Page:The Building News and Engineering Journal, Volume 22, 1872.djvu/405

This page needs to be proofread.

May 10, 1872. THE BUILDING NEWS. 383

for copying all the features of ancient churches, and had forgotten comfort, convenience, and common- sense. He said that the only chance for any style now-a-days was to make it thoroughly sensible, and conformable to the requirements of the people, who were too hard-headed to tolerate mere sentiment in architecture. Sentiment had been run over and killed by the locomotive long ago, and that without compensation by special jury. He recommended the use of all the styles according to situation and the purposes of the buildings asked for, and deprecated the attempt to work any style into fashion from the mere desire for novelty, or to carry out the crotchets of any particular denomination. He said the nomen- clature of the styles required revision, as their defi- nitions appeared to him to be much too narrow for the spread of knowledge in architectural detail of late years. He considered that attention to form and mass would give us more novelty in the treat- ment of new buildings than the eccentricity of the mouldings, or the grotesque colourings often resorted to for that object by modern practitioners. The President went on to criticise some of the recent engineering productions, and said that railway- bridge building was calculated to make both town and country hideous, whereas good taste and good construction were by no means irreconcilable. He feared the engineers were afraid of the shareholders, and often made their work purposely unpleasant because it looked cheap; whereas beauty was always cheaper than ugliness, and lasted much longer into the bargain. The President spoke in the highest terms of the new Lime-street Station, and pointed to the Liverpool Dock Sheds, by Mr. G. F. Lyster, as maryels of scientific construction, and that out of the most inexpensive but most efficient materials. He congratulated the dock engineer on his being un- trammelled by the Liverpool Building Act, which crippled progress in construction, and required imme- diate revision to meet the ideas of the day. The engineers of the railway stations in Liverpool were also happily exempt from the unfair clauses of the Act, which was obsolete in spirit, but, alas, obstinate in letter. Railway Acts, he supposed, could override its absurd provisions, and even double up an astute town clerk. He considered the able borough engi- neer could frame a better Building Act in half an hour, and one that he might administer without shocking the principles of scientific construction, He congratulated the society upon two of its mem- bers having been appointed at a recent national com- petition to two important oflices—viz., those of borough engineer and diocesan architect; and said the appointment of the gentleman to fill Mr. Robson’s place was, in his opinion, an admirable one; and he had the pleasure, as President of the Society, of giving each of the three gentlemen the highest testi- monials for professional skill, which he felt sure their future career would amply justify. It-was too late in the day for outsiders to stand aloof from the Liverpool Society, which in professional circles, he was informed, ranked highest out of the metropolis for in- fluence and standing; and he considered it a creden- tial for any young architect to carry with him, wherever he might settle down, the diploma of this society, now in the twenty-fifth year of its exis- tence. He considered the younger members and students owed a deep debt of respect and gratitude to the founders of so excellent an institution. It behoyed the council to encourage many of the out- siders to become members both for their own and the society’s good. He was sorry to observe there were a few who still made their professional position as disagreeable as possible, and the society was much better without them, as the principles of its founda- tion went entirely ccunter to the practices he referred to. He considered the days of success, however, of such men, were numbered, and younger men were arising to dispute their prerogative with the Liverpool clients, who had, fortunately, brains and good manners as well as money, and the stars of {, the Ursa Major constellation must soon become stars of an inferior magnitude—perhaps retire with a for- tune and the miserable satisfaction of haying tried to leaye the profession poorer and lower than they found it. He hailed with pleasure the establishment of a Water-Colour Society for Liverpool, and spoke in terms of unqualified praise of the exhibition now open. The President advocated the establishment of a Liverpool society for the preservation of the health of the people, and remarked that with trade protection societies and church defence associations in plenty we had no health protection society worthy ofthe name. We wanted something to keep in check the rapacity of uxscrupulous landlords and those who furnished the public with unwholesome work- shops and conveyances, to say nothing of the food, drink and clothing. The microscopists, chemists and societies should take such matters in hand, and examine the papers on our nursery walls (test for


