194 THE BUILDING NEWS. Marca 8, 1872.
8S. LO, NORMANDY.
HE accompanying illustration of the fine five-
aisled Church of Our Lady, at S. Lo, West
Normandy, shows the western towers as seen from
the open space adjoining the Market-place. The
church is among the first of those met with by the
traveller who enters Normandy by one of the
western ports, and is remarkable for the beauty of
its western towers, and also for a very fine exterior
stone pulpit on the north side. The visitor to the
quaint town of S. Lo will find ample exercise for
his pencil, both in ecclesiastical and domestic early
work.—F, C. C.
ee
MARBLE WORK AT GOLDSMITHS’ HALL.
HE new staircase at the above building, just
completed by Messrs, Burke & Co., from the
designs of the company’s architect, Mr. Hesketh,
deserves notice as one of the most important pieces
of marble work in London. The sum expended is
about £9,000, and the execution of the work is
extremely good. A great variety of materials are
introduced, the colours generally contrasting with
good effect. The floor and the stairs are of Sicilian
marble—one step being 17ft. long—and the principal
landing measuring 11ft.10ft. The freight alone
of this latter slab is said to have cost £150. The
columns, 16ft. long, are in single blocks of Griotti
de Flandres, as are also the pilasters. Red Deyon-
shire marble is freely used in plinths and pedestals,
and also in a large niche, sunk somewhat needlessly,
as it would appear, out of one immense block. The
moulded handrail is of bardilla marble, and the
balusters of English alabaster. There are also, in
the pavement and elsewhere, bands and borders of
more than one kind of green marble, mouldings of
bleu fleuri, and very effective panels of pavonazzi.
Statuary marble is used in the keystones, which are
carved with the device of the company. As a
specimen of good materials and careful execution,
the work must be highly spoken of: apart from
these, its design comprises nothing that is specially
remarkable.
—_—~>—_
THE LONDON GAS SUPPLY AND THE
RAILWAY COMPANIES.
ee agitation for improved gas supply has lasted
in London for above ten years, and the con-
test between consumers, the Corporation of London,
and the gas companies, has cost more than £100,000
The gas companies hold valuable and highly -re-
munerative property; they have abundant capital,
and possess great power in their Acts, and have
much influence in and out of Parliament, and it
must be said of them that they have fought a good
fight to keep their powers, profits, and privileges
intact. In 1868 the special gas committee of the
London Corporation urged that either by way of
regulation, or by the way of an independent supply,
the consumers were entitled to a more efficient
control than was then enjoyed, and to a freedom of
choice that had not been possessed in the matter of
gas consumption. But the funds of the companies
enable them to do battle with ‘all those who might
be found willing to provide an independent supply.”
They can spend, and have spent, £4 for £1 in a
Parliamentary contest with their opponents ; in fact,
they can do so against all comers. According to
the Railway News, a stripling has now come to the
front that seems likely to pierce the mail of the
united companies—i.e., a small concern, with Mr, G.
Flintoff as manager, that proposes to supply any of
the metropolitan railway companies that will take it
with gas for their stations, carriages, or premises, of
sixteen-candle illuminating power, at 2s. 3d, per
thousand cubic feet. A condition of supplying the
better light, at little more than half of what is now
charged, is that the gas purveyors should be allowed
to lay their pipes along the railway companies’ lines,
and this mutual arrangement prevents the necessity
of Parliamentary powers, and the heavy and deter-
ring cost of a Parliamentary contest. We are in-
formed that the newgas company have arranged with
the Metropolitan, the Metropolitan District, and the
London, Chatham, and Dover companies, to supply
them with gas, and that they have taken leases of
sufficiently extensive premises for gas works close to
the railways at Battersea and West Brompton. Other
railway companies may be expected to take this
cheap supply.
