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TEIGN C Damen Stan 1405
IMO: - N/A
MMSI: 235082804
Call Sign: MWBM9
AIS Vessel Type: Dredger
GENERAL
DAMEN YARD NUMBER: 503705
Avelingen-West 20
4202 MS Gorinchem
The Netherlands
Phone: +31 (0)183 63 99 11
info@damen.com
DELIVERY DATE August 2001
BASIC FUNCTIONS Towing, mooring, pushing and dredging operations
FLAG United Kingdom [GB]
OWNED Teignmouth Harbour Commission
CASSCATION: Bureau Veritas 1 HULL MACH Seagoing Launch
DIMENSIONS
LENGTH 14.40 m
BEAM 4.73 m
DEPTH AT SIDES 205 m
DRAUGHT AFT 171 m
DISPLACEMENT 48 ton
TANK CAPACITIES
Fuel oil 6.9 m³
PERFORMANCES (TRIALS)
BOLLARD PULL AHEAD 8.0 ton
SPEED 9.8 knots
PROPULSION SYSTEM
MAIN ENGINE 2x Caterpillar 3406C TA/A
TOTAL POWER 477 bmW (640i hp) at 1800 rpm
GEARBOX 2x Twin Disc MG 5091/3.82:1
PROPELLERS Bronze fixed pitch propeller
KORT NOZZELS Van de Giessen 2x 1000 mm with stainless steel innerings
ENGINE CONTROL Kobelt
STEERING GEAR 2x 25 mm single plate Powered hydraulic 2x 45, rudder indicator
AUXILIARY EQUIPMENT
BILGE PUMP Sterling SIH 20, 32 m/hr
BATTERY SETS 2x 24V, 200 Ah + change over facility
COOLING SYSTEM Closed cooling system
ALARM SYSTEM Engines, gearboxes and bilge alarms
FRESH WATER PRESSURE SET Speck 24V
DECK LAY-OUT
ANCHORS 2x 48 kg Pool (HHP)
CHAIN 70 m, Ø 13mm, shortlink U2
ANCHOR WINCH Hand-operated
TOWING HOOK Mampaey, 15.3 ton SWL
COUPLING WINCH
PUSHBOW Cylindrical nubber fender Ø 380 mm
ACCOMMODATION
The wheelhouse ceiling and sides are insulated with mineral wool and
panelled. The wheelhouse floor is covered with rubber/synthetic floor
covering, make Bolidt, color blue The wheelhouse has one
helmsman seat, a bench and table with chair Below deck two berths, a
kitchen unit and a toilet space are arranged.
NAUTICAL AND COMMUNICATION EQUIPMENT
SEARCHLIGHT Den Haan 170 W 24 V
VHF RADIO Sailor RT 2048 25 W
NAVIGATION Navigation lights incl towing and pilot lights
Teignmouth Harbour Commission
The Harbour Commission is a Trust Port created by Statute.
The principal Order is the Teignmouth Harbour Order 1924
as amended by the Teignmouth Harbour Revision Order 20
Home security systems in California may help safeguard both homeowners and residences
[caption id="attachment_16" align="alignright" width="150" caption="Home Security California"][/caption]
Because there are a variety of different solutions to look at when buying a home security alarm in California, it can be practical to evaluate various deals and models as well as monitoring services before making your selection. With such a wide range of home security packages available nowadays, you can customize the perfect residential security strategy that is perfect for your residence, household and lifestyle.
With today's high unemployment rate and the very real possibility of growing crime, countless home owners and business owners are opting to increase their defenses against becoming a recipient of crime. Because it is so easy and cost effective to exercise the adequate measures to secure their households and loved ones, many people are using wireless alarm systems that are secured with security monitoring in order to protect against break-ins and intrusions.
Home security systems in California are popular, smart home owners are decreasing their probabilities of robbery and theft by using security systems installed in their residences. Home alarm systems in California may help protect houses by scaring off potential criminals with loud audible alarms and window decals placed in easy to see places.
Improvements in modern technology mean that installing a security system in your residence is both hassle-free and affordable. No need to open up walls to run wires, set up can occur within a couple of hours and when you choose 24/7 monitoring you will rest assured if your system is set off, law enforcement will be alerted and sent to check out your residence.
Today's technology enables monitoring even if you don't have a conventional phone line. A monitoring company that monitors your house 24 hours a day can contact you on your cellular phone if they detect that your home security and safety is compromised. When the alarm is triggered the standard procedure is that the monitoring specialist will first contact you or the contact of record to make sure that a false alarm is not the cause, if it is not a false alarm or they can't communicate with you the alarm monitoring center will immediately notify your local emergency authorities.
Many security system retailers will cover the expense of the equipment after you sign up for a monitoring package which makes the cost to get started very low. A reputable home security company in California can install your system in just a few days and frequently the next day if that is what you ask for.
The latest systems are comprised of window sensors, door sensors and motion detectors. The window and door sensor is triggered when a window or door is opened, even by a small amount. In addition to customizing your plan to determine which are the best entry ways to set these sensors, you can have your motion sensors modified to permit the movement of household dogs and cats in an effort to prevent false alarms. Most basic systems include window and door sensors, motion detectors, a lighted control panel, battery back-up power in the event that electricity is out and a few even add a keychain remote so that you are able to activate and disarm the security system from a distance.
Consumers choose to install security systems for several benefits, on top of the list is the need to feel safer and more secure while at home or away. Because modern wireless alarm systems are so effective and convenient to use, you can be confident that your home is better protected when you are residing in it and when you're away.
No matter what reasons you have for installing a wireless home alarm system, there is no better time to benefit from the cost effective security packages provided in California. If you are intent on getting the best security system for your home at the best prices, be sure to contact a competitive dealer with a good reputation
that offers round the clock security monitoring that is manned by trained security specialists.
Home Security California (more info)
Call 877-730-3254 to have Your Questions Answered and Learn More about Your Free Home Security Options.
California Home Security Experts
Check out our videos here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EMsw0fl-Jz4
If you lack knowledge, home improvement can be difficult. If you do not know how to start out, consider these tips in starting your project and finishing it correctly.
Add elegance to your house by building a unique addition. A wine cellar or library are wonderful spaces in any home. This will show that you are unique and potential buyers.
Exhaust fans should be put in the laundry room, bathroom, as well as above your stovetop.This will help prevent mold as well as removing hazardous fumes from forming. Also, if you are able to reduce the amount of humidity inside, thus preventing rot.
Clogged gutters can cause serious drainage issues during a rainy summer. Clogged gutters usually cause leaks in your roof and damage to your basement due to seepage. Make a habit of cleaning your gutters before this occurs.
To maintain hot water while traveling through pipes during the winter, don't forget to insulate your pipes to keep the lines from freezing. Weatherizing tape for wrapping your plumbing and available from many retailers. The tape plugs into your home's electrical supply and keep the pipes from freezing point.
New blinds are an easy home improvement project that will surprise you at the difference it can make.
Consider the benefits of placing a security alarm system on your house when having showings.
Home improvement is not just about spending money, but rather saving it. New appliances are more energy conservation. Fixing a roof and improving the insulation of your house will save on heating costs. Learn how to plan in advance and always think of your finances.
Make sure any contractor you hire is insured.If they damage your home and have no insurance, you might need to take them to court. All you must do is to find out if a contractor is insured is to simply ask to see proof of insurance.
Make sure you have a solid plan before starting any home improvements. Decisions about different parts of the renovation should all be done before you stick to your budget.
Inspiration is always a great deal of help when you're starting to plan out your next home improvement projects can be found by looking at other sources. Be sure to bring samples of color scheme that you will be happy with. Take your time to decide which project you are ready to take on, so when you start the work you already know what you want.
Install a ceiling fans for better air circulation.
Have you seen many homes and thought about the numbers of bathrooms is a prime consideration in a home? The actual value of bathrooms it has. You can increase the selling price of your home's value significantly by the addition of an extra bathroom or two bathrooms.
They often overlook more important things, like painting the exterior or replacing shutters.Buyers will see these various mistakes and consider the property a fixer-upper. First impressions are important when it comes to a family's house and property.
A protective screen installed on your gutters can prevent them becoming clogged by leaves and save you the arduous task of frequent cleaning. These guards keep leaves and other debris out of your gutters, improving the look of your living space. You will likely still need to sweep the exterior of these free of debris occasionally; however, but you should not have to scoop pounds of nasty debris from the gutters themselves.
Walk around your house about once a month to find simple projects to complete. Identifying specific air leaks is one such example.Once you detect the leaks, you can insulate and correct the problem, which will lead to savings on your utility bill.
Do not automatically choose the contractor who offers the lowest price. Although such deals may seem attractive, many contractors bid low in order to secure the job, then rack up costs as they go along. Others will do poor work due to the low price you paid. Do research on the necessary work and hire the contractor for the job.
Vinyl decks have gained in popularity with many homeowners. The best time to clean your vinyl deck is in the spring and fall.
Keep your tools separated by project you would use them for. For instance, you can have a box for plumbing tools that has pipe wrenches, containing various pipe fittings, a pipe wrench, and more. Another box might hold fuses, switches, zip ties, or electrical tape.
If outdoor improvements are a priority, make sure you don't do anything to make your home too different from the neighbors. If your house looks too gaudy, you will have trouble selling your property down the road.
The home improvement tips in this article will help you understand what to expect in each phase of your improvement project. Also, you might find out that these will help you decide whether you could do the project on your own or not. casa.acasa.ro/casa-constructii-45/cum-eliminam-apa-cauzat...
ROVER SYSTEMS - CCTV PHILIPPINES
For more information: www.roversystems.com.ph
Rover Systems believes that nothing else matters more than the safety of the things that are significant and essential to each one of us. Every person has varying concerns when it comes to safety, it could be the safety of your home, business, work place and most importantly the protection of our loved ones.
We are one of the world's leading providers of a wide range and state-of-the-art Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) Systems. Our major aim is to provide electronic security solution to all households, small businesses and large industries such as educational facilities, airports, hospitals and the like. Our highly trained personnel can provides quality supports & services for our customer’s satisfaction. We are a highly diversified and aggressive company engaged in making the world a safer place to live in.
By exploring our website, you'll get to know more about these smart, proactive and helpful security equipments which can make a big difference to your life!
Follow us :
Facebook - www.facebook.com/cctv.adspromo?ref=tn_tnmn
Twitter - twitter.com/rover_systems
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Noticed this old fire alarm bell on a run down school building on Polish Hill,and so I looked up Faraday (visible on the label - but at the bottom says Sperti_Faraday) to get some idea of it's age - discovered that Sperti was a company that made full spectrum incandescent light bulbs in the 30's and later made sun lamps and tanning bulbs to provide alternate sources of vitamin D ... in the 40's they manufactured high pressure mercury arc lamps as well ...Sperti purchased Faraday, a small Michigan manufacturer, in 1949 which helps to date this artifact.
So... for some reason the name Faraday pulled the string of some very dim bulb in the dark dusty recesses of my mind and memory, back when I was in basic electronics/electricity classes in the Navy's Radioman "C-School" ... theres the faraday cage, and electro-magnetism and much more... check out the wiki info if intrigued at all: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Faraday
So one tangent led to another and then there's this -
Found on a site called C-TEK:
Faraday Fire alarm history is not particularly easy to find. Through documents and parts we have learned the following:
* Faraday, was founded in 1875 and is now one of the leading manufacturers of Notification Appliances, Fire Alarm Control Panels, and Clock Systems in the United States. (Statement in 2002)
* In the early 1900's Faraday was in Brooklyn, New York City at 150 Varick Avenue.
* The familiar old elliptical logo was already in use.
* Stanley & Patterson, an electrical supplies conglomerate, seems to have either owned or controlled Faraday from about 1919 to about 1936. Other brands used by Stanley & Patterson include Deveau (Telephones) and PR (small bells and buzzers).
* The Exact start and end dates are somewhat unclear, but, from about 1937 until 1965 faraday was owned or controlled by the Catholic Archdioses of Cincinatti investment firm or group called IDT (Institutum Divi Thomae). During this era, Faraday's exact business identity became unclear, as the sperti-faraday name was placed on items and operations interchangably with other sperti companies. The actual Sperti-Faraday factory, at least the one that made fire alarm equipment, seems to have been located in Adrian, Michigan. Many products carrying the Sperti-Faraday name use Cincinatti, Ohio as the reference location. The Sperti-Faraday Name also shows up in documents pertaining to a factory in Hoboken, New Jersey that manufactured mercury vapor and flourescent lamps. Also in the Hoboken location the name Cooper-Hewitt Electric Company name shows up during this same time frame. In 1997 the hoboken location at 720 and 722 to 732 Grand Street was found to have unacceptable levels of mercury by the Environmental Protection Agency. The sperti era of the faraday history has several references of scandal attached to it. George Speri Sperti, the namesake of the hyphenated brand was an inventor who mostly worked in the sciences. Preperation H, Aspercreme, Irradiation of Milk to raise Vitamin D content, and the method of obtaining frozen orange juice concentrate are all inventions credited to him. IDT, toward the end of the SpertiFaraday era was having significant financial difficulty and many of the units of business were sold off, including Faraday. Lack of specific direction for business units as well as mismanagement are blamed for the financial problems.
* In the 1940s Documents have been located with the name Schwarze-Faraday at 130 Church Street Adrian Michigan showing the company pressing into signaling equipment for industrial applications including factories , ships, and airplanes.
* In 1978 Faraday bought Standard Electric Time from Johnson Service Company. In 1981 Standard was moved from Springfield, Massachussetts to Faraday's Tecumseh, Michigan location.
* Faraday was located in Tecumseh, Michigan in the 70's, 80's and 90's.
* Faraday was bought by Cerberus Pyrotronics in the mid 90's.
* Cerberus Pyrotronics was bought by Siemens Building Technologies in the late 90's.
* The Faraday factory in Tecumseh was closed and all operations were moved to Siemens' Florham Park facility in 2003.
* Signal production, which has been the single constant in the faraday story, was discontinued in July of 2007. Wheelock, Inc. presently manufactures signals carrying the Faraday brand name.
* Today the Faraday name is used as part of the Siemens Building Technologies family of products for small to medium sized fire alarm systems deployments to complement the Siemens line of equipment.
Kathmandu Durbar Square (Nepali: वसन्तपुर दरवार क्षेत्र, Basantapur Darbar Kshetra) in front of the old royal palace of the former Kathmandu Kingdom is one of three Durbar (royal palace) Squares in the Kathmandu Valley in Nepal, all of which are UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
Several buildings in the Square collapsed due to a major earthquake on 25 April 2015. Durbar Square was surrounded with spectacular architecture and vividly showcases the skills of the Newar artists and craftsmen over several centuries. The Royal Palace was originally at Dattaraya square and was later moved to the Durbar square.
The Kathmandu Durbar Square held the palaces of the Malla and Shah kings who ruled over the city. Along with these palaces, the square surrounds quadrangles, revealing courtyards and temples. It is known as Hanuman Dhoka Durbar Square, a name derived from a statue of Hanuman, the monkey devotee of Lord Ram, at the entrance of the palace.
CONTENTS
HISTORY AND CONSTRUCTION
The preference for the construction of royal palaces at this site dates back to as early as the Licchavi period in the third century. Even though the present palaces and temples have undergone repeated and extensive renovations and nothing physical remains from that period. Names like Gunapo and Gupo, which are the names referred to the palaces in the square in early scriptures, imply that the palaces were built by Gunakamadev, a King ruling late in the tenth-century. When Kathmandu City became independent under the rule of King Ratna Malla (1484–1520), the palaces in the square became the Royal Palaces for its Malla Kings. When Prithvi Narayan Shah invaded the Kathmandu Valley in 1769, he favored the Kathmandu Durbar Square for his palace. Other subsequent Shah kings continued to rule from the square until 1896 when they moved to the Narayan Hiti Palace.
The square is still the center of important royal events like the coronation of King Birendra Bir Bikram Shah in 1975 and King Gyanendra Bir Bikram Shah in 2001.
Though there are no written archives stating the history of Kathmandu Durbar Square, construction of the palace in the square is credited to Sankharadev (1069–1083). As the first king of the independent Kathmandu City, Ratna Malla is said to have built the Taleju temple in the Northern side of the palace in 1501. For this to be true then the temple would have had to have been built in the vihara style as part of the palace premise surrounding the Mul Chok courtyard for no evidence of a separate structure that would match this temple can be found within the square.
Construction of the Karnel Chok is not clearly stated in any historical inscriptions; although, it is probably the oldest among all the courtyards in the square. The Bhagavati Temple, originally known as a Narayan Temple, rises above the mansions surrounding it and was added during the time of Jagajaya Malla in the early eighteenth century. The Narayan idol within the temple was stolen so Prithvi Narayan Shah replaced it with an image of Bhagavati, completely transforming the name of the temple.
The oldest temples in the square are those built by Mahendra Malla (1560–1574). They are the temples of Jagannath, Kotilingeswara Mahadev, Mahendreswara, and the Taleju Temple. This three-roofed Taleju Temple was established in 1564, in a typical Newari architectural style and is elevated on platforms that form a pyramid-like structure. It is said that Mahendra Malla, when he was residing in Bhaktapur, was highly devoted to the Taleju Temple there; the Goddess being pleased with his devotion gave him a vision asking him to build a temple for her in the Kathmandu Durbar Square. With a help of a hermit, he designed the temple to give it its present form and the Goddess entered the temple in the form of a bee.
His successors Sadasiva (1575–1581), his son, Shiva Simha (1578–1619), and his grandson, Laksmi Narsingha (1619–1641), do not seem to have made any major additions to the square. During this period of three generations the only constructions to have occurred were the establishment of Degutale Temple dedicated to Goddess Mother Taleju by Shiva Simha and some enhancement in the royal palace by Laksminar Simha.
UNDER PRATAP MALLA
In the time of Pratap Malla, son of Laksminar Simha, the square was extensively developed. He was an intellectual, a pious devotee, and especially interested in arts. He called himself a Kavindra, king of poets, and boasted that he was learned in fifteen different languages. A passionate builder, following his coronation as a king, he immediately began enlargements to his royal palace, and rebuilt some old temples and constructed new temples, shrines and stupas around his kingdom.During the construction of his palace, he added a small entrance in the traditional, low and narrow Newari style. The door was elaborately decorated with carvings and paintings of deities and auspicious sings and was later transferred to the entrance of Mohan Chok. In front of the entrance he placed the statue of Hanuman thinking that Hanuman would strengthen his army and protect his home. The entrance leads to Nasal Chok, the courtyard where most royal events such as coronation, performances, and yagyas, holy fire rituals, take place. It was named after Nasadya, the God of Dance, and during the time of Pratap Malla the sacred mask dance dramas performed in Nasal Chok were widely famed. In one of these dramas, it is said that Pratap Malla himself played the role of Lord Vishnu and that the spirit of the Lord remained in the king's body even after the play. After consulting his Tantric leaders, he ordered a stone image of Lord Vishnu in his incarnation as Nara Simha, the half-lion and half-human form, and then transferred the spirit into the stone. This fine image of Nara Simha made in 1673 still stands in the Nasal Chok. In 1650, he commissioned for the construction of Mohan Chok in the palace. This chok remained the royal residential courtyard for many years and is believed to store a great amount of treasure under its surface. Pratap Malla also built Sundari Chok about this time. He placed a slab engraved with lines in fifteen languages and proclaimed that he who can understand the inscription would produce the flow of milk instead of water from Tutedhara, a fountain set in the outer walls of Mohan Chok. However elaborate his constructions may have been, they were not simply intended to emphasize his luxuries but also his and the importance of others' devotion towards deities. He made extensive donations to temples and had the older ones renovated. Next to the palace, he built a Krishna temple, the Vamsagopala, in an octagonal shape in 1649. He dedicated this temple to his two Indian wives, Rupamati and Rajamati, as both had died during the year it was built. In Mohan Chok, he erected a three roofed Agamachem temple and a unique temple with five superimposing roofs. After completely restoring the Mul Chok, he donated to the adjoining Taleju Temple. To the main temple of Taleju, he donated metal doors in 1670. He rebuilt the Degutale Temple built by his grandfather, Siva Simha, and the Taleju Temple in the palace square. As a substitute to the Indreswara Mahadeva Temple in the distant village of Panauti he built a Shiva temple, Indrapura, near his palace in the square. He carved hymns on the walls of the Jagannath Temple as prayers to Taleju in the form of Kali.
