756

the obstructions which will be experienced from
snows on any of‘ the other proposed routes north of
the latitude of 35° will be much greater than
upon the one under consideration, while upon the
lutt:-1' they will not be of so formidable a charac-
ter as nctto be readily surmounted by a. resort to
the proper means, without involving any very great
or unusual expense for the purpose, provided the
road is judiciously located and constructed.
To be continued.

'i‘h:: Liverpool Dc:oks.'j

The docks now in course of construction, as
We learn from the Liverpool Me'r'w7'g/, at the ex-
treme north end of the port of Liverpool, (the
New York ‘of Great Britain,) are rapidly up-
pronching completion. The Huskisson clock,
which is one of the largest in the world, is con-
structed for the accommodation of ocean steam-
sllips. ’l‘hc locks at the south end are finished.
The doclcgit.-ielf is ready to receive vessels, W.-I.t.er
having been let in at thclast spring tides; and
workmen are ousy paving the pier and parts oi
the quay, and constructing the locks at‘ the north
end. Luv-go as the Bramly-Moor, Nelson, and
other of me northern (locks, finished in 1848, nre,
they are oulrivzlllell by this new evidence of what
the genius and enterprise of Liverpool can effect.
The width of the east lock-gates is 80 feet, 10 feet
wider than the lock-gates of any dock hitherto
constructed at this port; the west. locl{—gn.t.vS, 45
feet. The water area of the deck, 14 acres 3,451
yards, with quay-space to the extent of'1,12'.Z
yards. The water area of‘ the enst lock is 4,682
yards, with quay-space of 242 yards; the water
area of the west lock, 3,6430 y.-‘lrds, with quay-
spice of 330 yards. No sheds have at present
been erected on the dock-query, which is still in
an unfinished state; but sheds have been con-
structed onthe lock-quay, where urrzmgcments
liufve been made for unloading vessels and for the
reception of cargoes. A large space of the west

“end of the lock quay is set apart for a. timber-

yurd, and the remaining portion by the side of
the locks, will be used as the sites for sheds in
which to stow sway dry goods. The total water
nreu of the wet-docks along the margin of the
Mersey, belonging‘ to the corporation of Liver-
pool, is now 177 acre.-s3,684 yards, with a quay-
spgxce of 12 mileszuid 1,412 yards; and of dry-
basins, -an area of 20 acres 892‘vards, with quay-
space of, 1 mile 712 yards; making a total of 197
acres 4,676 yards of water area. and 14 miles 712
yards of quay-space; with 2. length of 5 miles
and 20 yards of river wall. Independently of this
large extent of clock space, other docks are yet
to be formed, andexcuvations in reference to this
object are going forward.~—-T he walls surrounding
the Huskisson_ dock, as well as the north docks
which have recently been- constructed, and the
Normanlige towers, to serve us ofllccs to the gate-
keepers, are built of granite, and combine con-

siderable beauty and neatness with extraordinary -

durability and strength.
lied [uver Raft.

The iremovul of this obstruction has been again
advertised for .contract by the United States

Government, the former contmetoifihaving failed ,1

to complete the work, and abandoned the enter-
prise. By 51 ‘communication which appears in the
National Intelligencer, it seems that the raft is so
formidable that its removal is thought impractic-
able. According to this writer, the great raft
was originally one hundred miles in length, and
not ten miles of inches ever been removed.

Through this whole extent the river is obstructed ‘ ‘ A

by an-lniinense aggregation of logs sud trees",
whielrhnve to be dug up and _saw_ed out. The at
tempt to remove this raft. was abzindoned many
years a_g‘o,anda new route adopted for ixavigution,
by_iw'fny of _,

arid--a c2_tnulirom thence into Red Riven-above the
ra.i”t',. vvliieh is used to this day. This, however, is
alsommunlly pbsmicted by, a raft at the upper
and formed, by9ver‘y_freshet. g M

Bayou Pierre; Shreveport, Luke Caddo,

AMERTCAN ILAILROAD JOURNAL.

011 I-[allow kluilrosul Axles-
By J. E. McCoNz~znLt., ot‘ Wolverton.
[Paper ‘read at tile I72.slit~u&z'o12. of llIe.c.ia'uz'ca.Z En-
’ V gincers]

The selection of the tubular form of axle origi-
nated from the knowledge, that with a con ‘
sidcrsbly less weight of material in the form of
the tube, a much greater strength can be obtained
[.0 resist torsion, deflection by pressure or weight,
or concussion from blows. The resistance of :2
solid system to defiect-ion and torsion, increasing
in proportion to the fourth power of‘ the diameter
(or the square of the square), but the weight in-
creasing only as the square of the diameter, two
solid cylinders, having the respective diameters cl‘
4 and 5 inches, or 1 to 1%, will have 8. proportion-
ntelweigbt of 16 to 25, or 1 to 155, but 21 re-
sistance of 256 to 625, or 1 to 2,125. Then, if :1
hollow of two-thirds the diameter be made in the
larger nxle,its weight will be diminished )5 (% X
 an 4-9 or % nearly), and its resistamce only
one fifth (% x ';’«,,< X %)< 35; = sixteen-r-ighty—fil‘sts,
or one-fifth nearly), and *lic comparison with the
snmller solid axle will then be 1 to 1% in din-
metcr, 1 to '7/8 in weight, and 1 to 2 in resistance,
being double the resistance, with % less weight.

’.l‘l1e use of hollow axles was tried some years
use, but was not continued, the main objection
being, that there appeared 21. great rliiflculcy 0" in-
auring, by the particular mode of n1:inui‘aeture
adopted at that time, a suliicient uniformity of
thickness of the sides of the tube throughout, and
also of the soundness of material. The mode ud-
opted consisted of rolling two or three bars of a
semicircular cross section, which were welded
together with butt-joints, but with no internal
pressure, and with solid ends where the bearings
came. These axles, having no mandril or internal
pressure during the process of'welding, were found
to be of u very uncertain strength throughout the
axle, and the iveukcst point might be close to that
part where the greatest force or strain would be
exerted.

