The Express.
London, England, 1851-07-26 00:00:00

LONDON, SATURDAY EVENING, JULY 26, 1851.

broidery which is costly and elaborate in proportion to his
means. The specimen in the Exhibition is contributed by J.
Geyer, furrier of Pesth, and is of the class worn by persons
of high quality. The embroidery, which contains the royal
arms of Austria and Hungary and other national devices,
took a first-rate artiste twelve months to execute, and the
value is about 1001. of our money. To all those who go to
the Exhibition with a view of making themselves acquainted
with the arts and costumes of foreign nations, we can cor-
dially recommend a look at this curious mantle, which will be
found at the back of the Austrian department, and is num-
bered 316 in that branch of the catalogue. There are seve-
ral cases of foreign goods waiting emancipation by the fiscal
authorities in various places, and some en route, so that
every day we may expect some novelty in art or ornamen-
tal manufacture. A curious incident which occurred very
recently ahowi the certainty with which persons of any call-
ing may be found any day at a moment's notice among the
company at the Crystal Palace. One of the female visitors,
in struggling to approach the south transept, unfortunately
burst a blood vessel. Tu get ready a placard with " a medi-
cal man wanted at south transept," was only the
work of a moment, and it had not been carried
ten yards down the nave when half-a-dozen volunteers
came forward, and gave the sufferer such professional assist-
ance as was necessary previous to her removal to the hos-
pital. Among the schools and agricultural groups present
during the day were the Duke of Northumberland's tenants
(150), Hill-park (15), Hampstead village school (20), Coln-
brook school (51), Dartford (54), and Cripplegote-within
charity school (102). The police numbers were 50,599.
Cash account, July 23.
Season tickets
At the doors
..... 2,438 14 0

Total receipts

THVILBDAT.

There was more rain ou this day, and consequently
fewer visitors at the Exhibition, than on the day previous.
The foreigners, the excursionists, and the schools, had it all
to themselves, as, acting of CORM, in pursuance of previous
arrangements, they could not delay their visit in deference
Ito the elements. Although the number of visitors was
comparatively small, the thoroughfares leading to the
ICrystal Palace were more crowded than on the finest NMI.
' ling days. The cabs from the various railway stations came
on in true Cossack fashion, and the illusion was very
decently kept up by the rudeness of the drivers. At
Knightsbridge it was almost impossible to get along,
the throng being so great as to lead to the belief
that we were commencing the most crowded day of
i the season. In the building itself the number of foreigners
could not fail at once to strike the beholder. A
man cleanly shaved was almost a rarity, and the
volubility with which French and German was poured out
formed a striking contrast with the taciturnity of the Eng.
lish visitors. On the other band, it must be admitted, that
the envelope folder, the Austrian toys, or the Queen of
Spain's jewels were not so much crowded, while the objects
of genuine merit had numerous circles of admirers. There
is a beautiful bronze statue of Polyhymnia in the
nave, remarkable for the exquisite grace and fidelity with
which the drapery is moulded. As a general rule, this
beautiful specimen of German art is passed by unnoticed,
the visitors eagerly hurrying on to Mr.Cutlin's Indian
figures which stand close at hand. On Thursday, however,
the neglected figure was soon noticed, and was surrounded by
numerous groups all day. One discovery which the great
foreign influx could not fail to communicate to the native
visitors, was that all Frenchmen do not exhibit that mea-
grenms of figure which is their traditional pecu-
liarity on the English stage. If they do live
upon frogs it is evident that the diet agrees with them,
as many of those present on Thursday were quite up to
the English standard of comfortable corpulence. One
group in particular attracted very general notice. It con-
sisted of an old soldier of the empire, straight as a maypole,
buttoned up to the throat, and with the cross of the Legion
of Honour conspicuously displayed on his breast, and a train
of three or four Norman peasant women dressed in their peen
liar costume, and who seemed as if they did not know which
most to admire, the wonders of the Exhibition or the great-
ness of their military guide. The old soldier himself
was quite a realization of Eugene Sue's old grenadier
in the " Juif Errant." Like an Indian chief lie won-
dered at nothing, but marched slowly along, as
became the dignity of a man who had seen Jena and
Austerlitz. The schools and provincial parties were
tolerably numerous. There were 154 boys and girls from
the Richmond Union, who sang the National Anthem bet-
ter than we had before heard it from choristers of a similar
class. The boys gave a very respectable bass, and the effect
was rather pleasing than otherwise. There were also the
Croydon British and Foreign, 8•i; the Christ Church, Hol-
ton, 27; Kingston Union, 50; Hornsey National, 130;
Sailors' Orphan, 17; Wimbledon National, 109; a party
from the estate of Mr. Fleming, of Hertford, of about 20;
and 88 of Sir John Guest's workmen, from his great iron
works in Wales. While on this enumeration we may men-
tion that we have received a letter from one of
the workmen in the employment of Mr. J. Stok-
waascr, tailor, of Conduit-street, gratefully acknowledg-
ing that employer's liberality in having treated his men,
fifty in number, to the Exhibition, and allowing them full
wages fur their holiday. Our correspondent believes Mr.
Stokwasser to be the first master tailor who has so acted,
and we gladly give his information publicity fur the sake
of example. The Italian court was enriched this day with
a beautiful Canal vase in silver, and some fresh cases of
porcelain were opened in the Zollverein, but they did not
contain anything requiring especial notice. The police
numbers on Thursday were 44,458.
Cash account, July 24.
Season tickets £o 0 0
At the doors

