the life of thomas telford-第58章

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several　successive　years　until　a　very　fine　capacious　canal　was

completed；　on　the　same　level；　as　far　as　Paisley　and　Johnstown。

But　the　funds　of　the　company　falling　short；　the　works　were　stopped；

and　the　canal　was　carried　no　further。　　Besides；　the　measures　adopted

by　the　Clyde　Trustees　to　deepen　the　bed　of　that　river　and　enable

ships　of　large　burden　to　pass　up　as　high　as　Glasgow；　had　proved　so

successful　that　the　ultimate　extension　of　the　canal　to　Ardrossan

was　no　longer　deemed　necessary；　and　the　prosecution　of　the　work　was

accordingly　abandoned。　　But　as　Mr。　Telford　has　observed；　no　person

suspected；　when　the　canal　was　laid　out　in　1805；　〃that　steamboats

would　not　only　monopolise　the　trade　of　the　Clyde；　but　penetrate

into　every　creek　where　there　is　water　to　float　them；　in　the　British

Isles　and　the　continent　of　Europe；　and　be　seen　in　every　quarter　of

the　world。〃



Another　of　the　navigations　on　which　Mr。　Telford　was　long　employed

was　that　of　the　river　Weaver　in　Cheshire。　　It　was　only　twenty…four

miles　in　extent；　but　of　considerable　importance　to　the　country

through　which　it　passed；　accommodating　the　salt…manufacturing

districts；　of　which　the　towns　of　Nantwich；　Northwich；　and　Frodsham

are　the　centres。　　The　channel　of　the　river　was　extremely　crooked

and　much　obstructed　by　shoals；　when　Telford　took　the　navigation　in

hand　in　the　year　1807；　and　a　number　of　essential　improvements　were

made　in　it；　by　means　of　new　locks；　weirs；　and　side　cuts；　which　had

the　effect　of　greatly　improving　the　communications　of　these

important　districts。



In　the　following　year　we　find　our　engineer　consulted；　at　the

instance　of　the　King　of　Sweden；　on　the　best　mode　of　constructing

the　Gotha　Canal；　between　Lake　Wenern　and　the　Baltic；　to　complete

the　communication　with　the　North　Sea。　　In　1808；　at　the　invitation

of　Count　Platen；　Mr。　Telford　visited　Sweden　and　made　a　careful

survey　of　the　district。　　The　service　occupied　him　and　his

assistants　two　months；　after　which　he　prepared　and　sent　in　a　series

of　detailed　plans　and　sections；　together　with　an　elaborate　report

on　the　subject。　　His　plans　having　been　adopted；　he　again　visited

Sweden　in　1810；　to　inspect　the　excavations　which　had　already　been

begun；　when　he　supplied　the　drawings　for　the　locks　and　bridges。

With　the　sanction　of　the　British　Government；　he　at　the　same　time

furnished　the　Swedish　contractors　with　patterns　of　the　most

improved　tools　used　in　canal　making；　and　took　with　him　a　number　of

experienced　lock…makers　and　navvies　for　the　purpose　of　instructing

the　native　workmen。



The　construction　of　the　Gotha　Canal　was　an　undertaking　of　great

magnitude　and　difficulty；　similar　in　many　respects　to　the

Caledonian　Canal；　though　much　more　extensive。　　The　length　of

artificial　canal　was　55　miles；　and　of　the　whole　navigation；

including　the　lakes；　120　miles。　　The　locks　are　120　feet　long　and

24　feet　broad；　the　width　of　the　canal　at　bottom　being　42　feet；

and　the　depth　of　water　10　feet。　The　results；　so　far　as　the　engineer

was　concerned；　were　much　more　satisfactory　than　in　the　case　of　the

Caledonian　Canal。　　While　in　the　one　case　he　had　much　obloquy　to

suffer　for　the　services　he　had　given；　in　the　other　he　was　honoured

and　feted　as　a　public　benefactor；　the　King　conferring　upon　him　the

Swedish　order　of　knighthood；　and　presenting　him　with　his　portrait

set　in　diamonds。



Among　the　various　canals　throughout　England　which　Mr。　Telford　was

employed　to　construct　or　improve；　down　to　the　commencement　of　the

railway　era；　were　the　Gloucester　and　Berkeley　Canal；　in　1818；　the

Grand　Trunk　Canal；　in　1822；　the　Harecastle　Tunnel；　which　he

constructed　anew；　in　1824…7；　the　Birmingham　Canal；　in　1824；　and　the

Macclesfield；　and　Birmingham　and　Liverpool　Junction　Canals；　in　1825。

The　Gloucester　and　Berkeley　Canal　Company　had　been　unable　to

finish　their　works；　begun　some　thirty　years　before；　but　with　the

assistance　of　a　loan　of　160；000L。　from　the　Exchequer　Bill　Loan

