After the shaft was pumped out, digging by hand was begun with a diameter of 12 feet.  After descending 20 inches an 8x10 inch curb was laid, in order to consolidate the earth and prevent any movement of the tubbing.  Then the excavating was continued to a depth of 311/2 inches, and with a diameter of 93/4 feet.  At this point another curb was put in for consolidating the earth.  Finally, the bottom was widened out as shown in Fig. 7, so that three basal wedged curbs could be put in.  This done, the false tubbing was put in place; and finally, when proceeding upward, the last ring composed of twelve pieces was reached, the earth was excavated and at once replaced with a collar composed of twelve pieces of oak tightened up by oak wedges.  Each of these pieces was cemented separately and in measure as they were assembled.

Through motive of economy no masonry was placed under the base of the three wedged curbs.  In fact, by replacing this with a wedged curb of wood traversed by six bolts designed to fix the cast iron curb immediately above, Mr. Chavatte obtained a third curb that he would have had to have made of cast iron.

* * * * *

ON THE ELEMENTARY PRINCIPLES OF THE GAS-ENGINE.[1]

   [Footnote 1:  A paper read before the Gas Institute, Manchester,
   June, 1885.]

By DENNY LANE, of Cork.

Among the most useful inventions of the latter half of the nineteenth century the gas-engine holds a prominent place.  While its development has not been so brilliant or so startling as that which we can note in the employment of electricity, it holds, among the applications of heat, the most important place of any invention made within that period.  Even amid the contrivances by which, in recent times, the other forces of nature have been subdued to the uses of man, there are only a few which rival the gas-engine in practical importance.  With regard to the steam-engine itself, it is remarkable how little that is new has really been invented since the time of Watt and Woulfe.  In the specifications of the former can be shown completely delineated, or fully foreshadowed, nearly every essential condition of the economy and efficiency attained in our own days; and it is only by a gradual “survival of the fittest” of the many contrivances which were made to carry out his broad ideas that the steam-engine of the present has attained its great economy.

It is but within the last fifty years that the laws of the relation between the different physical forces were first enunciated by Justice Grove, and confirmed by the classical researches of Dr. Joule—­the one a lawyer, working hard at his profession, the other a man of business engaged in manufacture.  Both are still living among us; the latter having withdrawn from business, while the former is a Judge of the High Court of Justice.  I always regret that the claims of his profession have weaned Justice