At the southern end of the square, near Kasthamandap at Maru, which was the main city crossroads for early traders, he built another pavilion named Kavindrapura, the mansion of the king of poets. In this mansion he set an idol of dancing Shiva, Nasadyo, which today is highly worshipped by dancers in the Valley.
In the process of beautifying his palace, he added fountains, ponds, and baths. In Sundari Chok, he established a low bath with a golden fountain. He built a small pond, the Naga Pokhari, in the palace adorned with Nagakastha, a wooden serpent, which is said he had ordered stolen from the royal pond in the Bhaktapur Durbar Square. He restored the Licchavi stone sculptures such as the Jalasayana Narayana, the Kaliyadamana, and the Kala Bhairav. An idol of Jalasayana Narayana was placed in a newly created pond in the Bhandarkhal garden in the eastern wing of the palace. As a substitute to the idol of Jalasayana Narayana in Buddhanilkantha, he channeled water from Buddhanilkantha to the pond in Bhandarkhal due bestow authenticity. The Kalyadana, a manifestation of Lord Krishna destroying Kaliya, a water serpent, is placed in Kalindi Chok, which is adjacent to the Mohan Chok. The approximately ten-feet-high image of terrifyingly portrayed Kal Bhairav is placed near the Jagannath Temple. This image is the focus of worship in the chok especially during Durga Puja.
With the death of Pratap Malla in 1674, the overall emphasis on the importance of the square came to a halt. His successors retained relatively insignificant power and the prevailing ministers took control of most of the royal rule. The ministers encountered little influence under these kings and, increasingly, interest of the arts and additions to the square was lost on them. They focused less on culture than Pratap Malla during the three decades that followed his death, steering the city and country more towards the arenas of politics and power, with only a few minor constructions made in the square. These projects included Parthivendra Malla building a temple referred to as Trailokya Mohan or Dasavatara, dedicated to Lord Vishnu in 1679. A large statue of Garuda, the mount of Lord Vishnu, was added in front of it a decade later. Parthivendra Malla added a pillar with image of his family in front of the Taleju Temple.
Around 1692, Radhilasmi, the widowed queen of Pratap Malla, erected the tall temples of Shiva known as Maju Deval near the Garuda image in the square. This temple stands on nine stepped platforms and is one of the tallest buildings in the square. Then her son, Bhupalendra Malla, took the throne and banished the widowed queen to the hills. His death came early at the age of twenty one and his widowed queen, Bhuvanalaksmi, built a temple in the square known as Kageswara Mahadev. The temple was built in the Newari style and acted as a substitute for worship of a distant temple in the hills. After the earthquake in 1934, the temple was restored with a dome roof, which was alien to the Newari architecture.
Jayaprakash Malla, the last Malla king to rule Kathmandu, built a temple for Kumari and Durga in her virginal state. The temple was named Kumari Bahal and was structured like a typical Newari vihara. In his house resides the Kumari, a girl who is revered as the living goddess. He also made a chariot for Kumari and in the courtyard had detailed terra cotta tiles of that time laid down.
UNDER THE SHAH DYNASTY
During the Shah dynasty that followed, the Kathmandu Durbar Square saw a number of changes. Two of the most unique temples in the square were built during this time. One is the Nautale, a nine-storied building known as Basantapur Durbar. It has four roofs and stands at the end of Nasal Chok at the East side of the palace. It is said that this building was set as a pleasure house. The lower three stories were made in the Newari farmhouse style. The upper floors have Newari style windows, sanjhya and tikijhya, and some of them are slightly projected from the wall. The other temple is annexed to the Vasantapur Durbar and has four-stories. This building was initially known as Vilasamandira, or Lohom Chok, but is now commonly known as Basantapur or Tejarat Chok. The lower floors of the Basantapur Chok display extensive woodcarvings and the roofs are made in popular the Mughal style. Archives state that Prthivi Narayan Shah built these two buildings in 1770.
Rana Bahadur Shah was enthroned at the age of two. Bahadur Shah, the second son of Prithvi Narayan Shah, ruled as a regent for his young nephew Rana Bahadur Shah for a close to a decade from 1785 to 1794 and built a temple of Shiva Parvati in the square. This one roofed temple is designed in the Newari style and is remarkably similar to previous temples built by the Mallas. It is rectangular in shape, and enshrines the Navadurga, a group of goddesses, on the ground floor. It has a wooden image of Shiva and Parvati at the window of the upper floor, looking out at the passersby in the square. Another significant donation made during the time of Rana Bahadur Shah is the metal-plated head of Swet Bhairav near the Degutale Temple. It was donated during the festival of Indra Jatra in 1795, and continues to play a major role during the festival every year. This approximately twelve feet high face of Bhairav is concealed behind a latticed wooden screen for the rest of the year. The following this donation Rana Bahadur donated a huge bronze bell as an offering to the Goddess Taleju. Together with the beating of the huge drums donated by his son Girvan Yudha, the bell was rung every day during the daily ritual worship to the goddess. Later these instruments were also used as an alarm system. However, after the death of his beloved third wife Kanimati Devi due to smallpox, Rana Bahadur Shah turned mad with grief and had many images of gods and goddesses smashed including the Taleju statue and bell, and Sitala, the goddess of smallpox.
In 1908, a palace, Gaddi Durbar, was built using European architectural designs. The Rana Prime Ministers who had taken over the power but not the throne of the country from the Shahs Kings from 1846 to 1951 were highly influenced by European styles. The Gaddi Durbar is covered in white plaster, has Greek columns and adjoins a large audience hall, all foreign features to Nepali architecture. The balconies of this durbar were reserved for the royal family during festivals to view the square below.
Some of the parts of the square like the Hatti Chok near the Kumari Bahal in the southern section of the square were removed during restoration after the devastating earthquake in 1934. While building the New Road, the southeastern part of the palace was cleared away, leaving only fragments in places as reminders of their past. Though decreased from its original size and attractiveness from its earlier seventeenth-century architecture, the Kathmandu Durbar Square still displays an ancient surrounding that spans abound five acres of land. It has palaces, temples, quadrangles, courtyards, ponds, and images that were brought together over three centuries of the Malla, the Shah, and the Rana dynasties. It was destroyed in the April 2015 Nepal earthquake.
VISITING
Kathmandu's Durbar Square is the site of the Hanuman Dhoka Palace Complex, which was the royal Nepalese residence until the 19th century and where important ceremonies, such as the coronation of the Nepalese monarch, took place. The palace is decorated with elaborately-carved wooden windows and panels and houses the King Tribhuwan Memorial Museum and the Mahendra Museum. It is possible to visit the state rooms inside the palace.
Time and again the temples and the palaces in the square have gone through reconstruction after being damaged by natural causes or neglect. Presently there are less than ten quadrangles in the square. The temples are being preserved as national heritage sites and the palace is being used as a museum. Only a few parts of the palace are open for visitors and the Taleju temples are only open for people of Hindu and Buddhist faiths.
At the southern end of Durbar Square is one of the most curious attractions in Nepal, the Kumari Chok. This gilded cage contains the Raj Kumari, a girl chosen through an ancient and mystical selection process to become the human incarnation of the Hindu mother goddess, Durga. She is worshiped during religious festivals and makes public appearances at other times for a fee paid to her guards.
WIKIPEDIA
Bijombo, Sud-Kivu, RDC : Réunion entre casques bleus de la MONUSCO et représentants de déplacés internes à Bijombo le 6 mai 2020. L'objectif était d’échanger autour des procédures et mécanismes de protection, notamment la collecte des aliments et du bois à l'extérieur du camp, la protection du bétail, le système d'alarme et les mesures de précaution contre le Covid-19. Les déplacés ont salué les efforts de la Monusco pour une action proactive pour la paix et la protection des civils. Photo MONUSCO/Force
Bijombo, South-Kivu, DRC: on 6 May 20, MONUSCO peacekeepers held a meeting with Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs)’ Chiefs and Notables in Bujombo. The objective of the meeting was to discuss protection procedures and mechanisms, including collection of Food Items & Wood outside the camp, Protection of Livestock, the Alarm System & Precautionary Measures against COVID-19. IDPs applauded Monusco Force’s efforts for the proactive Action in favour of Peace & protection for civilians. Photo MONUSCO/Force
HOUNSLOW CHRONICLE 25th November 2009:
The Lord Palmeston pub in Hounslow could be closed for good over claims it is frequented by drug dealers.
The pub in Staines Road has been plagued by problems over the past year, including armed fights, pushers selling heroine and cocaine, and drunk and obstructive staff, according to a damning police report.
The pub has been shut since mid-September when a routine inspection found a series of potential fire hazards, including a faulty smoke alarm system and signs of an unreported blaze.
This figurine always brings me back to my roots.
Growing up in a small town sounds safe and cute right? Wrong. My neighbor (who looked just like this guy) was nicknamed "The Neighbor". He brewed meth in his house and ran a 24 hour pharmaceutical shop inside his dingy dwelling. My other neighbor was the state liquor store. My nighttime lullaby was their burglar alarm system going off and the comforting sound of police sirens. Behind my backyard fence was the other set of neighbors, the ones who dealt drugs to minors and the 14 year old who got pregnant by an older man. I can't forget the dilapidated salon and tanning business across the street. The porch was caving in, but that didn't slow down business.
Oh yes. Growing up in a small town certainly is charming.
Kathmandu Durbar Square (Nepali: वसन्तपुर दरवार क्षेत्र, Basantapur Darbar Kshetra) in front of the old royal palace of the former Kathmandu Kingdom is one of three Durbar (royal palace) Squares in the Kathmandu Valley in Nepal, all of which are UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
Several buildings in the Square collapsed due to a major earthquake on 25 April 2015. Durbar Square was surrounded with spectacular architecture and vividly showcases the skills of the Newar artists and craftsmen over several centuries. The Royal Palace was originally at Dattaraya square and was later moved to the Durbar square.
The Kathmandu Durbar Square held the palaces of the Malla and Shah kings who ruled over the city. Along with these palaces, the square surrounds quadrangles, revealing courtyards and temples. It is known as Hanuman Dhoka Durbar Square, a name derived from a statue of Hanuman, the monkey devotee of Lord Ram, at the entrance of the palace.
CONTENTS
HISTORY AND CONSTRUCTION
The preference for the construction of royal palaces at this site dates back to as early as the Licchavi period in the third century. Even though the present palaces and temples have undergone repeated and extensive renovations and nothing physical remains from that period. Names like Gunapo and Gupo, which are the names referred to the palaces in the square in early scriptures, imply that the palaces were built by Gunakamadev, a King ruling late in the tenth-century. When Kathmandu City became independent under the rule of King Ratna Malla (1484–1520), the palaces in the square became the Royal Palaces for its Malla Kings. When Prithvi Narayan Shah invaded the Kathmandu Valley in 1769, he favored the Kathmandu Durbar Square for his palace. Other subsequent Shah kings continued to rule from the square until 1896 when they moved to the Narayan Hiti Palace.
The square is still the center of important royal events like the coronation of King Birendra Bir Bikram Shah in 1975 and King Gyanendra Bir Bikram Shah in 2001.
Though there are no written archives stating the history of Kathmandu Durbar Square, construction of the palace in the square is credited to Sankharadev (1069–1083). As the first king of the independent Kathmandu City, Ratna Malla is said to have built the Taleju temple in the Northern side of the palace in 1501. For this to be true then the temple would have had to have been built in the vihara style as part of the palace premise surrounding the Mul Chok courtyard for no evidence of a separate structure that would match this temple can be found within the square.
Construction of the Karnel Chok is not clearly stated in any historical inscriptions; although, it is probably the oldest among all the courtyards in the square. The Bhagavati Temple, originally known as a Narayan Temple, rises above the mansions surrounding it and was added during the time of Jagajaya Malla in the early eighteenth century. The Narayan idol within the temple was stolen so Prithvi Narayan Shah replaced it with an image of Bhagavati, completely transforming the name of the temple.
The oldest temples in the square are those built by Mahendra Malla (1560–1574). They are the temples of Jagannath, Kotilingeswara Mahadev, Mahendreswara, and the Taleju Temple. This three-roofed Taleju Temple was established in 1564, in a typical Newari architectural style and is elevated on platforms that form a pyramid-like structure. It is said that Mahendra Malla, when he was residing in Bhaktapur, was highly devoted to the Taleju Temple there; the Goddess being pleased with his devotion gave him a vision asking him to build a temple for her in the Kathmandu Durbar Square. With a help of a hermit, he designed the temple to give it its present form and the Goddess entered the temple in the form of a bee.
His successors Sadasiva (1575–1581), his son, Shiva Simha (1578–1619), and his grandson, Laksmi Narsingha (1619–1641), do not seem to have made any major additions to the square. During this period of three generations the only constructions to have occurred were the establishment of Degutale Temple dedicated to Goddess Mother Taleju by Shiva Simha and some enhancement in the royal palace by Laksminar Simha.
UNDER PRATAP MALLA
In the time of Pratap Malla, son of Laksminar Simha, the square was extensively developed. He was an intellectual, a pious devotee, and especially interested in arts. He called himself a Kavindra, king of poets, and boasted that he was learned in fifteen different languages. A passionate builder, following his coronation as a king, he immediately began enlargements to his royal palace, and rebuilt some old temples and constructed new temples, shrines and stupas around his kingdom.During the construction of his palace, he added a small entrance in the traditional, low and narrow Newari style. The door was elaborately decorated with carvings and paintings of deities and auspicious sings and was later transferred to the entrance of Mohan Chok. In front of the entrance he placed the statue of Hanuman thinking that Hanuman would strengthen his army and protect his home. The entrance leads to Nasal Chok, the courtyard where most royal events such as coronation, performances, and yagyas, holy fire rituals, take place. It was named after Nasadya, the God of Dance, and during the time of Pratap Malla the sacred mask dance dramas performed in Nasal Chok were widely famed. In one of these dramas, it is said that Pratap Malla himself played the role of Lord Vishnu and that the spirit of the Lord remained in the king's body even after the play. After consulting his Tantric leaders, he ordered a stone image of Lord Vishnu in his incarnation as Nara Simha, the half-lion and half-human form, and then transferred the spirit into the stone. This fine image of Nara Simha made in 1673 still stands in the Nasal Chok. In 1650, he commissioned for the construction of Mohan Chok in the palace. This chok remained the royal residential courtyard for many years and is believed to store a great amount of treasure under its surface. Pratap Malla also built Sundari Chok about this time. He placed a slab engraved with lines in fifteen languages and proclaimed that he who can understand the inscription would produce the flow of milk instead of water from Tutedhara, a fountain set in the outer walls of Mohan Chok. However elaborate his constructions may have been, they were not simply intended to emphasize his luxuries but also his and the importance of others' devotion towards deities. He made extensive donations to temples and had the older ones renovated. Next to the palace, he built a Krishna temple, the Vamsagopala, in an octagonal shape in 1649. He dedicated this temple to his two Indian wives, Rupamati and Rajamati, as both had died during the year it was built. In Mohan Chok, he erected a three roofed Agamachem temple and a unique temple with five superimposing roofs. After completely restoring the Mul Chok, he donated to the adjoining Taleju Temple. To the main temple of Taleju, he donated metal doors in 1670. He rebuilt the Degutale Temple built by his grandfather, Siva Simha, and the Taleju Temple in the palace square. As a substitute to the Indreswara Mahadeva Temple in the distant village of Panauti he built a Shiva temple, Indrapura, near his palace in the square. He carved hymns on the walls of the Jagannath Temple as prayers to Taleju in the form of Kali.
At the southern end of the square, near Kasthamandap at Maru, which was the main city crossroads for early traders, he built another pavilion named Kavindrapura, the mansion of the king of poets. In this mansion he set an idol of dancing Shiva, Nasadyo, which today is highly worshipped by dancers in the Valley.
In the process of beautifying his palace, he added fountains, ponds, and baths. In Sundari Chok, he established a low bath with a golden fountain. He built a small pond, the Naga Pokhari, in the palace adorned with Nagakastha, a wooden serpent, which is said he had ordered stolen from the royal pond in the Bhaktapur Durbar Square. He restored the Licchavi stone sculptures such as the Jalasayana Narayana, the Kaliyadamana, and the Kala Bhairav. An idol of Jalasayana Narayana was placed in a newly created pond in the Bhandarkhal garden in the eastern wing of the palace. As a substitute to the idol of Jalasayana Narayana in Buddhanilkantha, he channeled water from Buddhanilkantha to the pond in Bhandarkhal due bestow authenticity. The Kalyadana, a manifestation of Lord Krishna destroying Kaliya, a water serpent, is placed in Kalindi Chok, which is adjacent to the Mohan Chok. The approximately ten-feet-high image of terrifyingly portrayed Kal Bhairav is placed near the Jagannath Temple. This image is the focus of worship in the chok especially during Durga Puja.
With the death of Pratap Malla in 1674, the overall emphasis on the importance of the square came to a halt. His successors retained relatively insignificant power and the prevailing ministers took control of most of the royal rule. The ministers encountered little influence under these kings and, increasingly, interest of the arts and additions to the square was lost on them. They focused less on culture than Pratap Malla during the three decades that followed his death, steering the city and country more towards the arenas of politics and power, with only a few minor constructions made in the square. These projects included Parthivendra Malla building a temple referred to as Trailokya Mohan or Dasavatara, dedicated to Lord Vishnu in 1679. A large statue of Garuda, the mount of Lord Vishnu, was added in front of it a decade later. Parthivendra Malla added a pillar with image of his family in front of the Taleju Temple.
Around 1692, Radhilasmi, the widowed queen of Pratap Malla, erected the tall temples of Shiva known as Maju Deval near the Garuda image in the square. This temple stands on nine stepped platforms and is one of the tallest buildings in the square. Then her son, Bhupalendra Malla, took the throne and banished the widowed queen to the hills. His death came early at the age of twenty one and his widowed queen, Bhuvanalaksmi, built a temple in the square known as Kageswara Mahadev. The temple was built in the Newari style and acted as a substitute for worship of a distant temple in the hills. After the earthquake in 1934, the temple was restored with a dome roof, which was alien to the Newari architecture.
Jayaprakash Malla, the last Malla king to rule Kathmandu, built a temple for Kumari and Durga in her virginal state. The temple was named Kumari Bahal and was structured like a typical Newari vihara. In his house resides the Kumari, a girl who is revered as the living goddess. He also made a chariot for Kumari and in the courtyard had detailed terra cotta tiles of that time laid down.
UNDER THE SHAH DYNASTY
During the Shah dynasty that followed, the Kathmandu Durbar Square saw a number of changes. Two of the most unique temples in the square were built during this time. One is the Nautale, a nine-storied building known as Basantapur Durbar. It has four roofs and stands at the end of Nasal Chok at the East side of the palace. It is said that this building was set as a pleasure house. The lower three stories were made in the Newari farmhouse style. The upper floors have Newari style windows, sanjhya and tikijhya, and some of them are slightly projected from the wall. The other temple is annexed to the Vasantapur Durbar and has four-stories. This building was initially known as Vilasamandira, or Lohom Chok, but is now commonly known as Basantapur or Tejarat Chok. The lower floors of the Basantapur Chok display extensive woodcarvings and the roofs are made in popular the Mughal style. Archives state that Prthivi Narayan Shah built these two buildings in 1770.
Rana Bahadur Shah was enthroned at the age of two. Bahadur Shah, the second son of Prithvi Narayan Shah, ruled as a regent for his young nephew Rana Bahadur Shah for a close to a decade from 1785 to 1794 and built a temple of Shiva Parvati in the square. This one roofed temple is designed in the Newari style and is remarkably similar to previous temples built by the Mallas. It is rectangular in shape, and enshrines the Navadurga, a group of goddesses, on the ground floor. It has a wooden image of Shiva and Parvati at the window of the upper floor, looking out at the passersby in the square. Another significant donation made during the time of Rana Bahadur Shah is the metal-plated head of Swet Bhairav near the Degutale Temple. It was donated during the festival of Indra Jatra in 1795, and continues to play a major role during the festival every year. This approximately twelve feet high face of Bhairav is concealed behind a latticed wooden screen for the rest of the year. The following this donation Rana Bahadur donated a huge bronze bell as an offering to the Goddess Taleju. Together with the beating of the huge drums donated by his son Girvan Yudha, the bell was rung every day during the daily ritual worship to the goddess. Later these instruments were also used as an alarm system. However, after the death of his beloved third wife Kanimati Devi due to smallpox, Rana Bahadur Shah turned mad with grief and had many images of gods and goddesses smashed including the Taleju statue and bell, and Sitala, the goddess of smallpox.
