the life of thomas telford-第34章

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〃has　taken　firm　root　in　the　country　by　means　of　the　canals〃

it　is　young；　vigorous；　and　well　situated。　　Bristol　is　sinking　in

commercial　importance：　its　merchants　are　rich　and　indolent；　and　in

their　projects　they　are　always　too　late。　　Besides；　the　place　is

badly　situated。　　There　will　probably　arise　another　port　there

somewhat　nearer　the　Severn；　but　Liverpool　will　nevertheless

continue　of　the　first　commercial　importance；　and　their　water　will

be　turned　into　wine。　　We　are　making　rapid　progress　in　this　country

I　mean　from　Liverpool　to　Bristol；　and　from　Wales　to　Birmingham。

This　is　an　extensive　and　rich　district；　abounding　in　coal；　lime；

iron；　and　　lead。　　Agriculture　too　is　improving；　and　manufactures

are　advancing　at　rapid　strides　towards　perfection。　　Think　of　such　a

mass　of　population；　industrious；　intelligent；　and　energetic；　in

continual　exertion！　In　short；　I　do　not　believe　that　any　part　of　the

world；　of　like　dimensions；　ever　exceeded　Great　Britain；　as　it　now

is；　in　regard　to　the　production　of　wealth　and　the　practice　of　the

useful　arts。〃*＇12＇　　Amidst　all　this　progress；　which　so　strikingly

characterized　the　western　districts　of　England；　Telford　also

thought　that　there　was　a　prospect　of　coming　improvement　for　Ireland。

〃There　is　a　board　of　five　members　appointed　by　Parliament；　to　act

as　a　board　of　control　over　all　the　inland　navigations；　&c。；　of

Ireland。　　One　of　the　members　is　a　particular　friend　of　mine；　and　at

this　moment　a　pupil；　as　it　were；　anxious　for　information。　　This　is

a　noble　object：　the　field　is　wide；　the　ground　new　and　capable　of

vast　improvement。　　To　take　up　and　manage　the　water　of　a　fine　island

is　like　a　fairy　tale；　and；　if　properly　conducted；　it　would　render

Ireland　truly　a　jewel　among　the　nations。〃*＇13＇　　It　does　not；

however；　appear　that　Telford　was　ever　employed　by　the　board　to

carry　out　the　grand　scheme　which　thus　fired　his　engineering

imagination。



Mixing　freely　with　men　of　all　classes；　our　engineer　seems　to　have

made　many　new　friends　and　acquaintances　about　this　time。　　While　on

his　journeys　north　and　south；　he　frequently　took　the　opportunity　of

looking　in　upon　the　venerable　James　Watt〃a　great　and　good　man；〃

he　terms　himat　his　house　at　Heathfield；　near　Birmingham。

At　London　he　says　he　is　〃often　with　old　Brodie　and　Black；　each　the

first　in　his　profession；　though　they　walked　up　together　to　the

great　city　on　foot；*＇14＇　more　than　half　a　century　agoGloria！〃

About　the　same　time　we　find　him　taking　interest　in　the　projects　of

a　deserving　person；　named　Holwell；　a　coal…master　in　Staffordshire；

and　assisting　him　to　take　out　a　patent　for　boring　wooden　pipes；

〃he　being　a　person；〃　says　Telford；　〃little　known；　and　not　having

capital；　interest；　or　connections；　to　bring　the　matter　forward。〃



Telford　also　kept　up　his　literary　friendships　and　preserved　his

love　for　poetical　reading。　　At　Shrewsbury；　one　of　his　most　intimate

friends　was　Dr。　Darwin；　son　of　the　author　of　the　'Botanic　Garden。'

At　Liverpool；　he　made　the　acquaintance　of　Dr。　Currie；　and　was

favoured　with　a　sight　of　his　manuscript　of　the　'　Life　of　Burns；'

then　in　course　of　publication。　　Curiously　enough；　Dr。　Currie　had

found　among　Burns's　papers　a　copy　of　some　verses；　addressed　to　the

poet；　which　Telford　recognised　as　his　own；　written　many　years

before　while　working　as　a　mason　at　Langholm。　　Their　purport　was　to

urge　Burns　to　devote　himself　to　the　composition　of　poems　of　a

serious　character；　such　as　the　'Cotter's　Saturday　Night。'　With

Telford's　permission；　several　extracts　from　his　Address　to　Burns

were　published　in　1800　in　Currie's　Life　of　the　poet。　　Another　of

his　literary　friendships；　formed　about　the　same　time；　was　that　with

Thomas　Campbell；　then　a　very　young　man；　whose　'Pleasures　of　Hope'