Commissioners；　they　were　enabled　to　proceed　with　the　completion　of

their　undertaking。　A　capacious　canal　was　cut　from　Gloucester　to

Sharpness　Point；　about　eight　miles　down　the　Severn；　which　had　the

effect　of　greatly　improving　the　convenience　of　the　port　of

Gloucester；　and　by　means　of　this　navigation；　ships　of　large　burden

can　now　avoid　the　circuitous　and　difficult　passage　of　the　higher

part　of　the　river；　very　much　to　the　advantage　of　the　trade　of　the

place。



The　formation　of　a　new　tunnel　through　Harecastle　Hill；　for　the

better　accommodation　of　the　boats　passing　along　the　Grand　Trunk

Canal；　was　a　formidable　work。　　The　original　tunnel；　it　will　be

remembered；*＇3＇　was　laid　out　by　Brindley；　about　fifty　years

before；　and　occupied　eleven　years　in　construction。　　But　the

engineering　appliances　of　those　early　days　were　very　limited；　the

pumping　powers　of　the　steam…engine　had　not　been　fairly　developed；

and　workmen　were　as　yet　only　half…educated　in　the　expert　use　of

tools。　　The　tunnel；　no　doubt；　answered　the　purpose　for　which　it　was

originally　intended；　but　it　was　very　soon　found　too　limited　for　the

traffic　passing　along　the　navigation。　　It　was　little　larger　than　a

sewer；　and　admitted　the　passage　of　only　one　narrow　boat；　seven　feet

wide；　at　a　time；　involving　very　heavy　labour　on　the　part　of　the　men

who　worked　it　through。　　This　was　performed　by　what　was　called

legging。　　The　Leggers　lay　upon　the　deck　of　the　vessel；　or　upon　a

board　slightly　projecting　from　either　side　of　it；　and；　by　thrusting

their　feet　against　the　slimy　roof　or　sides　of　the　tunnel…walking

horizontally　as　it　were　　they　contrived　to　push　it　through。

But　it　was　no　better　than　horsework；　and　after　〃legging〃　Harecastle

Tunnel；　which　is　more　than　a　mile　and　a　half　long；　the　men　were

usually　completely　exhausted；　and　as　wet　from　perspiration　as　if

they　had　been　dragged　through　the　canal　itself。　　The　process

occupied　about　two　hours；　and　by　the　time　the　passage　of　the　tunnel

was　made；　there　was　usually　a　collection　of　boats　at　the　other　end

waiting　their　turn　to　pass。　　Thus　much　contention　and　confusion

took　place　amongst　the　boatmena　very　rough　class　of　labourers

and　many　furious　battles　were　fought　by　the　claimants　for　the　first

turn　〃through。〃　　Regulations　were　found　of　no　avail　to　settle　these

disputes；　still　less　to　accommodate　the　large　traffic　which

continued　to　keep　flowing　along　the　line　of　the　Grand　Trunk；

and　steadily　increased　with　the　advancing　trade　and　manufactures　of

the　country。　　Loud　complaints　were　made　by　the　public；　but　they　were

disregarded　for　many　years；　and　it　was　not　until　the　proprietors

were　threatened　with　rival　canals　and　railroads　that　they

determined　onwhat　they　could　no　longer　avoid　if　they　desired　to

retain　the　carrying　trade　of　the　district　the　enlargement　of　the

Harecastle　Tunnel。



Mr。　Telford　was　requested　to　advise　the　Company　what　course　was

most　proper　to　be　adopted　in　the　matter；　and　after　examining　the

place；　he　recommended　that　an　entirely　new　tunnel　should　be

constructed；　nearly　parallel　with　the　old　one；　but　of　much　larger

dimensions。　The　work　was　begun　in　1824；　and　completed　in　1827；

in　less　than　three　years。　　There　were　at　that　time　throughout　the

country　plenty　of　skilled　labourers　and　contractors；　many　of　them

trained　by　their　experience　upon　Telford's　own　works；　where　as

Brindley　had　in　a　great　measure　to　make　his　workmen　out　of　the

rawest　material。　Telford　also　had　the　advantage　of　greatly　improved

machinery　and　an　abundant　supply　of　moneythe　Grand　Trunk　Canal

Company　having　become　prosperous　and　rich；　paying　large　dividends。

It　is　therefore　meet；　while　eulogising　the　despatch　with　which　he

was　enabled　to　carry　out　the　work；　to　point　out　that　the　much

greater　period　occupied　in　the　earlier　undertaking　is　not　to　be　set

down　to　the　disparagement　of　Brindley；　who　had　difficulties　to

encounter　which　the　later　engineer　knew　nothing　of。



The　length　of　the　new　tunnel　is　2926　yards；　it　is　16　feet　high　and

14　feet　broad；　4　feet