In 1908, a palace, Gaddi Durbar, was built using European architectural designs. The Rana Prime Ministers who had taken over the power but not the throne of the country from the Shahs Kings from 1846 to 1951 were highly influenced by European styles. The Gaddi Durbar is covered in white plaster, has Greek columns and adjoins a large audience hall, all foreign features to Nepali architecture. The balconies of this durbar were reserved for the royal family during festivals to view the square below.
Some of the parts of the square like the Hatti Chok near the Kumari Bahal in the southern section of the square were removed during restoration after the devastating earthquake in 1934. While building the New Road, the southeastern part of the palace was cleared away, leaving only fragments in places as reminders of their past. Though decreased from its original size and attractiveness from its earlier seventeenth-century architecture, the Kathmandu Durbar Square still displays an ancient surrounding that spans abound five acres of land. It has palaces, temples, quadrangles, courtyards, ponds, and images that were brought together over three centuries of the Malla, the Shah, and the Rana dynasties. It was destroyed in the April 2015 Nepal earthquake.
VISITING
Kathmandu's Durbar Square is the site of the Hanuman Dhoka Palace Complex, which was the royal Nepalese residence until the 19th century and where important ceremonies, such as the coronation of the Nepalese monarch, took place. The palace is decorated with elaborately-carved wooden windows and panels and houses the King Tribhuwan Memorial Museum and the Mahendra Museum. It is possible to visit the state rooms inside the palace.
Time and again the temples and the palaces in the square have gone through reconstruction after being damaged by natural causes or neglect. Presently there are less than ten quadrangles in the square. The temples are being preserved as national heritage sites and the palace is being used as a museum. Only a few parts of the palace are open for visitors and the Taleju temples are only open for people of Hindu and Buddhist faiths.
At the southern end of Durbar Square is one of the most curious attractions in Nepal, the Kumari Chok. This gilded cage contains the Raj Kumari, a girl chosen through an ancient and mystical selection process to become the human incarnation of the Hindu mother goddess, Durga. She is worshiped during religious festivals and makes public appearances at other times for a fee paid to her guards.
WIKIPEDIA
Brighton sewer tour – information mainly from Southern Water website
Brighton, part of the city of Brighton and Hove in England has an extensive system of Victorian sewers running under the town, and a large modern storm drain under the beach.
The company responsible for the sewers, Southern Water, runs tours for the public during the summer.
The system is connected to a number of outfalls at the popular bathing beach, including emergency storm-water outfalls which could still release raw sewage until the 1990s. One of these may be seen in the stone groyne adjacent to the Palace Pier. During the late 1990s a massive storm water collection drain – wide enough to drive a vehicle through – was constructed along the beach, using tunnelling machines similar to those used to cut the Channel Tunnel. These were lowered to the tunnel depth via several deep shafts sunk at intervals along the beach, which were subsequently capped and covered. Pebbles were replaced on top of the shafts to return the beach to its former appearance and public use.
Southern Water’s famous sewer tours are unique. There is no other place in Britain where members of the public can walk through the labyrinth of tunnels beneath their towns, learning secrets from 150 years ago.
Brighton boasts Victoriana aplenty, from the Palace Pier to the world’s oldest operating electric railway, but sewer visitors go down the drains to see the largest Victorian exhibit of them all – and are amazed by what they see.
Visitors also discover clean spring water bubbling beneath their feet from a freshwater river that still runs under the city and they see barnacles on the walls from where the tide used to come in.
You can also learn some fascinating facts about landmarks above the ground, such as the Volks Railway Station at Black Rock. Cleverly disguised as an ornate Victorian station, it’s actually a pumping station which transfers sewage and storm water to our treatment works in Peacehaven.
The meeting point for the Sewer Tours is found at Arch number 260, underneath the Brighton Pier.
Groups of up to 25 visitors receive safety instructions and hard hats, passes and protective latex gloves to wear.
After a short introductory talk and film, the famous Brighton Sewer Tour begins.
The tour takes you along narrow, whitewashed corridors and up and down metal ladders to see the route of the day’s waste and stormwater, which flows to a treatment plant to the east of the city before being pumped safely out to sea.
You learn how the Victorians encouraged the flow with egg-shaped tunnels, some one metre in diameter and others big enough to accommodate a double-decker bus.
The tours take place between May and late September because there is an increased likelihood of the sewers being flooded by storm water at other times of the year.
Alarm systems are in place for your protection and warn the guides about sudden rain and a build-up of gases so that you can be taken to safety in good time.
The sewers are hosed down before every tour to ensure they are as clean as possible and less slippery.
The guides take you on a fascinating journey along 400 yards of the 30 miles of sewers beneath Brighton, unravelling secrets as you go.
The tour lasts about an hour and takes you north-eastwards from beneath the Palace Pier to the bottom of St James’s Street and then north west before turning to end near the fountain at Old Steine.
Start of Tour
Metal doors, guarded by metal gates, hidden beneath the esplanade immediately to the west of Palace Pier – not the most auspicious of settings for what is the entrance to one of the most magnificent examples of Victorian civil engineering.
Lecture Room
Our visitors gather here – the Lecture Room at the start of the tour. Here you will be supplied with gloves and a hard hat, told what to expect on your tour and watch a short film before exploring the sewer's Victorian secrets.
Albion Overflow
The Albion Overflow Sewer takes excess rainwater and waste from the Intercepting Sewer during heavy rain, transferring it to huge storm tanks to prevent flooding and the beaches from being polluted.
Safety Passage
This 75-yard long tunnel was built above the sewer system to allow the sewers to be inspected and cleaned in safe conditions.
Visitors use the Safety Passage, which runs under the pedestrian crossing opposite the pier, round the roundabout and across to Marine Parade, to access some of the key parts of the tour.
Flushing Chamber
At this point you’re 15ft underground in the Flushing Chamber, directly beneath where the busy A259 coast road meets the roundabout at the Palace Pier.
The thunder you can hear above your head is vehicles driving over a sewer cover. You can see them if you look up, but best not – you may get grit in your eye.
Catch Tank
Here you can view one of the six catch tanks built to collect road grit and heavy stones which would otherwise block the sewers.
Catch tanks need regular cleaning which takes place late at night when the sewer flow level is low. Every six weeks, 25 tonnes of road silt are dug out by hand and, with three men using a heavy 6in suction hose, transferred to a skip lorry above ground.
Marine Parade Overflow
This is where half of the sewage from the Kemp Town area of Brighton links with the Intercepting Sewer which, at seven miles long and up to seven feet in diameter, is the main trunk sewer into which other sewers flow.
Completed in 1874, the Intercepting Sewer remains the backbone of the sewer system.
8ft Storm Water Tunnel
This 200-yard long sewer was built to help relieve the pressure on the sewer system during heavy rain.
Visitors walk through this sewer by torch light as they make their way to the Old Steine Overflow Chamber.
Old Steine Overflow Chamber
This impressive chamber, some 30ft underground, was ‘sculpted’ from seven million heavy engineering bricks. This is where the main 8ft diameter sewers, serving London Road and Lewes Road, merge.
You can stay dry walking through the overflow chamber, but not if the council decides to empty the fountain at Old Steine. It discharges directly into the chamber and the council has an unfriendly habit of emptying it without warning!
End of Tour
Sewer guides lead parties of 25 visitors from the sewers via a 15ft vertical ladder, emerging near the fountain in the Old Steine gardens.
“The AGENA satellite vehicle to be launched in the second Project MIDAS flight test is prepared for mating with the booster -- an Air Force ATLAS ICBM. The AGENA shown here at the base of the gantry will be hoisted to the top and bolted into place. Project MIDAS is an Air Force research and development program to perfect a satellite-borne ballistic missile warning system based on the use of infra-red sensors which will detect the heat radiating from the exhaust flames of ballistic missiles within seconds after their launch. MIDAS employs the Air Force AGENA satellite vehicle developed in Project DISCOVERER. The vehicle for the second MIDAS flight test is an AGENA “A”. Later MIDAS flight tests will use AGENA “B”, a larger version of the reliable Lockheed-built satellite having a re-start capability. Project MIDAS is under the executive management of Hq., Air Force Ballistic Missile Division, ARDC.”
See also:
2.bp.blogspot.com/-eI1YoPBmzCI/Tqa9zZwILjI/AAAAAAAAB1k/u6...
Credit: SPACERUBBLE website
www.daviddarling.info/encyclopedia/M/MIDAS.html
David Darling's website
"The second satellite, MIDAS 2 was successfully launched into orbit on 26 May 1960, but the satellite tumbled as it circled the Earth and, after the first dozen orbits, the Agena communication link failed. The payload could not be operated as planned."
space.skyrocket.de/img_lau/atlas_lv3_agena_a_3.jpg
Credit: Gunter's Space Page
www.losangeles.af.mil/Portals/16/documents/AFD-060912-025...
Credit: Los Angeles Air Force Base website
Please attribute to Lorie Shaull if used elsewhere.
A little history on McClintock from: lavilo.com/travel-book/hendersonville-mcclintock-chime-clock
In 1901 O.B. McClintock came to Minneapolis and founded the American Bank Protection Company, which produced burglar alarm systems. After his resignation in 1908, he opened the O.B. McClintock Company to “manufacture electrical chime and clock systems,” which he sold to financial institutions all across the United States. The Minneapolis Golden Jubilee further explains that “these chimes and clocks not only advertise financial institutions in a dignified, impressive manner but add to the refinement and culture of the community which they adorn.”
Beautiful Aussie made Cussy, comes with it's own alarm system...A british bulldog sitting behind the steering wheel!
http;//www.property-management-marbella.com
Beautiful private villa for sale situated in El Paraiso, Benahavís (Estepona, Málaga)
Reduced from 1,200,000 € to 975,000 € (will accept sensible offers)
Situated in an elevated position, this well positioned luxury property boasts fabulous views to the sea and Africa.
Ground floor: Entrance hall with guest toilet, leading through to a sunny spacious split level open plan lounge / dining room, large open fire, covered terrace and outside lounge area, perfect for al fresco dining, private swimming pool and mature manicured garden, good sized fully equipped kitchen, large utility room with extra storage space, private secure car port for two cars, 2 double bedrooms, fitted wardrobes, both with en-suite.
Upper floor: Double bedroom with sea views, balcony, fitted wardrobes, en-suite bathroom. Spacious and light master-suite offering delightful sea and mountain views from the large balcony, a great place to sip your morning coffee and take in the view, fitted wardrobes, en-suite bathroom.
Electric security gates, alarm system, air conditioning hot/cold, automatic sprinkler system, no community fees, conveniently situated for golf, short drive to local amenities and beaches
House size 300m² (inc. terraces), total size 1050m²
©AVucha 2017
At 7:43 PM on Friday, March 3, 2017, the Woodstock Fire/Rescue District responded to a reported structure fire at 120 Shannon Drive. Upon arrival, the first arriving units reported a residential structure fire that was well involved. A neighbor dialed 911 and reported the fire as there was no one home at the time of the fire.
There are no fire hydrants in this area, which promoted the activation of the Mutual Aid Box Alarm System (MABAS) for additional water tenders, firefighters, and change of quarter’s companies. The following communities provided assistance; Crystal Lake, Marengo, Hebron, Wonder Lake, Huntley, McHenry, Nunda, Spring Grove, Harvard, Lake Zurich, Richmond, Fox River Grove, and Algonquin.
Firefighters remained on the scene throughout the night and into the morning checking for and extinguishing hidden fires, as well as, conducting an investigation. At this time, the fire does not appear to be suspicious in nature. Fortunately, no residents or firefighters were injured as a result of this fire. The home is a total loss and initial estimates of damage are $1 million.
This photograph is being made available only for personal use printing by the subject(s) of the photograph. The photograph may not be manipulated in any way and may not be used in commercial material, advertisements, emails, products, promotions without the expressed consent of Alex Vucha.
Brighton sewer tour – information mainly from Southern Water website
Brighton, part of the city of Brighton and Hove in England has an extensive system of Victorian sewers running under the town, and a large modern storm drain under the beach.
The company responsible for the sewers, Southern Water, runs tours for the public during the summer.
The system is connected to a number of outfalls at the popular bathing beach, including emergency storm-water outfalls which could still release raw sewage until the 1990s. One of these may be seen in the stone groyne adjacent to the Palace Pier. During the late 1990s a massive storm water collection drain – wide enough to drive a vehicle through – was constructed along the beach, using tunnelling machines similar to those used to cut the Channel Tunnel. These were lowered to the tunnel depth via several deep shafts sunk at intervals along the beach, which were subsequently capped and covered. Pebbles were replaced on top of the shafts to return the beach to its former appearance and public use.
Southern Water’s famous sewer tours are unique. There is no other place in Britain where members of the public can walk through the labyrinth of tunnels beneath their towns, learning secrets from 150 years ago.
Brighton boasts Victoriana aplenty, from the Palace Pier to the world’s oldest operating electric railway, but sewer visitors go down the drains to see the largest Victorian exhibit of them all – and are amazed by what they see.
Visitors also discover clean spring water bubbling beneath their feet from a freshwater river that still runs under the city and they see barnacles on the walls from where the tide used to come in.
You can also learn some fascinating facts about landmarks above the ground, such as the Volks Railway Station at Black Rock. Cleverly disguised as an ornate Victorian station, it’s actually a pumping station which transfers sewage and storm water to our treatment works in Peacehaven.
The meeting point for the Sewer Tours is found at Arch number 260, underneath the Brighton Pier.
Groups of up to 25 visitors receive safety instructions and hard hats, passes and protective latex gloves to wear.
After a short introductory talk and film, the famous Brighton Sewer Tour begins.
The tour takes you along narrow, whitewashed corridors and up and down metal ladders to see the route of the day’s waste and stormwater, which flows to a treatment plant to the east of the city before being pumped safely out to sea.
You learn how the Victorians encouraged the flow with egg-shaped tunnels, some one metre in diameter and others big enough to accommodate a double-decker bus.
The tours take place between May and late September because there is an increased likelihood of the sewers being flooded by storm water at other times of the year.
Alarm systems are in place for your protection and warn the guides about sudden rain and a build-up of gases so that you can be taken to safety in good time.
The sewers are hosed down before every tour to ensure they are as clean as possible and less slippery.
The guides take you on a fascinating journey along 400 yards of the 30 miles of sewers beneath Brighton, unravelling secrets as you go.
The tour lasts about an hour and takes you north-eastwards from beneath the Palace Pier to the bottom of St James’s Street and then north west before turning to end near the fountain at Old Steine.
Start of Tour
Metal doors, guarded by metal gates, hidden beneath the esplanade immediately to the west of Palace Pier – not the most auspicious of settings for what is the entrance to one of the most magnificent examples of Victorian civil engineering.
Lecture Room
Our visitors gather here – the Lecture Room at the start of the tour. Here you will be supplied with gloves and a hard hat, told what to expect on your tour and watch a short film before exploring the sewer's Victorian secrets.
Albion Overflow
The Albion Overflow Sewer takes excess rainwater and waste from the Intercepting Sewer during heavy rain, transferring it to huge storm tanks to prevent flooding and the beaches from being polluted.
Safety Passage
This 75-yard long tunnel was built above the sewer system to allow the sewers to be inspected and cleaned in safe conditions.
Visitors use the Safety Passage, which runs under the pedestrian crossing opposite the pier, round the roundabout and across to Marine Parade, to access some of the key parts of the tour.
Flushing Chamber
At this point you’re 15ft underground in the Flushing Chamber, directly beneath where the busy A259 coast road meets the roundabout at the Palace Pier.
The thunder you can hear above your head is vehicles driving over a sewer cover. You can see them if you look up, but best not – you may get grit in your eye.
Catch Tank
Here you can view one of the six catch tanks built to collect road grit and heavy stones which would otherwise block the sewers.
Catch tanks need regular cleaning which takes place late at night when the sewer flow level is low. Every six weeks, 25 tonnes of road silt are dug out by hand and, with three men using a heavy 6in suction hose, transferred to a skip lorry above ground.
Marine Parade Overflow
This is where half of the sewage from the Kemp Town area of Brighton links with the Intercepting Sewer which, at seven miles long and up to seven feet in diameter, is the main trunk sewer into which other sewers flow.
Completed in 1874, the Intercepting Sewer remains the backbone of the sewer system.
8ft Storm Water Tunnel
This 200-yard long sewer was built to help relieve the pressure on the sewer system during heavy rain.
Visitors walk through this sewer by torch light as they make their way to the Old Steine Overflow Chamber.
Old Steine Overflow Chamber
This impressive chamber, some 30ft underground, was ‘sculpted’ from seven million heavy engineering bricks. This is where the main 8ft diameter sewers, serving London Road and Lewes Road, merge.
You can stay dry walking through the overflow chamber, but not if the council decides to empty the fountain at Old Steine. It discharges directly into the chamber and the council has an unfriendly habit of emptying it without warning!
End of Tour
Sewer guides lead parties of 25 visitors from the sewers via a 15ft vertical ladder, emerging near the fountain in the Old Steine gardens.
Eight paramedic students from Central DuPage Hospital recently participated in an active shooter exercise in the College of DuPage's Homeland Security Education Center's immersion lab.
1894(?) Gamewell ‘Joker’ fire alarm system. A map of numerically coded emergency call box locations would have been on the wall above the Gamewell • 2015 • City of Cleveland 1894 firehouse at West 44th Street & Clark Avenue; second oldest Cleveland firehouse still in use? Northeast Ohio USA
Best short description of how the Joker operates is a photo at... www.flickr.com/photos/timothywildey/4656630743/ taken in the Philadelphia Fire Department Fireman's Hall Museum.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fire_alarm_call_box includes a short history of the Gamewell fire alarm system.
iPhone 4s & vividHDR camera app (Lively setting) • Photoshop Elements with Topaz Labs' Detail & Clean plug-ins
Brighton sewer tour – information mainly from Southern Water website
Brighton, part of the city of Brighton and Hove in England has an extensive system of Victorian sewers running under the town, and a large modern storm drain under the beach.
The company responsible for the sewers, Southern Water, runs tours for the public during the summer.
The system is connected to a number of outfalls at the popular bathing beach, including emergency storm-water outfalls which could still release raw sewage until the 1990s. One of these may be seen in the stone groyne adjacent to the Palace Pier. During the late 1990s a massive storm water collection drain – wide enough to drive a vehicle through – was constructed along the beach, using tunnelling machines similar to those used to cut the Channel Tunnel. These were lowered to the tunnel depth via several deep shafts sunk at intervals along the beach, which were subsequently capped and covered. Pebbles were replaced on top of the shafts to return the beach to its former appearance and public use.
Southern Water’s famous sewer tours are unique. There is no other place in Britain where members of the public can walk through the labyrinth of tunnels beneath their towns, learning secrets from 150 years ago.
Brighton boasts Victoriana aplenty, from the Palace Pier to the world’s oldest operating electric railway, but sewer visitors go down the drains to see the largest Victorian exhibit of them all – and are amazed by what they see.
Visitors also discover clean spring water bubbling beneath their feet from a freshwater river that still runs under the city and they see barnacles on the walls from where the tide used to come in.
You can also learn some fascinating facts about landmarks above the ground, such as the Volks Railway Station at Black Rock. Cleverly disguised as an ornate Victorian station, it’s actually a pumping station which transfers sewage and storm water to our treatment works in Peacehaven.
The meeting point for the Sewer Tours is found at Arch number 260, underneath the Brighton Pier.
Groups of up to 25 visitors receive safety instructions and hard hats, passes and protective latex gloves to wear.
After a short introductory talk and film, the famous Brighton Sewer Tour begins.
The tour takes you along narrow, whitewashed corridors and up and down metal ladders to see the route of the day’s waste and stormwater, which flows to a treatment plant to the east of the city before being pumped safely out to sea.
