the life of thomas telford-第60章

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Cysylltau　works；　where　he　had　acquired　a　taste　for　English　comforts；

and　returned　to　the　North　with　a　considerable　contempt　for　the

Highland　people　amongst　whom　he　was　stationed。　　He　is　said　to

have　very　much　resembled　Dr。　Johnson　in　person　and　was　so　fond

of　books；　and　so　well　read　in　them；　that　he　was　called

'the　Walking　Library。'　He　used　to　say　that　if　justice　were　done　to

the　inhabitants　of　Inverness；　there　would　be　nobody　left　there　in

twenty　years　but　the　Provost　and　the　hangman。　　Seeing　an　artist　one

day　making　a　sketch　in　the　mountains；　he　said　it　was　the　first　time

he　had　known　what　the　hills　were　good　for。　　And　when　some　one　was

complaining　of　the　weather　in　the　Highlands；　he　looked　sarcastically

round；　and　observed　that　the　rain　certainly　would　not　hurt　the

heather　crop。



*＇2＇　The　misfortunes　of　the　Caledonian　Canal　did　not　end　with　the

life　of　Telford。　　The　first　vessel　passed　through　it　from　sea　to

sea　in　October；　1822；　by　which　time　it　had　cost　about　a　million

sterling；　or　double　the　original　estimate。　　Notwithstanding　this

large　outlay；　it　appears　that　the　canal　was　opened　before　the　works

had　been　properly　completed；　and　the　consequence　was　that　they　very

shortly　fell　into　decay。　　It　even　began　to　be　considered　whether

the　canal　ought　not　to　be　abandoned。　　In　1838；　Mr。　James　Walker；

C。E。；　an　engineer　of　the　highest　eminence；　examined　it；　and

reported　fully　on　its　then　state；　strongly　recommending　its

completion　as　well　as　its　improvement。　　His　advice　was　eventually

adopted；　and　the　canal　was　finished　accordingly；　at　an　additional

cost　of　about　200；000L。；　and　the　whole　line　was　re…opened　in　1847；

since　which　time　it　has　continued　in　useful　operation。　　The　passage

from　sea　to　sea　at　all　times　can　now　be　depended　on；　and　it　can

usually　be　made　in　forty…eight　hours。　　As　the　trade　of　the　North

increases；　the　uses　of　the　canal　will　probably　become　much　more

decided　than　they　have　heretofore；　proved。



*＇3＇　'Brindley　and　the　Early　Engineers；'　p。　267。



*＇4＇　'Life　of　Telford；'　p。　82；　83。





CHAPTER　XI。



TELFORD　AS　A　ROAD…MAKER。



Mr。　Telford's　extensive　practice　as　a　bridge…builder　led　his　friend

Southey　to　designate　him　〃Pontifex　Maximus。〃　　Besides　the　numerous

bridges　erected　by　him　in　the　West　of　England；　we　have　found　him

furnishing　designs　for　about　twelve　hundred　in　the　Highlands；　of

various　dimensions；　some　of　stone　and　others　of　iron。　　His　practice

in　bridge…building　had；　therefore；　been　of　an　unusually　extensive

character；　and　Southey's　sobriquet　was　not　ill　applied。　　But　besides

being　a　great　bridge…builder；　Telford　was　also　a　great　road…maker。

With　the　progress　of　industry　and　trade；　the　easy　and　rapid　transit

of　persons　and　goods　had　come　to　be　regarded　as　an　increasing

object　of　public　interest。　　Fast　coaches　now　ran　regularly　between

all　the　principal　towns　of　England；　every　effort　being　made；

by　straightening　and　shortening　the　roads；　cutting　down　hills；

and　carrying　embankments　across　valleys　and　viaducts　over　rivers；

to　render　travelling　by　the　main　routes　as　easy　and　expeditious　as

possible。



Attention　was　especially　turned　to　the　improvement　of　the　longer

routes；　and　to　perfecting　the　connection　of　London　with　the　chief

town's　of　Scotland　and　Ireland。　　Telford　was　early　called　upon　to

advise　as　to　the　repairs　of　the　road　between　Carlisle　and　Glasgow；

which　had　been　allowed　to　fall　into　a　wretched　state；　as　well　as

the　formation　of　a　new　line　from　Carlisle；　across　the　counties　of

Dumfries；　Kirkcudbright；　and　Wigton；　to　Port　Patrick；　for　the

purpose　of　ensuring　a　more　rapid　communication　with　Belfast　and　the

northern　parts　of　Ireland。　　Although　Glasgow　had　become　a　place　of

considerable　wealth　and　importance；　the　roads　to　it；　north　of

Carlisle；　continued　in　a　very　unsatisfactory　state。　　It　was　only　in

July；　1788；　that　the　first　mail…coach　from　London　had　driven　into

Glasgow　by　that　route；　when　it　was　welcomed　by　a　procession　of　the