Se
The Bishop of Manchester on Saturday last opened
the new and extensive schools in §S. Thomas's
Parish, Blackburn. ‘The accommodation is for
1,000 children, the cost being about £3,000. They
are built of stone in the Early English style of archi-
tecture, from the designs of Mr, James Bertwistle.
architect, Blackburn. :
HOUSE PLANNING COMPETITION. LANS for this competition have been received from :— “ Glasgowian,” for villa. “ Una Quinta,” for villa. “Let us Labour with Love,” for villa. “Peut Etre,” for mansion. “ Aiblins,” for villa. “Che Sara Sara,” for villa. “Ad Rem,” for villa and mansion. “Triangle in circle,” for mansion. “Spes,” for villa. “Spectemur Rgendo,” for villa and mansion. “ Bxcelsior,” for villa. Villa residence, no name or motto. “Home,” for mansion. “ Pxperientia,” for mansion. “Out of my scanty leisure something wrought, “That had my hope, my care, my humble thought,” for villa. “Quot homines tot sententiz,” for villa. “Cervus non Servus,” for villa. “Tucidus ordo,” for mansion. ' “‘ Corstropitum,” for villa. “ As You Like It,” for villa and mansion. “ Comfort,” for villa. “Pro Rata,” for villa. “Rh. §.,” for villa. “ Serius and Canopus,” for villa, “Prudentia,” for villa. “ Shield with cross,” for villa. “ Hope,” for villa. “Dun-edin,” for villa. “Courage and Perseverance,” for villa.
- All Run, the Prize to One,” for mansion,
“Je Viz en Espoir,” for villa. “ Veritas,” for villa. “ Ergon,” for villa. “Oross, in double circle,” for villa. “ Bed of Stone,” for villa. “ Anguis in Herba,” for villa. “Try,” for villa. “Tabor Omnia Vincit” (second one under this motto), for villa. “Comfort and Convenience,” for mansion. “ Avant,” for mansion. “ Ad Valorem,” for mansion. “Dum Spiro Spero,” for villa. “iat Justitia,” for mansion. ‘“Well Considered,” intended for a mansion, and also, we suppose for a joke, but a very poor one, “Only Two Years,” for villa. “Thus,” for villa. “Ora et Labor,” for mansion. “ ZEquabiliter,” for mansion. “ Palmam qui Meruit Ferat,” for villa and mansion. “Scotland,” for mansion. “Bn avant, with Maltese cross,” for villa. “Un Loy, un Foy, un Roy.” for mansion. “ Convenience,” for villa. “ Fides,” for villa. “ Penandrick,” for villa. “One in a Hundred,” for villa. “ Verimos,” for villa. “Coute qu'il Conte,” for villa. “ Perseverando,” for villa. “Dexter,” for villa. “ Libra,” for villa. “Domus,” for villa. “ Prest d’Accomplir,” for mansion. “Labor Omnia Vincit,” for villa. “Domus Unicuique Suam est Castellun-,” for ville, “ Fitness,” for villa. “The Free Lance,” for villa. “ Suburban,” for villa. “ Compact,” for villa. “Tneomplete,” for villa. “Unto this Last,” for mansion. “Commoditie, Firmenes, and Delight,” for villa. “ Square, in four semi-Circles,” for villa. “Mis cui Utile dulci,” for mansion. “7.” for villa. “ Bissextile,” for villa. “ Two triangles intersected,” for villa. “Three circles within each other,” for villa. “My First Year,” for villa. “Comme il Faut,” for mansion. “Red Star,” for mansion. ‘“Reldas,” for villa. “Don Quixote,” for villa. “ Perseyerantia et Industria,” for villa. “ Oasa,” for villa. “Deus Incrementum debit,” for villa. “ Hope,” for villa. “Tn avant,” for mansion. “ Simplex munditus,” for villa. “Dark shield with white cross,” for mansion. “ Not the Workmen but the Work,” for villa. “ Silentio,” for villa. The above are the mottoes of the competitors for the two prizes for house planning. It is a little re- markable that so many should have entered the arena for such comparatively small prizes. The umpires are Mr. Banister Fletcher, the author of “Model Houses,” reviewed in Buttpinac News, November 3, 1871, and of the series of articles on “Dilapidations,” which appeared in the BurpinG News a short time since, and Mr. T. Roger Smith.