You learn how the Victorians encouraged the flow with egg-shaped tunnels, some one metre in diameter and others big enough to accommodate a double-decker bus.
The tours take place between May and late September because there is an increased likelihood of the sewers being flooded by storm water at other times of the year.
Alarm systems are in place for your protection and warn the guides about sudden rain and a build-up of gases so that you can be taken to safety in good time.
The sewers are hosed down before every tour to ensure they are as clean as possible and less slippery.
The guides take you on a fascinating journey along 400 yards of the 30 miles of sewers beneath Brighton, unravelling secrets as you go.
The tour lasts about an hour and takes you north-eastwards from beneath the Palace Pier to the bottom of St James’s Street and then north west before turning to end near the fountain at Old Steine.
Start of Tour
Metal doors, guarded by metal gates, hidden beneath the esplanade immediately to the west of Palace Pier – not the most auspicious of settings for what is the entrance to one of the most magnificent examples of Victorian civil engineering.
Lecture Room
Our visitors gather here – the Lecture Room at the start of the tour. Here you will be supplied with gloves and a hard hat, told what to expect on your tour and watch a short film before exploring the sewer's Victorian secrets.
Albion Overflow
The Albion Overflow Sewer takes excess rainwater and waste from the Intercepting Sewer during heavy rain, transferring it to huge storm tanks to prevent flooding and the beaches from being polluted.
Safety Passage
This 75-yard long tunnel was built above the sewer system to allow the sewers to be inspected and cleaned in safe conditions.
Visitors use the Safety Passage, which runs under the pedestrian crossing opposite the pier, round the roundabout and across to Marine Parade, to access some of the key parts of the tour.
Flushing Chamber
At this point you’re 15ft underground in the Flushing Chamber, directly beneath where the busy A259 coast road meets the roundabout at the Palace Pier.
The thunder you can hear above your head is vehicles driving over a sewer cover. You can see them if you look up, but best not – you may get grit in your eye.
Catch Tank
Here you can view one of the six catch tanks built to collect road grit and heavy stones which would otherwise block the sewers.
Catch tanks need regular cleaning which takes place late at night when the sewer flow level is low. Every six weeks, 25 tonnes of road silt are dug out by hand and, with three men using a heavy 6in suction hose, transferred to a skip lorry above ground.
Marine Parade Overflow
This is where half of the sewage from the Kemp Town area of Brighton links with the Intercepting Sewer which, at seven miles long and up to seven feet in diameter, is the main trunk sewer into which other sewers flow.
Completed in 1874, the Intercepting Sewer remains the backbone of the sewer system.
8ft Storm Water Tunnel
This 200-yard long sewer was built to help relieve the pressure on the sewer system during heavy rain.
Visitors walk through this sewer by torch light as they make their way to the Old Steine Overflow Chamber.
Old Steine Overflow Chamber
This impressive chamber, some 30ft underground, was ‘sculpted’ from seven million heavy engineering bricks. This is where the main 8ft diameter sewers, serving London Road and Lewes Road, merge.
You can stay dry walking through the overflow chamber, but not if the council decides to empty the fountain at Old Steine. It discharges directly into the chamber and the council has an unfriendly habit of emptying it without warning!
End of Tour
Sewer guides lead parties of 25 visitors from the sewers via a 15ft vertical ladder, emerging near the fountain in the Old Steine gardens.
Eight paramedic students from Central DuPage Hospital recently participated in an active shooter exercise in the College of DuPage's Homeland Security Education Center's immersion lab.
Eight paramedic students from Central DuPage Hospital recently participated in an active shooter exercise in the College of DuPage's Homeland Security Education Center's immersion lab.
©AVucha 2018
What began as a hit-and-run investigation Tuesday night in Algonquin, ended in an armed carjacking and police standoff.
Algonquin police responded just before 8:45 p.m. Tuesday to the area of Sunrise Lane in Algonquin as part of a hit-and-run investigation, according to a news release from the Algonquin Police Department.
A car matching the description of one involved in a hit-and-run crash earlier that night was found abandoned in the middle of the road in the area, Algonquin Police Deputy Chief Ryan Markham said.
Police spotted Timothy M. Andrews, 30, of unincorporated Algonquin, walking away from the vehicle nearby, Markham said. The car was reported stolen out of Elgin on Wednesday.
When police approached Andrews, he reportedly fled on foot and was followed to the Walgreens at 1301 E. Algonquin Road, Algonquin. Andrews then displayed a knife to officers and ran to the Jewel-Osco parking lot at 1501 E. Algonquin Road, police said.
He unsuccessfully tried to enter one occupied vehicle and broke the window of another. The female driver, an 83 year-old Algonquin resident, safely exited her 2003 Dodge Neon and was not injured in the process.
Once inside the Dodge, Andrews tried to hit two Algonquin officers with the car but missed them. He left the parking lot at a high rate of speed, and police did not try to follow the vehicle. The officers were not injured.
Algonquin Police Deputy Chief Ryan Markham said many factors are considered when police determine if a chase should be continued.
"[Officers] need to take a lot of things into consideration - weather conditions, traffic, time of day," Markham said.
It had begun to snow at the time of Tuesday night's incident.
Just before 9 p.m., a Barrington Hills police officer found the stolen Dodge. Andrews had struck a telephone pole on Haeger's Bend Road, just east of North River Road, near Algonquin.
The 30-year-old refused to cooperate with police and fire officials.
"We knew he was armed. He was in the car and making threats towards the officers," Markham said. "At that point, he was given every opportunity to come out and surrender. He refused to cooperate, [and it] turned into almost a barricaded subject-type incident."
Algonquin police, Barrington Hills police, McHenry County Sheriff's deputies and members of the Northern Illinois Police Alarm System, a multi-jurisdictional SWAT team, worked to safely coax Andrews from the vehicle.
He surrendered just after 9:50 p.m.
Andrews was charged with aggravated vehicular hijacking, possessing a stolen vehicle and aggravated assault, as a result of the incident.
He was transported to McHenry County jail after being treated at an area hospital for injuries he sustained in the crash.
Markham said carjacking's in the Algonquin area are rare.
"I'm not aware of any other ones that have happened recently," Markham said.
Andrews has a lengthy criminal record, according to online court documents. He was sentenced to one year in prison in 2007, in connection with a mob action conviction and three years in 2009, in connection with a burglary conviction.
Andrews was conditionally discharged in 2011 after being convicted of disorderly conduct. In 2012, he was sentenced to three more years in prison for possessing a stolen vehicle.
Andrews was sentenced to four years in prison in 2015 for domestic battery.
If convicted of the most serious charge, Andrews faces six to 30 years in prison. He's due to appear in court Thursday morning.
*Written by Lindsay Gloor, Northwest Herald.
This photograph is being made available only for personal use printing by the subject(s) of the photograph. The photograph may not be manipulated in any way and may not be used in commercial material, advertisements, emails, products, promotions without the expressed consent of Alex Vucha.
Kathmandu Durbar Square or Hanuman Dhoka Durbar Square is the plaza in front of the old royal palace of the then Kathmandu Kingdom. It is one of three Durbar (royal palace) Squares in the Kathmandu Valley in Nepal, all of which are UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
The Durbar Square is surrounded with spectacular architecture and vividly showcases the skills of the Newar artists and craftsmen over several centuries. The royal palace was originally at Dattaraya square and was later moved to the Durbar square location.
The Kathmandu Durbar Square holds the palaces of the Malla and Shah kings who ruled over the city. Along with these palaces, the square surrounds quadrangles revealing courtyards and temples. It is known as Hanuman Dhoka Durbar Square, a name derived from a statue of Hanuman, the monkey devotee of Lord Ram, at the entrance of the palace.
HISTORY AND CONSTRUCTION
The preference for the construction of royal palaces at this site dates back to as early as the Licchavi period in the third century. Even though the present palaces and temples have undergone repeated and extensive renovations and nothing physical remains from that period, names like Gunapo and Gupo, which are the names referred to the palaces in the square in early scriptures, imply that the palaces were built by Gunakamadev, a king ruling late in the tenth century. When Kathmandu City became independent under the rule of King Ratna Malla (1484–1520) the palaces in the square became the royal palaces for its Malla kings. When Prithvi Narayan Shah invaded the Kathmandu Valley in 1769, he favored the Kathmandu Durbar Square for his palace. Other subsequent Shah kings continued to rule from the square until 1896 when they moved to the Narayan Hiti Palace.
The square is still the center of important royal events like the coronation of King Birendra Bir Bikram Shah in 1975 and King Gyanendra Bir Bikram Shah in 2001.
Though there are no written archives stating the history of Kathmandu Durbar Square, construction of the palace in the square is credited to Sankharadev (1069–1083). As the first king of the independent Kathmandu City, Ratna Malla is said to have built the Taleju temple in the Northern side of the palace in 1501. For this to be true then the temple would have had to have been built in the vihara style as part of the palace premise surrounding the Mul Chok courtyard for no evidence of a separate structure that would match this temple can be found within the square.
Construction of the Karnel Chok is not clearly stated in any historical inscriptions; although, it is probably the oldest among all the courtyards in the square. The Bhagavati Temple, originally known as a Narayan Temple, rises above the mansions surrounding it and was added during the time of Jagajaya Malla in the early eighteenth century. The Narayan idol within the temple was stolen so Prithvi Narayan Shah replaced it with an image of Bhagavati, completely transforming the name of the temple.
The oldest temples in the square are those built by Mahendra Malla (1560–1574). They are the temples of Jagannath, Kotilingeswara Mahadev, Mahendreswara, and the Taleju Temple. This three-roofed Taleju Temple was established in 1564, in a typical Newari architectural style and is elevated on platforms that form a pyramid-like structure. It is said that Mahendra Malla, when he was residing in Bhaktapur, was highly devoted to the Taleju Temple there; the Goddess being pleased with his devotion gave him a vision asking him to build a temple for her in the Kathmandu Durbar Square. With a help of a hermit, he designed the temple to give it its present form and the Goddess entered the temple in the form of a bee.
His successors Sadasiva (1575–1581), his son, Shiva Simha (1578–1619), and his grandson, Laxmi Narsingha (1619–1641), do not seem to have made any major additions to the square. During this period of three generations the only constructions to have occurred were the establishment of Degutale Temple dedicated to Goddess Mother Taleju by Shiva Simha and some enhancement in the royal palace by Laksminar Simha.
UNDER PRATAP MALLA
In the time of Pratap Malla, son of Laksminar Simha, the square was extensively developed. He was an intellectual, a pious devotee, and especially interested in arts. He called himself a Kavindra, king of poets, and boasted that he was learned in fifteen different languages. A passionate builder, following his coronation as a king, he immediately began enlargements to his royal palace, and rebuilt some old temples and constructed new temples, shrines and stupas around his kingdom. There also took the massacre called Kot Parva where the queen, prime minister, head of the states,and other people with guards died. This massacre took place in the court yard inside the palace.
During the construction of his palace, he added a small entrance in the traditional, low and narrow Newari style. The door was elaborately decorated with carvings and paintings of deities and auspicious sings and was later transferred to the entrance of Mohan Chok. In front of the entrance he placed the statue of Hanuman thinking that Hanuman would strengthen his army and protect his home. The entrance leads to Nasal Chok, the courtyard where most royal events such as coronation, performances, and yagyas, holy fire rituals, take place. It was named after Nasadya, the God of Dance, and during the time of Pratap Malla the sacred mask dance dramas performed in Nasal Chok were widely famed. In one of these dramas, it is said that Pratap Malla himself played the role of Lord Vishnu and that the spirit of the Lord remained in the king's body even after the play. After consulting his Tantric leaders, he ordered a stone image of Lord Vishnu in his incarnation as Nara Simha, the half-lion and half-human form, and then transferred the spirit into the stone. This fine image of Nara Simha made in 1673 still stands in the Nasal Chok. In 1650, he commissioned for the construction of Mohan Chok in the palace. This chok remained the royal residential courtyard for many years and is believed to store a great amount of treasure under its surface. Pratap Malla also built Sundari Chok about this time. He placed a slab engraved with lines in fifteen languages and proclaimed that he who can understand the inscription would produce the flow of milk instead of water from Tutedhara, a fountain set in the outer walls of Mohan Chok. However elaborate his constructions may have been, they were not simply intended to emphasize his luxuries but also his and the importance of others' devotion towards deities. He made extensive donations to temples and had the older ones renovated. Next to the palace, he built a Krishna temple, the Vamsagopala, in an octagonal shape in 1649. He dedicated this temple to his two Indian wives, Rupamati and Rajamati, as both had died during the year it was built. In Mohan Chok, he erected a three roofed Agamachem temple and a unique temple with five superimposing roofs. After completely restoring the Mul Chok, he donated to the adjoining Taleju Temple. To the main temple of Taleju, he donated metal doors in 1670. He rebuilt the Degutale Temple built by his grandfather, Siva Simha, and the Taleju Temple in the palace square. As a substitute to the Indreswara Mahadeva Temple in the distant village of Panauti he built a Shiva temple, Indrapura, near his palace in the square. He carved hymns on the walls of the Jagannath Temple as prayers to Taleju in the form of Kali.
At the southern end of the square, near Kasthamandap at Maru, which was the main city crossroads for early traders, he built another pavilion named Kavindrapura, the mansion of the king of poets. In this mansion he set an idol of dancing Shiva, Nasadyo, which today is highly worshipped by dancers in the Valley.
In the process of beautifying his palace, he added fountains, ponds, and baths. In Sundari Chok, he established a low bath with a golden fountain. He built a small pond, the Naga Pokhari, in the palace adorned with Nagakastha, a wooden serpent, which is said he had ordered stolen from the royal pond in the Bhaktapur Durbar Square. He restored the Licchavi stone sculptures such as the Jalasayana Narayana, the Kaliyadamana, and the Kala Bhairav. An idol of Jalasayana Narayana was placed in a newly created pond in the Bhandarkhal garden in the eastern wing of the palace. As a substitute to the idol of Jalasayana Narayana in Buddhanilkantha, he channeled water from Buddhanilkantha to the pond in Bhandarkhal due bestow authenticity. The Kalyadana, a manifestation of Lord Krishna destroying Kaliya, a water serpent, is placed in Kalindi Chok, which is adjacent to the Mohan Chok. The approximately ten-feet-high image of terrifyingly portrayed Kal Bhairav is placed near the Jagannath Temple. This image is the focus of worship in the chok especially during Durga Puja.
With the death of Pratap Malla in 1674, the overall emphasis on the importance of the square came to a halt. His successors retained relatively insignificant power and the prevailing ministers took control of most of the royal rule. The ministers encountered little influence under these kings and, increasingly, interest of the arts and additions to the square was lost on them. They focused less on culture than Pratap Malla during the three decades that followed his death, steering the city and country more towards the arenas of politics and power, with only a few minor constructions made in the square. These projects included Parthivendra Malla building a temple referred to as Trailokya Mohan or Dasavatara, dedicated to Lord Vishnu in 1679. A large statue of Garuda, the mount of Lord Vishnu, was added in front of it a decade later. Parthivendra Malla added a pillar with image of his family in front of the Taleju Temple.
Around 1692, Radhilasmi, the widowed queen of Pratap Malla, erected the tall temples of Shiva known as Maju Deval near the Garuda image in the square. This temple stands on nine stepped platforms and is one of the tallest buildings in the square. Then her son, Bhupalendra Malla, took the throne and banished the widowed queen to the hills. His death came early at the age of twenty one and his widowed queen, Bhuvanalaksmi, built a temple in the square known as Kageswara Mahadev. The temple was built in the Newari style and acted as a substitute for worship of a distant temple in the hills. After the earthquake in 1934, the temple was restored with a dome roof, which was alien to the Newari architecture.
Jayaprakash Malla, the last Malla king to rule Kathmandu, built a temple for Kumari and Durga in her virginal state. The temple was named Kumari Bahal and was structured like a typical Newari vihara. In his house resides the Kumari, a girl who is revered as the living goddess. He also made a chariot for Kumari and in the courtyard had detailed terra cotta tiles of that time laid down.
UNDER THE SHAH DYNASTY
During the Shah dynasty that followed, the Kathmandu Durbar Square saw a number of changes. Two of the most unique temples in the square were built during this time. One is the Nautale, a nine-storied building known as Basantapur Durbar. It has four roofs and stands at the end of Nasal Chok at the East side of the palace. It is said that this building was set as a pleasure house. The lower three stories were made in the Newari farmhouse style. The upper floors have Newari style windows, sanjhya and tikijhya, and some of them are slightly projected from the wall. The other temple is annexed to the Vasantapur Durbar and has four-stories. This building was initially known as Vilasamandira, or Lohom Chok, but is now commonly known as Basantapur or Tejarat Chok. The lower floors of the Basantapur Chok display extensive woodcarvings and the roofs are made in popular the Mughal style. Archives state that Prthivi Narayan Shah built these two buildings in 1770.
Rana Bahadur Shah was enthroned at the age of two. Bahadur Shah, the second son of Prithvi Narayan Shah, ruled as a regent for his young nephew Rana Bahadur Shah for a close to a decade from 1785 to 1794 and built a temple of Shiva Parvati in the square. This one roofed temple is designed in the Newari style and is remarkably similar to previous temples built by the Mallas. It is rectangular in shape, and enshrines the Navadurga, a group of goddesses, on the ground floor. It has a wooden image of Shiva and Parvati at the window of the upper floor, looking out at the passersby in the square. Another significant donation made during the time of Rana Bahadur Shah is the metal-plated head of Swet Bhairav near the Degutale Temple. It was donated during the festival of Indra Jatra in 1795, and continues to play a major role during the festival every year. This approximately twelve feet high face of Bhairav is concealed behind a latticed wooden screen for the rest of the year. The following this donation Rana Bahadur donated a huge bronze bell as an offering to the Goddess Taleju. Together with the beating of the huge drums donated by his son Girvan Yudha, the bell was rung every day during the daily ritual worship to the goddess. Later these instruments were also used as an alarm system. However, after the death of his beloved third wife Kanimati Devi due to smallpox, Rana Bahadur Shah turned mad with grief and had many images of gods and goddesses smashed including the Taleju statue and bell, and Sitala, the goddess of smallpox.
In 1908, a palace, Gaddi Durbar, was built using European architectural designs. The Rana Prime Ministers who had taken over the power but not the throne of the country from the Shahs Kings from 1846 to 1951 were highly influenced by European styles. The Gaddi Durbar is covered in white plaster, has Greek columns and adjoins a large audience hall, all foreign features to Nepali architecture. The balconies of this durbar were reserved for the royal family during festivals to view the square below.
Some of the parts of the square like the Hatti Chok near the Kumari Bahal in the southern section of the square were removed during restoration after the devastating earthquake in 1934. While building the New Road, the southeastern part of the palace was cleared away, leaving only fragments in places as reminders of their past. Though decreased from its original size and attractiveness from its earlier seventeenth-century architecture, the Kathmandu Durbar Square still displays an ancient surrounding that spans abound five acres of land. It has palaces, temples, quadrangles, courtyards, ponds, and images that were brought together over three centuries of the Malla, the Shah, and the Rana dynasties.
VISITING
Kathmandu's Durbar Square is the site of the Hanuman Dhoka Palace Complex, which was the royal Nepalese residence until the 19th century and where important ceremonies, such as the coronation of the Nepalese monarch, still take place today. The palace is decorated with elaborately-carved wooden windows and panels and houses the King Tribhuwan Memorial Museum and the Mahendra Museum. It is possible to visit the state rooms inside the palace.
Time and again the temples and the palaces in the square have gone through reconstruction after being damaged by natural causes or neglect. Presently there are less than ten quadrangles in the square. The temples are being preserved as national heritage sites and the palace is being used as a museum. Only a few parts of the palace are open for visitors and the Taleju temples are only open for people of Hindu and Buddhist faiths.
At the southern end of Durbar Square is one of the most curious attractions in Nepal, the Kumari Chowk. This gilded cage contains the Raj Kumari, a girl chosen through an ancient and mystical selection process to become the human incarnation of the Hindu mother goddess, Durga. She is worshiped during religious festivals and makes public appearances at other times for a fee paid to her guards.
WIKIPEDIA
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The Postcard
A postally unused carte postale published by A. Breger of 9 Rue Thenard, Paris.