had　just　made　its　appearance。　　Telford；　in　one　of　his　letters；　says；

〃I　will　not　leave　a　stone　unturned　to　try　to　serve　the　author　of

that　charming　poem。　　In　a　subsequent　communication*＇15＇　he　says；

〃The　author　of　the　'Pleasures　of　Hope'　has　been　here　for　some　time。

I　am　quite　delighted　with　him。　　He　is　the　very　spirit　of　poetry。

On　Monday　I　introduced　him　to　the　King's　librarian；　and　I　imagine

some　good　may　result　to　him　from　the　introduction。〃



In　the　midst　of　his　plans　of　docks；　canals；　and　bridges；　he　wrote

letters　to　his　friends　about　the　peculiarities　of　Goethe's　poems

and　Kotzebue's　plays；　Roman　antiquities；　Buonaparte's　campaign　in

Egypt；　and　the　merits　of　the　last　new　book。　　He　confessed；　however；

that　his　leisure　for　reading　was　rapidly　diminishing　in　consequence

of　the　increasing　professional　demands　upon　his　time；　but　he　bought

the　'Encyclopedia　Britannica；'　which　he　described　as　〃a　perfect

treasure；　containing　everything；　and　always　at　hand。〃　　He　thus

rapidly　described　the　manner　in　which　his　time　was　engrossed。

〃A　few　days　since；　I　attended　a　general　assembly　of　the　canal

proprietors　in　Shropshire。　　I　have　to　be　at　Chester　again　in　a

week；　upon　an　arbitration　business　respecting　the　rebuilding　of　the

county　hall　and　gaol；　but　previous　to　that　I　must　visit　Liverpool；

and　afterwards　proceed　into　Worcestershire。　　So　you　see　what　sort

of　a　life　I　have　of　it。　　It　is　something　like　Buonaparte；　when　in

Italy；　fighting　battles　at　fifty　or　a　hundred　miles　distance　every

other　day。　　However；　plenty　of　employment　is　what　every

professional　man　is　seeking　after；　and　my　various　occupations　now

require　of　me　great　exertions；　which　they　certainly　shall　have　so

long　as　life　and　health　are　spared　to　me。〃*＇16＇　　Amidst　all　his

engagements；　Telford　found　time　to　make　particular　inquiry　about

many　poor　families　formerly　known　to　him　in　Eskdale；　for　some　of

whom　he　paid　house…rent；　while　he　transmitted　the　means　of

supplying　others　with　coals；　meal；　and　necessaries；　during　the

severe　winter　months；a　practice　which　he　continued　to　the　close

of　his　life。



Footnotes　for　Chapter　VII。



*＇1＇　'Encyclopedia　Britannica；'　8th　ed。　　Art。　　〃Iron　Bridges。〃



*＇2＇　According　to　the　statement　made　in　the　petition　drawn　by　Paine；

excise　officers　were　then　（1772）　paid　only　1s。　9　1/4d。　a　day。



*＇3＇　In　England；　Paine　took　out　a　patent　for　his　Iron　Bridge　in

1788。　　Specification　of　Patents　（old　law）　No。　1667。



*＇4＇　＇Image＇　Buildwas　Bridge。



The　following　are　further　details：　〃Each　of　the　main　ribs　of　the

flat　arch　consists　of　three　pieces；　and　at　each　junction　they　are

secured　by　a　grated　plate；　which　connects　all　the　parallel　ribs

together　into　one　frame。　　The　back　of　each　abutment　is　in　a

wedge…shape；　so　as　to　throw　off　laterally　much　of　the　pressure　of

the　earth。　　Under　the　bridge　is　a　towing　path　on　each　side　of　the

river。　　The　bridge　was　cast　in　an　admirable　manner　by　the

Coalbrookdale　iron…masters　in　the　year　1796；　under　contract　with

the　county　magistrates。　　The　total　cost　was　6034L。　l3s。　3d。〃



*＇5＇　Letter　to　Mr。　Andrew　Little；　Langholm；　dated　Shrewsbury；

l8th　March；　1795。



*＇6＇　Douglas　was　first　mentioned　to　Telford；　in　a　letter　from

Mr。　Pasley；　as　a　young　man；　a　native　of　Bigholmes；　Eskdale；　who　had；

after　serving　his　time　there　as　a　mechanic；　emigrated　to　America；

where　he　showed　such　proofs　of　mechanical　genius　that　he　attracted

the　notice　of　Mr。　Liston；　the　British　Minister；　who　paid　his

expenses　home　to　England；　that　his　services　might　not　be　lost　to

