the life of thomas telford-第75章

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engineer　for　a　large　sum　of　money。　　Telford；　disgusted　at　being　made

the　instrument　of　an　apparent　fraud　upon　the　public；　destroyed　all

the　documents　relating　to　the　scheme；　and　never　afterwards　spoke　of

it　except　in　terms　of　extreme　indignation。



About　the　same　time；　the　formation　of　locomotive　railways　was

extensively　discussed；　and　schemes　were　set　on　foot　to　construct

them　between　several　of　the　larger　towns。　　But　Mr。　Telford　was　now

about　seventy　years　old；　and；　desirous　of　limiting　the　range　of　his

business　rather　than　extending　it；　he　declined　to　enter　upon　this

new　branch　of　engineering。　　Yet；　in　his　younger　days；　he　had

surveyed　numerous　lines　of　railwayamongst　others；　one　as　early　as

the　year　1805；　from　Glasgow　to　Berwick；　down　the　vale　of　the　Tweed。

A　line　from　Newcastle…on…Tyne　to　Carlisle　was　also　surveyed　and

reported　on　by　him　some　years　later；　and　the　Stratford　and　Moreton

Railway　was　actually　constructed　under　his　direction。　　He　made　use

of　railways　in　all　his　large　works　of　masonry；　for　the　purpose　of

facilitating　the　haulage　of　materials　to　the　points　at　which　they

were　required　to　be　deposited　or　used。　　There　is　a　paper　of　his　on

the　Inland　Navigation　of　the　County　of　Salop；　contained　in

'The　Agricultural　Survey　of　Shropshire；'　in　which　he　speaks　of　the

judicious　use　of　railways；　and　recommends　that　in　all　future

surveys　〃it　be　an　instruction　to　the　engineers　that　they　do　examine

the　county　with　a　view　of　introducing　iron　railways　wherever

difficulties　may　occur　with　regard　to　the　making　of　navigable　canals。〃

When　the　project　of　the　Liverpool　and　Manchester　Railway　was　started；

we　are　informed　that　he　was　offered　the　appointment　of　engineer；

but　he　declined；　partly　because　of　his　advanced　age；　but　also　out

of　a　feeling　of　duty　to　his　employers；　the　Canal　Companies；　stating

that　he　could　not　lend　his　name　to　a　scheme　which；　if　carried　out；

must　so　materially　affect　their　interests。



Towards　the　close　of　his　life；　he　was　afflicted　by　deafness；　which

made　him　feel　exceedingly　uncomfortable　in　mixed　society。　　Thanks　to

a　healthy　constitution；　unimpaired　by　excess　and　invigorated　by

active　occupation；　his　working　powers　had　lasted　longer　than　those

of　most　men。　　He　was　still　cheerful；　clear…headed；　and　skilful　in

the　arts　of　his　profession；　and　felt　the　same　pleasure　in　useful

work　that　he　had　ever　done。　　It　was；　therefore；　with　difficulty　that

he　could　reconcile　himself　to　the　idea　of　retiring　from　the　field

of　honourable　labour；　which　he　had　so　long　occupied；　into　a　state

of　comparative　inactivity。　　But　he　was　not　a　man　who　could　be　idle；

and　he　determined；　like　his　great　predecessor　Smeaton；　to　occupy

the　remaining　years　of　his　life　in　arranging　his　engineering　papers

for　publication。　　Vigorous　though　he　had　been；　he　felt　that　the　time

was　shortly　approaching　when　the　wheels　of　life　must　stand　still

altogether。　　Writing　to　a　friend　at　Langholm；　he　said；　〃Having　now

being　occupied　for　about　seventy…five　years　in　incessant　exertion；

I　have　for　some　time　past　arranged　to　decline　the　contest；　but　the

numerous　works　in　which　I　am　engaged　have　hitherto　prevented　my

succeeding。　　In　the　mean　time　I　occasionally　amuse　myself　with

setting　down　in　what　manner　a　long　life　has　been　laboriously；　and　I

hope　usefully；　employed。〃　　And　again；　a　little　later；　he　writes：

〃During　the　last　twelve　months　I　have　had　several　rubs；　at

seventy…seven　they　tell　more　seriously　than　formerly；　and　call　for

less　exertion　and　require　greater　precautions。　　I　fancy　that　few　of

my　age　belonging　to　the　valley　of　the　Esk　remain　in　the　land　of　the

living。〃*＇4＇



One　of　the　last　works　on　which　Mr。　Telford　was　professionally

consulted　was　at　the　instance　of　the　Duke　of　Wellingtonnot　many

years　younger　than　himself；　but　of　equally　vigorous　intellectual

powersas　to　the　improvement　of　Dover　Harbour；　then　falling

rapidly　to　decay。　　The　long…continued　south…westerly　gales　of　1833…4