The Notre-Dame Fire
On the 15th. April 2019, fire broke out in the attic beneath the cathedral's roof at 18:18. At 18:20 the fire alarm sounded and guards evacuated the cathedral. A guard was sent to investigate, but to the wrong location – the attic of the adjoining sacristy – where he found no fire. About fifteen minutes later the error was discovered, but by the time guards had climbed the three hundred steps to the cathedral attic the fire was well advanced.
The alarm system was not designed to automatically notify the fire brigade, which was summoned at 18:51 after the guards had returned. Firefighters arrived within ten minutes.
Fighting the Notre-Dame Fire
More than 400 firefighters were engaged. A hundred government employees along with police and municipal workers moved precious artefacts to safety via a human chain.
The fire was primarily fought from inside the structure, which was more dangerous for personnel, but reduced potential damage to the cathedral - applying water from outside risked deflecting flames and hot gases (at temperatures up to 800 °C) inwards. Deluge guns were used at lower-than-usual pressures to minimise damage to the cathedral and its contents. Water was supplied by pump-boat from the Seine.
Aerial firefighting was not used because water dropped from heights could have caused structural damage, and heated stone can crack if suddenly cooled. Helicopters were also not used because of dangerous updrafts, but drones were used for visual and thermal imaging, and robots for visual imaging and directing water streams. Molten lead falling from the roof posed a special hazard for firefighters.
By 18:52, smoke was visible from the outside; flames appeared within the next ten minutes. The spire of the cathedral collapsed at 19:50, creating a draft that slammed all the doors and sent a fireball through the attic. Firefighters then retreated from within the attic.
Shortly before the spire fell, the fire had spread to the wooden framework inside the north tower, which supported eight very large bells. Had the bells fallen, it was thought that the damage done as they fell could have collapsed the towers, and with them the entire cathedral.
At 20:30, firefighters abandoned attempts to extinguish the roof and concentrated on saving the towers, fighting from within and between the towers. By 21:45 the fire was under control.
Adjacent apartment buildings were evacuated due to concern about possible collapse, but on the 19th. April the fire brigade ruled out that risk. One firefighter and two police officers were injured.
Damage to Notre-Dame
Most of the wood/metal roof and the spire of the cathedral was destroyed, with about one third of the roof remaining. The remnants of the roof and spire fell atop the stone vault underneath, which forms the ceiling of the cathedral's interior. Some sections of this vaulting collapsed in turn, allowing debris from the burning roof to fall to the marble floor below, but most sections remained intact due to the use of rib vaulting, greatly reducing damage to the cathedral's interior and objects within.
The cathedral contained a large number of artworks, religious relics, and other irreplaceable treasures, including a crown of thorns said to be the one Jesus wore at his crucifixion. Other items were a purported piece of the cross on which Jesus was crucified, the Tunic of St. Louis, a pipe organ by Aristide Cavaillé-Coll, and the 14th.-century Virgin of Paris statue.
Some artwork had been removed in preparation for the renovations, and most of the cathedral's sacred relics were held in the adjoining sacristy, which the fire did not reach; all the cathedral's relics survived. Many valuables that were not removed also survived.
Lead joints in some of the 19th.-century stained-glass windows melted, but the three major rose windows, dating back to the 13th. century, were undamaged. Several pews were destroyed, and the vaulted arches were blackened by smoke, though the cathedral's main cross and altar survived, along with the statues surrounding it.
Some paintings, apparently only smoke-damaged, are expected to be transported to the Louvre for restoration. The rooster-shaped reliquary atop the spire was found damaged but intact among the debris. The three pipe organs were not significantly damaged. The largest of the cathedral's bells, the bourdon, was also not damaged. The liturgical treasury of the cathedral and the "Grands Mays" paintings were moved to safety.
Environmental Damage
Airparif said that winds rapidly dispersed the smoke, carrying it away aloft along the Seine corridor. It did not find elevated levels of particulate air pollution at monitoring stations nearby. The Paris police stated that there was no danger from breathing the air around the fire.
The burned-down roof had been covered with over 400 metric tons of lead. Settling dust substantially raised surface lead levels in some places nearby, notably the cordoned-off area and places left open during the fire. Wet cleaning for surfaces and blood tests for children and pregnant women were recommended in the immediate area.
People working on the cathedral after the fire did not initially take the lead precautions required for their own protection; materials leaving the site were decontaminated, but some clothing was not, and some precautions were not correctly followed; as a result, the worksite failed some inspections and was temporarily shut down.
There was also more widespread contamination; testing, clean-up, and public health advisories were delayed for months, and the neighbourhood was not decontaminated for four months, prompting widespread criticism.
Reactions to the Notre-Dame Fire
President of France Emmanuel Macron, postponing a speech to address the Yellow Vests Movement planned for that evening, went to Notre-Dame and gave a brief address there. Numerous world religious and government leaders extended condolences.
Through the night of the fire and into the next day, people gathered along the Seine to hold vigils, sing and pray.
White tarpaulins over metal beams were quickly rigged to protect the interior from the elements. Nettings protect the de-stabilised exterior.
The following Sunday at Saint-Eustache Church, the Archbishop of Paris, Michel Aupetit, honoured the firefighters with the presentation of a book of scriptures saved from the fire.
Investigation Into The Notre-Dame Fire
On the 16th. April, the Paris prosecutor said that there was no evidence of a deliberate act.
The fire has been compared to the similar 1992 Windsor Castle fire and the Uppark fire, among others, and has raised old questions about the safety of similar structures and the techniques used to restore them. Renovation works increase the risk of fire, and a police source reported that they are looking into whether such work had caused this incident.
The renovations presented a fire risk from sparks, short-circuits, and heat from welding (roof repairs involved cutting, and welding lead sheets resting on timber). Normally, no electrical installations were allowed in the roof space due to the extreme fire risk.
The roof framing was of very dry timber, often powdery with age. After the fire, the architect responsible for fire safety at the cathedral acknowledged that the rate at which fire might spread had been underestimated, and experts said it was well known that a fire in the roof would be almost impossible to control.
Of the firms working on the restoration, a Europe Echafaudage team was the only one working there on the day of the fire; the company said no soldering or welding was underway before the fire. The scaffolding was receiving electrical supply for temporary elevators and lighting.
The roofers, Le Bras Frères, said it had followed procedure, and that none of its personnel were on site when the fire broke out. Time-lapse images taken by a camera installed by them showed smoke first rising from the base of the spire.
On the 25th. April, the structure was considered safe enough for investigators to enter. They unofficially stated that they were considering theories involving malfunction of electric bell-ringing apparatus, and cigarette ends discovered on the renovation scaffolding.
Le Bras Frères confirmed its workers had smoked cigarettes, contrary to regulations, but denied that a cigarette butt could have started the fire. The Paris prosecutor's office announced on the 26th. June that no evidence had been found to suggest a criminal motive.
The security employee monitoring the alarm system was new on the job, and was on a second eight-hour shift that day because his relief had not arrived. Additionally, the fire security system used confusing terminology in its referencing parts of the cathedral, which contributed to the initial confusion as to the location of the fire.
As of September, five months after the fire, investigators thought the cause of the fire was more likely an electrical fault than a cigarette. Determining the exact place in which the fire started was expected to take a great deal more time and work. By the 15th. April 2020, investigators stated:
"We believe the fire to have been
started by either a cigarette or a
short circuit in the electrical system".
Reconstruction of Notre-Dame Cathedral
On the night of the fire Macron said that the cathedral, which is owned by the state, would be rebuilt, and launched an international fundraising campaign. France's cathedrals have been owned by the state since 1905, and are not privately insured.
The heritage conservation organisation Fondation du Patrimoine estimated the damage in the hundreds of millions of euros, but losses from the fire are not expected to substantially impact the private insurance industry.
European art insurers stated that the cost would be similar to ongoing renovations at the Palace of Westminster in London, which currently is estimated to be around €7 billion.
This cost does not include damage to any of the artwork or artefacts within the cathedral. Any pieces on loan from other museums would have been insured, but the works owned by the cathedral would not have been insurable.
While Macron hoped the cathedral could be restored in time for the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics, architects expect the work could take from twenty to forty years, as any new structure would need to balance restoring the look of the original building, using wood and stone sourced from the same regions used in the original construction, with the structural reinforcement required for preventing a similar disaster in the future.
There is discussion of whether to reconstruct the cathedral in modified form. Rebuilding the roof with titanium sheets and steel trusses has been suggested; other options include rebuilding in the original lead and wood, or rebuilding with modern materials not visible from the outside (like the reinforced concrete trusses at Reims Cathedral).
Another option would be to use a combination of restored old elements and newly designed ones. Chartres Cathedral was rebuilt with wrought iron trusses and copper sheeting after an 1836 fire.
French prime minister Édouard Philippe announced an architectural design competition for a new spire that would be:
"Adapted to the techniques
and the challenges of our era."
The spire replacement project has gathered a variety of designs and some controversy, particularly its legal exemption from environmental and heritage rules. After the design competition was announced, the French senate amended the government's restoration bill to require the roof to be restored to how it was before the fire.
On the 16th. July, 95 days after the fire, the law that will govern the restoration of the cathedral was finally approved by the French parliament. It recognises its UNESCO World Heritage Site status and the need to respect existing international charters and practices, to:
"Preserve the historic, artistic and architectural
history of the monument, and to limit any
derogations to the existing heritage, planning,
environmental and construction codes to a
minimum".
On the 15th. April 2020, Germany offered to restore some of the large clerestory windows located far above eye level with three expert tradesmen who specialize in rebuilding cathedrals. Monika Grütters, Germany's Commissioner for Culture was quoted as saying that her country would shoulder the costs.
As of the 30th. November all of the tangled scaffolding was removed from the spire area, and was therefore no longer a threat to the building.
The world will now have to wait for Notre-Dame de Paris to be restored to its former magnificence.
Kathmandu Durbar Square (Nepali: वसन्तपुर दरवार क्षेत्र, Basantapur Darbar Kshetra) in front of the old royal palace of the former Kathmandu Kingdom is one of three Durbar (royal palace) Squares in the Kathmandu Valley in Nepal, all of which are UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
Several buildings in the Square collapsed due to a major earthquake on 25 April 2015. Durbar Square was surrounded with spectacular architecture and vividly showcases the skills of the Newar artists and craftsmen over several centuries. The Royal Palace was originally at Dattaraya square and was later moved to the Durbar square.
The Kathmandu Durbar Square held the palaces of the Malla and Shah kings who ruled over the city. Along with these palaces, the square surrounds quadrangles, revealing courtyards and temples. It is known as Hanuman Dhoka Durbar Square, a name derived from a statue of Hanuman, the monkey devotee of Lord Ram, at the entrance of the palace.
CONTENTS
HISTORY AND CONSTRUCTION
The preference for the construction of royal palaces at this site dates back to as early as the Licchavi period in the third century. Even though the present palaces and temples have undergone repeated and extensive renovations and nothing physical remains from that period. Names like Gunapo and Gupo, which are the names referred to the palaces in the square in early scriptures, imply that the palaces were built by Gunakamadev, a King ruling late in the tenth-century. When Kathmandu City became independent under the rule of King Ratna Malla (1484–1520), the palaces in the square became the Royal Palaces for its Malla Kings. When Prithvi Narayan Shah invaded the Kathmandu Valley in 1769, he favored the Kathmandu Durbar Square for his palace. Other subsequent Shah kings continued to rule from the square until 1896 when they moved to the Narayan Hiti Palace.
The square is still the center of important royal events like the coronation of King Birendra Bir Bikram Shah in 1975 and King Gyanendra Bir Bikram Shah in 2001.
Though there are no written archives stating the history of Kathmandu Durbar Square, construction of the palace in the square is credited to Sankharadev (1069–1083). As the first king of the independent Kathmandu City, Ratna Malla is said to have built the Taleju temple in the Northern side of the palace in 1501. For this to be true then the temple would have had to have been built in the vihara style as part of the palace premise surrounding the Mul Chok courtyard for no evidence of a separate structure that would match this temple can be found within the square.
Construction of the Karnel Chok is not clearly stated in any historical inscriptions; although, it is probably the oldest among all the courtyards in the square. The Bhagavati Temple, originally known as a Narayan Temple, rises above the mansions surrounding it and was added during the time of Jagajaya Malla in the early eighteenth century. The Narayan idol within the temple was stolen so Prithvi Narayan Shah replaced it with an image of Bhagavati, completely transforming the name of the temple.
The oldest temples in the square are those built by Mahendra Malla (1560–1574). They are the temples of Jagannath, Kotilingeswara Mahadev, Mahendreswara, and the Taleju Temple. This three-roofed Taleju Temple was established in 1564, in a typical Newari architectural style and is elevated on platforms that form a pyramid-like structure. It is said that Mahendra Malla, when he was residing in Bhaktapur, was highly devoted to the Taleju Temple there; the Goddess being pleased with his devotion gave him a vision asking him to build a temple for her in the Kathmandu Durbar Square. With a help of a hermit, he designed the temple to give it its present form and the Goddess entered the temple in the form of a bee.
His successors Sadasiva (1575–1581), his son, Shiva Simha (1578–1619), and his grandson, Laksmi Narsingha (1619–1641), do not seem to have made any major additions to the square. During this period of three generations the only constructions to have occurred were the establishment of Degutale Temple dedicated to Goddess Mother Taleju by Shiva Simha and some enhancement in the royal palace by Laksminar Simha.
UNDER PRATAP MALLA
In the time of Pratap Malla, son of Laksminar Simha, the square was extensively developed. He was an intellectual, a pious devotee, and especially interested in arts. He called himself a Kavindra, king of poets, and boasted that he was learned in fifteen different languages. A passionate builder, following his coronation as a king, he immediately began enlargements to his royal palace, and rebuilt some old temples and constructed new temples, shrines and stupas around his kingdom.During the construction of his palace, he added a small entrance in the traditional, low and narrow Newari style. The door was elaborately decorated with carvings and paintings of deities and auspicious sings and was later transferred to the entrance of Mohan Chok. In front of the entrance he placed the statue of Hanuman thinking that Hanuman would strengthen his army and protect his home. The entrance leads to Nasal Chok, the courtyard where most royal events such as coronation, performances, and yagyas, holy fire rituals, take place. It was named after Nasadya, the God of Dance, and during the time of Pratap Malla the sacred mask dance dramas performed in Nasal Chok were widely famed. In one of these dramas, it is said that Pratap Malla himself played the role of Lord Vishnu and that the spirit of the Lord remained in the king's body even after the play. After consulting his Tantric leaders, he ordered a stone image of Lord Vishnu in his incarnation as Nara Simha, the half-lion and half-human form, and then transferred the spirit into the stone. This fine image of Nara Simha made in 1673 still stands in the Nasal Chok. In 1650, he commissioned for the construction of Mohan Chok in the palace. This chok remained the royal residential courtyard for many years and is believed to store a great amount of treasure under its surface. Pratap Malla also built Sundari Chok about this time. He placed a slab engraved with lines in fifteen languages and proclaimed that he who can understand the inscription would produce the flow of milk instead of water from Tutedhara, a fountain set in the outer walls of Mohan Chok. However elaborate his constructions may have been, they were not simply intended to emphasize his luxuries but also his and the importance of others' devotion towards deities. He made extensive donations to temples and had the older ones renovated. Next to the palace, he built a Krishna temple, the Vamsagopala, in an octagonal shape in 1649. He dedicated this temple to his two Indian wives, Rupamati and Rajamati, as both had died during the year it was built. In Mohan Chok, he erected a three roofed Agamachem temple and a unique temple with five superimposing roofs. After completely restoring the Mul Chok, he donated to the adjoining Taleju Temple. To the main temple of Taleju, he donated metal doors in 1670. He rebuilt the Degutale Temple built by his grandfather, Siva Simha, and the Taleju Temple in the palace square. As a substitute to the Indreswara Mahadeva Temple in the distant village of Panauti he built a Shiva temple, Indrapura, near his palace in the square. He carved hymns on the walls of the Jagannath Temple as prayers to Taleju in the form of Kali.
At the southern end of the square, near Kasthamandap at Maru, which was the main city crossroads for early traders, he built another pavilion named Kavindrapura, the mansion of the king of poets. In this mansion he set an idol of dancing Shiva, Nasadyo, which today is highly worshipped by dancers in the Valley.
In the process of beautifying his palace, he added fountains, ponds, and baths. In Sundari Chok, he established a low bath with a golden fountain. He built a small pond, the Naga Pokhari, in the palace adorned with Nagakastha, a wooden serpent, which is said he had ordered stolen from the royal pond in the Bhaktapur Durbar Square. He restored the Licchavi stone sculptures such as the Jalasayana Narayana, the Kaliyadamana, and the Kala Bhairav. An idol of Jalasayana Narayana was placed in a newly created pond in the Bhandarkhal garden in the eastern wing of the palace. As a substitute to the idol of Jalasayana Narayana in Buddhanilkantha, he channeled water from Buddhanilkantha to the pond in Bhandarkhal due bestow authenticity. The Kalyadana, a manifestation of Lord Krishna destroying Kaliya, a water serpent, is placed in Kalindi Chok, which is adjacent to the Mohan Chok. The approximately ten-feet-high image of terrifyingly portrayed Kal Bhairav is placed near the Jagannath Temple. This image is the focus of worship in the chok especially during Durga Puja.
With the death of Pratap Malla in 1674, the overall emphasis on the importance of the square came to a halt. His successors retained relatively insignificant power and the prevailing ministers took control of most of the royal rule. The ministers encountered little influence under these kings and, increasingly, interest of the arts and additions to the square was lost on them. They focused less on culture than Pratap Malla during the three decades that followed his death, steering the city and country more towards the arenas of politics and power, with only a few minor constructions made in the square. These projects included Parthivendra Malla building a temple referred to as Trailokya Mohan or Dasavatara, dedicated to Lord Vishnu in 1679. A large statue of Garuda, the mount of Lord Vishnu, was added in front of it a decade later. Parthivendra Malla added a pillar with image of his family in front of the Taleju Temple.
Around 1692, Radhilasmi, the widowed queen of Pratap Malla, erected the tall temples of Shiva known as Maju Deval near the Garuda image in the square. This temple stands on nine stepped platforms and is one of the tallest buildings in the square. Then her son, Bhupalendra Malla, took the throne and banished the widowed queen to the hills. His death came early at the age of twenty one and his widowed queen, Bhuvanalaksmi, built a temple in the square known as Kageswara Mahadev. The temple was built in the Newari style and acted as a substitute for worship of a distant temple in the hills. After the earthquake in 1934, the temple was restored with a dome roof, which was alien to the Newari architecture.
Jayaprakash Malla, the last Malla king to rule Kathmandu, built a temple for Kumari and Durga in her virginal state. The temple was named Kumari Bahal and was structured like a typical Newari vihara. In his house resides the Kumari, a girl who is revered as the living goddess. He also made a chariot for Kumari and in the courtyard had detailed terra cotta tiles of that time laid down.
UNDER THE SHAH DYNASTY
During the Shah dynasty that followed, the Kathmandu Durbar Square saw a number of changes. Two of the most unique temples in the square were built during this time. One is the Nautale, a nine-storied building known as Basantapur Durbar. It has four roofs and stands at the end of Nasal Chok at the East side of the palace. It is said that this building was set as a pleasure house. The lower three stories were made in the Newari farmhouse style. The upper floors have Newari style windows, sanjhya and tikijhya, and some of them are slightly projected from the wall. The other temple is annexed to the Vasantapur Durbar and has four-stories. This building was initially known as Vilasamandira, or Lohom Chok, but is now commonly known as Basantapur or Tejarat Chok. The lower floors of the Basantapur Chok display extensive woodcarvings and the roofs are made in popular the Mughal style. Archives state that Prthivi Narayan Shah built these two buildings in 1770.
