Manchester Corporation Gas Works. Bradford Road

We are informed that Messrs Mangnall and Littlewood, architects of this city, have been awarded the first premium of £500 for their design, under the motto of “Hydro Carbon” in the public competition for the proposed new gasworks on the Bradford site for the Corporation of Manchester. [Manchester Guardian 19 August 1876 page 8]

THE NEW MANCHESTER GASWORKS. The premiums offered by the Manchester Corporation for the best designs of the gasworks proposed to be erected on the Bradford site have just been awarded. The first premium of £500 has been given to Messrs Mangnall and Littlewoods, architects, of that city; the second of £300, to Messrs. Stephenson (of Westminster) and Paull (of Manchester); and the third of £200, to Messrs Newton, Chambers, and Co., of Sheffield. The various designs, 27 in number, are now on view in the plan and model room, surveyors' department, City Hall. Messrs Mangnall and Littlewoods' designs are exhibited under the motto of “Hydro Carbon.” The works are divided into four sections, any one of which can be erected and is complete without the other sections. There are four pairs of retort houses, each pair of which represents one section, and is capable of making 5,054,000 cubic feet of gas in 24 hours. The size of each house is 365ft. in length by 70ft. in width, and 33ft. high and contains 38 benches of retorts, or seven to each bench. Cannel stores are placed between each pair of retort houses, and they are estimated to hold 12,500 tons; and extensive covered storage for cannel is arranged across the end of each retort house, capable of holding about 50,000 tons. There will be a double line of rails to each cannel shed, and over the centre portion of each building will be fixed a condenser or cooler, the size of each being 325ft. by 22ft., and 5ft. deep. Each section of the works will have a purifying house 215ft. in length and 60ft. in width, and there will be sixteen purifiers. There are to be altogether fourteen gasholders, six of 150ft. in diameter, one of 135ft., four of 120ft., and three of 100ft., the total capacity being 19,800,000 cubic feet, giving an average of as nearly as possible five million cubic feet to each section. The buildings, exclusive of laying out the land, and the formation of the archway along the railway, is approximately estimated at £250,000; and the cost of the whole of the machinery and plant, including retort-setting, gasholder tanks, railway sidings, and other work, is put down at £500,000, making a total of £750,000. The plans which obtained the second premium were sent in under the nom de plume of “Thorough.” The explanatory notes state that the land at disposal is insufficient for works of reasonable construction, capable of producing and storing 20,000,000 cubic feet of gas per diem of 24 hours. One or two alternative methods of procedure must therefore be adopted—viz., either to provide for the greatest possible production without regard to storage, or to equalise the storage with the production. The architects submit drawings showing complete arrangements for either alternative. The first set (A) provide for the production of 20,800,000 cubic feet per diem of 24 hours, and the storage of 8,600,000ft.; and the second set (B) for producing 15,600,000, and for storing a like quantity. By the adoption of extraordinary measures, such as placing the purifiers in two or more stories, Messrs. Stephenson and Paul say it would be possible to arrange works upon the land so as to yield the full 20,000,000ft. per diem, but the heavy outlay and increased working expenses preclude such measures. The only other possible arrangement would still further curtail the storage. This drawback would, however, be trifling in comparison with the abandonment, which such an arrangement would entail, of the connected or through treatment of the retort-house, which is the keynote of the design. The specification then sets out the particulars of the plans, and a detailed estimate of both is given. The A plans are estimated to cost £586,093, and the B plans £644,766. The third premium was awarded to Messrs. Newton and Chambers, Sheffield, who sent in plans under the signature “Omne trium perfectum.” The works, according to the specifications, are designed in three sections, each capable of being erected at one time respectively, and separated from the other sections. Each section is estimated to be capable of producing, purifying, and storing five million cubic feet per 24 hours, which would be 15 million for the complete works. After making a very careful calculation, founded on current rates, they estimate the total cost at £830,000, or about £276,000 per section, As might be expected with such a variety of designs, the estimated cost in each case differs considerably in amount. “Comme il faut,” for instance, estimates the cost at about £189,292; “Rainbow” at £200,012; “Ex fumo darc lucem ” at £208,250; “Totaque vagatur urbe’” at £580,000; “Courage” at £633,376; “Tuum est” at £712,000; “Excelsior” at £758,000; while “Constanza” puts it down at £1,620,000. [The Building News 25 August 1876 page 175]

