U The Royal Engineers Journal. PUBLISHED QUARTERLY. § '1 iQ i zX, W'r I ' i i O,' X. .i nA MO4'; z I VOL. XXXIX. No. 4. DECEMBER, 1925. W ' CHATHAM: THE INSTITUTION OF ROYAL ENGINEERS. TELEPHONE: CHATHAM, 669. AGENTS: W. & J. MACHAY & Co. LTD. INSTITUTION OF RE OFFICE COPY iMENT All Co Mi l1. 1 .- DO NOT REMOVE I I 11s.. The CELEBRATED WHITE UNDERCOATING. One coat transor Black nto White. Ready or use n fie minutes. Can be second coated In a few hours. "MURALINE." THE PERFECT WATER PAINT. Sanitary, Artistic, Durable. Requires only the addition of water to make ready for use. In 40 shades. Sold in a dry powder. Pure Liquid Paint. Non-Poisonous. Ready for Use. Specially manufactured forthe finest interior and exterior decoration. Extensively used byCorporations, District Councils and Unions throughout the United Kingdom. In over 50 colours. "VITROLITE." A DECORATIVE WHITE PAINT. Superior to white lead in, colour, covering ; ~ power and durability. Specially suitable for Glasshouse painting and all interior and exterior wurk. Patterns, Prices, and full particularspost free. WALTER CARSON &SONS, GROVE WORKS, BATTERSEA, LONDON, ENGLAND. Irish Depot: BACHELORS WALK, DUBLIN. Telephones: Cables: "Carsons, London." BatterM 1630 (2 lIne). Codes: A.B.C. 4th & Sth Editions. - ADVERTISEMENTS. Much of the.tinmenow,wasted at International Conferences will :/!' be saved when the delegates learn to'speak and understand Foreign Languages by the New Pelman melhod. ih~- THE BEST WAY OF LEARNING LANGUAGES. Two Distinguished Generals Praise the New Method of Learning French, German, Italian and Spanish. Amongst those who strongly recommend the new Pelman method of learning Foreign Languages are Lieut.-Gen. Sir Aylmer Haldane, G.C.M.G., K.C.B., and Major-Gen. Sir A. R. F. Dorward, K.C.B., D.S.O. Lieut.-Gen. Sir Aylmer Haldane, who, it will be remembered, was Commander-in-Chief in Mesopotamia in I920-I, writes:- " I find that the Pelman method is the best way of learning French without a teacher." Major-Gen. Sir A. R. F. Dorward, who commanded the British, American and Austrian troops at the capture of Tientsin in I900, says:- "I am well satisfied with my progress. Since I began the Pelman Course I have learnt more French than in eight years spent at school and college, although my memory is not so good as in the past. The Course is, without doubt, the best method of learninlg a Foreign Language. The study has been a pleasure." "The study has been a pleasure." This is a highly important point in favour of the new Pelman method. Many people start to learn languages. They attend a class or they purchase a grammar and a dictionary. But after a time they get tired. They cease to attend the class. They leave the grammar and dictionary on their bookshelves. Why is this ? In nine cases out of ten it is because they have found the study dull. It is the grammar which has bored them-the pages and pages of rules and exceptions which they are told they must master before they can hope to read, speak and under- stand French, German, Italian or Spanish. And so they give up. By the new Pelman method this great difficulty is avoided. When you take up a Pelman Course in French, or in any other language, you are introduced to that language straight away. You learn to speak, write, read and understand it. Formal grammar ADVERTISEMENTS. is avoided. You pick up the grammar almost unconsciously as you go along. If, after you have learnt to use the language, you would like to study the grammar, you can do so. But the grammzar comes last, the living language comes first. That is why the new method is so interesting-and so successful. Another important feature of this new method is that it enables you to learn French in French, German in German, Spanish in Spanish, and Italian in Italian; and it enables you to do this even if you do not possess the smallest previous acquaintance with any of these languages. Many advantages follow. There are no vocabularies to be learnt by heart. You learn the words you need by using them, and in such a way that you never forget them. There is no translation (either mental or on paper) from one language into another. By learning a language as a native learns it you learn to speak it more fluently; there is none of that hesitation (due to translating mentally words of one language into words of another language) which is almost unavoidable when you learn French or Spanish or German or Italian by the obsolete and unscientific old-fashioned method. Here are two further letters:- "I am more than satisfied. I am astonished. It would have taken me as manzy years to learn by any ordinary system as imuch as