Rana Bahadur Shah was enthroned at the age of two. Bahadur Shah, the second son of Prithvi Narayan Shah, ruled as a regent for his young nephew Rana Bahadur Shah for a close to a decade from 1785 to 1794 and built a temple of Shiva Parvati in the square. This one roofed temple is designed in the Newari style and is remarkably similar to previous temples built by the Mallas. It is rectangular in shape, and enshrines the Navadurga, a group of goddesses, on the ground floor. It has a wooden image of Shiva and Parvati at the window of the upper floor, looking out at the passersby in the square. Another significant donation made during the time of Rana Bahadur Shah is the metal-plated head of Swet Bhairav near the Degutale Temple. It was donated during the festival of Indra Jatra in 1795, and continues to play a major role during the festival every year. This approximately twelve feet high face of Bhairav is concealed behind a latticed wooden screen for the rest of the year. The following this donation Rana Bahadur donated a huge bronze bell as an offering to the Goddess Taleju. Together with the beating of the huge drums donated by his son Girvan Yudha, the bell was rung every day during the daily ritual worship to the goddess. Later these instruments were also used as an alarm system. However, after the death of his beloved third wife Kanimati Devi due to smallpox, Rana Bahadur Shah turned mad with grief and had many images of gods and goddesses smashed including the Taleju statue and bell, and Sitala, the goddess of smallpox.
In 1908, a palace, Gaddi Durbar, was built using European architectural designs. The Rana Prime Ministers who had taken over the power but not the throne of the country from the Shahs Kings from 1846 to 1951 were highly influenced by European styles. The Gaddi Durbar is covered in white plaster, has Greek columns and adjoins a large audience hall, all foreign features to Nepali architecture. The balconies of this durbar were reserved for the royal family during festivals to view the square below.
Some of the parts of the square like the Hatti Chok near the Kumari Bahal in the southern section of the square were removed during restoration after the devastating earthquake in 1934. While building the New Road, the southeastern part of the palace was cleared away, leaving only fragments in places as reminders of their past. Though decreased from its original size and attractiveness from its earlier seventeenth-century architecture, the Kathmandu Durbar Square still displays an ancient surrounding that spans abound five acres of land. It has palaces, temples, quadrangles, courtyards, ponds, and images that were brought together over three centuries of the Malla, the Shah, and the Rana dynasties. It was destroyed in the April 2015 Nepal earthquake.
VISITING
Kathmandu's Durbar Square is the site of the Hanuman Dhoka Palace Complex, which was the royal Nepalese residence until the 19th century and where important ceremonies, such as the coronation of the Nepalese monarch, took place. The palace is decorated with elaborately-carved wooden windows and panels and houses the King Tribhuwan Memorial Museum and the Mahendra Museum. It is possible to visit the state rooms inside the palace.
Time and again the temples and the palaces in the square have gone through reconstruction after being damaged by natural causes or neglect. Presently there are less than ten quadrangles in the square. The temples are being preserved as national heritage sites and the palace is being used as a museum. Only a few parts of the palace are open for visitors and the Taleju temples are only open for people of Hindu and Buddhist faiths.
At the southern end of Durbar Square is one of the most curious attractions in Nepal, the Kumari Chok. This gilded cage contains the Raj Kumari, a girl chosen through an ancient and mystical selection process to become the human incarnation of the Hindu mother goddess, Durga. She is worshiped during religious festivals and makes public appearances at other times for a fee paid to her guards.
WIKIPEDIA
Brighton sewer tour – information mainly from Southern Water website
Brighton, part of the city of Brighton and Hove in England has an extensive system of Victorian sewers running under the town, and a large modern storm drain under the beach.
The company responsible for the sewers, Southern Water, runs tours for the public during the summer.
The system is connected to a number of outfalls at the popular bathing beach, including emergency storm-water outfalls which could still release raw sewage until the 1990s. One of these may be seen in the stone groyne adjacent to the Palace Pier. During the late 1990s a massive storm water collection drain – wide enough to drive a vehicle through – was constructed along the beach, using tunnelling machines similar to those used to cut the Channel Tunnel. These were lowered to the tunnel depth via several deep shafts sunk at intervals along the beach, which were subsequently capped and covered. Pebbles were replaced on top of the shafts to return the beach to its former appearance and public use.
Southern Water’s famous sewer tours are unique. There is no other place in Britain where members of the public can walk through the labyrinth of tunnels beneath their towns, learning secrets from 150 years ago.
Brighton boasts Victoriana aplenty, from the Palace Pier to the world’s oldest operating electric railway, but sewer visitors go down the drains to see the largest Victorian exhibit of them all – and are amazed by what they see.
Visitors also discover clean spring water bubbling beneath their feet from a freshwater river that still runs under the city and they see barnacles on the walls from where the tide used to come in.
You can also learn some fascinating facts about landmarks above the ground, such as the Volks Railway Station at Black Rock. Cleverly disguised as an ornate Victorian station, it’s actually a pumping station which transfers sewage and storm water to our treatment works in Peacehaven.
The meeting point for the Sewer Tours is found at Arch number 260, underneath the Brighton Pier.
Groups of up to 25 visitors receive safety instructions and hard hats, passes and protective latex gloves to wear.
After a short introductory talk and film, the famous Brighton Sewer Tour begins.
The tour takes you along narrow, whitewashed corridors and up and down metal ladders to see the route of the day’s waste and stormwater, which flows to a treatment plant to the east of the city before being pumped safely out to sea.
You learn how the Victorians encouraged the flow with egg-shaped tunnels, some one metre in diameter and others big enough to accommodate a double-decker bus.
The tours take place between May and late September because there is an increased likelihood of the sewers being flooded by storm water at other times of the year.
Alarm systems are in place for your protection and warn the guides about sudden rain and a build-up of gases so that you can be taken to safety in good time.
The sewers are hosed down before every tour to ensure they are as clean as possible and less slippery.
The guides take you on a fascinating journey along 400 yards of the 30 miles of sewers beneath Brighton, unravelling secrets as you go.
The tour lasts about an hour and takes you north-eastwards from beneath the Palace Pier to the bottom of St James’s Street and then north west before turning to end near the fountain at Old Steine.
Start of Tour
Metal doors, guarded by metal gates, hidden beneath the esplanade immediately to the west of Palace Pier – not the most auspicious of settings for what is the entrance to one of the most magnificent examples of Victorian civil engineering.
Lecture Room
Our visitors gather here – the Lecture Room at the start of the tour. Here you will be supplied with gloves and a hard hat, told what to expect on your tour and watch a short film before exploring the sewer's Victorian secrets.
Albion Overflow
The Albion Overflow Sewer takes excess rainwater and waste from the Intercepting Sewer during heavy rain, transferring it to huge storm tanks to prevent flooding and the beaches from being polluted.
Safety Passage
This 75-yard long tunnel was built above the sewer system to allow the sewers to be inspected and cleaned in safe conditions.
Visitors use the Safety Passage, which runs under the pedestrian crossing opposite the pier, round the roundabout and across to Marine Parade, to access some of the key parts of the tour.
Flushing Chamber
At this point you’re 15ft underground in the Flushing Chamber, directly beneath where the busy A259 coast road meets the roundabout at the Palace Pier.
The thunder you can hear above your head is vehicles driving over a sewer cover. You can see them if you look up, but best not – you may get grit in your eye.
Catch Tank
Here you can view one of the six catch tanks built to collect road grit and heavy stones which would otherwise block the sewers.
Catch tanks need regular cleaning which takes place late at night when the sewer flow level is low. Every six weeks, 25 tonnes of road silt are dug out by hand and, with three men using a heavy 6in suction hose, transferred to a skip lorry above ground.
Marine Parade Overflow
This is where half of the sewage from the Kemp Town area of Brighton links with the Intercepting Sewer which, at seven miles long and up to seven feet in diameter, is the main trunk sewer into which other sewers flow.
Completed in 1874, the Intercepting Sewer remains the backbone of the sewer system.
8ft Storm Water Tunnel
This 200-yard long sewer was built to help relieve the pressure on the sewer system during heavy rain.
Visitors walk through this sewer by torch light as they make their way to the Old Steine Overflow Chamber.
Old Steine Overflow Chamber
This impressive chamber, some 30ft underground, was ‘sculpted’ from seven million heavy engineering bricks. This is where the main 8ft diameter sewers, serving London Road and Lewes Road, merge.
You can stay dry walking through the overflow chamber, but not if the council decides to empty the fountain at Old Steine. It discharges directly into the chamber and the council has an unfriendly habit of emptying it without warning!
End of Tour
Sewer guides lead parties of 25 visitors from the sewers via a 15ft vertical ladder, emerging near the fountain in the Old Steine gardens.
Eight paramedic students from Central DuPage Hospital recently participated in an active shooter exercise in the College of DuPage's Homeland Security Education Center's immersion lab.
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Opened New Year's Day, 1911 as the McKenzie Hotel, then renamed Patterson in 1923, the building is well-known for its continued construction that lasted nearly 30 years. The Patterson Hotel was also known for its political connections, serving as headquarters for the Nonpartisan League.
The Patterson Hotel secretly served alcohol during prohibition, and had even installed an electronic alarm system to keep out "unwanted guests". It was also host to illegal gambling, and rumored to house prostitutes. Rumors also exist that an underground tunnel once connected the hotel with the train depot located across the street.
The hotel closed in the mid 1970s, and was condemned in 1980, at which time it underwent major renovation. Today, the former hotel rooms now house Patterson Place Senior Apartments and the lobby houses Peacock Alley Bar & Grill.
Read more here:
Eight paramedic students from Central DuPage Hospital recently participated in an active shooter exercise in the College of DuPage's Homeland Security Education Center's immersion lab.
Firefighters have been heading back to college in Wisbech to take up a unique training opportunity at the College of West Anglia.
The crew from Wisbech Fire Station turned the former C Block at the college site, on Ramnoth Road, into a training ground during the past few months to deliver challenging exercise scenarios to test firefighters from across the county.
The site was chosen as it is due for demolition over the coming months and at the time of proposal was not being used. It was also a large and complicated design with many unusual features that offered the chance to conduct many different training scenarios for Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service staff.
Staff from Wisbech Fire Station and the College of West Anglia health and safety department worked closely together to ensure that guidelines and procedures were put in place to enable the use of the college buildings and to provide extremely valuable training opportunities for firefighters from Wisbech and other stations across Cambridgeshire.
Wisbech Station Commander Brett Mills said: “The day crew identified an excellent training opportunity using their local knowledge and networking. This supported vital critical safety training for both whole-time and on-call firefighters. I would like to thank Firefighter Gary Reach, Crew Commander Clive Griffin from Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service, and Richard Heron and Amanda Marshall from the College Of West Anglia for their hard work in organising this and continuing the excellent partnership working between CFRS and CWA.”
Various different ladder drills were conducted around the buildings as it offered different conditions and opportunities that cannot be replicated in the firefighters’ usual drill yard. Breathing apparatus search and rescue drills were also conducted inside the building during both day and night time sessions.
The buildings were also used to hold an on-call training support day to provide further training for firefighters from across Cambridgeshire. During these sessions firefighters wore obscuration masks to replicate heavy smoke logging of the building without the college fire alarm system being affected.
The College of West Anglia is one of the largest providers of education and training in Norfolk and Cambridgeshire with an exceptional track record of developing the skills and talents of its students.
The Wisbech campus was transformed over the summer of 2015, following extensive investment to improve its facilities in the form of a £6.5million flagship learning building. This adds to the £7.2million technology centre, which opened in April 2013. Older buildings such as the C Block are now set for demolition as they are no longer fit for purpose.
The 1400m2 new teaching centre which opened in September, and 2000 m2 of refurbished space with its state-of-the-art teaching and IT facilities, is host to health & social care, hair & beauty in their brand new salons, foundation studies, computing, and uniformed and public services courses. There are also new facilities for teaching in English, maths and ESOL (English for speakers of other languages). The new main atrium entrance and reception area, teamed with the expansion of the restaurant, social areas and learning resource centre, is now a welcoming hub for students and staff alike.
Mark Reavell, Executive Director Partnerships at CWA, said: “We were pleased to be able offer the old buildings to the fire service for them to use as part of their training. It is understandably difficult for them to get access to facilities to carry out this sort of simulated exercise and it all seemed to work out perfectly prior to the start of demolition. We will however be pleased to see the old buildings disappear forever!"
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180k original miles on odometer.
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-swinging rear bumper w/basket, bike rack, hi-lift jack and gas can.
-side step and undercarriage guard
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-motion detector alarm system (for when top is off)
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-too many more accessories to list come see it.
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Eight paramedic students from Central DuPage Hospital recently participated in an active shooter exercise in the College of DuPage's Homeland Security Education Center's immersion lab.
Fish, any of approximately 34,000 species of vertebrate animals (phylum Chordata) found in the fresh and salt waters of the world. Living species range from the primitive jawless lampreys and hagfishes through the cartilaginous sharks, skates, and rays to the abundant and diverse bony fishes. Most fish species are cold-blooded; however, one species, the opah (Lampris guttatus), is warm-blooded.
The term fish is applied to a variety of vertebrates of several evolutionary lines. It describes a life-form rather than a taxonomic group. As members of the phylum Chordata, fish share certain features with other vertebrates. These features are gill slits at some point in the life cycle, a notochord, or skeletal supporting rod, a dorsal hollow nerve cord, and a tail. Living fishes represent some five classes, which are as distinct from one another as are the four classes of familiar air-breathing animals—amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals. For example, the jawless fishes (Agnatha) have gills in pouches and lack limb girdles. Extant agnathans are the lampreys and the hagfishes. As the name implies, the skeletons of fishes of the class Chondrichthyes (from chondr, “cartilage,” and ichthyes, “fish”) are made entirely of cartilage. Modern fish of this class lack a swim bladder, and their scales and teeth are made up of the same placoid material. Sharks, skates, and rays are examples of cartilaginous fishes. The bony fishes are by far the largest class. Examples range from the tiny seahorse to the 450-kg (1,000-pound) blue marlin, from the flattened soles and flounders to the boxy puffers and ocean sunfishes. Unlike the scales of the cartilaginous fishes, those of bony fishes, when present, grow throughout life and are made up of thin overlapping plates of bone. Bony fishes also have an operculum that covers the gill slits.
The study of fishes, the science of ichthyology, is of broad importance. Fishes are of interest to humans for many reasons, the most important being their relationship with and dependence on the environment. A more obvious reason for interest in fishes is their role as a moderate but important part of the world’s food supply. This resource, once thought unlimited, is now realized to be finite and in delicate balance with the biological, chemical, and physical factors of the aquatic environment. Overfishing, pollution, and alteration of the environment are the chief enemies of proper fisheries management, both in fresh waters and in the ocean. (For a detailed discussion of the technology and economics of fisheries, see commercial fishing.) Another practical reason for studying fishes is their use in disease control. As predators on mosquito larvae, they help curb malaria and other mosquito-borne diseases.
Fishes are valuable laboratory animals in many aspects of medical and biological research. For example, the readiness of many fishes to acclimate to captivity has allowed biologists to study behaviour, physiology, and even ecology under relatively natural conditions. Fishes have been especially important in the study of animal behaviour, where research on fishes has provided a broad base for the understanding of the more flexible behaviour of the higher vertebrates. The zebra fish is used as a model in studies of gene expression.
There are aesthetic and recreational reasons for an interest in fishes. Millions of people keep live fishes in home aquariums for the simple pleasure of observing the beauty and behaviour of animals otherwise unfamiliar to them. Aquarium fishes provide a personal challenge to many aquarists, allowing them to test their ability to keep a small section of the natural environment in their homes. Sportfishing is another way of enjoying the natural environment, also indulged in by millions of people every year. Interest in aquarium fishes and sportfishing supports multimillion-dollar industries throughout the world.
Fishes have been in existence for more than 450 million years, during which time they have evolved repeatedly to fit into almost every conceivable type of aquatic habitat. In a sense, land vertebrates are simply highly modified fishes: when fishes colonized the land habitat, they became tetrapod (four-legged) land vertebrates. The popular conception of a fish as a slippery, streamlined aquatic animal that possesses fins and breathes by gills applies to many fishes, but far more fishes deviate from that conception than conform to it. For example, the body is elongate in many forms and greatly shortened in others; the body is flattened in some (principally in bottom-dwelling fishes) and laterally compressed in many others; the fins may be elaborately extended, forming intricate shapes, or they may be reduced or even lost; and the positions of the mouth, eyes, nostrils, and gill openings vary widely. Air breathers have appeared in several evolutionary lines.
Many fishes are cryptically coloured and shaped, closely matching their respective environments; others are among the most brilliantly coloured of all organisms, with a wide range of hues, often of striking intensity, on a single individual. The brilliance of pigments may be enhanced by the surface structure of the fish, so that it almost seems to glow. A number of unrelated fishes have actual light-producing organs. Many fishes are able to alter their coloration—some for the purpose of camouflage, others for the enhancement of behavioral signals.
Fishes range in adult length from less than 10 mm (0.4 inch) to more than 20 metres (60 feet) and in weight from about 1.5 grams (less than 0.06 ounce) to many thousands of kilograms. Some live in shallow thermal springs at temperatures slightly above 42 °C (100 °F), others in cold Arctic seas a few degrees below 0 °C (32 °F) or in cold deep waters more than 4,000 metres (13,100 feet) beneath the ocean surface. The structural and, especially, the physiological adaptations for life at such extremes are relatively poorly known and provide the scientifically curious with great incentive for study.
Almost all natural bodies of water bear fish life, the exceptions being very hot thermal ponds and extremely salt-alkaline lakes, such as the Dead Sea in Asia and the Great Salt Lake in North America. The present distribution of fishes is a result of the geological history and development of Earth as well as the ability of fishes to undergo evolutionary change and to adapt to the available habitats. Fishes may be seen to be distributed according to habitat and according to geographical area. Major habitat differences are marine and freshwater. For the most part, the fishes in a marine habitat differ from those in a freshwater habitat, even in adjacent areas, but some, such as the salmon, migrate from one to the other. The freshwater habitats may be seen to be of many kinds. Fishes found in mountain torrents, Arctic lakes, tropical lakes, temperate streams, and tropical rivers will all differ from each other, both in obvious gross structure and in physiological attributes. Even in closely adjacent habitats where, for example, a tropical mountain torrent enters a lowland stream, the fish fauna will differ. The marine habitats can be divided into deep ocean floors (benthic), mid-water oceanic (bathypelagic), surface oceanic (pelagic), rocky coast, sandy coast, muddy shores, bays, estuaries, and others. Also, for example, rocky coastal shores in tropical and temperate regions will have different fish faunas, even when such habitats occur along the same coastline.
Although much is known about the present geographical distribution of fishes, far less is known about how that distribution came about. Many parts of the fish fauna of the fresh waters of North America and Eurasia are related and undoubtedly have a common origin. The faunas of Africa and South America are related, extremely old, and probably an expression of the drifting apart of the two continents. The fauna of southern Asia is related to that of Central Asia, and some of it appears to have entered Africa. The extremely large shore-fish faunas of the Indian and tropical Pacific oceans comprise a related complex, but the tropical shore fauna of the Atlantic, although containing Indo-Pacific components, is relatively limited and probably younger. The Arctic and Antarctic marine faunas are quite different from each other. The shore fauna of the North Pacific is quite distinct, and that of the North Atlantic more limited and probably younger. Pelagic oceanic fishes, especially those in deep waters, are similar the world over, showing little geographical isolation in terms of family groups. The deep oceanic habitat is very much the same throughout the world, but species differences do exist, showing geographical areas determined by oceanic currents and water masses.
All aspects of the life of a fish are closely correlated with adaptation to the total environment, physical, chemical, and biological. In studies, all the interdependent aspects of fish, such as behaviour, locomotion, reproduction, and physical and physiological characteristics, must be taken into account.
Correlated with their adaptation to an extremely wide variety of habitats is the extremely wide variety of life cycles that fishes display. The great majority hatch from relatively small eggs a few days to several weeks or more after the eggs are scattered in the water. Newly hatched young are still partially undeveloped and are called larvae until body structures such as fins, skeleton, and some organs are fully formed. Larval life is often very short, usually less than a few weeks, but it can be very long, some lampreys continuing as larvae for at least five years. Young and larval fishes, before reaching sexual maturity, must grow considerably, and their small size and other factors often dictate that they live in a habitat different than that of the adults. For example, most tropical marine shore fishes have pelagic larvae. Larval food also is different, and larval fishes often live in shallow waters, where they may be less exposed to predators.
After a fish reaches adult size, the length of its life is subject to many factors, such as innate rates of aging, predation pressure, and the nature of the local climate. The longevity of a species in the protected environment of an aquarium may have nothing to do with how long members of that species live in the wild. Many small fishes live only one to three years at the most. In some species, however, individuals may live as long as 10 or 20 or even 100 years.