arsenic), the water in our cisterns (test for red and white lead), the food in our pantries (test for a dozen rank poisonous adulterations), the air in our streets (test for manurial taint and infusoria), the gas in our private meters (test for heavy ‘‘ deposits),” and the beer in our barrels (test for ‘‘foots.”) These and many other things should be speedily placed under the rays of the Jamp of science, and their iniquitous ingredients published to the unsuspecting public. The President concluded his admirable address by inviting the society to go forward upon the same broad and open policy it had adopted, and he was sure its action would be for the permanent good of the profession and the public at large. Seer ne SOMETHING NOVEL IN BREWERY BUILDING. Ne addition to the Alexandra Brewery, in Ers- kine-street, Hulme, Manchester, belonging to Mr. James Cronshaw, has just been completed, and opportunity has been taken to add to the architec- tnral appearance of the building, as well as to in- troduce many novelties and improved appliances. The brewhouse is in the form of a huge tower with- out floors, 46ft. 9in. square, and rising 120ft. above the street ; it contains two sets of vessels supported on beams, and the utensils of each set are placed one above the other. The process of brewing is commenced at the top and is continued on the various stages as the liquor gravitates; thus pump- ing, whichis supposed to injure the wort, is dispensed with. In each of the three walls of the brewhouse are inserted two arched openings, filled in with win- dows and louvres; each opening is 34ft. high by 8ft. 9in. wide. The roof is surmounted by a louvred turret, which affords a ready exit for the steam arising from the liquor pans, and has on each side a dormer containing a window or loading door. The chimney is built up from the south-west angle of the tower, and has an altitude of 126ft. The cooler adjoins the tower, is 80ft. by 40ft., and has a gangway round. Two working rooms will ulti- mately contain fourteen rounds of 120 barrels each; these vessels are considerably above the ordinary size. The floors are fireproof, and covered with the Val de Travers asphalte pavement. The whole of the basement story, 11ft. high, under the working rooms and yards, has a vaulted covering, and is occupied as astore. The boiler-house and stabling are detached and built in the yard. The style adopted is of an Early Lombardian-Gothiec type. Stock brick facing is used to two of the elevations, and common to the others, finished with black joint- ing, and relieved with blue Staffordshire and moulded red bricks and Colne stone dressings. The tower has a bold cornice, with trusses and stringcourse of stone, an arcade of ornamental brickwork, and vitri- fied glazed green and red brick panels in the frieze. The chimney on plan is square with canted angles, and has a capping of stone with ornamental brick blocks under. The woodwork throughout is of red deal. Special attention has been given to facilities for thoroughly cleansing all vessels. The building has been designed and supervised by Mr. James Redford, F.R.1I.B.A., of Princess-street, Man- chester. Mr, John Tomlinson, of Lucy-street, City- road, was the contractor. eed CHIPS. The next annual meeting of the Kent Archeologi- cal Society is to be held at Faversham in July. The London Court of Common Council, though not without a protest by some members on the ground of the extravagance of the estimate, have voted £16,855 for the fittings and furniture of the new library at the Guildhall. Messrs. William Blews & Sons, of Birmingham, the contractors, have received advice that the city of San Paulo, Brazil, was lighted up with gas on the 31st of March, the day of the Emperor's arrival at Rio, when 500 public lamps were handed over to the authorities. The contractors have 300 more public lamps to erect. The price to be paid is £11 14s. 10d. yearly for each lamp, or 15s. 9d. per thousand feet, for nine-candle gas. The foundation stone of a new Free Methodist Chapel, from designs by Mr. Holbron, of Bristol, was laid in Bristol last week. The foundation stone of anew chapel for the Union of West Malling was laid on the festival of SS. Philip and James. Mr. E. W. Stephens is the architect, and Mr. W. Church, of West Malling, the builder. Wooden posts should never be coated with any waterproof material, such as paint, tar, and varnish, for at least Gin. above the ground, in order that the moisture from the ground may have free vent. If confined, fezmentation will always be set up, and what is called dry rot is produced.

