the life of thomas telford-第47章

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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　dreariness　and　desolation　which；　only　half　a　century

ago；　overspread　a　country　now　highly　cultivated；　and　become　a　most

copious　source　of　human　happiness。〃*＇1＇　　It　must；　however；　be

admitted　that　the　industrial　progress　thus　described　was　confined

almost　entirely　to　the　Lowlands；　and　had　scarcely　penetrated　the

mountainous　regions　lying　towards　the　north…west。　　The　rugged

nature　of　that　part　of　the　country　interposed　a　formidable　barrier

to　improvement；　and　the　district　still　remained　very　imperfectly

opened　up。　　The　only　practicable　roads　were　those　which　had　been

made　by　the　soldiery　after　the　rebellions　of　1715　and　'45；　through

counties　which　before　had　been　inaccessible　except　by　dangerous

footpaths　across　high　and　rugged　mountains。　　An　old　epigram　in

vogue　at　the　end　of　last　century　ran　thus：



　　　〃Had　you　seen　these　roads　before　they　were　made；

　　　　You'd　lift　up　your　hands　and　bless　General　Wade！〃



Being　constructed　by　soldiers　for　military　purposes；　they　were

first　known　as　〃military　roads。〃　　One　was　formed　along　the　Great

Glen　of　Scotland；　in　the　line　of　the　present　Caledonian　Canal；

connected　with　the　Lowlands　by　the　road　through　Glencoe　by　Tyndrum

down　the　western　banks　of　Loch　Lomond；　another；　more　northerly；

connected　Fort　Augustus　with　Dunkeld　by　Blair　Athol；　while　a　third；

still　further　to　the　north　and　east；　connected　Fort　George　with

Cupar…in…Angus　by　Badenoch　and　Braemar。



The　military　roads　were　about　eight　hundred　miles　in　extent；

and　maintained　at　the　public　expense。　　But　they　were　laid　out　for

purposes　of　military　occupation　rather　than　for　the　convenience　of

the　districts　which　they　traversed。　　Hence　they　were　comparatively

little　used；　and　the　Highlanders；　in　passing　from　one　place　to

another；　for　the　most　part　continued　to　travel　by　the　old　cattle

tracks　along　the　mountains。　　But　the　population　were　as　yet　so　poor

and　so　spiritless；　and　industry　was　in　so　backward　a　state　all　over

the　Highlan