The Sun.
London, England, 1849-08-01 00:00:00

stoO3 when it is stated
be lifted 100 feet from high-water mark, is upwards
of 2,000 tons, or equivalent to the ele_cation to that
height of upwards of 30,000 men. A genetat fin-pres-
eon appears to prevail that when the tubular bridge
was floated the whole operation was coaiple.ted,; but
this, if it may be so termed, is a Vulgar-error. The
floating was nothing more than thelaunch of the great
iron ferry to the precise site from whence ,it has now
to be raised by mechanical pbwer sp4fally con-
structed for the purpose, to a height nearly equal to
that of St. Paul's. The stroke of' the hydraulic presses
employed for the purpose is six feet; that is__ to say,
sustainedt hey
Theonlytwhnb be
ileeot the
2,000
capablee pr
e sofpresses
nshas raisingareloweredo s ictnssiecix unfenenedt a for feet at
tto
lift.ne
e
hold obtained. This sustentation, owing to the im-

mense magnitude of the labour, will be effected by
building up successive layers of masonry, at every six-
feet lift, under the tube, to support it secursly in its up-
ward ascent, during which arrangements will be made
for another six-feet hoist, until the whole 100 feet
are finished. Were it not for this process of building
up, the operation would olny cocupy about a day; but
as it is, it will take a fortnight. _Thiaprecaution-has
been adopted by Mr. Stephenson and Mr. Clark to

guard against the probability of casualty, seeing
that, should an accident occur, the labour of years
and the outlay of half a million would besinevitably unk.
To insure security, however, some contrivances are
adopted by which the supporting chains as they rise
are to be continually followed up by wedges of wood,
so that in the event of any accident arising to the
lifting machinery, no injury, it is expected, would
happen to the tube, the first lift of which, should no
unforeseen accident arise, will take to morrow (Tues-
day), or if not then, on Thursdas.
The mechanical contrivances for the purpose are
the largest in the world, and the most powerful ever
constructed. Favoured by Mr. Clark, one of the
able engineers of the works, we are enabled, from a
close personal inspection, and the advantage of that
gentleman's explanations, to give a description of
the vast apparatus for hoisting the huge burden.
The machine used to effect this is an enormous
hydraulic press, a contrivance invented by Bramah,
and used in operations where intense pressure is re-
quired. Its construction is of the most simple charac-
ter, and consists only of an exceedingly thick and
heavy iron cylinder, like a mortar. A strong piston,
or plunger, also of iron, called the rain, works up and
down inside this cylinder, and is fitted with a leather
collar at the shoulder, so as to render it
.water-tight.
Water is forced into the cylinder by a force-pump,
through a small orifice which may be compared to
the touch hole of a gun, and this water gradually
forces up the piston. The whole secret of the im-
mense power of these machines consists simply in the
prodigious force with which the water is driven into
them, and which, in the present instance, says my
informant (Mr. Clark), is so great that it would
throw the water to a height of nearly 20,000 feet,
which is more than five times as high as the neigh •
bouring noble pinnacle of Snowdon, and 5,000 feet
higher than the monarch of mountains, Mont Blanc.
It, in fact, resembles the piston of a steam engine,
but instead of using steam at 30lbs. or 40lbs. pressure
to the inch, water is used at a pressure of 8,0001b5.
or 9,0001b5. The cylinder, of course, is of almost
adamantine strength, to enable it to sustain and with-
stand this pressure. The sides of the largest of the
presses used in raising the bridge are 11 ir.ches thick.
The weight of the cylinder, which is of cast-iron. in
one piece, is 16 tons alone, but the whole machine

complete is 40 tons. The ram or piston working
within it is 20 inches in diameter, and if worked to
its utmost power, this press would alone be quite ca-
pable of raising one of the tubes. The marvellous
thing above all is this—that, in spite of its immense
proportions, its stupendous action is guided and con-
trolled with the most perfect ease and precision by
one man. This hydraulic giant was constructed by
Messrs. Easton and Amos, engineers, of Southwark.
It stands on two beams, in a lofty sort of eyrie at the
top of one of the towers, from whence a grand and