had　the　effect　of　rolling　an　immense　quantity　of　shingle　up　Channel

towards　that　port；　at　the　entrance　to　which　it　became　deposited　in

unusual　quantities；　so　as　to　render　it　at　times　altogether

inaccessible。　　The　Duke；　as　a　military　man；　took　a　more　than

ordinary　interest　in　the　improvement　of　Dover；　as　the　military　and

naval　station　nearest　to　the　French　coast；　and　it　fell　to　him　as

Lord　Warden　of　the　Cinque　Ports　to　watch　over　the　preservation　of

the　harbour；　situated　at　a　point　in　the　English　Channel　which　he

regarded　as　of　great　strategic　importance　in　the　event　of　a

continental　war。　　He　therefore　desired　Mr。　Telford　to　visit　the

place　and　give　his　opinion　as　to　the　most　advisable　mode　of

procedure　with　a　view　to　improving　the　harbour。　　The　result　was　a

report；　in　which　the　engineer　recommended　a　plan　of　sluicing；

similar　to　that　adopted　by　Mr。　Smeaton　at　Ramsgate；　which　was

afterwards　carried　out　with　considerable　success　by　Mr。　James

Walker；　C。E。



This　was　his　last　piece　of　professional　work。　　A　few　months　later　he

was　laid　up　by　bilious　derangement　of　a　serious　character；　which

recurred　with　increased　violence　towards　the　close　of　the　year；　and

on　the　2nd　of　September；　1834；　Thomas　Telford　closed　his　useful　and

honoured　career；　at　the　advanced　age　of　seventy…seven。　　With　that

absence　of　ostentation　which　characterised　him　through　life；　he

directed　that　his　remains　should　be　laid；　without　ceremony；　in　the

burial　ground　of　the　parish　church　of　St。　Margaret's；　Westminster。

But　the　members　of　the　Institute　of　Civil　Engineers；　who　justly

deemed　him　their　benefactor　and　chief　ornament；　urged　upon　his

executors　the　propriety　of　interring　him　in　Westminster　Abbey。



＇Image＇　Telford's　Burial　Place　in　Westminster　Abbey



He　was　buried　there　accordingly；　near　the　middle　of　the　nave；

where　the　letters；　〃Thomas　Telford；　1834；　mark　the　place　beneath

which　he　lies。*＇5＇　　The　adjoining　stone　bears　the　inscription；

〃Robert　Stephenson；　1859；〃　that　engineer　having　during　his　life

expressed　the　wish　that　his　body　should　be　laid　near　that　of

Telford；　and　the　son　of　the　Killingworth　engineman　thus　sleeps　by

the　side　of　the　son　of　the　Eskdale　shepherd。



It　was　a　long；　a　successful；　and　a　useful　life　which　thus　ended。

Every　step　in　his　upward　career；　from　the　poor　peasant's　hut　in

Eskdale　to　Westminster　Abbey；　was　nobly　and　valorously　won。　　The　man

was　diligent　and　conscientious；　whether　as　a　working　mason　hewing

stone　blocks　at　Somerset　House；　as　a　foreman　of　builders　at

Portsmouth；　as　a　road　surveyor　at　Shrewsbury；　or　as　an　engineer　of

bridges；　canals；　docks；　and　harbours。　　The　success　which　followed

his　efforts　was　thoroughly　well…deserved。　　He　was　laborious；

pains…taking；　and　skilful；　but；　what　was　better；　he　was　honest　and

upright。　　He　was　a　most　reliable　man；　and　hence　he　came　to　be

extensively　trusted。　　Whatever　he　undertook；　he　endeavoured　to　excel

in。　　He　would　be　a　first…rate　hewer；　and　he　became　one。　　He　was

himself　accustomed　to　attribute　much　of　his　success　to　the　thorough

way　in　which　he　had　mastered　the　humble　beginnings　of　this　trade。

He　was　even　of　opinion　that　the　course　of　manual　training　he　had

undergone；　and　the　drudgery；　as　some　would　call　it；　of　daily　labour

first　as　an　apprentice；　and　afterwards　as　a　journeyman　mason

had　been　of　greater　service　to　him　than　if　he　had　passed　through

the　curriculum　of　a　University。



Writing　to　his　friend；　Miss　Malcolm；　respecting　a　young　man　who

desired　to　enter　the　engineering　profession；　he　in　the　first　place

endeavoured　to　dissuade　the　lady　from　encouraging　the　ambition　of

her　protege；　the　profession　being　overstocked；　and　offering　very

few　prizes　in　proportion　to　the　large　number　of　blanks。　　〃But；〃

he　added；　〃if　civil　engineering；　notwithstanding　these

discouragements；　is　still　preferred；　I　may　point　out　that　the　way

in　which　both　Mr。　Rennie　and　myself　proceeded；　was　to　serve　a

regular　apprenticeship　to　some　practical　employmenthe　to　a

millwright；　and　I　to　a