the life of thomas telford-第25章

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Bridge　and　Halifax；　between　Wakefield　and　Dewsbury；　between

Wakefield　and　Doncaster；　between　Wakefield；　Huddersfield；　and

Saddleworth　（the　Manchester　road）；　between　Standish　and　Thurston

Clough；　between　Huddersfield　and　Highmoor；　between　Huddersfield　and

Halifax；　and　between　Knaresborough　and　Wetherby。



In　Lancashire　also；　Metcalf　made　a　large　extent　of　roads；　which

were　of　the　greatest　importance　in　opening　up　the　resources　of　that

county。　　Previous　to　their　construction；　almost　the　only　means　of

communication　between　districts　was　by　horse…tracks　and　mill…roads；

of　sufficient　width　to　enable　a　laden　horse　to　pass　along　them　with

a　pack　of　goods　or　a　sack　of　corn　slung　across　its　back。　　Metcalf's

principal　roads　in　Lancashire　were　those　constructed　by　him　between

Bury　and　Blackburn；　with　a　branch　to　Accrington；　between　Bury　and

Haslingden；　and　between　Haslingden　and　Accrington；　with　a　branch　to

Blackburn。　　He　also　made　some　highly　important　main　roads

connecting　Yorkshire　and　Lancashire　with　each　other　at　many　parts：

as；　for　instance；　those　between　Skipton；　Colne；　and　Burnley；　and

between　Docklane　Head　and　Ashton…under…Lyne。　　The　roads　from　Ashton

to　Stockport　and　from　Stockport　to　Mottram　Langdale　were　also　his

work。



Our　road…maker　was　also　extensively　employed　in　the　same　way　in　the

counties　of　Cheshire　and　Derby；　constructing　the　roads　between

Macclesfield　and　Chapel…le…Frith；　between　Whaley　and　Buxton；

between　Congleton　and　the　Red　Bull　（entering　Staffordshire）；　and　in

various　　other　directions。　　The　total　mileage　of　the　turnpike…roads

thus　　constructed　was　about　one　hundred　and　eighty　miles；　for　which

Metcalf　received　in　all　about　sixty…five　thousand　pounds。

The　making　of　these　roads　also　involved　the　building　of　many　bridges；

retaining…walls；　and　culverts。　　We　believe　it　was　generally

admitted　of　the　works　constructed　by　Metcalf　that　they　well　stood

the　test　of　time　and　use；　and；　with　a　degree　of　justifiable　pride；

he　was　afterwards　accustomed　to　point　to　his　bridges；　when　others

were　tumbling　during　floods；　and　boast　that　none　of　his　had　fallen。



This　extraordinary　man　not　only　made　the　highways　which　were

designed　for　him　by　other　surveyors；　but　himself　personally

surveyed　and　laid　out　many　of　the　most　important　roads　which　he

constructed；　in　difficult　and　mountainous　parts　of　Yorkshire　and

Lancashire。　　One　who　personally　knew　Metcalf　thus　wrote　of　him

during　his　life…time：。　　〃With　the　assistance　only　of　a　long　staff；

I　have　several　times　met　this　man　traversing　the　roads；　ascending

steep　and　rugged　heights；　exploring　valleys　and　investigating　their

several　extents；　forms；　and　situations；　so　as　to　answer　his　designs

in　the　best　manner。　　The　plans　which　he　makes；　and　the　estimates　he

prepares；　are　done　in　a　method　peculiar　to　himself；　and　of　which　he

cannot　well　convey　the　meaning　to　others。　　His　abilities　in　this

respect　are；　nevertheless；　so　great　that　he　finds　constant

employment。　　Most　of　the　roads　over　the　Peak　in　Derbyshire　have

been　altered　by　his　directions；　particularly　those　in　the　vicinity

of　Buxton；　and　he　is　at　this　time　constructing　a　new　one　betwixt

Wilmslow　and　Congleton；　to　open　a　communication　with　the　great

London　road；　without　being　obliged　to　pass　over　the　mountains。

I　have　met　this　blind　projector　while　engaged　in　making　his　survey。

He　was　alone　as　usual；　and；　amongst　other　conversation；　I　made　some

inquiries　respecting　this　new　road。　　It　was　really　astonishing　to

hear　with　what　accuracy　he　described　its　course　and　the　nature　of

the　different　soils　through　which　it　was　conducted。　　Having

mentioned　to　him　a　boggy　piece　of　ground　it　passed　through；　he

observed　that　'that　was　the　only　place　he　had　　doubts　concerning；

and　that　he　was　apprehensive　they　had；　contrary　to　his　directions；

been　too　sparing　of　their　materials。'〃*＇1＇



Metcalf's　skill　in　constructing　his　roads　over　boggy　ground　was

