Civil And Mechanical Engi Neer's Society.

Sth section 40 ft . in height 2 ft . 9 in . thick 9 th „ 40 „ „ 2 „ 4 „ lOth „ 52 „ „ 1 „ 11 „ llth „ 52 „ „ 1 „ 7 12 th „ 20 „ „ 1 „ 2 Total 454 ft . from ground level .

The height originally contemplated for the chimney was 450 ft ., but when about 350 ft . up , it was proposed to add about 35 ft . to the original height , making the total height 485 ft ., hence the increased height of the tenth and eleventh sections

, but on the completion of the eleventh section this idea was abandoned and therefore only 20 ft . of the last thickness were added .

The chimney was not built by contract but by day wages , as Mr . Townsend was not quite certain to what height he would carry it , or what deviation might be made iu course of construction from the proposed plan . Three different dimensions were calculated by the builderthose

, carried out were the greatest of the three . The builder calculated the cost of chimney and cone ( exclusive of iron hoops in chimney and flues , ) at from , £ 5 , 500 to . £ , 6000 , Mr . Townsend estimates the cost of the wholeincluding fluesiron

hoopsma-, , , chinery and scaffolding , at . £ 8 , 000 . On September Sth , 1859 , the chimney was struck by a gale from north-east which caused it to sway , but the builder does not attribute the accident to the gale alone , but to the pressure of the whole pile on

the scaffolding , which was so constructed as not to yield to any pressure caused by a sli ght settling down . The additional pressure thrown by the wind to the leeside of stalk ( the mortar of which was not solidified ) was consequently too great for the scaffolding to bearand caused the

, splice of one of the uprights to give way h y abrasion , making the fibres of the wood to work into each other . The builder thinks the deflection commenced at from 100 to 150 ft . from the ground , so that the foundation and heaviest portion remained

"rm . Had not the process of sawing been commenced promptly and continued vigorousl y in all likelihood the chimney would have fallen . Even during the earlier part ° f the sawing Mr . Townsend who was on the ground the whole time , observed the deflection increasing , but as the sawing

Civil And Mechanical Engi Neer's Society.

progressed he observed that the deflection got a check , and the chimney came to gradually . The chimney was 7 ft . 9 in . off the perpendicular and several feet less in height than before it swayed , but when brought back it gained its original height , at which time it was not complete by 5 ft . Mr . Townsend made his observations

during the sawmg-back , by taking up his position in a room of the works near by the chimney , where he had a full view of it , and fixing the ends of two pieces of twine to a beam above , he formed them into two plummet lines in a line with the stalk and with these above he directed the adjustment

of the colossal mass . The sawing back was performed by Mr . Townsend ' s own men , ten men working in relays , four at a time sawing and two pouring water upon the saws . This work was done from the inside on the original

scaffolding which of course had not been moved . Holes were first punched to admit the saws , which were wrought alternatively in each direction at the same joint on the side opposite to the inclination , so that the chimney was brought back in

a slightly oscillating manner . This was done at'twelve different hei ghts from the ground line , viz : —4 lft ., Sift ., 121 ft ., 151 ft ., 171 ft ., 189 ft ., 209 ft ., 228 ft ., 240 ft ., 255 ft ., 277 ft ., and 326 ft . The men discovered when they were gaining by the

saws getting tightened with the superincumbent weight . Prior to the sawing operations , they had taken out and altered the bolts of the scaffolding so as to relieve the pressure on it . This was done to meet the want of a little square space over the ends of the planks built into the chimney as before stated .

An Old, Old Story.

AN OLD , OLD STORY .

CHAPTER III . " Never forgotten , oh , never I I think I listen still To those ringing tones for ever , As they float o ' er vale or hill . " —LAS MESMOBUS . It is sometimes amusing to a byestander to note the change that comes o ' er the " spirit " of a little party of gregarious bipeds by the arrival of an unexpected