The Civil Engineer and Architect's Journal Volume 11 (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1848 edition. Excerpt: ...the formation of reservoirs; the author was then appointed the engineer, and, acting in some degree upon the suggestions of bis predecessor, whom he continued to consult, the works were undertaken which are described in the present paper. The peculiarities in the Act of Parliament, granted in 1836, constituting the proprietors of the mills a joint-stock company, for the formation of the Bann reservoirs, are detailed. Th works were originally intended to have been more extensive than have been really executed. The reservoir at Lough Island Reavy is alone described; the ground in that spot was admirably adapted for that work, being the bottom of a basin, which was bounded on all sides by rugged hills of granite; in the centre of the basin was a small lake, at the bottom of which was discovered a bed, several feet in thickness, of fossil conferva;, similar to those discovered by Professor Silliman, at Massachusetts, North America. This interesting geological fact was first noticed by Dr. Hunter, of Bryansford; the conferva; appeared like an impalpable powder, but when viewed through a powerful microscope, they were found to be regular parallelograms, many of them covered with strise. They are described by naturalists as the fossil skeletons of minute vegetables. The situation fixed upon for the reservoir rendered necessary the construction of four embankments, between the hills, so as to raise the water to a height of 35 feet above the summer level of the lake. The particulars are also given of a series of observations with rain gauges, continued for two years, for the purpose of furnishing data for computing the extent of reservoir which would be necessary to insure a supply of water throughout the year. The continuation described the...