The apparatus is extremely simple in construction, and will have no tendency to get out of order, nor will it be liable to material injury from accident. The draught is not severe on the horse. Throughout the process of filling, a larger amount of force is not required that would be necessary to draw the full cart an equal distance.
The success of the operation is no less remarkable than its novelty. Proceeding at a moderate speed through the public streets, the cart leaves behind it a well-swept track, which forms a striking contrast with the adjacent ground. Though of the full size of a common cart, it has repeatedly filled itself in the space of six minutes from the principal thoroughfares of the town before mentioned.
The state of the streets in our large towns, and particularly in the metropolis, it must be admitted, is far from satisfactory. It is productive of serious hindrance to traffic, and a vast amount of public inconvenience. The evil does not arise from the want of a liberal expenditure on the part of the local authorities. In the township of Manchester, the annual outlay for scavenging is upwards of 5,000l. This amount is expended in the township alone. In the remaining districts of the town, the expense is considerable. Other towns are burdened in an equal or still greater proportion. Yet, notwithstanding the amount of outlay, the effective work done is barely one-sixth part of what would be necessary to keep the public streets in proper order. In the district before referred to, they were a short time ago distributed into the following classes, according to the frequency of cleaning them:—Class A,—once a week; B,—once a fortnight; C,—once a month. It may be safely asserted, that all these streets should be swept, at least, six times oftener. The main thoroughfares, as well as the back streets and confined courts, crowded with the poorer part of the population, absolutely require cleaning out daily. But the expense already incurred effectually prevents a more frequent repetition of the process. The expensiveness of the present system, in fact, renders it altogether inefficient; nor is there any chance of material improvement in this important department of public police, unaccompanied by a corresponding reduction in the rate of expenditure.
According to the Kunctsblatt, a German painter, Edward Hansen, of Basle, has been commissioned to prepare cartoons for the oil paintings intended to decorate the church at Oscott, which Mr. Pugin is about to build at the Earl of Shrewsbury’s expense. One of the designs, “The Last Judgment,” is spoken of as exceedingly beautiful. On the same authority, we learn that Thorwalsden has sustained a loss by the wreck of a ship, bound from Leghorn to Hamburg. On board were several of his works, most of which were saved, but were completely spoiled by the sea-water; from which we infer that they were plaster casts.
Gothic Architecture.
Westminster Hall Roof.