WAREHOUSES, DOWGATE-HILL, CITY. pe block of buildings shown in the illustration consist of three warehouses on the west side of Dowgate-hill, corner of College-street, having a frontage to the former of 100ft.,and to the latter about o5ft. The building at the corner is carried out somewhat differently to that shown in the drawing on account of legal proceedings being taken by the Dyers’ Company (whose Hall is on the opposite side of College-street), whereby the new buildings were prevented from being carried above the height of the old ones. Arrangements were, however, made that by reducing the width of the third storey 7ft., and the fourth floor 17ft., and also omitting the top storey entirely, the remaining portion might be built. This, as may be imagined, produces a very awkward appearance in the building, and detracts from the general design of the block. Unusual difficulties presented themselves, on account of the ancient Walbrook occupying part of the site, and emptying itself into Dowgate Dock at a short distance from here; and also by the floor of the basement of the third warehouse being about 2ft. 9in. below the high-water mark at spring tides. The former was overcome by means of blue lias con- crete under the walls and piers about 8ft. deep. The latter was met by covering the whole area with asphalte, and an asphalte skirting about 4ft. up the wall, thereby making a kind of waterproof pit. The walls are built throughout with brick, and above the ground floor, faced with Suffolk bricks. Yellow malms are used in the spandrels of the arches. The jambs and arches are formed with moulded and cut bricks. The caps to the piers and the labels and other dressings are of Ransome’s con- crete stone, and the whole of the ground-floor piers and arches are of brown Portland stone with caps carved by Mr. Sansom. The cast and rolled iron work was supplied by Messrs. Phillips. The general contractors were Messrs. Sewell & Son, of Aldersgate-street, and the architects Messrs. Henry & J. Douglass Mathews, of €loak-lane, City. a eg BOOKS RECEIVED. Laxton's Price Book for 1872 (London: Kelly & Co.). Those builders who have always used “Laxton’s,” and who last year welcomed the great improvement which marked the change in its pub- lishers, will be glad to know that this year’s edition (the fifty-fifth) is still better than the last. The prices are up to date of publication. Some useful hints of builders’ book-keeping are given, but only enough to make us wish there had been more. The whole of the Metropolitan Buildings Act, with notes of cases explanatory of its law and practice, together with decisions thereon in the superior courts of law, is given, and a handy wages table, with much other good information. A paper on *‘t Churches and Chapels ” is the only portion of the book that we see. no usefor. The suggestions therein contained are addressed to clergymen, building committees, and architects, and the second-named class will doubtless fall in with them, as their avowed object is the “comforts ” of the congregation, ‘‘which are sacrificed to architectural effect.” There are only two pages of it, but they can scarcely prove of use to any reader, and we trust most of the directions will never be followed. Atchley’s Civil Engineer's ana Contractor's Estimate and Price Book (London : Lockwood & Co.) is of the usual character. Modern Examples of Road and Ruilway Bridges in Europe and America, by W. H. Maw and J. Dredge (London: Engineering Office) is a well got up and illustrated work on the class of erections indicated in the title. The work has previously partially appeared in the pages of Hngineering. It is to be completed in six monthly parts. Teetotallers are to be pitied if they waste their arguments as badly as they do their literature. We have been favoured with three copies each of the people’s edition of the Convocation Report on Intemperance, a work well worthy of the attention of everybody, and Our National Resources and How They are Wasted, the appearance of which does not inspire us with any wish to be able to pronounce an opinion on it. The first-named book is published by James Clarke & Co., the second by Simpkin, Marshall, & Co., London. Gutch's Literary and Scientific Register and Almanack for 1872 (London: Virtue & Co.) has, it will be noticed, changed its publisher, but is otherwise the same as in past years. This edition (the 31st) seems to have been rather carelessly re- vised in several places. Thus, in the article on astronomy, we are told that the next periodical return of Encke’s comet will be in 1871, and the information on the increase of population in the United Kingdom is taken from the census of 1861. We also miss the comparative scale of English metres and French decimetres heretofore printed on the cover-