I have learnt in months by yours." (P. 145.) "In sending in the last paper to the Institute I must congratulate it on its splendid method. I have only been learning German for five months, now I can not onzly read it but also speak it well." (G.M. 148.) The point mentioned in these letters is one which is often being made. People write almost every day to say how quickly they have learnt French, Spanish, Italian, or German by this new method. " I learnt for years at school," they write, " but you have taught me more in as many months." The new Pelman method is taught by correspondence. As there are no classes to attend, you can study in your own home, or when travelling, or in odd moments during the day. Full particulars of this method Ibrlts J H,0n |are given in four little books 1 Cin\A""Nia?i eflO't r entitled respectively, "How to ni 1 - ; I Learn French," " How to Learn German," "How to Learn -- Italian," and "How to Learn Spanish." You can obtain any one of these books, gratis and post free, by writing to-day (mentioning which book you require) to the Pelman Institute (Languages Dept.), 130, Pelman House, Bloomsbury Street, London, W.C. i. Call or write to-day. - -: ADVERTISEMENTS. Showing a Victaulic e :'; joint int section: the housing, which iI couples the pipes at all tiimes, engages loosely with the grooves, permitting a movement of the pipes s . The... leakproof ring maninitains a perfect seal at all pressures. Flexible Pipe-Lines Victaulic joints are flexible, pipe-lines may therefore be more easily and more rapidly laid over rough ground. Plain tubes are used, with simple grooved ends: making-up pieces can be grooved on site with the portable Victaulic grooving tool. The most complex pipe-systems can be built up with great rapidity, using the various Victaulic fittings. The flexibility of the joints and the use of onlytwo bolts, reduces the time of fitting to a few minutes per joint. The VICTAULIC COMPANY Ltd King's Buildings, Dean Stanley Street, Westminster, S.W.1., 6" line carrying nat-o . , . ural gas at pressures __',-- ' up to 250 lbs. per square inch on the ' - Peru oilfield of the London and Pacific Petroleum Co., (Standard Oil Co. of New Jersey). -- AD VERTISEMENTS. I · An Important Feature of MODERN MILITARY EDUCATION IS THE KNOWLEDGE THAT NWayy Army &A irlorce Institutes IS The Services Own Business BELONGING TO THEM CONTROLLED byTHEM AIMING SOLELY at the PROMOTION OF THEIR INTERESTS WITHOUT SHAREHOLDERS WITHOUT DIVIDENDS BUT PAYING SUBSTANTIAL i{EBATE ON ALL PURCHASES, AND SECURING ALL ULTIMATE PROFITS FOR TIIE BENEFIT OF THE SERVICES Address Enquiries to Headquarters: IMPERIAL COURT, KENNINGTON, S.E. -I - I- I 1 THE INSTITUTION OF ROYAL ENGINEERS. All communications for the Institution should be addressed to:- The Secretary, The Institution of Royal Engineers, Chatham. CONTENTS. PAGE I. EARL KITCHENER AND HIS CRITICS. " TE TRUTI ABOUT KITCHENER." V. W. Germains (" A Rifleman.") By Lieut.-General Sir Henry Lawson, K.C.13., Col.-Comdt., R.E. .. .. .. .. .. 537 2. TIIE THOMASON COLLEGE, ROORKEE. (With Photographs.) By Lieut.-Col. E. W. C. Sandes, D.S.O., M.C., R.E .. ..... 540 3. THE EARLY YEARS OF THE ORDNANCE SURVEY (continuzed). (IW.th Photo- graphs and llMap.) By Colonel Sir Chlarles Clcse, K.B.E., C.B., C.M.G., F.R.S. ..... .. .. .. 549 4. DAM CONSTRUCTION IN TIDAL CREEKS (continued). (With Photos and Plates). By Major E. St. G. Kirke, D.S.O., R.E.. .. .. 569 5. NOTES BY A CHIEF ENGINEER DURING TIE GREAT WAR OF I914-I918 (continued). By Brigadier-General W. Baker Brown, C.B. .... 587 6. TUNNELLING IN THE SAND DUNES OF TIE BELGIAN COAST. By Capt. H. Tatham, M.C., A.R.S.M.DIC ...... ... .. .. .. 603 7. ENGINEERS IN THE RETREAT TO CORUNNA. (With Map.) By Brevet- Major R. H. Dewing, D.S.O., M.C., R.E. .. .. .. .. 614 8. THE POST-WAR ACTIVITIES OF THE ROYAL ENGINEERS (TRANSPORTATION BRANCH). By Major L. C. Owen, D.S.O., R.E., D.A.D. Transporta- tion. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 621 9. NOTES ON DUTIES OF ADJUTANTS OF TERRITORIAL ARMY AS REGARDS TRAINING, WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO R.E. WORK. By Major- Gen. G. Walker, C.B., C.B.E., D.S.O. ..... 628 IO. BATTLE HONOURS OF ROYAL ENGINEER UNITS (continued) .. .. 633 II. MIODERN PRACTICE IN E. AND Il. ENGINEERING. (lli'lh Phot,vraphs.) By Lieut. W. M. N. MORECOMBlE, B.SC. (ENG.), R.E. (C). Bn.) .. 645 12. THE LIFE AND WORK OF COLONEL CLARKE. By Colonel Sir Charles Close, K.B.E., C.B., C..M.G., F.R.S. .. .. ....... 658 13. PROFESSIONAL NOTES .. ... ... .. .. .. 666 The Demolition of Railways. Demolition of Mlasonry Piers Approaches to Pontoon Bridges Cast-Iron Houses.