open view is obtained of the straits seaward: while its
elevation above the ravine is upwards of two hundred
feet. The press is composed of wrought-iron plate,
rivetted together at the top of the side towers,
where, with its assistant machinery, it occupies a
large chamber to itself, about 29 feet above the level
to which the bridge has to be raised. The sensations
experienced on looking down from this lofty
elevation, over the rushing stream of the straits, and
the great tubes and machinery strewn round about
below, are of a peculiarly impressive character. In
addition to this large press, there are two smaller
presses, with ramslB inches in diameter, placed side by
side at a similar level in the Britannia tower, and
which act in conjunction with the large press. The
chains by which the power exerted by the presses in
their lofty position is communicated to the tube lying
at the base of the tower, resemble the chains of an
ordinary suspension bridge, and are similar to those
of the bridge at Hungerford. They were manufac-
tured by the patent process of Messrs. Howard and
Ravenhill, of London, and consist of flat links, 7
inches broad, 1 inch thick, and 6 feet in length, with
an eye at each end, and are bolted together in sets of
eight and nine linkS alternately. The weight of
these chains employed in lifting the 2,000 tons is
about 100 tons, far exceeding that of the well-known
equestrian statute of the Duke of Wellington at
Hyde-park, which has hitherto been regarded as one
of the greatest "lifts" of the age. These chains are
attached to the tube at two feet from the end ; and in
order to get sufficient purchase at the part, three
strong frames of cast iron are built into each end of
the tube. The innermost frame only stiffens and
supports the sides while the tube is resting on its ends.
The two outer frames are the lifting frames. The
chains are attached to these by three sets of massive
cast-iron beams, placed across the inside of the . tube,
one above another, their ends fitting under deep
shoulders or notches in the lifting frames, where
they are secured by screw bolts. As an additional
security, two very strong wrought-iron straps pass
over the upper pair of beams, and descend into the
bottom cells beneath the frames, where they are
strongly keyed. The weight of these lifting frames
and cast-iron beams is 200 tons ; and it is even a
matter of wonder among the engineers themselves
how machinery can be made strong enough to raise
the ponderous lead. The way in which the chains
are connected with the press is by an exceedingly
thick and heavy beam of cast-iron, strengthened by
wrought-iron ties across the top. It rests like a yoke
upon the shoulder of the ram, and is called the cross
head of the press. The two chains pass through
square holes at either end of the cross head, and are se-
curely gripped at the top of it by an apparatus called
the clams, consisting of two strong cheeks of wrought
iron, drawn together by screws, like a blacksmith's
vice 1 The beams on which the presses stand, the
crossheads, and all the parts that are subjected to a
very heavy strain, are either constructed ofo
beo
iron. or
strengthened by wrought iron, which is found t
less brittle and more trustworthy than cast As
the tube is twelve feet longer, allowing six feet at
each end, than the distance between the towers in
which these presses work, recesses or grooves are left
in the face of each of them six feet deep, in order to
receive the additional length, and of sufficient width
to allow the end of the tube to slide up easily within
them. These recesses extend from the bottom of the
towers to nearly the height of the hydraulic machines.
It is in the low end of these recesses, on a soft bed
of timber placed to receive it, that the great tube
since its successful floating, has been lying in state
across the estuary of the straits, until these vast
mechanical equipments for ballooning it to its per-
manent level, 102 feet above high watts-mark, were
completed.

TENI3Y.—This very delightful watering,place is
now overflowing with respectable visitors. This is at-
tributable to the fact of its being one of the bestws.c2.l:
bathing places in the kingdom, and as at AbA",-satt
jainoy
that persons mey bathe in transparent a_
state of the tide. We are pleasedt
tors do not complain of high charges.
rs=l
and board are'to be had at a
taliwrivleaat b,lee for
°roi )fiosuesi de
r' thattahtae shut
Celrotohsdteg. iv
ii
1 Bins'
89
whosekilled
to Haverfordwest for
on deck for 2s 6d.; fromeing a distance of one hundred
areconvoying addition , e r
r ratherpassengers
nagefroirtiTrn'oersit,bhyevthebereyssttecaambienrstofor
63. more, so that ttraivis. ‘
miles now costs I_3L!
k a horse; her age was 106. There
there last wee k•
sY.
t_
tiw longicvpietYrs:nfb lit: , i :flea buirtlaba ficit st.o:h'Ano
are many
LALIGIIARNE.— ersons who wish to enjoy salu-
brious and invigorating sea air at a very modcratt? cost,
will do well to visit this pretty, quiet little town, which,
towns near London than any otheriwasproearincenaema;‘
although' in Carmarthenshire, is inhabited by persons
ages are SO to 90. r .
who all speak English. It is more like some of the small
dom. House rent is less than half ofl what• is paid a
Bath, Cheltenham, or Brighton; provisions extremely
cheap. Beef and mutton sd. per lb.; ducks or fowls, 2s.
per couple; eggs,
forty for a shilling; soles, 3d. per lb.;
geese in the season 4id. to stl. per lb. Pendine sands
near the town are the best in South Wales, not only for
bathing, but for carriage drives, being eight miles long,
and as firm as those near Weymouth. Very few places
of the size can boast of so many respectable resident in-
habitants, so that comfort, health, and economy, may all
be ensured here.— Welshman.
LAYING OF TILE FIRST STONE OF TEE NEW
oppres of
euLtobndon7d, in
PULLIAM WORKE . OUSEOn Monday afternoon the first
stone of the new workhouse of the Fulham Union was
laid
pbyresthenecße
,
igohrt
tihleev,the
membersLo of therdßish
guardians of the union and those of the pa t year, and
the leading and other inhabitants of both parishes, to the
amount of about 800, a large number of whom were
n
ladies. Tile workhouse; the hospital andTeeeliing-house
of which are already erected, is to be built to contain 480
inmates; The contract is for 12,0001.
..