Huilding Antelligence, —_@___ CHURCHES AND CHAPELS. Bournemoutu.—A new church is being erected at Bournemouth, in the district of S. Clement, from the designs of Mr. John D. Sedding, of Bristol, The work is being carried out by Mr. Toogood, of Bournemouth. The church—exclusive of western tower and fittings—will cost about £5,500. A house for the clergy at S. Clements is also being erected, from the designs of the same architect, to cost £3,000. Mr. Toogood is the builder. Bowpon.—The memorial stone of a new church for the accommodation of the English Presbyterian congregation in Bowdon was laid on Wednesday afternoon, The style is Gothic. The length in- ternally is 70ft., breadth 47ft., and the height from the floor to the apex is 47ft. There will be a spire rising to the height of 120ft. Behind the church, which will be seated to accommodate between 400 and 500 worshippers, there isa lecture-room 47ft. by 27ft. The architects are Messrs. Speakman & Son, and the builder is Mr. J. Thompson, both of Manchester. CuHEVELEY.— The parish church at Cheveley, near Newmarket, is undergoing restcration, from the designs of Mr. John D. Sedding, of Bristol. The present works comprise the rebuilding of the chancel, the addition of a vestry and organ chamber, and the restoration of the tower and south transept. The first contract is taken by Mr. R. Tooley, of Bury S. Edmunds, and amounts to £1,365. The south transept is being restored at the cost of the Duke of Rutland. Corwen.—The restoration of the parish church has been completed, from designs of Mr. Ferrey. The new windows haye been put in, and the old eastern window, which was blocked up, opened out, The south transept has been taken down, a lean-to aisle being substituted forit. Astonearch has been corbelled out over the entrance to the chancel, which has also a new roof. There is anew pulpit of Bath stone and reredos of brown alabaster and marble. The sanctuary tiles are by Mr. W. Godwin, of Lugwar- dine. The cost was £2,000. Mr. W. E. Samuel, sof Wrexham, was the contractor. Gioucester.—The church and schools erected by the Presbyterians in memory of George Whitfield were opened on Tuesday. The church, designed by Messrs, Medland, of Gloucester, is in the Gothic style, and consists of a nave 80ft. by 40ft. It has an elegant tower 140ft. in height from base to vane, The walls are of white Shropshire bricks with bands and devices in red and black bricks and dressings of Bath stone. The roof timbers are exposed and stained, and the tie beams are painted in various colours, relieved by gold. The school, under the chapel, has accommodation for 300 children, and is supplied with class, committee, vestry, and other rooms. Over the chief entrance is a bas-relief carved in stone, representing Whitfield preaching to the multitude. In the principal gable is placed the Presbyterian emblem, the burning bush, with the motto, ‘‘Nec tamen consumebatur.” The corbels which support the moulding over the entrance are carved with the heads of Knox and Chalmers. The carving is by Mr. Boulton, of Cheltenham, and Mr. Frith. The building cost £4,000. Luanrair, Rurarm.—The restoration of the in- teresting church at Llanfair is nearly completed. It is remarkable for the beauty and variety of its types of roofs; the restoration of the whole of the roofs is done at the cost of the late vicar’s wife. This and the other works done at the church will cost about £2,000, Mr. Clark, of Wrexham, is carrying out the restoration, from the designs of Mr. John D, Sedding, of Bristol. LLANWENARTH-ULTRA, Monmourusuire. — The parish church has_ been lately reopened, after exten- sive additions. A new chancel, vestry, and north aisle have been added, Mr. Sedding, of Bristol, being the architect, and Mr. Giles, of Pontrilas, the builder. The cost of the works amounted to about £900, RamspEN. — 8S. James’s Church, Ramsden, was opened on Friday, April 26. It has been entirely rebuilt. Mr. Blomfield is the architect, and Mr. Groves, of Milton, the builder. The edifice consists of a well proportioned chancel, with nave and south aisle. At the extreme north-west of the nave rises a tower and spire. There is accommodation for 300 worshippers. Lrixcotnsutre.—This chureh was reopened, on the 1st of May, by the Bishop of Lincoln, after having undergone restoration. Grave complaints have been made in the local newspapers WINTERTON,