his　country；　and　at　the　same　time　gave　him　a　letter　of　introduction

to　the　Society　of　Arts　in　London。　　Telford；　in　a　letter　to　Andrew

Little；　dated　4th　December；　1797；　expressed　a　desire　〃to　know　more

of　this　Eskdale　Archimedes。〃　　Shortly　after；　we　find　Douglas

mentioned　as　having　invented　a　brick　machine；　a　shearing…machine；

and　a　ball　for　destroying　the　rigging　of　ships；　for　the　two　former

of　which　he　secured　patents。　　He　afterwards　settled　in　France；　where

he　introduced　machinery　for　the　improved　manufacture　of　woollen

cloth；　and　being　patronised　by　the　Government；　he　succeeded　in

realising　considerable　wealth；　which；　how　ever；　he　did　not　live　to

enjoy。



*＇7＇　Letter　to　Mr。　Andrew　Little；　Langholm；　dated　London；　l3th　May；

1800。



*＇8＇　The　evidence　is　fairly　set　forth　in　'Cresy's　Encyclopedia　of

Civil　Engineering；'　p。　475。



*＇9＇　Article　on　Iron　Bridges；　in　the　'Encyclopedia　Britannica；'

Edinburgh；　1857。



*＇10＇　His　foreman　of　masons　at　Bewdley　Bridge；　and　afterwards　his

assistant　in　numerous　important　works。



*＇11＇　The　work　is　thus　described　in　Robert　Chambers's　'　Picture　of

Scotland'：〃Opposite　Compston　there　is　a　magnificent　new　bridge

over　the　Dee。　　It　consists　of　a　single　web；　the　span　of　which　is　112

feet；　and　it　is　built　of　vast　blocks　of　freestone　brought　from　the

isle　of　Arran。　　The　cost　of　this　work　was　somewhere　about　7000L。

sterling；　and　it　may　be　mentioned；　to　the　honour　of　the　Stewartry；

that　this　sum　was　raised　by　the　private　contributions　of　the

gentlemen　of　the　district。　　From　Tongueland　Hill；　in　the　immediate

vicinity　of　the　bridge；　there　is　a　view　well　worthy　of　a　painter's

eye；　and　which　is　not　inferior　in　beauty　and　magnificence　to　any　in

Scotland。〃



*＇12＇　Letter　to　Mr。　Andrew　Little；　Langholm；　dated　Salop；

13th　July；　1799。



*＇13＇　Letter　to　Mr。　Andrew　Little；　Langholm；　dated　Liverpool；

9th　September；　1800。



*＇14＇　Brodie　was　originally　a　blacksmith。　　He　was　a　man　of　much

ingenuity　and　industry；　and　introduced　many　improvements　in　iron

work；　he　invented　stoves　for　chimneys；　ships'　hearths；　&c。　　He　had

above　a　hundred　men　working　in　his　London　shop；　besides　carrying　on

an　iron　work　at　Coalbrookdale。　　He　afterwards　established　a　woollen

manufactory　near　Peebles。



*＇15＇　Dated　London；　l4th　April；　1802。



*＇16＇　Letter　to　Mr。　Andrew　Little；　Langholm；　dated　Salop；

30th　November；　1799。





CHAPTER　VIII。



HIGHLAND　ROADS　AND　BRIDGES。



In　an　early　chapter　of　this　volume　we　have　given　a　rapid　survey　of

the　state　of　Scotland　about　the　middle　of　last　century。　　We　found　a

country　without　roads；　fields　lying　uncultivated；　mines　unexplored；

and　all　branches　of　industry　languishing；　in　the　midst　of　an　idle；

miserable；　and　haggard　population。　　Fifty　years　passed；　and　the

state　of　the　Lowlands　had　become　completely　changed。　　Roads　had　been

made；　canals　dug；　coal…mines　opened　up；　ironworks　established；

manufactures　were　extending　in　all　directions；　and　Scotch

agriculture；　instead　of　being　the　worst；　was　admitted　to　be　the

best　in　the　island。



〃I　have　been　perfectly　astonished；〃　wrote　Romilly　from　Stirling；

in　1793；　〃at　the　richness　and　high　cultivation　of　all　the　tract　of

this　calumniated　country　through　which　I　have　passed；　and　which

extends　quite　from　Edinburgh　to　the　mountains　where　I　now　am。

It　is　true；　however；　that　almost　everything　which　one　sees　to　admire

in　the　way　of　cultivation　is　due　to　modem　improvements；　and　now　and

then　one　observes　a　few　acres　of　brown　moss；　contrasting　admirably

with　the　corn…fieids　to　which　they　are　contiguous；　and　affording　a

specimen　of　the　dreari