Star. — London, England, 1801-08-29 00:00:00

7 77 - IRON BRIDGE. AN ACCOUNT OF THE IMPROVEMENT! OF THE PORT OF LONDON, AND MORE PARTICULARLY OF THE INTENDED BRIDGE. CONSISTING OF A SINGLE ARCH OF 600 FEST SPAN. (l i hilojiok. Magazine). ' Nothing tends fo much to promote the improve ments of a Rate, as the eltablifhing of an eat . ) , and uninterrupted communication through all its dif triets. It has therefore been a leading objeet with every welt-wither of his country, to reader the ge neral intercotufe as perfeet and convenient as pof fible. Public roads and bridges have been the means chiefly employed to dial:drill this intercourfe : bridges, as requiring fcientific and mechanical • knowledge, and, in many cafes, the utmoft exer ' tions of talents and have frequently engaged the attention of perfons of eminence and learning. It would be an amufing talk to trace the progrefs of this ufeful art, from the rude efforts of the La nge, in his rinallifted Rate, to the magnificent works of civilized nations, v. hen fcience, wealth, and increaledpopulation, have united to overcome difficulties confidered before as unformountable. , When a work is,to be performed, mankind, at firk i enake ufe of the materials which are nearer at' and. and which require the lean tkill in the preparation ; timber and lions were therefore the materials with which bridges were fire con ftruCted, and there edifices have been rendered more or lets perfee,' in proportion to the quality of the mate rials, the flute of the arts, and the degree of wealth . and power, in the countries in which they were ereated. In our olden bridges, it is evident, there has bees much timidity, and only a fmall portion of : deepptger, the lower parts of - the piers have been costinwied with timber, and the ma fonry begins to take placeut the line of low wa ter; the arches art of narrow loan, and the ma.- font employed in them is frequently competed, yof rubble, and partly of fquared Rene. In , meant • were deviled (by Ming cofferdams and cailloons) to place the niafonry as low, com moldy lowe r than the natural bed of the river; the were all formed of a bolder fpan, and :the mafeinry was trade much ,roore perfect, being Jfil of iquareal Amu. In this manner bridges have been con ft ruded in Italy, .France, and the Britifb . *kis which lurrejuftly been confidered, not only as • riarles•of genevalutdity, btu ofgreat magnificence. Ja like earnmer, tisnlierlieidgft have been gra des* imprtnied. from the rough trunk of a tree threwnecrofia finallareamoo the bold and iogeni . onalabourseif dieSwifs carpenter ut Schaffhaufen. Bridges ,continued to be chiefly compofed of timber or of alone, till of late years : on account of ceconomy. in Acne cafes, they havelseen built with bricks. Metals not beiaggeoerallyfouud in a pure Rate. require mach labour and expence to make them falsfervient to she purpefes of math and therefore. ill the uncultivated periods of fociety, were not. applied to works'of great magnitude but the hit. ' portant improvements in ohensical and mechani cal knowledge. have, in a great degree. removed thole difficulties, anireodered them not only the - mad penverfui, but the moft ufeful means of man. Iron being the mod 'abundant, cheap, and ge nerally ufeful, of all the metals, has of late years bean applied in all works where great flrength was required inproponion to the weight ofthe Material : beset cylinders, beams and pumps for Ream engines, boats* and barges for canals and naviga mere, beabist and pillars for large buildings and bridges, have been coaltru&ed of iron. The firft iron bridge we knew of, is,over the ri ver Severn, near Coalbrookdale, in Shropthire ; it coons of one arch too feet and fix inches in the Span, and fifes 45 feet : there are five ribs, each cad is two pieces, fecund where they join at.the crows of the arch by a can-iron key plate, and conureted together, lunizoatally and vertically, by can-iron braces, formed with dovetails and fore locks; the ribs are covered with cad-iron plates, British e railing tothe fides is of iron: the Mal weight of iron is 3 . 734- toss. The plojea's being carried • into execution Was chiefly owing to the genius and exertion of Mr. John _Wilkinfon and Mr. Abraham Maley, iron mailers, whole fcientific knowledge and eztenfive prargice, in all that regards the ma. aufaeure of iron, have long been known to the public. The bridge was built by Mr. Abraham Darley, and the iron work was can at Coalbrook dale in the year 1779. It was a bold effort; for, in the firft inflance of adopting a new material,. - they exceeded the fpan of the centre arch of Black friars bride, which had been confidered as a great exertio* with done. 