Total reccipts..L2,2B6 1 9
FRIDAY.

The company yesterday at the Crystal Palace was
as numerous as on most Fridays, and quite as fa►hionable.
Among the persons of distinction present were the Duchess
of Sutherland, Earl of Jersey, Baron and Baroness de
Rothschild, Countess of Waldcgreve, Countess of Jersey
and daughter, Lady Mary Howard, and Lady Fitzwigram.
The schools and excursionists were both absent, and the con-
sequence was that there was plenty of room for inspection in
all parts of the building. Sonic alteration has been made in the
Swiss department, the watches and musical boxes having
' been removed from the gallery to the nave, where the
latter yesterday amused the visitors by their tinkling music.
The most noticeable feature of the day's proceedings, how-
ever, was the examination, by the Governor of the
Bank of England and some friends from the City,
of an extraordinary calculating machine, which is
now placed in the Russian court. It is the
invention of a Polish Jew named Stalk', a native of
Warsaw, and works sums in addition, subtraction, multi-
i lineation, and division, with a rapidity and precision that is
quite astonishing. It also performs the operation of ex-
tracting the square root and the most complicated sums in
fractions. The machine, which the inventor calls Arith-
metica Instrumentalis, is about the size of en ordinary
toilet, being about 18 inches by 9, and about 4 inches high.
The external mechanism represents three rows of ciphers.
The first and upper row, containing 13 figures, is im-
movable; the second and third, containing seven
figures each, movable. The words addition, subtraction,
multiplication, and division are engraved on a semi-circular
ring to the right, and underneath is • hand which must be
pointed to whichever operation is to be performed. The
figures being properly arranged, a simple turn of a handle
is then given, and the operation is performed at once as if
, by magic. The met singular power of the instrument is,
1 that if • question be wrongly stated, as, for instance, a
greater number being placed for subtraction from a lesser,
it detects the error, and the ringing of a small bell announces
/ the discovery. The inventor has exhibited the powers of this
wonderful calculating machine to the Queen, Prince
Albert, and several persons of distinction, and the experi-
ments of yesterday seemed quite satisfactory to the very
competent judges who had assembled to witness them.
The inventor also exhibited a curious machine for ascer-
taining by weighing, the fineness of gold or silver. This
also was much admired, but it to be submitted to
further and more severe test. Both machines are, to
say the least, extremely curious, and have been re-
warded with • silver medal by the Russian go-
vernmetit. There were a good many persons present