THE MANCHESTER GASWORKS COMPETITION. We learn from the Manchester Courier that the premiums offered by the Manchester Corporation for the best designs for the gasworks proposed to be erected on the Bradford site have just been awarded. The first premium of £500 has been given to Messrs Mangnall and Littlewood, architects, of Manchester; the second of £300, to Messrs. Stephenson (of Westminster) and Paull (of Manchester); and the third of £200, to Messrs. Newton & Chambers, Sheffield. The only condition specified by the Corporation was that the plans should provide for the production of as large a quantity of gas as was possible from the size of the site, and consequently the designs show a great diversity of treatment. The various designs, twenty-seven in number, are now on view at the City-ball, Messrs. Mangnall and Littlewood's designs are exhibited under the motto of "Hydro Carbon." They provide for four pairs of retort houses, each pair of which represents a separate section of the works, and is capable of making 5,054,000 cubic feet of gas in twenty-four hours. Each house is 365 feet in length by 70 feet in width, and 33 feet high, and contains thirty-eight benches of retorts, or seven to each bench. Cannel stores are placed between each pair of retort houses, and they are estimated to hold 12,500 tons; and extensive covered storage for cannel is arranged across the end of each retort house, capable of holding about 50,000 tons. Over the centre portion of each building will be fixed a condenser or cooler, the size of each being 325 feet by 22 feet, and 5 feet deep. Each section of the works will have a purifying house 215 feet in length and 60 feet in width, and there will be sixteen purifiers. There are to be altogether fourteen gasholders, six of 150 feet in diameter, one of 135 feet, four of 120 feet, and three of 100 feet, the total capacity being 19,800,000 cubic ft., giving an average of as nearly as possible five million cubic feet to each section. The buildings, exclusive of laying out the land, and the formation of the arching along the railway, is approximately estimated at £250,000; and the cost of the whole of the machinery and plant, including retort setting, gasholder tanks, railway sidings, and other work, is put down at £500,000, making a total of £750,000. The plans which obtained the second premium were sent in under the nom de plume of "Thorough." The authors submit two (alternative) sets of plans. The first set (A) provides for the production of 20,800,000 cubic feet. per diem of twenty-four hours, and the storage of 8,600,000 feet; the second set (B) for producing 15,600,000 feet, and for storing a like quantity. By the adoption of extraordinary measures, such as placing the purifiers in two or more stories, Messrs. Stephenson & Paull say it would be possible to arrange works upon the land be as to yield the full 20,000,000 feet per diem, but the heavy outlay and increased working expenses preclude such measures. The A plans are estimated to cost £586,093, and the B plans £644,766. The authors of the plans to which the third premium was awarded (motto: Omne trium perfectum) have designed the works in three sections, each capable of being erected at one time respectively and separated from the other sections. Each section is estimated to be capable of producing, purifying, and storing five million cubic feet per twenty-four hours, which would be fifteen millions for the complete works. They estimate the total cost at £830,000, or about £276,000 per section. The estimated cost of the other designs differs considerably. “Comme il faut” estimates the cost at about “189,292; "Rainbow" at £200,012; “Ex fumo dare lucem” at £208,250; “Totaque vagatur urbe” at £580,000; "Courage" at £633,376; “Tuum est” at £712,000; “Excelsior" at £758,000; while "Constanza" puts it down at £1,620,000. [Builder 26 August 1876 page 824]

MANCHESTER NEW GASWORKS - On Wednesday was laid the corner stone of the new gasworks, which the Corporation decided some eighteen months ago to construct on a plot of land in Bradford. near to the City Cemetery and Philips Park, and bounded on the one hand by the river Medlock and the Ashton canal, and on the other by Hulme Hall Lane and Bradford Road. The new works, which, when completed, will be the finest outside the Metropolis, are estimated to cost about £850,000. They will be built in four sections, each' of which will be complete in itself so far as the process of manufacture is concerned, and capable of producing five million cubic feet of gas per day.  There are to be four pairs of retort houses, containing in the whole 2,144 retorts, and eight gasholder tanks. Each retort house will be 362 feet as long and 70 feet wide, and the work in connection with the first section, comprising two of these houses, is now in progress. The gasholder tanks, the excavations for four of which are well advanced, are to be on the telescopic principle, with three lifts each. The tanks, which are progressing, will each have a diameter of 153 feet and a depth of 36 feet, and are intended to receive holders with a total storage capacity of 7,000,000 cubic feet. It is expected that the first section will be completed in three years from the present time, and another section will be then commenced immediately. On the completion of the second section, it is probable that the remainder of the works which are projected will not be proceeded with for some years. The land which has been acquired for the works embrace upwards of 39 acres, and along the Medlock boundary a ponderous wall has been erected, about 30 feet high, for the protection of the works from the floods which have given notoriety to that erratic stream. The erection of this wall, of which nearly 500 yards has been completed, has involved an expenditure of upwards of £20,000, and a portion of it remains to be completed at the least important point. The offices in connection with the gasworks are to be erected on the side abutting upon Bradford Road and dwellings for officers and workmen whose continual presence on the works will be required are to be built near the same boundary. The main entrance will be on the Bradford Road aide, an avenue 60 feet wide reaching through the works from that point. The works are most conveniently placed for the purposes of traffic communication. About two miles of sidings will be established in connection with the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway Company's loop line from Ardwick to Miles Platting, which crosses a portion of the ground on which the works will stand. It is also proposed to construct a basin, 240 feet long and 36 feet wide, in connection with the Ashton Canal, which will afford further valuable means of shipment and delivery. The works are being constructed from designs by Messrs Mangnall and Littlewood, Brown-street, Manchester, whose plans were accepted in a public competition. The contract was let to the late Mr. Edward Johnson, and the work is being carried on by his executors. [Manchester Courier Saturday 13 October 1877 page 2]

Reference    Manchester Guardian 19 August 1876 page 8
Reference    Building News 25 August 1876 page 175
Reference    Builder 26 August 1876 page 824
Reference    Competition entry Builder XXXV Page 541. First place £500
Reference    Manchester Courier 22 August 1876 page 6 – competition results
Reference    Manchester Courier Saturday 13 October 1877 page 2 – corner stone