Fish behaviour is a complicated and varied subject. As in almost all animals with a central nervous system, the nature of a response of an individual fish to stimuli from its environment depends upon the inherited characteristics of its nervous system, on what it has learned from past experience, and on the nature of the stimuli. Compared with the variety of human responses, however, that of a fish is stereotyped, not subject to much modification by “thought” or learning, and investigators must guard against anthropomorphic interpretations of fish behaviour.
Fishes perceive the world around them by the usual senses of sight, smell, hearing, touch, and taste and by special lateral line water-current detectors. In the few fishes that generate electric fields, a process that might best be called electrolocation aids in perception. One or another of these senses often is emphasized at the expense of others, depending upon the fish’s other adaptations. In fishes with large eyes, the sense of smell may be reduced; others, with small eyes, hunt and feed primarily by smell (such as some eels).
Specialized behaviour is primarily concerned with the three most important activities in the fish’s life: feeding, reproduction, and escape from enemies. Schooling behaviour of sardines on the high seas, for instance, is largely a protective device to avoid enemies, but it is also associated with and modified by their breeding and feeding requirements. Predatory fishes are often solitary, lying in wait to dart suddenly after their prey, a kind of locomotion impossible for beaked parrot fishes, which feed on coral, swimming in small groups from one coral head to the next. In addition, some predatory fishes that inhabit pelagic environments, such as tunas, often school.
Sleep in fishes, all of which lack true eyelids, consists of a seemingly listless state in which the fish maintains its balance but moves slowly. If attacked or disturbed, most can dart away. A few kinds of fishes lie on the bottom to sleep. Most catfishes, some loaches, and some eels and electric fishes are strictly nocturnal, being active and hunting for food during the night and retiring during the day to holes, thick vegetation, or other protective parts of the environment.
Communication between members of a species or between members of two or more species often is extremely important, especially in breeding behaviour (see below Reproduction). The mode of communication may be visual, as between the small so-called cleaner fish and a large fish of a very different species. The larger fish often allows the cleaner to enter its mouth to remove gill parasites. The cleaner is recognized by its distinctive colour and actions and therefore is not eaten, even if the larger fish is normally a predator. Communication is often chemical, signals being sent by specific chemicals called pheromones.
Many fishes have a streamlined body and swim freely in open water. Fish locomotion is closely correlated with habitat and ecological niche (the general position of the animal to its environment).
Many fishes in both marine and fresh waters swim at the surface and have mouths adapted to feed best (and sometimes only) at the surface. Often such fishes are long and slender, able to dart at surface insects or at other surface fishes and in turn to dart away from predators; needlefishes, halfbeaks, and topminnows (such as killifish and mosquito fish) are good examples. Oceanic flying fishes escape their predators by gathering speed above the water surface, with the lower lobe of the tail providing thrust in the water. They then glide hundreds of yards on enlarged, winglike pectoral and pelvic fins. South American freshwater flying fishes escape their enemies by jumping and propelling their strongly keeled bodies out of the water.
So-called mid-water swimmers, the most common type of fish, are of many kinds and live in many habitats. The powerful fusiform tunas and the trouts, for example, are adapted for strong, fast swimming, the tunas to capture prey speedily in the open ocean and the trouts to cope with the swift currents of streams and rivers. The trout body form is well adapted to many habitats. Fishes that live in relatively quiet waters such as bays or lake shores or slow rivers usually are not strong, fast swimmers but are capable of short, quick bursts of speed to escape a predator. Many of these fishes have their sides flattened, examples being the sunfish and the freshwater angelfish of aquarists. Fish associated with the bottom or substrate usually are slow swimmers. Open-water plankton-feeding fishes almost always remain fusiform and are capable of rapid, strong movement (for example, sardines and herrings of the open ocean and also many small minnows of streams and lakes).
Bottom-living fishes are of many kinds and have undergone many types of modification of their body shape and swimming habits. Rays, which evolved from strong-swimming mid-water sharks, usually stay close to the bottom and move by undulating their large pectoral fins. Flounders live in a similar habitat and move over the bottom by undulating the entire body. Many bottom fishes dart from place to place, resting on the bottom between movements, a motion common in gobies. One goby relative, the mudskipper, has taken to living at the edge of pools along the shore of muddy mangrove swamps. It escapes its enemies by flipping rapidly over the mud, out of the water. Some catfishes, synbranchid eels, the so-called climbing perch, and a few other fishes venture out over damp ground to find more promising waters than those that they left. They move by wriggling their bodies, sometimes using strong pectoral fins; most have accessory air-breathing organs. Many bottom-dwelling fishes live in mud holes or rocky crevices. Marine eels and gobies commonly are found in such habitats and for the most part venture far beyond their cavelike homes. Some bottom dwellers, such as the clingfishes (Gobiesocidae), have developed powerful adhesive disks that enable them to remain in place on the substrate in areas such as rocky coasts, where the action of the waves is great.
The methods of reproduction in fishes are varied, but most fishes lay a large number of small eggs, fertilized and scattered outside of the body. The eggs of pelagic fishes usually remain suspended in the open water. Many shore and freshwater fishes lay eggs on the bottom or among plants. Some have adhesive eggs. The mortality of the young and especially of the eggs is very high, and often only a few individuals grow to maturity out of hundreds, thousands, and in some cases millions of eggs laid.
Males produce sperm, usually as a milky white substance called milt, in two (sometimes one) testes within the body cavity. In bony fishes a sperm duct leads from each testis to a urogenital opening behind the vent or anus. In sharks and rays and in cyclostomes the duct leads to a cloaca. Sometimes the pelvic fins are modified to help transmit the milt to the eggs at the female’s vent or on the substrate where the female has placed them. Sometimes accessory organs are used to fertilize females internally—for example, the claspers of many sharks and rays.
In the females the eggs are formed in two ovaries (sometimes only one) and pass through the ovaries to the urogenital opening and to the outside. In some fishes the eggs are fertilized internally but are shed before development takes place. Members of about a dozen families each of bony fishes (teleosts) and sharks bear live young. Many skates and rays also bear live young. In some bony fishes the eggs simply develop within the female, the young emerging when the eggs hatch (ovoviviparous). Others develop within the ovary and are nourished by ovarian tissues after hatching (viviparous). There are also other methods utilized by fishes to nourish young within the female. In all live-bearers the young are born at a relatively large size and are few in number. In one family of primarily marine fishes, the surfperches from the Pacific coast of North America, Japan, and Korea, the males of at least one species are born sexually mature, although they are not fully grown.
Some fishes are hermaphroditic—an individual producing both sperm and eggs, usually at different stages of its life. Self-fertilization, however, is probably rare.
Successful reproduction and, in many cases, defense of the eggs and the young are assured by rather stereotypical but often elaborate courtship and parental behaviour, either by the male or the female or both. Some fishes prepare nests by hollowing out depressions in the sand bottom (cichlids, for example), build nests with plant materials and sticky threads excreted by the kidneys (sticklebacks), or blow a cluster of mucus-covered bubbles at the water surface (gouramis). The eggs are laid in these structures. Some varieties of cichlids and catfishes incubate eggs in their mouths.
Some fishes, such as salmon, undergo long migrations from the ocean and up large rivers to spawn in the gravel beds where they themselves hatched (anadromous fishes). Some, such as the freshwater eels (family Anguillidae), live and grow to maturity in fresh water and migrate to the sea to spawn (catadromous fishes). Other fishes undertake shorter migrations from lakes into streams, within the ocean, or enter spawning habitats that they do not ordinarily occupy in other ways.
The basic structure and function of the fish body are similar to those of all other vertebrates. The usual four types of tissues are present: surface or epithelial, connective (bone, cartilage, and fibrous tissues, as well as their derivative, blood), nerve, and muscle tissues. In addition, the fish’s organs and organ systems parallel those of other vertebrates.
The typical fish body is streamlined and spindle-shaped, with an anterior head, a gill apparatus, and a heart, the latter lying in the midline just below the gill chamber. The body cavity, containing the vital organs, is situated behind the head in the lower anterior part of the body. The anus usually marks the posterior termination of the body cavity and most often occurs just in front of the base of the anal fin. The spinal cord and vertebral column continue from the posterior part of the head to the base of the tail fin, passing dorsal to the body cavity and through the caudal (tail) region behind the body cavity. Most of the body is of muscular tissue, a high proportion of which is necessitated by swimming. In the course of evolution this basic body plan has been modified repeatedly into the many varieties of fish shapes that exist today.
The skeleton forms an integral part of the fish’s locomotion system, as well as serving to protect vital parts. The internal skeleton consists of the skull bones (except for the roofing bones of the head, which are really part of the external skeleton), the vertebral column, and the fin supports (fin rays). The fin supports are derived from the external skeleton but will be treated here because of their close functional relationship to the internal skeleton. The internal skeleton of cyclostomes, sharks, and rays is of cartilage; that of many fossil groups and some primitive living fishes is mostly of cartilage but may include some bone. In place of the vertebral column, the earliest vertebrates had a fully developed notochord, a flexible stiff rod of viscous cells surrounded by a strong fibrous sheath. During the evolution of modern fishes the rod was replaced in part by cartilage and then by ossified cartilage. Sharks and rays retain a cartilaginous vertebral column; bony fishes have spool-shaped vertebrae that in the more primitive living forms only partially replace the notochord. The skull, including the gill arches and jaws of bony fishes, is fully, or at least partially, ossified. That of sharks and rays remains cartilaginous, at times partially replaced by calcium deposits but never by true bone.
The supportive elements of the fins (basal or radial bones or both) have changed greatly during fish evolution. Some of these changes are described in the section below (Evolution and paleontology). Most fishes possess a single dorsal fin on the midline of the back. Many have two and a few have three dorsal fins. The other fins are the single tail and anal fins and paired pelvic and pectoral fins. A small fin, the adipose fin, with hairlike fin rays, occurs in many of the relatively primitive teleosts (such as trout) on the back near the base of the caudal fin.
The skin of a fish must serve many functions. It aids in maintaining the osmotic balance, provides physical protection for the body, is the site of coloration, contains sensory receptors, and, in some fishes, functions in respiration. Mucous glands, which aid in maintaining the water balance and offer protection from bacteria, are extremely numerous in fish skin, especially in cyclostomes and teleosts. Since mucous glands are present in the modern lampreys, it is reasonable to assume that they were present in primitive fishes, such as the ancient Silurian and Devonian agnathans. Protection from abrasion and predation is another function of the fish skin, and dermal (skin) bone arose early in fish evolution in response to this need. It is thought that bone first evolved in skin and only later invaded the cartilaginous areas of the fish’s body, to provide additional support and protection. There is some argument as to which came first, cartilage or bone, and fossil evidence does not settle the question. In any event, dermal bone has played an important part in fish evolution and has different characteristics in different groups of fishes. Several groups are characterized at least in part by the kind of bony scales they possess.
Scales have played an important part in the evolution of fishes. Primitive fishes usually had thick bony plates or thick scales in several layers of bone, enamel, and related substances. Modern teleost fishes have scales of bone, which, while still protective, allow much more freedom of motion in the body. A few modern teleosts (some catfishes, sticklebacks, and others) have secondarily acquired bony plates in the skin. Modern and early sharks possessed placoid scales, a relatively primitive type of scale with a toothlike structure, consisting of an outside layer of enamel-like substance (vitrodentine), an inner layer of dentine, and a pulp cavity containing nerves and blood vessels. Primitive bony fishes had thick scales of either the ganoid or the cosmoid type. Cosmoid scales have a hard, enamel-like outer layer, an inner layer of cosmine (a form of dentine), and then a layer of vascular bone (isopedine). In ganoid scales the hard outer layer is different chemically and is called ganoin. Under this is a cosminelike layer and then a vascular bony layer. The thin, translucent bony scales of modern fishes, called cycloid and ctenoid (the latter distinguished by serrations at the edges), lack enameloid and dentine layers.
Skin has several other functions in fishes. It is well supplied with nerve endings and presumably receives tactile, thermal, and pain stimuli. Skin is also well supplied with blood vessels. Some fishes breathe in part through the skin, by the exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide between the surrounding water and numerous small blood vessels near the skin surface.
Skin serves as protection through the control of coloration. Fishes exhibit an almost limitless range of colours. The colours often blend closely with the surroundings, effectively hiding the animal. Many fishes use bright colours for territorial advertisement or as recognition marks for other members of their own species, or sometimes for members of other species. Many fishes can change their colour to a greater or lesser degree, by movement of pigment within the pigment cells (chromatophores). Black pigment cells (melanophores), of almost universal occurrence in fishes, are often juxtaposed with other pigment cells. When placed beneath iridocytes or leucophores (bearing the silvery or white pigment guanine), melanophores produce structural colours of blue and green. These colours are often extremely intense, because they are formed by refraction of light through the needlelike crystals of guanine. The blue and green refracted colours are often relatively pure, lacking the red and yellow rays, which have been absorbed by the black pigment (melanin) of the melanophores. Yellow, orange, and red colours are produced by erythrophores, cells containing the appropriate carotenoid pigments. Other colours are produced by combinations of melanophores, erythrophores, and iridocytes.
The major portion of the body of most fishes consists of muscles. Most of the mass is trunk musculature, the fin muscles usually being relatively small. The caudal fin is usually the most powerful fin, being moved by the trunk musculature. The body musculature is usually arranged in rows of chevron-shaped segments on each side. Contractions of these segments, each attached to adjacent vertebrae and vertebral processes, bends the body on the vertebral joint, producing successive undulations of the body, passing from the head to the tail, and producing driving strokes of the tail. It is the latter that provides the strong forward movement for most fishes.
The digestive system, in a functional sense, starts at the mouth, with the teeth used to capture prey or collect plant foods. Mouth shape and tooth structure vary greatly in fishes, depending on the kind of food normally eaten. Most fishes are predacious, feeding on small invertebrates or other fishes and have simple conical teeth on the jaws, on at least some of the bones of the roof of the mouth, and on special gill arch structures just in front of the esophagus. The latter are throat teeth. Most predacious fishes swallow their prey whole, and the teeth are used for grasping and holding prey, for orienting prey to be swallowed (head first) and for working the prey toward the esophagus. There are a variety of tooth types in fishes. Some fishes, such as sharks and piranhas, have cutting teeth for biting chunks out of their victims. A shark’s tooth, although superficially like that of a piranha, appears in many respects to be a modified scale, while that of the piranha is like that of other bony fishes, consisting of dentine and enamel. Parrot fishes have beaklike mouths with short incisor-like teeth for breaking off coral and have heavy pavementlike throat teeth for crushing the coral. Some catfishes have small brushlike teeth, arranged in rows on the jaws, for scraping plant and animal growth from rocks. Many fishes (such as the Cyprinidae or minnows) have no jaw teeth at all but have very strong throat teeth.
Some fishes gather planktonic food by straining it from their gill cavities with numerous elongate stiff rods (gill rakers) anchored by one end to the gill bars. The food collected on these rods is passed to the throat, where it is swallowed. Most fishes have only short gill rakers that help keep food particles from escaping out the mouth cavity into the gill chamber.
Once reaching the throat, food enters a short, often greatly distensible esophagus, a simple tube with a muscular wall leading into a stomach. The stomach varies greatly in fishes, depending upon the diet. In most predacious fishes it is a simple straight or curved tube or pouch with a muscular wall and a glandular lining. Food is largely digested there and leaves the stomach in liquid form.
Between the stomach and the intestine, ducts enter the digestive tube from the liver and pancreas. The liver is a large, clearly defined organ. The pancreas may be embedded in it, diffused through it, or broken into small parts spread along some of the intestine. The junction between the stomach and the intestine is marked by a muscular valve. Pyloric ceca (blind sacs) occur in some fishes at this junction and have a digestive or absorptive function or both.
The intestine itself is quite variable in length, depending upon the fish’s diet. It is short in predacious forms, sometimes no longer than the body cavity, but long in herbivorous forms, being coiled and several times longer than the entire length of the fish in some species of South American catfishes. The intestine is primarily an organ for absorbing nutrients into the bloodstream. The larger its internal surface, the greater its absorptive efficiency, and a spiral valve is one method of increasing its absorption surface.
Sharks, rays, chimaeras, lungfishes, surviving chondrosteans, holosteans, and even a few of the more primitive teleosts have a spiral valve or at least traces of it in the intestine. Most modern teleosts have increased the area of the intestinal walls by having numerous folds and villi (fingerlike projections) somewhat like those in humans. Undigested substances are passed to the exterior through the anus in most teleost fishes. In lungfishes, sharks, and rays, it is first passed through the cloaca, a common cavity receiving the intestinal opening and the ducts from the urogenital system.
Oxygen and carbon dioxide dissolve in water, and most fishes exchange dissolved oxygen and carbon dioxide in water by means of the gills. The gills lie behind and to the side of the mouth cavity and consist of fleshy filaments supported by the gill arches and filled with blood vessels, which give gills a bright red colour. Water taken in continuously through the mouth passes backward between the gill bars and over the gill filaments, where the exchange of gases takes place. The gills are protected by a gill cover in teleosts and many other fishes but by flaps of skin in sharks, rays, and some of the older fossil fish groups. The blood capillaries in the gill filaments are close to the gill surface to take up oxygen from the water and to give up excess carbon dioxide to the water.
Most modern fishes have a hydrostatic (ballast) organ, called the swim bladder, that lies in the body cavity just below the kidney and above the stomach and intestine. It originated as a diverticulum of the digestive canal. In advanced teleosts, especially the acanthopterygians, the bladder has lost its connection with the digestive tract, a condition called physoclistic. The connection has been retained (physostomous) by many relatively primitive teleosts. In several unrelated lines of fishes, the bladder has become specialized as a lung or, at least, as a highly vascularized accessory breathing organ. Some fishes with such accessory organs are obligate air breathers and will drown if denied access to the surface, even in well-oxygenated water. Fishes with a hydrostatic form of swim bladder can control their depth by regulating the amount of gas in the bladder. The gas, mostly oxygen, is secreted into the bladder by special glands, rendering the fish more buoyant; the gas is absorbed into the bloodstream by another special organ, reducing the overall buoyancy and allowing the fish to sink. Some deep-sea fishes may have oils, rather than gas, in the bladder. Other deep-sea and some bottom-living forms have much-reduced swim bladders or have lost the organ entirely.
The swim bladder of fishes follows the same developmental pattern as the lungs of land vertebrates. There is no doubt that the two structures have the same historical origin in primitive fishes. More or less intermediate forms still survive among the more primitive types of fishes, such as the lungfishes Lepidosiren and Protopterus.
The circulatory, or blood vascular, system consists of the heart, the arteries, the capillaries, and the veins. It is in the capillaries that the interchange of oxygen, carbon dioxide, nutrients, and other substances such as hormones and waste products takes place. The capillaries lead to the veins, which return the venous blood with its waste products to the heart, kidneys, and gills. There are two kinds of capillary beds: those in the gills and those in the rest of the body. The heart, a folded continuous muscular tube with three or four saclike enlargements, undergoes rhythmic contractions and receives venous blood in a sinus venosus. It passes the blood to an auricle and then into a thick muscular pump, the ventricle. From the ventricle the blood goes to a bulbous structure at the base of a ventral aorta just below the gills. The blood passes to the afferent (receiving) arteries of the gill arches and then to the gill capillaries. There waste gases are given off to the environment, and oxygen is absorbed. The oxygenated blood enters efferent (exuant) arteries of the gill arches and then flows into the dorsal aorta. From there blood is distributed to the tissues and organs of the body. One-way valves prevent backflow. The circulation of fishes thus differs from that of the reptiles, birds, and mammals in that oxygenated blood is not returned to the heart prior to distribution to the other parts of the body.
The primary excretory organ in fishes, as in other vertebrates, is the kidney. In fishes some excretion also takes place in the digestive tract, skin, and especially the gills (where ammonia is given off). Compared with land vertebrates, fishes have a special problem in maintaining their internal environment at a constant concentration of water and dissolved substances, such as salts. Proper balance of the internal environment (homeostasis) of a fish is in a great part maintained by the excretory system, especially the kidney.