yesterday who evidently had not oome for mere amusement,
and these occupied themselves chiefly with the examination
of the flax and cotton goods in the English nave. Some
specimens of linen thread, contributed by Messrs. Moulds-
worth, of Leeds, were much admired for their great even-
nes., fineness, and high glom, making them quite equal to
silk in appearance. We were informed that the exhibitors
employ in the manufacture of this comparatively minor
article upwards of 1,000 hands, an extraordinary instance of
the magnitude of scale upon which every branch of flax and
cotton spinning is carried on in this country. We were
glad to sec so much interest awakened in objects of utility.
as the attention of visitors up to this time has been rather too
much devoted to objects of mere curiosity. The police
numbers yesterday were 26,882.

Cult account, July 25.
Season tickets
At the doors

Total reasipta £2,990 6 0

CIVIL ENGINEERING AND BUILDING
CONTRIVANCES.

Civil engineering appears to be a term used in tho
art simply is saatradbeinstias to sanitary easgineeling,
otherwise it is very vague and inexpressive in its meaning;
it seems to imply all sorts of engineering, or no engineering
at all. This is, to a certain extent, exemplified to us in the
Exhibition, where the department to which we refer is
classed under the head of civil engineering end building
contrivances, the latter part of the heading having been
added on, as if to confound the term civil engineering all
the more.

In fact, an inspection of this department is not calculated
to produce on the mind of the visitor any very favourable
impression either as regards the importance of the profession
at large, or as regards the dignity some persons experience
in affixing C.E. to their names—an appendage commonly
resorted to now-a-days. The collection of models, &c.,
seems so miscellaneous that it looks as if all such which pre-
sented any difficulty of classification had been placed here.
We must not of course be understood to find fault at the
manner this department has been laid out, for doubtless it
presented many serious difficulties, civil engineering allow-
ing of such an extensive range of subject in practice and
application.

Bridges seem to form the most typical instances of civil
engineering extant, though now a-days they are gradually
catering more and more into the province of mechanical
engineering.

