| Description | [Diary Transcription]
232
1839
February
Vc
Mr. Holdsworth one of the most beautiful Engines in the county — yes! said I, but the
Engineer that did that is dead — and the new Engineer is a different person — mentioned
his not coming himself this morning but ordering the Copper remedy — Yes! John Waterhouse observed that
often done in such a case but there was a galvanic action between the copper
and iron which soon wore out the Engine — Yes! said I, of course, there must be
and for this reason I do not want to have anything to do with this sort of patch up —
I did not appear to take much notice of this observation — but it was valuable — it at once opened
out to me a clear view of the case — from Well head to the vicarage — there at
3 40/.. to 3 50/.. — with Mrs. Musgrave, ‘Dr. Musgrave’ as she styled him, not at
home Expected tomorrow — It seemed, Mrs. Waterhouse had mentioned to A- [Ann] my sister's having been at
the Northgate hotel, and that that she (Mrs. Waterhouse) had asked her to dinner but the invitation
was not accepted — she had somebody with her and introduced her, but Mrs. Waterhouse did not catch
the name — A- [Ann] said merely some civil nothing in reply — Mrs. Musgrave set at me with
‘I saw your good sister just before I left home’ — I merely bowed and calmly
answered ‘did you indeed’ or some such thing and nothing more being to be extracted from me, and a
slight pause ensuing A- [Ann] dexterously turned the subject by inquiring after Mrs. Musgrave’s little boy
and here the matter Ended — from the vicarage to Whitley’s (bookseller) — A- [Ann] bought paper and
sealing wax for her aunt and for herself Phillipps’s Geology, and I brought away volume 2
Transactions of the Institute of Civil Engineers — home a little while before 5 — some time with A- [Ann]
some time with Robert the joiner measuring the old heavy oak door that my great uncle James Lister took
from the entrance passage — 4 feet 4 inches wide and 6 feet 10 inches high — I want the new door to be
something like, and to hang on a pivot in the same way — dinner at 6 5/.. — A- [Ann] read French —
I tired and asleep on the sofa — coffee — sat talking some while — I want A- [Ann] to have Horner’s
son to take her picture in oils, and mine too, if he has talent enough to do us
tolerably — then wrote all but the first five lines of today till 11 5/.. p.m. Soft damp
day — at times a little gentle rain — came upstairs at 11 25/.. at which hour Fahrenheit 48°. inside and
47 1/2° now at 11 50/.. p.m. outside — then with A- [Ann] from 12 1/4 for 1/4 hour —
________________________________________
[margin text:] Galvanic action bel. [between]
copper and iron that
soon destroys the Engine____________________
Friday 8
8
12 20/..
V
fine soft morning — Had Robert Mann a minute or 2 about the great drain (has made it
2 feet square) at the Lodge gate — breakfast in 1/2 hour at 9 1/4 — Fahrenheit 45°. inside at 9 3/4 and 43 1/2° outside
2 or 3 minutes afterwards — out about 10 — to the Lodge — Robert Mann had come to speak to me
at 9 about the drain he and Jack Green were making — Stood over them till near 12 when
Messrs Holt and Booth came to me there — nobody had been over from Low moor — Holt
now gives up the drift — would be glad to have the fireing up place turned to the other end of the
boiler house, and the flue carried as before proposed near the surface to get into the present chimney
at the setting on of the square part — I proposed lowering the boiler 3 feet — Holt saw nothing against
[margin text:] firing up
place to be turned
233
1839
February
Booth would be glad to save the Expense of this but owned it would not enhance the expense very much
Told Holt to set Robert Fielding at pulling up the new part of the flue and dress the bricks
and to let the job (as he proposed by the square yard) of getting up the materials from out of
the drift to Joseph Mann — Booth could get the flue done in a fortnight and the materials
might be got up ready for him to begin in a week from this present time — Holt
to get Joseph Mann’s Estimate, and let him the job by tomorrow — Holt said he had seen
both the Messrs Hird yesterday — they would have the workmen up, and inquire into the matter this
morning — I needed not make myself uneasy — they would take care I had a good Engine —
It seems Holt said I would not have a patched up thing — and that unless they sent a cylinder on
the old plan, it would not suit — as for that said I, I am not certain that Samuel Washington has left me
the power to dictate the plan of the Engine — a certain plan was consented to, and all
I can insist upon is the having a good Engine — I see the Messrs Hird are
annoyed; and the Engineer may perhaps have hinted that I am not easily satisfied — I am
glad of having sent for Mr. Harper who will settle the matter as well as he can —
Booth and I stood calculating the Expense of the new flue = just 60 yards long — supposed it
to be 3 feet wide, 2 feet high to the springers and 3 feet 6 inches to the crown of the arch the side
walls to be single brick backed up with fence wall stone will be 18 inches thick —
∴ [therefore] there will be 2 yards deep at least — and 2 yards wide of digging out = 4 yards cube of digging per yard running
and 4 x 60 = 240 yards of digging at 4d. (Holt said 3 1/2d. but I am sure the Manns will
not take it at 3 1/2d. — perhaps hardly at 4d. though this latter price is what Booth pays for cellars
digging — Booth calculates the flue will span (or will girth) 12 feet or 4 yards
and 4 x 60 = 240 yards of walling and arching — and every yard will take 150 bricks + 40
for flooring — I wish the floor to be floored with brick instead of flag, — for dryness sake —
the Estimate seems to stand thus —
240 yards digging at 4d. . . = £4. 0. 0
60 ditto walling and arching labour at 4/. = 12. 0. 0
ditto ditto Lime and sand at 1/4 = 4. 0. 0
labour and lime of laying brick floor = 3. 0. 0
ditto ditto covering over the top with slates = 3. 0. 0
bricks wanted in addition to old ones }
suppose 6000 at 30/. . . } 9. 0. 0
carting at 10/. a thousand . . } 3. 0. 0
Boiler resetting (vide page 212) £10 }
and alterations . . . £5. } . 15. 0. 0
Booth returned with me about 1 to the
hall to measure for flags for the
Entrance passage — with A- [Ann] from about
1 for 1/2 hour — out again about 2
to the Lodge and with Robert Mann
and Jack Green there till came in
at 5 40/.. — dressed — dinner at 6 10/..
A- [Ann] read French — I asleep on the sofa
wrote all but the first 2 lines
of today till 10 5/.. — George
carting stone this morning from Sun
wood quarry to Listerwick and this
afternoon rubble from Staups (the
rubble I bought of Mawson) to lay over the rag covers of the new drain at the Lodge and mend the road there abouts —
[margin text:] Holt’s interview at Low moor.
Estimate of
new flue
vide page 212.
new flue
new drain at the Lodge
begun yesterday
|