday
week at the Inns of Court Hotel, Holborn. The re-
port stated that the receipts for the past year
amounted to £13,834, exceeding those of 1870 by
3,568. 215 new shares have been taken up. The
balance due to shareholders, together with interest
accrued thereon, amounted to £8,997, an increase of
£4,019 during the year. The balance due to de-
positors had also increased by £843, the amount so
invested with the society and interest thereon being
£3,278. The amount received for repayment of ad-
vances had been £2,065. The directors had ad-
vanced upon mortgage securities (including the law-
charges) £6,224, which, with £20 for temporary ad-
vances, made a total of £6,244 for the year. The
balance now outstanding upon mortgages was
£17,638, securing profits amounting to £4,813 for dis-
tribution in future years. During the year a profit
of about £820 had been received, which, with the
balance brought forward, had enabled the directors—
in addition to the current interest on shares and de-
posits—to pay all outstanding expenses, write off
£50 from the preliminary expense fund, and leave a
balance for division. The accounts, after deducting
£4,813 rebate of future profits, showed a balance in
favour of the society of £376, of this amount £216
was placed to the credit of a suspense account, and
from the balance a bonus of 2} per cent. was de-
clared for the year, upon all share capital invested
before January 2, 1871, which, with the current in-
terest, made 74 per cent., and left a balance in hand
for future distribution.
Seen ners
CHIPS.
Mr. Alexander MacCallum, the painter, who has
been passing the winter in Egypt, will bring home
from thence a number of sketches and studies made
during his tour on the Nile. These will include
views of the temples built by the Pharaohs, thou-
sands of years ago, in the golden age of eastern
architecture.
The Hanging Committee for the Royal Academy
Exhibition will consist of Messrs. Ansdell, Frith,
Frost, Redgrave, and Weekes.
The Academy hears that the paintings offered for
exhibition in the Albert Hall, though equalling in
number those sent in last year, have considerably
deteriorated in quality.
Mr. Gilbert R. Redgrave has been appointed to be
the manager of the Alexandra Palace at Muswell
Hill. The works at the Palace and Park are ina
forward state, and the public opening will take place
very shortly.
8. John’s Church, Longton, was re-opened on
Easter Eve, after renovation and redecoration.
New schools in connection with §. Georges
Church, Hulme, and built in the Gothie style, from
the designs of Mr. Bates, Cooper-street, Manchester,
were opened on ‘I'uesday last. The cost was £4,500.
Sir John Lubbock has completed the purchase of
the Celtic stones at Avebury, and has thus averted
a serious blow to one of the grandest monuments of
antiquity within the British Isles.
Early on Sunday morning last, the 31st ult., an
accident, resulting in considerable damage to pro-
perty, oecurred at the Hartford New Ironworks,
Oldham, belonging to Messrs. Platt Brothers & Co.
Connected with these extensive works are store-
rooms, in which is placed finished machinery. The
floors rested upon beams of considerable strength,
and were otherwise supported by stout iron pillars.
At the time before mentioned the whole fell in with
a tremendous crash, rendering the carefully finished
and valuable machinery a huge heap of almost worth-
less débris, and causing damageroughly estimated
from £3,000 to £4,000. Fortunately no one was
injured.
Sir William Tite, M.P., and Mr. Neville Grenville,
M.P., have consented to act as trustees for afund
for carrying on the archeological explorations at
Rome.
’
Our Office Table, ——_>—_ Wortnine Coutrce.—The boys of this college, through the consideration of the principal for their sports, have been enjoying themselves this winter by skating upon asphalte, he having, in the vacation of 1870, put an iron roof over a large area of ground, and paved it with Claridge’s patent asphalte, which answers the purpose well, and is in no way injured by the rollers of the skates. Attar VessEts For 8. Paut’s CarHeprRaL.— The choir and congregation of S. Lawrence Jewry, with other friends, have subscribed to present an Easter offering to the cathedral, consisting of two cruets for the ablutions, which were used for the first time on Easter Day. They stand 9gin. high. The bowl is of pure crystal, and the mounts gilt silver; the foot, neck, and cover chased in high relief, with bright flutes dividing the ornament; the upper mount has two bands of fine work similar to thaton the border of the alms-dish lately presented, and between them are two shields, one bearing the sacred monogram and the other the arms of the cathedral. The cover is surmounted with a cross. The bowls are engraved with the letters A” and ““V"’ on both sides. They have been designed and executed by Messrs. Lias & Son. JosepxH Gintorr ‘“ ExcHancine Prcrures” witn Turner.—lIt is now, says the Guardian, some thirty years since Joseph Gillott began to “make people steel pens,” and some twenty-five since he succeeded in persuading them ‘ they did write.” The fortune since gradually accumulated has been largely invested in works of art. Since 1845 somie of the greatest British artists have flourished, and from all the greatest he bought pictures. At his recent death his gallery contained nearly 600 examples of all schools. The story goes that when he visited Turner, the artist would have refused him admittance; but Mr. Gillott, who knew Turner’s weakness, hastened to draw a roll of notes from his pockets, and spreading them in their thousands on the table, said, “I want to change some of our Birmingham pictures for some of yours, Mr. Turner.” We need hardly say his Turners were of the finest. But he is dead, and they and all are to be sold. The first part will be sold at Christie’s on the 19th April. Two sales will follow at intervals, but those who wish to see the gallery entire must go to the general view now open at Birmingham. FLex1ste MArsie.—Professor Hay, of the Western University of Pennsylvania, describes the constitution of a flexible marble slab, which is pro- cured from the Portland quarries, Vermont, as—car- bonate of lime, 97°50; magnesia, a trace; silica, 2°05; water, 45; = 100. The above composition and its crystalline character together proclaim it to be a true marble, and, at the same time, a pretty pure specimen of that mineral. The indubitable flexibility of the slab is its most remarkable feature. Dana states that ‘‘ some of the West Stockbride marble is flexible in thin pieces when first taken out.” A slab in the possession of Mr. Holliday, of Wheeling, is about 2in. thick, and is nearly as flexible as an equal thickness of vuleanised indiarubber. Prizes ror Arr Workmen.—To encourage technical education in the design and execution of works of art in the precious metals, the Goldsmiths’ Company have resolved to give the following prizes, —viz.: An annual prize of £50 for the best design for some article in gold or silver which, when manu- factured, shall exceed 300z. in weight; an annual prize of £25 for the best model for some such article as aforesaid; and an annual prize of £25 for the best execution and workmanship of some such article as aforesaid. Also, three annual prizes of £25 each for (1) the best design, (2) the best model, and (3) the best execution and workmanship of some article in gold or silver which, when manufactured, shall be less than 300z. in weight; and annual prizes of £25 each for the best specimens of (1) chasing or repoussé work, (2) engraving, and (3) enamelling in the precious metals. Originality is necessary to obtain either of the prizes for design, and no copy shall be the subject of a prize. The prizes will be awarded in November. It has also been decided to found a travelling scholarship of £100 per annum to be awarded by the wardens to a student who has shown exceptional talent, and who shall have ob- tained a prize for design for three successive years, in order to enable him to study art in the precious metals on the Continent. Layp at Sourn Kenstneron.—We understand that a highly valuable estate of building land, a short distance from the Horticultural Grounds, has lately been sold by private contract to an eminent London builder, through Messrs. Powell, the estate agents, of
