the life of thomas telford-第50章

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paths　is　28　feet　6　inches。　　The　cost　of　the　structure　was　about

14；000L。；　one…half　of　which　was　defrayed　by　the　Duke　of　Athol。

Dunkeld　bridge　now　forms　a　fine　feature　in　a　landscape　not　often

surpassed；　and　which　presents　within　a　comparatively　small　compass

a　great　variety　of　character　and　beauty。



The　communication　by　road　north　of　Inverness　was　also　perfected　by

the　construction　of　a　bridge　of　five　arches　over　the　Beauly；　and

another　of　the　same　number　over　the　Conan；　the　central　arch　being

65　feet　span；　and　the　formerly　wretched　bit　of　road　between　these

points　having　been　put　in　good　repair；　the　town　of　Dingwall　was

thenceforward　rendered　easily　approachable　from　the　south。　　At　the

same　time；　a　beginning　was　made　with　the　construction　of　new　roads

through　the　districts　most　in　need　of　them。　　The　first　contracted

for；　was　the　Loch…na…Gaul　road；　from　Fort　William　to　Arasaig；

on　the　western　coast；　nearly　opposite　the　island　of　Egg。



Another　was　begun　from　Loch　Oich；　on　the　line　of　the　Caledonian

Canal；　across　the　middle　of　the　Highlands；　through　Glengarry；

to　Loch　Hourn　on　the　western　sea。　　Other　roads　were　opened　north

and　south；　through　Morvern　to　Loch　Moidart；　through　Glen　Morrison

and　Glen　Sheil；　and　through　the　entire　Isle　of　Skye；　from　Dingwall；

eastward；　to　Lochcarron　and　Loch　Torridon；　quite　through　the　county

of　Ross；　and　from　Dingwall；　northward；　through　the　county　of

Sutherland　as　far　as　Tongue　on　the　Pentland　Frith；　while　another

line；　striking　off　at　the　head　of　the　Dornoch　Frith；　proceeded

along　the　coast　in　a　north…easterly　direction　to　Wick　and　Thurso；

in　the　immediate　neighbourhood　of　John　o'　Groats。



There　were　numerous　other　subordinate　lines　of　road　which　it　is

unnecessary　to　specify　in　detail；　but　some　idea　may　be　formed　of

their　extent；　as　well　as　of　the　rugged　character　of　the　country

through　which　they　were　carried；　when　we　state　that　they　involved

the　construction　of　no　fewer　than　twelve　hundred　bridges。　　Several

important　bridges　were　also　erected　at　other　points　to　connect

existing　roads；　such　as　those　at　Ballater　and　Potarch　over　the　Dee；

at　Alford　over　the　Don：　and　at　Craig…Ellachie　over　the　Spey。



The　last…named　bridge　is　a　remarkably　elegant　structure；　thrown

over　the　Spey　at　a　point　where　the　river；　rushing　obliquely　against

the　lofty　rock　of　Craig…Ellachie；*＇11＇　has　formed　for　itself　a　deep

channel　not　exceeding　fifty　yards　in　breadth。　　Only　a　few　years

before；　there　had　not　been　any　provision　for　crossing　this　river　at

its　lower　parts　except　the　very　dangerous　ferry　at　Fochabers。

The　Duke　of　Gordon　had；　however；　erected　a　suspension　bridge　at　that

town；　and　the　inconvenience　was　in　a　great　measure　removed。

Its　utility　was　so　generally　felt；　that　the　demand　arose　for　a　second

bridge　across　the　river；　for　there　was　not　another　by　which　it

could　be　crossed　for　a　distance　of　nearly　fifty　miles　up　Strath　Spey。



It　was　a　difficult　stream　to　span　by　a　bridge　at　any　place；　in

consequence　of　the　violence　with　which　the　floods　descended　at

particular　seasons。　　Sometimes；　even　in　summer；　when　not　a　drop　of

rain　had　fallen；　the　flood　would　come　down　the　Strath　in　great

fury；　sweeping　everything　before　it；　this　remarkable　phenomenon

being　accounted　for　by　the　prevalence　of　a　strong　south…westerly

wind；　which　blew　the　loch　waters　from　their　beds　into　the　Strath；

and　thus　suddenly　filled　the　valley　of　the　Spey。*＇12＇　　The　same

phenomenon；　similarly　caused；　is　also　frequently　observed　in　the

neighbouring　river；　the　Findhorn；　cooped　up　in　its　deep　rocky　bed；

where　the　water　sometimes　comes　down　in　a　wave　six　feet　high；　like

a　liquid　wall；　sweeping　everything　before　it。



To　meet　such　a　contingency；　it　was　deemed　necessary　to　provide

abundant　waterway；　and　to　build　a　bridge　offering　as　little

resistance　as　possible　to　the　passage　of　the　Highland　floods。

Telford　accordingly　designed　for　the　passage　of　the　river　at