To overcome these objections, 2: mode of manu-
facturing rztilwoy axles lias been introduced by
the writer, which, it is believed, effectually ae-
complishes the object in view, securing the utmost
strength with the least possible amount of mate-
rial, uniformity of structure of the iron, perfect
equality of thickness of material, and soundness

of manufacture.

The plan adopted is as follows :--A number of‘
segmental bars of the best quality of iron are
rolled to a section, so as to form, when put.
together ready for welding, a complete cylinder,
fiv. l, about 1% times the diameter of the axle
when finished, the bars fitting‘ correctly together,
so as to have no interstices, and overlapping in
such :1 manner as to insure a. perfect and sound
weld when completed, as shown in flg. 1.

 

V Fig. 2.

’ j'l‘hls cylinder of loose segmental bars is tempo-
!'lll."l1y'll81d to'gether by a screw-clip, and each end
being put into the furnace until 2: welding heat is
.produc.edx 019 bars are ~Lhen~ partially welded
together, and“'the clip removed. The Whole cylin.

Fig. 1.

_ _ 4°!‘ 1? ‘lllen placedlo the il_:.rnuce,. and laraughtto

....—-
---.-

it proper welding heat; it is then passed throi 11
IL series of rollers B, B, fig. 2, which have each .,
ma.ndril of an egg form A, in the centre of Lhle
circular opening, which .-are attached and sup,,0,t,_
ed on the end of u fixed bar, the bar being firm]
secured at the opposite end, to resist the tall
pressuze or strain during the process ofrollin
The mandrils .'\l'(.‘.ll1E1d6 of cast-iron,chilled fitllnl
on like a socket on the end of the lull‘ to 
shoulder, and they are secured by a sq:-exv.mu», 3;,
that they are easily removed when required, ’
The motion of the rolls is so arranged, by 3, re,
verslng-clutch on the shaft, that as soon as the
axle-cylinder has been drawn clear tln-ough the
motion is reversed, and the axle which has ‘been
dmwn on the mnndril-rod, is again (ll‘a.WI1 back
through the same openings in the rolls; it is imme.
diutely passed through the next smaller groove of
the roll, with a :;leereasv.-d size of mundril and
again reversed back through the some g1'Qov,g in .,
similar manner, and so on through :1. series 61‘
grooves in quick succession, each decreasing in
size, and consequently increasing the compI‘L'SSion

and strength of tee iron of which the axle is form.'.

ed, and by the lost groove it is passed l:l]1‘()uoh it
is reduced to the proper diameter. At eacllctime
it is clmuged from one groove to axiothel‘, the axle-
cylinder is turned by the workmen :1 quarter
round, so as to cqualise the pressure on every
part oi‘ its surfiice, to insure uniformity of 31,6
compression of the iron, and thoroughly complete
.1 sound welding throughout every part of the
axle.

The specimens before the meeting sliowcd the
soundness and perfection of the n1:mul'ucture, as
:1 proof of Which, in every test applied, either by
blows on the outer surlnce or by an immense
splitting pressure, by driving :1 mnndril in the in.
turior, there has never been found in nnv one in.
stznioe at failure of the weld, nlthough the testhas
been z.|.pplied to pieces cut oil‘ the cxtreine and
where it might be supposed the welding of the;
cylinder of the axle, from \'urious onus--s, would
not have so good 3. chance or being perfect,

The axle at this stage, after lJLll1g\V(5lded and
drown down in the rolls to the pxoper size is
taken at once to a hnnnnor, where it is pluziislled
between SeI11lCll‘Culm'S\\’:l.gG3 over its cutiie slur.
face. A small jet of water plays upon it during
this process, which enables the workman to detect
at once, by the inequality of‘ colour, any unsound-
ness in the welding. From t.nc l12!.ll'1lll(.‘l' it is taken
to the ci1‘culm‘ saws, where it is cut accurately to

the length required, and rcruly to have the bear-

ings formed upon it.

On coming from the liznnmer, the axle is found
to be perfectly clean both inside null outside the
scale being entirely removed. The ends are then
re-lieatetl, and gradually drawn down by a ham.
liner to the proper dimensions uml form of‘ the
journals, 3. Inztndril being inserted in the end of
the tube during the proco.-s or hammering.

The forlnation of the journals can also be pro- '

duced by 2!. rolling-machine, coust1'ucted of tables
the entire length of the axle, rolling ti-nnsvei-sely,
each. table being it duplicate of the other, and
nmtrixes of the axle when finished. Or in another
way, by two sets of rollers, each set consisting of‘
three rollers running vorticatlly, being of‘ the same
diameter, and driven at the some velocity, lbrmed
exactly to the shape of the bearing, and set the
proper distance apart from shoulder to shoulder of‘
the journals.

The ms.nul‘ucture 01‘ these axles has been in-
trusted to the Patent Slinft Company, and 2. great
._a.mount of credit is due to Mr. Walker, the manag-
ing partner of that firm, for the very excellent
system he has adopted and carried out in the pro»
cess of manufacture.

As an illustration of the saving in dead weight,
take. for instance, a railway employing 15,000
wagons and carriages, and assume each of these
vehicles to run on an average 10,000 miles per nu:
num. Tlie weight of mo axles of the golid de.
Scriptioufinished, is say 5 cwt., and ii‘rep1need with
hollow titles of equal strength, the weight per ve-
hicle may be reduced. 1),; owt.; this taken over