very　great；　and　the　following　may　be　cited　as　an　instance。　　When

the　　high…road　from　Huddersfield　to　Manchester　was　determined　on；

he　agreed　to　make　it　at　so　much　a　rood；　though　at　that　time　the

line　had　not　been　marked　out。　　When　this　was　done；　Metcalf；　to　his

dismay；　found　that　the　surveyor　had　laid　it　out　across　some　deep

marshy　ground　on　Pule　and　Standish　Commons。　　On　this　he

expostulated　with　the　trustees；　alleging　the　much　greater　expense

that　he　must　necessarily　incur　in　carrying　out　the　work　after　their

surveyor's　plan。　　They　told　him；　however；　that　if　he　succeeded　in

making　a　complete　road　to　their　satisfaction；　he　should　not　be　a

loser；　but　they　pointed　out　that；　according　to　their　surveyor's

views；　it　would　be　requisite　for　him　to　dig　out　the　bog　until　he

came　to　a　solid　bottom。　　Metcalf；　on　making　his　calculations；　found

that　in　that　case　he　would　have　to　dig　a　trench　some　nine　feet　deep

and　fourteen　yards　broad　on　the　average；　making　about　two　hundred

and　ninety…four　solid　yards　of　bog　in　every　rood；　to　be　excavated

and　carried　away。　　This；　he　naturally　conceived；　would　have　proved

both　tedious　as　well　as　costly；　and；　after　all；　the　road　would　in

wet　weather　have　been　no　better　than　a　broad　ditch；　and　in　winter

liable　to　be　blocked　up　with　snow。　　He　strongly　represented　this

view　to　the　trustees　as　well　as　the　surveyor；　but　they　were

immovable。　　It　was；　therefore；　necessary　for　him　to　surmount　the

difficulty　in　some　other　way；　though　he　remained　firm　in　his

resolution　not　to　adopt　the　plan　　proposed　by　the　surveyor。

After　much　cogitation　he　appeared　again　　before　the　trustees；

and　made　this　proposal　to　them：　that　he　should　　make　the　road

across　the　marshes　after　his　own　plan；　and　then；　if　it　should　be

found　not　to　answer；　he　would　be　at　the　expense　of　making　it　over

again　after　the　surveyor's　proposed　method。　　This　was　agreed　to；

and　as　he　had　undertaken　to　make　nine　miles　of　the　road　within　ten

months；　he　immediately　set　to　work　with　all　despatch。



Nearly　four　hundred　men　were　employed　upon　the　work　at　six

different　points；　and　their　first　operation　was　to　cut　a　deep　ditch

along　either　side　of　the　intended　road；　and　throw　the　excavated

stuff　inwards　so　as　to　raise　it　to　a　circular　form。　　His　greatest

difficulty　was　in　getting　the　stones　laid　to　make　the　drains；　there

being　no　firm　footing　for　a　horse　in　the　more　boggy　places。

The　Yorkshire　clothiers；　who　passed　that　way　to　Huddersfield　market

by　no　means　a　soft…spoken　raceridiculed　Metcalf's　proceedings；

and　declared　that　he　and　his　men　would　some　day　have　to　be　dragged

out　of　the　bog　by　the　hair　of　their　heads！　Undeterred；　however；

by　sarcasm；　he　persistently　pursued　his　plan　of　making　the　road

practicable　for　laden　vehicles；　but　he　strictly　enjoined　his　men

for　the　present　to　keep　his　manner　of　proceeding；　a　secret。



His　plan　was　this。　　He　ordered　heather　and　ling　to　be　pulled　from

the　adjacent　ground；　and　after　binding　it　together　in　little　round

bundles；　which　could　be　grasped　with　the　hand；　these　bundles　were

placed　close　together　in　rows　in　the　direction　of　the　line　of　road；

after　which　other　similar　bundles　were　placed　transversely　over

them；　and　when　all　had　been　pressed　well　down；　stone　and　gravel

were　led　on　in　broad…wheeled　waggons；　and　spread　over　the　bundles；

so　as　to　make　a　firm　and　level　way。　　When　the　first　load　was

brought　and　laid　on；　and　the　horses　reached　the　firm　ground　again

in　safety；　loud　cheers　were　set　up　by　the　persons　who　had　assembled

in　the　expectation　of　seeing　both　horses　and　waggons　disappear　in

the　bog。　　The　whole　length　was　finished　in　like　manner；　and　it

proved　one　of　the　best；　and　even　the　driest；　parts　of　the　road；

standing　in　very　little　need　of　repair　for　nearly　twelve　years

after　its　construction。　　The　plan　adopted　by　Metcalf；　we　need

scarcely　point　out；　was　precisely　similar　to　that　afterwards

adopted　by　George　Stephenson；　under　like　circumstances；　when

constructing　the　railway　across　Chat　Moss。　　It　consisted　simply　in　a

large　extension