The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1841-10-29 00:00:00

CAPTAIN TAYLER'S BREAKWATER

In another column will be found an advertisement for the
formation of a company for the purpose of bringing into
more prominent notice the breakwater invented by Captain
Tayler. As we have not an opportunity of judging of the
merits of the invention for ourselves, we copy the following
article on the subject from the Times of yesterday.
On Wednesday an opportunity was afforded us of examin-
ing a model of the new wooden breakwater invented by Cap-
tain Tayler. It was about two feet long, and represented a
perfect prism. Through the centre runs a very strong beam
or keel, smaller beams cross and recross this in an almost
endless series, secured by bolts at both ends. These connect
it with the beams which form the sides of the prism, and
those again at the ends which form the angles are secured by
means of transverse pieces of timber. No correct idea, how-
ever, can be formed of the strength and beautiful architec-
ture which this model conveys to the mind of the invention,
without the assistance of a series of diagrams, we shall not
therefore attempt a laboured description, but proceed to men-
tion the manner in which it is proposed to be employed for
the security of harbours, and the method of mooring it.
The breakwater may be of any length, but it is divided
into sections of 60 feet. The timber employed is red
pine, so arranged that three-fourths of the breakwater will
be immersed. It will be always 18 feet below the level
of the immersion, and 6 feet out of the water. As the pre-
sent iron mooring chains, if of required strength, would not
only increase the weight but the expense of the breakwater,
without adding anything to its usefulness, the difficulty is
overcome by forming them of straight-grained timber—it
being admitted that this material will bear a much greater
strain than an equal weight of iron. The timber employed
for this purpose is red fir, larch, or American ash, in lengths
of 12 feet. Three of these form a section of the mooring.
The centre-piece is nine inches deep and 4; inches thick, and
those on either side 9 inches deep and 21 inches thick, making
the whole 9 inches square. These are bound together with
flat iron hoops put on red hot, in order that the contraction
of the metal when cold, shall more firmly embrace and clasp
together the three members of the section. At each end of
the centre-piece are three saw-cuts, about 2 feet long, and
into the centre cut an oak wedge is driven, which spreads the
timbers about 4 inches, thus forming a dove-tail. Before
driving these wedges in, the iron hoops, as well as the staples
for connecting them with other sections of the mooring, must
be put on and made tight by the wedges. The specific gravity
of these moorings, exclusive of the connecting links, we were
informed, will not exceed by 20 per cent. that of the water.
The breakwater will be moored obliquely to the waves, and
will admit the sea to pass under, over, and through it, thus
breaking and dispersing the waves, and converting all within
its barrier into smooth water. The inefficiency of stone
breaks for the purposes intended was noticed in The Times
a few weeks back, and consequently a mere allusion to the
fact will be sufficient ; but we do not think that any notice
was taken of the circumstance that air more than water is
the enemy of stone breakwaters. This was proved some
time since at Plymouth, where the stains were dovetailed,
and a hole having been mada by a breach in the wall, the air
was driven with such force into the cavity, that it actually
forced out one of the stones from the very centre of the
work ! The consequence was that the admiral, fearing a
repetition of the accident which happened some time ego—
namely, a direct rupture of the breakwater, no longer
sanctions the dovetailing. It is stated that upwards of 15,000
English vessels, 3,150 American and French, 1,0( 0 Danes
and Swedes, 1.000 Prussian, Norwegian, Dutch, and Russian,
and 500 Spanish, Portuguese, and other vessels, pass the
Mount's Bay annually, amounting in the aggregate to 20,650
vessels, and with the average crew of 10 men to each vessel,
the entire number of seamen will be 206,500. The annu
loss of lives and the value of the ships and merchandise e
stroyed is immense ; and to prevent this it is said a brek
water in the harbour of Penzance, costing only £52,11
would suffice. Under such circumstances, and sup po n
the calculations correct, and the invention all it is re 1
sented to be, it would appear that at no distant date su
desideratum will be supplied.

On Wednesday, two labourers madly attempted to cro s
the line of the Great Western Railway before an approaching
engine ; both were knocked down, and one was killed on the
spot. - - -

The two " Church of England" clergy said to have beer
at the Manchester Conference, are entered as " Bostock H
Establishment, Aylesbury ;" and " Sencer Thomas, A.M.
Establishment, Hinton, near Bath." To name these tw(
Rev. Gentlemen is only due to the rest of the clergy.--Here•
ford Herald.

STRAWBERRIES.—On Wednesday morning last, a gentle-
man from the country brought to our office a small bunch of
strawberries, which had been grown in the open air, and not-
withstanding the extraordinary severity of the weather, had
grown perfectly ripe, possessing the customary flavour of
that delicious fruit.—Hull Rockingham.
SCYLLA AND CHARYBDIS OF THE DANUBE.—After pass-
ing Grein, w
the Long Danube, from its source in the Black Forest, to its
e approach " the most extraordinary scene on
mouth in the 131ack Sea. As soon as a bend of the river has
shut out the view of Grein and its chateau, a mass of rock
and castle, scarcely distinguishable from each other, appears
to rise in the middle of the stream before you. The flood
roars and rushes round each side of it ; and, ere you can per-
ceive which way the boat will take, it dashes down a slight
fall to the left, struggles awhile with the waves, and then
sweeps round between two crags on which are the fragments
of old square towers, with crucifixes planted before them. It
has scarcely righted itself from this first shock, when it is
borne rapidly forward towards an immense block of stone, on
which stands a third tower, till now hidden by the others,
and having at its foot a dangerous eddy. The boat flashes
like lightning through the tossing waves,
and comes immediately into still water, leaving
within a few feet of
the vortex,
the passenger who beholds the scene for the first time mute
with wonder and admiration. These are the Scylla and
Cha-
rybdis of the Danube, the celebrated Strudel and Wirbel."—
I Penny Magazine.