the life of thomas telford-第46章

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feet；　the　land　arches　being　of　9　feet　span。　　The　works　were

proceeded　with　and　the　bridge　was　completed　during　the　summer　of

1798；　Telford　writing　to　his　friend　in　December　of　that　year

〃We　have　had　a　remarkably　dry　summer　and　autumn；　after　that　an　early

fall　of　snow　and　some　frost；　followed　by　rain。　　The　drought　of　the

summer　was　unfavourable　to　our　canal　working；　but　it　has　enabled　us

to　raise　Bewdley　Bridge　as　if　by　enchantment。　　We　have　thus　built　a

magnificent　bridge　over　the　Severn　in　one　season；　which　is　no

contemptible　work　for　John　Simpson*＇10＇　and　your　humble　servant；

amidst　so　many　other　great　undertakings。　　John　Simpson　is　a

treasurea　man　of　great　talents　and　integrity。　　I　met　with　him

here　by　chance；　employed　and　recommended　him；　and　he　has　now　under

his　charge　all　the　works　of　any　magnitude　in　this　great　and　rich

district。〃



＇Image＇　Bewdley　Bridge。



Another　of　our　engineer's　early　stone　bridges；　which　may　be

mentioned　in　this　place；　was　erected　by　him　in　1805；　over　the　river

Dee　at　Tongueland　in　the　county　of　Kirkcudbright。　　It　is　a　bold　and

picturesque　bridge；　situated　in　a　lovely　locality。　　The　river　is

very　deep　at　high　water　there；　the　tide　rising　20　feet。　　As　the

banks　were　steep　and　rocky；　the　engineer　determined　to　bridge　the

stream　by　a　single　arch　of　112　feet　span。　　The　rise　being

considerable；　high　wingwalls　and　deep　spandrels　were　requisite；　but

the　weight　of　the　structure　was　much　lightened　by　the　expedient

which　he　adopted　of　perforating　the　wings；　and　building　a　number　of

longitudinal　walls　in　the　spandrels；　instead　of　filling　them　with

earth　or　inferior　masonry；　as　had　until　then　been　the　ordinary

practice。　　The　ends　of　these　walls；　connected　and　steadied　by　the

insertion　of　tee…stones；　were　built　so　as　to　abut　against　the　back

of　the　arch…stones　and　the　cross　walls　of　each　abutment。　　Thus　great

strength　as　well　as　lightness　was　secured；　and　a　very　graceful　and

at　the　same　time　substantial　bridge　was　provided　for　the

accommodation　of　the　district。*＇11＇



＇Image＇　Tongueland　Bridge。



In　his　letters　written　about　this　time；　Telford　seems　to　have　been

very　full　of　employment；　which　required　him　to　travel　about　a　great

deal。　　〃I　have　become；〃　said　he；　〃a　very　wandering　being；　and　am

scarcely　ever　two　days　in　one　place；　unless　detained　by　business；

which；　however；　occupies　my　time　very　completely。〃　　At　another　time

he　says；　〃I　am　tossed　about　like　a　tennis　ball：　the　other　day　I　was

in　London；　since　that　I　have　been　in　Liverpool；　and　in　a　few　days　I

expect　to　be　at　Bristol。　　Such　is　my　life；　and　to　tell　you　the

truth；　I　think　it　suits　my　disposition。〃



Another　work　on　which　Telford　was　engaged　at　this　time　was　a

project　for　supplying　the　town　of　Liverpool　with　water　conveyed

through　pipes　in　the　same　manner　as　had　long　before　been　adopted　in

London。　　He　was　much　struck　by　the　activity　and　enterprise　apparent

in　Liverpool　compared　with　Bristol。　　〃Liverpool；〃　he　said；

〃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

coun