Craig…Ellachie　a　light　cast…iron　arch　of　150　feet　span；　with　a　rise

of　20　feet；　the　arch　being　composed　of　four　ribs；　each　consisting

of　two　concentric　arcs　forming　panels；　which　are　filled　in　with

diagonal　bars。



The　roadway　is　15　feet　wide；　and　is　formed　of　another　arc　of

greater　radius；　attached　to　which　is　the　iron　railing；　the

spandrels　being　filled　by　diagonal　ties；　forming　trelliswork。

Mr。　Robert　Stephenson　took　objection　to　the　two　dissimilar　arches；

as　liable　to　subject　the　structure；　from　variations　of　temperature；

to　very　unequal　strains。　　Nevertheless　this　bridge；　as　well　as　many

others　constructed　by　Mr。　Telford　after　a　similar　plan；　has　stood

perfectly　well；　and　to　this　day　remains　a　very　serviceable

structure。



＇Image＇　Craig…Ellachie　Bridge。



Its　appearance　is　highly　picturesque。　　The　scattered　pines　and　beech

trees　on　the　side　of　the　impending　mountain；　the　meadows　along　the

valley　of　the　Spey；　and　the　western　approach　road　to　the　bridge　cut

deeply　into　the　face　of　the　rock；　combine；　with　the　slender

appearance　of　the　iron　arch；　in　rendering　this　spot　one　of　the　most

remarkable　in　Scotland。*＇13＇　　An　iron　bridge　of　a　similar　span　to　that

at　Craig…Ellachie　had　previously　been　constructed　across　the　head

of　the　Dornoch　Frith　at　Bonar；　near　the　point　where　the　waters　of

the　Shin　join　the　sea。　　The　very　severe　trial　which　this　structure

sustained　from　the　tremendous　blow　of　an　irregular　mass　of　fir…tree

logs；　consolidated　by　ice；　as　well　as；　shortly　after；　from　the　blow

of　a　schooner　which　drifted　against　it　on　the　opposite　side；　and

had　her　two　masts　knocked　off　by　the　collision；　gave　him　every

confidence　in　the　strength　of　this　form　of　construction；　and　he

accordingly　repeated　it　in　several　of　his　subsequent　bridges；

though　none　of　them　are　comparable　in　beauty　with　that　of

Craig…Ellachie。



Thus；　in　the　course　of　eighteen　years；　920　miles　of　capital　roads；

connected　together　by　no　fewer　than　1200　bridges；　were　added　to　the

road　communications　of　the　Highlands；　at　an　expense　defrayed　partly

by　the　localities　immediately　benefited；　and　partly　by　the　nation。

The　effects　of　these　twenty　years'　operations　were　such　as　follow

the　making　of　roads　everywheredevelopment　of　industry　and

increase　of　civilization。　　In　no　districts　were　the　benefits

derived　from　them　more　marked　than　in　the　remote　northern　counties

of　Sutherland　and　Caithness。　　The　first　stage…coaches　that　ran

northward　from　Perth　to　Inverness　were　tried　in　1806；　and　became

regularly　established　in　1811；　and　by　the　year　1820　no　fewer　than

forty　arrived　at　the　latter　town　in　the　course　of　every　week；　and

the　same　number　departed　from　it。　　Others　were　established　in

various　directions　through　the　highlands；　which　were　rendered　as

accessible　as　any　English　county。



Agriculture　made　rapid　progress。　　The　use　of　carts　became

practicable；　and　manure　was　no　longer　carried　to　the　field　on

women's　backs。　　Sloth　and　idleness　gradually　disappeared　before　the

energy；　activity；　and　industry　which　were　called　into　life　by　the

improved　communications。　　Better　built　cottages　took　the　place　of

the　old　mud　biggins　with　holes　in　their　roofs　to　let　out　the　smoke。

The　pigs　and　cattle　were　treated　to　a　separate　table。　　The　dunghill

was　turned　to　the　outside　of　the　house。　　Tartan　tatters　gave　place

to　the　produce　of　Manchester　and　Glasgow　looms；　and　very　soon　few

young　persons　were　to　be　found　who　could　not　both　read　and　write

English。



But　not　less　remarkable　were　the　effects　of　the　road…making　upon

the　industrial　habits　of　the　people。　　Before　Telford　went　into　the

Highlands；　they　did　not　know　how　to　work；　having　never　been

accustomed　to　labour　continuously　and　systematically。　　Let　our

engineer　himself　describe　the　moral　influences　of　his　Highland

contracts：〃In　these　works；〃　says　he；　〃and　in　the　Caledonian

Canal；　about　three　thousand　two　hundred　men　have　been　annually

employed。　　At　first；　they　could　scarcely　work　at　all：　they　were

totally　unacquainted　with　l