citizens　on　horseback；　who　went　out　several　miles　to　meet　it。

But　the　road　had　been　shockingly　made；　and　before　long　had　become

almost　impassable。　　Robert　Owen　states　that；　in　1795；　it　took　him

two　days　and　three　nights'　incessant　travelling　to　get　from

Manchester　to　Glasgow；　and　he　mentions　that　the　coach　had　to　cross

a　well…known　dangerous　mountain　at　midnight；　called　Erickstane

Brae；　which　was　then　always　passed　with　fear　and　trembling。*＇1＇

As　late　as　the　year　1814　we　find　a　Parliamentary　Committee

declaring　the　road　between　Carlisle　and　Glasgow　to　be　in　so　ruinous

a　state　as　often　seriously　to　delay　the　mail　and　endanger　the　lives

of　travellers。　The　bridge　over　Evan　Water　was　so　much　decayed；　that

one　day　the　coach　and　horses　fell　through　it　into　the　river；　when

〃one　passenger　was　killed；　the　coachman　survived　only　a　few　days；

and　several　other　persons　were　dreadfully　maimed；　two　of　the　horses

being　also　killed。〃*＇2＇　　The　remaining　part　of　the　bridge　continued

for　some　time　unrepaired；　just　space　enough　being　left　for　a　single

carriage　to　pass。　　The　road　trustees　seemed　to　be　helpless；　and　did

nothing；　a　local　subscription　was　tried　and　failed；　the　district

passed　through　being　very　poor；　but　as　the　road　was　absolutely

required　for　more　than　merely　local　purposes；　it　was　eventually

determined　to　undertake　its　reconstruction　as　a　work　of　national

importance；　and　50；000L。　was　granted　by　Parliament　with　this

object；　under　the　provisions　of　the　Act　passed　in　1816。　　The　works

were　placed　under　Mr。　Telford's　charge；　and　an　admirable　road　was

very　shortly　under　construction　between　Carlisle　and　Glasgow。

That　part　of　it　between　Hamilton　and　Glasgow；　eleven　miles　in　length；

was　however　left　in　the　hands　of　local　trustees；　as　was　the

diversion　of　thirteen　miles　at　the　boundary　of　the　counties　of

Lanark　and　Dumfries；　for　which　a　previous　Act　had　been　obtained。

The　length　of　new　line　constructed　by　Mr。　Telford　was　sixty…nine

miles；　and　it　was　probably　the　finest　piece　of　road　which　up　to

that　time　had　been　made。



His　ordinary　method　of　road…making　in　the　Highlands　was；　first　to

level　and　drain；　then；　like　the　Romans；　to　lay　a　solid　pavement　of

large　stones；　the　round　or　broad　end　downwards；　as　close　as　they

could　be　set。　　The　points　of　the　latter　were　then　broken　off；　and　a

layer　of　stones　broken　to　about　the　size　of　walnuts；　was　laid　upon

them；　and　over　all　a　little　gravel　if　at　hand。　　A　road　thus　formed

soon　became　bound　together；　and　for　ordinary　purposes　was　very

durable。



But　where　the　traffic；　as　in　the　case　of　the　Carlisle　and　Glasgow

road；　was　expected　to　be　very　heavy；　Telford　took　much　greater

pains。　　Here　he　paid　especial　attention　to　two　points：　first；　to　lay

it　out　as　nearly　as　possible　upon　a　level；　so　as　to　reduce　the

draught　to　horses　dragging　heavy　vehicles；one　in　thirty　being

about　the　severest　gradient　at　any　part　of　the　road。　　The　next　point

was　to　make　the　working；　or　middle　portion　of　the　road；　as　firm　and

substantial　as　possible；　so　as　to　bear；　without　shrinking；　the

heaviest　weight　likely　to　be　brought　over　it。　　With　this　object　he

specified　that　the　metal　bed　was　to　be　formed　in　two　layers；　rising

about　four　inches　towards　the　centre　the　bottom　course　being　of

stones　（whinstone；　limestone；　or　hard　freestone）；　seven　inches　in

depth。　　These　were　to　be　carefully　set　by　hand；　with　the　broadest

ends　downwards；　all　crossbonded　or　jointed；　no　stone　being　more

than　three　inches　wide　on　the　top。　　The　spaces　between　them　were

then　to　be　filled　up　with　smaller　stones；　packed　by　hand；　so　as　to

bring　the　whole　to　an　even　and　firm　surface。　　Over　this　a　top　course

was　to　be　laid；　seven　inches　in　depth；　consisting　of　properly

broken　hard　whinstones；　none　exceeding　six　ounces　in　weight；　and

each　to　be　able　to　pass　through　a　circular　ring；　two　inches　and　a

half　in　diameter；　a　binding　of　gravel；　about　an　inch　in　thickness；

being　placed　over　all。　　A　drain　crossed　under　the　bed　of　the　bottom