The kidney, gills, and skin play an important role in maintaining a fish’s internal environment and checking the effects of osmosis. Marine fishes live in an environment in which the water around them has a greater concentration of salts than they can have inside their body and still maintain life. Freshwater fishes, on the other hand, live in water with a much lower concentration of salts than they require inside their bodies. Osmosis tends to promote the loss of water from the body of a marine fish and absorption of water by that of a freshwater fish. Mucus in the skin tends to slow the process but is not a sufficient barrier to prevent the movement of fluids through the permeable skin. When solutions on two sides of a permeable membrane have different concentrations of dissolved substances, water will pass through the membrane into the more concentrated solution, while the dissolved chemicals move into the area of lower concentration (diffusion).
The kidney of freshwater fishes is often larger in relation to body weight than that of marine fishes. In both groups the kidney excretes wastes from the body, but the kidney of freshwater fishes also excretes large amounts of water, counteracting the water absorbed through the skin. Freshwater fishes tend to lose salt to the environment and must replace it. They get some salt from their food, but the gills and skin inside the mouth actively absorb salt from water passed through the mouth. This absorption is performed by special cells capable of moving salts against the diffusion gradient. Freshwater fishes drink very little water and take in little water with their food.
Marine fishes must conserve water, and therefore their kidneys excrete little water. To maintain their water balance, marine fishes drink large quantities of seawater, retaining most of the water and excreting the salt. Most nitrogenous waste in marine fishes appears to be secreted by the gills as ammonia. Marine fishes can excrete salt by clusters of special cells (chloride cells) in the gills.
There are several teleosts—for example, the salmon—that travel between fresh water and seawater and must adjust to the reversal of osmotic gradients. They adjust their physiological processes by spending time (often surprisingly little time) in the intermediate brackish environment.
Marine hagfishes, sharks, and rays have osmotic concentrations in their blood about equal to that of seawater and so do not have to drink water nor perform much physiological work to maintain their osmotic balance. In sharks and rays the osmotic concentration is kept high by retention of urea in the blood. Freshwater sharks have a lowered concentration of urea in the blood.
Endocrine glands secrete their products into the bloodstream and body tissues and, along with the central nervous system, control and regulate many kinds of body functions. Cyclostomes have a well-developed endocrine system, and presumably it was well developed in the early Agnatha, ancestral to modern fishes. Although the endocrine system in fishes is similar to that of higher vertebrates, there are numerous differences in detail. The pituitary, the thyroid, the suprarenals, the adrenals, the pancreatic islets, the sex glands (ovaries and testes), the inner wall of the intestine, and the bodies of the ultimobranchial gland make up the endocrine system in fishes. There are some others whose function is not well understood. These organs regulate sexual activity and reproduction, growth, osmotic pressure, general metabolic activities such as the storage of fat and the utilization of foodstuffs, blood pressure, and certain aspects of skin colour. Many of these activities are also controlled in part by the central nervous system, which works with the endocrine system in maintaining the life of a fish. Some parts of the endocrine system are developmentally, and undoubtedly evolutionarily, derived from the nervous system.
As in all vertebrates, the nervous system of fishes is the primary mechanism coordinating body activities, as well as integrating these activities in the appropriate manner with stimuli from the environment. The central nervous system, consisting of the brain and spinal cord, is the primary integrating mechanism. The peripheral nervous system, consisting of nerves that connect the brain and spinal cord to various body organs, carries sensory information from special receptor organs such as the eyes, internal ears, nares (sense of smell), taste glands, and others to the integrating centres of the brain and spinal cord. The peripheral nervous system also carries information via different nerve cells from the integrating centres of the brain and spinal cord. This coded information is carried to the various organs and body systems, such as the skeletal muscular system, for appropriate action in response to the original external or internal stimulus. Another branch of the nervous system, the autonomic nervous system, helps to coordinate the activities of many glands and organs and is itself closely connected to the integrating centres of the brain.
The brain of the fish is divided into several anatomical and functional parts, all closely interconnected but each serving as the primary centre of integrating particular kinds of responses and activities. Several of these centres or parts are primarily associated with one type of sensory perception, such as sight, hearing, or smell (olfaction).
The sense of smell is important in almost all fishes. Certain eels with tiny eyes depend mostly on smell for location of food. The olfactory, or nasal, organ of fishes is located on the dorsal surface of the snout. The lining of the nasal organ has special sensory cells that perceive chemicals dissolved in the water, such as substances from food material, and send sensory information to the brain by way of the first cranial nerve. Odour also serves as an alarm system. Many fishes, especially various species of freshwater minnows, react with alarm to a chemical released from the skin of an injured member of their own species.
Many fishes have a well-developed sense of taste, and tiny pitlike taste buds or organs are located not only within their mouth cavities but also over their heads and parts of their body. Catfishes, which often have poor vision, have barbels (“whiskers”) that serve as supplementary taste organs, those around the mouth being actively used to search out food on the bottom. Some species of naturally blind cave fishes are especially well supplied with taste buds, which often cover most of their body surface.
Sight is extremely important in most fishes. The eye of a fish is basically like that of all other vertebrates, but the eyes of fishes are extremely varied in structure and adaptation. In general, fishes living in dark and dim water habitats have large eyes, unless they have specialized in some compensatory way so that another sense (such as smell) is dominant, in which case the eyes will often be reduced. Fishes living in brightly lighted shallow waters often will have relatively small but efficient eyes. Cyclostomes have somewhat less elaborate eyes than other fishes, with skin stretched over the eyeball perhaps making their vision somewhat less effective. Most fishes have a spherical lens and accommodate their vision to far or near subjects by moving the lens within the eyeball. A few sharks accommodate by changing the shape of the lens, as in land vertebrates. Those fishes that are heavily dependent upon the eyes have especially strong muscles for accommodation. Most fishes see well, despite the restrictions imposed by frequent turbidity of the water and by light refraction.
Fossil evidence suggests that colour vision evolved in fishes more than 300 million years ago, but not all living fishes have retained this ability. Experimental evidence indicates that many shallow-water fishes, if not all, have colour vision and see some colours especially well, but some bottom-dwelling shore fishes live in areas where the water is sufficiently deep to filter out most if not all colours, and these fishes apparently never see colours. When tested in shallow water, they apparently are unable to respond to colour differences.
Sound perception and balance are intimately associated senses in a fish. The organs of hearing are entirely internal, located within the skull, on each side of the brain and somewhat behind the eyes. Sound waves, especially those of low frequencies, travel readily through water and impinge directly upon the bones and fluids of the head and body, to be transmitted to the hearing organs. Fishes readily respond to sound; for example, a trout conditioned to escape by the approach of fishermen will take flight upon perceiving footsteps on a stream bank even if it cannot see a fisherman. Compared with humans, however, the range of sound frequencies heard by fishes is greatly restricted. Many fishes communicate with each other by producing sounds in their swim bladders, in their throats by rasping their teeth, and in other ways.
A fish or other vertebrate seldom has to rely on a single type of sensory information to determine the nature of the environment around it. A catfish uses taste and touch when examining a food object with its oral barbels. Like most other animals, fishes have many touch receptors over their body surface. Pain and temperature receptors also are present in fishes and presumably produce the same kind of information to a fish as to humans. Fishes react in a negative fashion to stimuli that would be painful to human beings, suggesting that they feel a sensation of pain.
An important sensory system in fishes that is absent in other vertebrates (except some amphibians) is the lateral line system. This consists of a series of heavily innervated small canals located in the skin and bone around the eyes, along the lower jaw, over the head, and down the mid-side of the body, where it is associated with the scales. Intermittently along these canals are located tiny sensory organs (pit organs) that apparently detect changes in pressure. The system allows a fish to sense changes in water currents and pressure, thereby helping the fish to orient itself to the various changes that occur in the physical environment.
Although a great many fossil fishes have been found and described, they represent a tiny portion of the long and complex evolution of fishes, and knowledge of fish evolution remains relatively fragmentary. In the classification presented in this article, fishlike vertebrates are divided into seven categories, the members of each having a different basic structural organization and different physical and physiological adaptations for the problems presented by the environment. The broad basic pattern has been one of successive replacement of older groups by newer, better-adapted groups. One or a few members of a group evolved a basically more efficient means of feeding, breathing, or swimming or several better ways of living. These better-adapted groups then forced the extinction of members of the older group with which they competed for available food, breeding places, or other necessities of life. As the new fishes became well established, some of them evolved further and adapted to other habitats, where they continued to replace members of the old group already there. The process was repeated until all or almost all members of the old group in a variety of habitats had been replaced by members of the newer evolutionary line.
The earliest vertebrate fossils of certain relationships are fragments of dermal armour of jawless fishes (superclass Agnatha, order Heterostraci) from the Upper Ordovician Period in North America, about 450 million years in age. Early Ordovician toothlike fragments from the former Soviet Union are less certainly remains of agnathans. It is uncertain whether the North American jawless fishes inhabited shallow coastal marine waters, where their remains became fossilized, or were freshwater vertebrates washed into coastal deposits by stream action.
Jawless fishes probably arose from ancient, small, soft-bodied filter-feeding organisms much like and probably also ancestral to the modern sand-dwelling filter feeders, the Cephalochordata (Amphioxus and its relatives). The body in the ancestral animals was probably stiffened by a notochord. Although a vertebrate origin in fresh water is much debated by paleontologists, it is possible that mobility of the body and protection provided by dermal armour arose in response to streamflow in the freshwater environment and to the need to escape from and resist the clawed invertebrate eurypterids that lived in the same waters. Because of the marine distribution of the surviving primitive chordates, however, many paleontologists doubt that the vertebrates arose in fresh water.
Heterostracan remains are next found in what appear to be delta deposits in two North American localities of Silurian age. By the close of the Silurian, about 416 million years ago, European heterostracan remains are found in what appear to be delta or coastal deposits. In the Late Silurian of the Baltic area, lagoon or freshwater deposits yield jawless fishes of the order Osteostraci. Somewhat later in the Silurian from the same region, layers contain fragments of jawed acanthodians, the earliest group of jawed vertebrates, and of jawless fishes. These layers lie between marine beds but appear to be washed out from fresh waters of a coastal region.
It is evident, therefore, that by the end of the Silurian both jawed and jawless vertebrates were well established and already must have had a long history of development. Yet paleontologists have remains only of specialized forms that cannot have been the ancestors of the placoderms and bony fishes that appear in the next period, the Devonian. No fossils are known of the more primitive ancestors of the agnathans and acanthodians. The extensive marine beds of the Silurian and those of the Ordovician are essentially void of vertebrate history. It is believed that the ancestors of fishlike vertebrates evolved in upland fresh waters, where whatever few and relatively small fossil beds were made probably have been long since eroded away. Remains of the earliest vertebrates may never be found.
By the close of the Silurian, all known orders of jawless vertebrates had evolved, except perhaps the modern cyclostomes, which are without the hard parts that ordinarily are preserved as fossils. Cyclostomes were unknown as fossils until 1968, when a lamprey of modern body structure was reported from the Middle Pennsylvanian of Illinois, in deposits more than 300 million years old. Fossil evidence of the four orders of armoured jawless vertebrates is absent from deposits later than the Devonian. Presumably, these vertebrates became extinct at that time, being replaced by the more efficient and probably more aggressive placoderms, acanthodians, selachians (sharks and relatives), and by early bony fishes. Cyclostomes survived probably because early on they evolved from anaspid agnathans and developed a rasping tonguelike structure and a sucking mouth, enabling them to prey on other fishes. With this way of life they apparently had no competition from other fish groups. Cyclostomes, the hagfishes and lampreys, were once thought to be closely related because of the similarity in their suctorial mouths, but it is now understood that the hagfishes, order Myxiniformes, are the most primitive living chordates, and they are classified separately from the lampreys, order Petromyzontiformes.
Early jawless vertebrates probably fed on tiny organisms by filter feeding, as do the larvae of their descendants, the modern lampreys. The gill cavity of the early agnathans was large. It is thought that small organisms taken from the bottom by a nibbling action of the mouth, or more certainly by a sucking action through the mouth, were passed into the gill cavity along with water for breathing. Small organisms then were strained out by the gill apparatus and directed to the food canal. The gill apparatus thus evolved as a feeding, as well as a breathing, structure. The head and gills in the agnathans were protected by a heavy dermal armour; the tail region was free, allowing motion for swimming.
Most important for the evolution of fishes and vertebrates in general was the early appearance of bone, cartilage, and enamel-like substance. These materials became modified in later fishes, enabling them to adapt to many aquatic environments and finally even to land. Other basic organs and tissues of the vertebrates—such as the central nervous system, heart, liver, digestive tract, kidney, and circulatory system— undoubtedly were present in the ancestors of the agnathans. In many ways, bone, both external and internal, was the key to vertebrate evolution.
The next class of fishes to appear was the Acanthodii, containing the earliest known jawed vertebrates, which arose in the Late Silurian, more than 416 million years ago. The acanthodians declined after the Devonian but lasted into the Early Permian, a little less than 280 million years ago. The first complete specimens appear in Lower Devonian freshwater deposits, but later in the Devonian and Permian some members appear to have been marine. Most were small fishes, not more than 75 cm (approximately 30 inches) in length.
We know nothing of the ancestors of the acanthodians. They must have arisen from some jawless vertebrate, probably in fresh water. They appear to have been active swimmers with almost no head armour but with large eyes, indicating that they depended heavily on vision. Perhaps they preyed on invertebrates. The rows of spines and spinelike fins between the pectoral and pelvic fins give some credence to the idea that paired fins arose from “fin folds” along the body sides.
The relationships of the acanthodians to other jawed vertebrates are obscure. They possess features found in both sharks and bony fishes. They are like early bony fishes in possessing ganoidlike scales and a partially ossified internal skeleton. Certain aspects of the jaw appear to be more like those of bony fishes than sharks, but the bony fin spines and certain aspects of the gill apparatus would seem to favour relationships with early sharks. Acanthodians do not seem particularly close to the Placodermi, although, like the placoderms, they apparently possessed less efficient tooth replacement and tooth structure than the sharks and the bony fishes, possibly one reason for their subsequent extinction.
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The Congregation of the Servants of the Sacred Heart of Jesus
The Congregation of the Servants of the Sacred Heart of Jesus was founded in 1866 by Abbè Peter Victor Brown in Paris.
On the advice of Baron Jaromir Mundy (one of the later founders of the Vienna Ambulance Company), Viennese medical officer and Maltese, who the Sacred Heart sisters became to know and to appreciate during the Franco-German war in a military hospital, summoned the then head of the Rudolf Foundation (Rudolfstifting), Mr. Director Boehm, the Sacred Heart sisters for nursing to Vienna in his hospital.
1873 arrived 13 sisters in Vienna and began their ministry to the sick. Due to the increasing number of sisters the construction of today's mother house (the provincial house at the time) in 1890 in the Keinergasse became necessary. This building which houses the oldest part of the hospital is now a protected monument, as well as church, monastery and "school".
1906 the Sacred Heart Church was consecrated and was followed in 1931 by the opening of the school building with day-care center (kindergarten and nursery).
During World War Second were confiscated all nonessential rooms of the Convent of the Wehrmacht for a military hospital. Our sisters took over the care of the wounded soldiers. From this institution was established in 1945 the private Sacred Heart Hospital (now 141 beds).
In 1989 the staff residence has been given over to its purpose, and 11 years later, in the holy year 2000, followed the tract in the Rabengasse, which is equipped with an interdisciplinary monitoring unit.
According to the motto "serve in love", the sisters, since the founding of the Congregation, make all possible efforts in order to guarantee the welfare of the children, sick and elderly.
Order and hospital chronicle at a glance
1866 - Founded Abbé Victor Brown, a priest from Lorraine, the Congregation of the Servants of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus. The sisters took care of the poor, abandoned, old and sick people and of neglected children.
1873 - 13 sisters come to Vienna in the Rudolf Foundation for the care of the sick and home nursing.
1874 - Opening of a branch in Gainfarn (Lower Austria) with the take-over of a children's home (Kinderbewahranstalt).
1875 - Sisters from the London house come to Vienna. Acquisition of Crown Prince Rudolf Children's Hospital.
1877 - Appeal of the sisters to St. Anna Children's Hospital/Vienna.
1879 - Acquisition of the house as the first property in Vienna, which is now the provincial house in Austria. Establishment of the first novitiate in Austria
1880 - Takeover of the nursing service in the Epidemic hospital, Triesterstraße/Vienna.
1883 - The sisters are appointed to the by the Countess Malfatti founded St. Josefs-Greisenasyl/Wien (old age asylum).
1884 - The nursing service in the community hospital Bad Vöslau is transferred to the sisters.
1886 - Due to the growth of the sisters, new acquisition of a larger provincial house in Vienna/Ober St. Veit, Himmelhof.
1888 - Takeover of the nursing service in the Kaiser-Franz -Josef Hospital/Vienna and the Wiedner Hospital/Vienna.
1890 - Laying of the foundation stone of the new provincial house in the Keinergasse/Vienna.
Vocation of the Sisters to the Nursing Institute Confraternität.
1892 - Takeover of the municipal poorhouse Scheibbs/Lower Austria and opening of a needlework school.
1893 - Opening of a needlework school and a kindergarten in the Mother House.
1896 - Establishment of a branch in Gaweinstal/Lower Austria .
1897 - Takeover of nursing in Inquisitenspital/Vienna.
1898 - Care of plague victims in the Kaiser-Franz-Josef Hospital.
1899 - Takeover of nursing in the General Hospital/Vienna.
1900 - Extension of the Mother House
1904 - Ground-breaking ceremony of the Sacred Heart Church in the 3rd District of Vienna. Commencement of operations in the poor house and in kindergarten in Kallwang/Styria.
1905 - Takeover of care in the poor house/Laa an der Thaya/Lower Austria. Inauguration of the extension of the Mother House on the Landstraßer Hauptstrasse/Vienna.
1906 - Inauguration of the Sacred Heart Church, Vienna.
1907
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1912 - Founding of several branches throughout Austria.
1911
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1913 - During this time, nurses are in Serbia at the war front.
1914 - Takeover of Preyerschen Children's Hospital in the 10th District of Vienna.
1919 - Establishment of a day-care center in the Mother House. Opening of an evening home for girls as young as 14 years. Acquisition of a recovery house in Niederhollabrunn.
1926 - State recognition of the trade school in the Mother House.
1932 - Death of the Superior, Chancellor Dr. Seipel.
1934 - Takeover of care in the General Army Hospital/Vienna. Purchase of a recovery house in St. Reginald/Krems.
1938 - Nazi Party seizes the school building. Expulsion of the Sisters of the kindergartens in Austria and Germany.
1939 - Second World War. By the Nazi Party follows the confiscation of the monastery. In the Mother House establishment of a military hospital. Care of the wounded in hospitals and sick bays.
1944 - In air raids on Vienna the Mother House was bombed. Two sisters killed, church and a part of the house badly damaged. In the bombing of the Franz-Josef-Spital killed five sisters.
1945 - End of war. At the Mother House follows the re-designation of the Reserve Military Hospital into the Sacred Heart Hospital. Reopening of kindergartens and day-care center in the Mother House.
1946 - Reconstruction of the Mother House.
1956 - 50th jubilee of its existence of the Sacred Heart Church.
1966 - The last sisters leave the Rudolf Foundation, in which the activity has begun in Vienna.
1970 - Inauguration of the new Austrian Province House in Mödling.
1971 - Annex to Sacred Heart Hospital.
1973 - 100 years Servants of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in Vienna.
1988 - Construction of a personal residence.
1990 - First CT in a small hospital.
1991 - Clinic for Physical Therapy.
1992 - Orthopaedic Department (only department in the 3rd district)
1993 - Surgical Outpatient Clinic/Department of Conservative orthopedics.
1994 - Annex to Sacred Heart Hospital.
1995 - Renovation of the kitchen of the hospital and 50-year anniversary.
1997 - Bed elevator Keinergasse.
1999 - Spin-off and conversion into a limited company.
2000 - Annex Rabengasse (new surgical classification).
2001 - Geriatrics (only department in the 3rd district).
2003 - Annex for electric supply.
2004 - Official recognition of four interdisciplinary monitoring beds after 30 years of voluntary service. Fire alarm system throughout the hospital.
2005 - Operation Room 3.
2006 - Operation Room 1 + 2. Completion of conversion of all departments.
2007 Integration into the Vincent Group.