There arc three very interesting models of bridges in the
nave, namely, the Britannia Bridge, by Stephenson, a
bndge over the Wye, at Chepstow, by Brunel, and a
suspension bridge over the Dnieper at Kietf, in Russia, by
Vignoles.
Much has been said and written about the Britannia
Bridge, but an inspection of this beautiful model, will give
a better idea, and perhaps teach more about the structure
than an actual visit to the bridge itself, because the inte-
rest not ouly rests in the thing itself but the manner in
which it was done ; the model being to a scale, all the parts
bear an exact proportion to things as they are and as they
were. The bridge consists of two tubes, forming the up
and down lines ; and each tube was made of four different
parts, namely, two land tubes of 230 feet span each, and
two centre tubes of 460 feet span ; when these had been
raised to their proper position on the piers (at a height of
103 feet above high water mark), they were all joined
together to form one. The total weight of the two tubes is
about 11,000 tons. In the model one tube is shown com-
plete stretching across the Straits, and the land tubes having
been built on scaffolding in the position they now occupy, the
scaffolding is shown in the model. The two central portions
of the second tube, illustrate the transits of the tubes from
the platforms on which they were built to their ultimate,
destination on the piers ; one tube is shown being floated to
the basement of the piers, and the other is shown in the act
of being raised by the hydraulic presses. It is a pity that
the scaffolding used in erecting the piers could not be'
conveniently shown. We have already noticed the hydrau-
lic press which was actually used in raising these tube.,
and which is exhibited in the machinery department.
The model of the railway bridge over the Wye at Chep-
stow, by Brunel, is a novelty in engineering. It is com-
posed entirely of wrought iron. One span is 300 feet,
and others 100. The principle of construction adopted in
spanning the 300 feet seems to be that of an extravagant
trellis ; the principle of the trellis is of the same character
as the Britannia tubes, or any other beams or girders, that
is the top is subject to compression and the bottom to ex-
tension. This bridge has two lines for the up and down
trains. The span of 300 feet, which we allude to more
particularly, consists of two huge uncouth-looking trussed
girders; the bottom of each girder is composed of two
simple wrought iron beams, which resist extension, and
between which one of the lines run ; these beams are
forn'ed of boiler plate, rivetted together. These two girders
are supported at two points, 100 feet apart from each end,
from a wrought iron tube above, which stretches across the
whole span, and this tube resists the compression. This
tube also has been raised at a considerable elevation above
the bottom girders, so that the weights, such as trains, &c.,
passing along the line, may be properly resolved or distri-
buted over the tube by means of the tie rods and stays ;
the 100 feet spans are crossed simply by wrought iron
beams. The principle of construction is good, so far as re-
gards the tubes at top resisting the compression, they being
admirably suited for so doing ; still it does not promise to
be a form of construction which will be adopted by any
other engineer than Mr. Brunel himself.
Next is a model of the wrought-iron bar-chain suspension
bridge at Kieft, in Russia, across the Dnieper, by Vig-
noles. It is remarkable for being the most extensive work
of the kind which has ever been attempted ; and certainly,
to judge from the model, it promises to be a most splendid
structure. This bridge has four principal openings, of 440
feet each, and two side openings of 225 feet. On the right
bank of the river is a swivel bridge, which gives a free
opening of 50 feet fur the passage of boats, &c.,
on the river. There is a disadvantage in the sus. ,
pension principle when the chains cannot be moved I
from shore to shore, as in this case, an island
of mteoary having to be formed in the river as a
mooring abutment, to allow of the free passage for boats at
the other side ; there are, therefore, three abutments—two

for the chains; and one for the swivel bridge, and live piers;
all these required coffer-dams of unusual size, particularly
for the abutments. The chains are composed of broad flat
links, 12 feet long, and weigh about 4 cwt. each. The tie
rods, which bang from the chains on each side, are 2 inches
in diameter, and are immediately connected to the girders
which support the platform. The manner in which the
platform is constructed, is the chief novelty which has been
introduced in their structure, and consists in a judicious
combination of iron and wood, the object being to obtain a
light and stiff platform. Two kinds of girders are adopted
here, namely trussed girders and tension girders the trussed
g;rders are chiefly composed of wood, and are deeper than
the tension girders, which latter are rendered rigid by tension
bars. One set of chains support the trussed girders, and the
other set support the tension girders, and these occur alter-
nately ; the additional depth ofthe trussed girders is for the
double purpose of stiffening the platform and supporting the
footpaths which arc outside the chains. The trussed
girders arc connected underneath at each end by longitu-
dinal ties, which run the whole length, and the balustrades
separate the carriage way from the footpaths; they act con-
jointly with the ties underneath in checking any tendencies
to undulation, the girders are also braced diagonally to
prevent side play. In some suspension bridges, when there
is a double set of chains, it very often happens that much
more weight is sustained by one set of chains than by the
other. This can be avoided, as in the case of the Hunger-
ford Bridge, designed by Brunel. Here the chains on
each side hang over each other, links hang down from each
chain and are connected together by a cross head, and the
tic rod passes down from this cross head, by which means
the weight on the tie rod is equally distributed over both
chains. This seems to be a good plan, but why it is not
generally adopted we cannot say.
The whole of the machinery and iron used in the con-
struction of the Kieff-bridge was made in England, and
weighs about 3,300 tons, nine steam-engines are employed,
varying from eight to fifty horses power, in pumping,
driving piles, grinding mortar, hoisting timber, &c., dce.
The cost of the bridge when finished is estimated at
400,0001.