[1] Since the above was written, the semi-circular Engine Shed has been pulled down and a very large quadrangular Engine Shed constructed in its place. The former shed was inconveniently small and not at all adapted to the present emergency. It has been demonstrated by Mr. Kirtley that the system which has been so popular (with Locomotive Superintendents) in the early days of railways of using a turn-table or revolving platform for turning locomotives into the direction required in sheds where they undergo repairing, cleaning, etc., was at all times liable to cause not only delay in the departure of one engine, but in the event of mishap to the turn-table itself, the whole stock of engines would be locked up; hence the erection of the splendid new engine shed at the London, Chatham and Dover Railway Locomotive Works, which is said to be one of the finest and most commodious of its kind in England. It stands upon about 1¾ acres, and some idea of its magnitude may be realized from some of the principal materials used in its construction: namely, 40,000 cubic yards excavation; 6,000 cubic yards concrete; about 3½ million of bricks, besides 250,000 blue paving bricks of the Staffordshire hard manufacture which form the flooring; 30,000 feet of glass; 60,000 feet of slating, 260 tons of iron, and over three acres of boards which form the roof, and the newly-invented steam and smoke conductors designed by Messrs. Mills and Kirtley. There are also offices for the foremen of each department, and separate mess-rooms for the men of various grades employed, wherein their every comfort has been carefully studied, with lavatories, cooking apparatus, etc. Besides boiler-house and standing engine for driving machinery, etc. Also a tank of enormous capacity, made by Spencerlayh and Archer, of Rochester, to supply the engines with water from a well of considerable depth in case of failure of the regular supply from the Water Company's Works. There is also a new coal stage, built upon an entirely new principle, from which engines can be loaded with the necessary supply of coals in less than half the time previously occupied, with a similar diminution of labour. Another great feature in the approach to these Works is that the roads, sixteen in number, all lead from one line of rails. Each road, with pit in the engine shed, will hold five main-line locomotives or seven tank engines. The whole building will hold between eighty and ninety locomotives. The Works have been designed by Mr. W. Mills, C.E., and carried out by Mr. Charles Dickinson, the Contractor, and his Agent, Mr. D. Stubbings, and under the immediate superintendence of Mr. R. S. Jones, C. E., the engineer in charge of the works. Although nine months have only elapsed from the time of the demolition of the former structure to the erection of the New Engine Shed, etc., it is gratifying to state that under a merciful Providence no casualty such as might have been expected considering the number of locomotives running in and out daily has occurred. Mr. W. Wilkinson is foreman of this Branch of the Locomotive Department.
| Foremen, (Locomotive Department). | |
| Erecting Shop | J. Fletcher. |
| Fitting " | W. Siddon. |
| Turning " | T. Eaton. |
| Smith " | R. Allen. |
| Boiler " | W. Benton. |
| Foremen, (Carriage Department). | |
| Painters' Shop | W. Banks. |
| Coach-builders' " | G. Faulkner. |
| Fitters' " | W. Churchill. |
| Trimmers' " | J. Gallop. |
| Saw-mill " | C. Picton. |
| Waggon " | F. Laraman. |
The number of operatives employed inclusive of drivers and firemen is about 600. The men are intelligent and orderly; they, with myriads of their fellow-countrymen, are assisting in carrying out the great practical issues of civilization. Of such a class of noble-minded, generous-hearted, skilled mechanics and artisans, England may well be proud.
"What says each true workman, where'er he may toil
As bravely he joins in life's busy turmoil,
With each sinew brac'd stoutly by duty and love,
And the gaze of his soul fixed on heaven above.
Oh I'm king of a line of long renown,
And the sweat of my brow is my diamond crown;
I toil unrepining from morn till night,
For I bear in my bosom a heart brave and light,
And my labour no matter how hard it may be,
Brings ever a joy and a blessing to me."
The London Chatham and Dover Railway was opened 29th of September, 1860. Number of miles open 141. Gross Receipts including 31st December, 1873, £904,509.
The first railway train (London, Chatham and Dover) entered the City of London over the new Railway Bridge, Blackfriars, 6th October, 1864.
Adjacent to the Railway Viaduct and facing the south-eastern gate of Battersea Park is Sargent's Carpet Ground. Here during the Summer and Autumnal months a Gospel tent is pitched wherein Special Religious Services for the people are conducted by Messrs. Simmonds, Swindells, Waller, Rigley, Harris, Smith, Hewett, Crosby, Turpin, Twaites, Kirby, Reeve, Thompson, Eveleigh, Lane, and other well-known Christian workers.
Extracted from the Kensington News.—Amidst the various styles of ecclesiastical architecture which our modern amalgamation of various civilizations has produced, none strikes one as so peculiar as that which is called the preaching tent. Associated as this moveable structure is with the wandering life of the Eastern Arab, its consecration to purposes of modern Christian evangelization is a proof of the intense catholicity and energy of our modern religious life. While thousands of our home heathen never enter the sacred precincts of our churches or chapels, it is a blessing to find that they enter by hundreds inside the temporary canvas walls of our consecrated gospel tents. Very often the surroundings of the locality where these places are erected, the kind of services held in them, and the earnestness, homeliness, humanity, and appropriateness of the illustrations of the preachers who discourse at them, have beyond question, great attractions for the class of our Metropolitan inhabitants just mentioned. It calls for no surprise to find gigantic temporary structures of this kind erected amidst the uncultivated and populous "East" for the purposes of religious worship, but we hardly expect to find their tapering canvas roofs amidst the luxury of the "West."
But in these days of change, and strange things, we are not easily surprised, and consequently we passed by gospel tents at Kilburn and Kentish Town without expressing much wonder. Having a desire to see how the un-church and un-chapel going population of this mighty metropolis spent their Sunday out doors, we strolled to the classic ground of Chelsea and found ourselves on the north side of the bridge. This spot has been for several years the scene of rather unclassical and disorderly debates, and open air preaching. This arena of intellectual life was rather dull on this occasion; there was only the ordinary open air service and a few groups of the usual unintelligent and sceptical wranglers. Seeing nothing worthy in what we witnessed to detain us at this place, we strolled over the bridge, towards the canvas cathedral, which has lately been erected there. Having reached the middle of the bridge, the floating banners in the distance clearly indicate the locality where this place of public worship rears its canvas walls, and as we approach nearer we find the well known words "God is Love" neatly inscribed on one of them. At this portion of the road our attention is arrested by a few of the church-going population outside the entrance to Battersea Park, gathered round some open air preachers. At last we reach the south-eastern gate of Battersea Park, opposite which is the front of the canvas cathedral a substantial tent, capable of holding about 300 people. (The tent will seat 200). We were very much surprised to find at one of the entrances a well-executed and coloured diagram of the famous Babylonish temple of the Seven Spheres. We saw from the crowded nature of the audience that the service on this occasion was a very special one, for not only was the tent full but large groups of people surrounded the entrances. A small bill informed us that Mr. G. M. Turpin, a gentleman in connexion with the Christian Evidence Society, was to preach this evening on Modern Discoveries and the Bible, illustrated with diagrams. As we entered the interior of the cathedral, we noticed hung behind the preacher a number of nicely drawn and strikingly coloured diagrams representing views of Nineveh, Babylon, Nimroud, slabs discovered in their ruined palaces, a page of the annals of an Assyrian monarch, representations of a besieged city, and a copy of the Moabite stone.