'The iron work of this bridge has fully juftified th..ildes of making tire of that metal ; for it is at this time as perfea as when it was firft put up, ex cept the cracking of Tome of the (mall pieces, ow ing to the giving way of the abutments of (lone, which, it is to be regretted, were not made futh ciently arcing to oppofe the great mats of alluvial earth, of which the very hig h and deep adjoining banks are compofed ; for, the& abutments had been fortunately built on the coal roeafures, no filch flip could have taken place. The fecond iron bridge was built over the fame river, about two miles above the former one at a place called Buildwa ' ; it was meted at the ex. pence of the county of Salop, agreeably to a plan, and under the direction of Mr. Telford, who is employed as Purveyor of the public works of that coumy : it was alto call at Coalbrookdak in [795 and [796. It confifts of one arch ya feet in the fpan, and riles, from the fprising to the Colt of the arch, 27 /at . In this bri dge, as it was need (cry to keep the roadway as low as poßible, the principle of the Schallsaufen bridge was in tome degree adopted; for the outfide nbs are made to go up as high as the tops of the railing ; they are conflated with the ribs that bear the covering • Mr. John Wifhiafoo has easitradited boats sod barge. of irea.factie of which are tied as the river Severn, and the o wn aro the canals la Stalforgibbe avid Worcciterakire. t A brie manuoroary for (pinatas lax 11510 thread, tl• ma chinery warted by a fteauvenghse, has been riveted >a sttrewf bury by Megm Beagoa, Marls" and Doge, where there are emir heights of flows, awl a roof anspufad of brick arches, which are fop?artnd by cattArcas beans and plates by means of pieces of iron, dovetailed in the ' form of king-polls. The plates which form the covering over the lower ribs are calk with deep flanclies, are laid clofe to each other, and form an arch of themfelves, fo that, altogether, the bridge is compact and firm. The weight of iron is 173 tons iB¢ cwt. Some fmaller bridges, and an aquedua at Longdon, (the firll made of iron over a navigable canal,) have alto been made under Mr. Telford's diredions, in Shr9pfhire. The next bridge, on a large fcale, which was made of iron, was that over the river Wear, at Monk-wearmouth, in the county of Durham.— This bridge is 236 feet in the fpan, and the arch riles only 34 feet : it is compofeciofveey fhort cal iron frames, which are conneded together by bars of wrought iron, and hollow tubes with Ranches and fertws ; the ribs. are covered with timber planking. The weight of calf iron tiled in "this bridge is 805 tons, hammered iron 55 tons. This bridge was built under the direction, and chiefly at the expence, of Rowland Burdan, Efq. ; it was call at the manufactory of Melts. Walkers, of Ro therham, in Yorkihire, and does much honotir to the projector and to the iron mafters. It was a eonfiderable Rep in the praCtice of bridge building, being nearly double the fpan of the arch of Buildwas, and more than double that of the centre arch of Blackfriars bridge. This will, per haps, appear rafh to thole who have not had an opportunity of confideriag the qualities of iron, or seho have not carefully compared its firength with the ftrength of the materials formerly ufed in con flru(ling bridges. In great works it is proper we fhould proceed with elution ; but the very princi ple of improvement molt be wholly abandoned, if the demonftrations of feience and the evidence of pradicallenowledge are to be difregarded. To thee who will take the trouble of comparing the' fpecific grailty and the ftrength of call iron with. thofe of lone, it will not appear extraordinary, that by ufing that metal, the practice of bridge building may be changed, and the opening of arch ways made ta - extend far beyond what has hither to been attempted. The advantages to be deriv ed from this pradice are obvious, and become of great national iznportance in every ,country where the free navigation of rivers is intimately connect ed with its pvofperity. We have been led into the confideration of this !object by the information we have received re fpeding the plans fiir re-building London bridge. Underftanding that there was a plan for confirud ing a bridge over the Thames .of a tingle arch of cad iron,. we have made particular inquiries, and have authority to fay that the following is a cor rect flatement.of the hidory, principles, and plan of this defign : The manufa&ures, trade, and commerce of Great Britain having increafed to an extent un paralleled in the hittory of nations, a great pro portion of which is carried on through the metro polis by means of the fine river upon which it is fnuated, and the important centre it forms for the commerce of great .part of the world; although this river forms an excellent channel to admit the intercourfe of (hips of the largell burden within a few miles of the city, yet, from the increafe of the number and flee of the veftels frequenting the port of London, great inconveniences and lollei have been experienced in tranfaCting the bulinefs con nected with the !hipping. The diftance at which the large !hips are obliged to lie, , theconfafion of ;hipping in the River, the lots of time in loading and dikharging goods, the expence of lighterage, the frequency of thefts, the delays and vexation ex periented by the merchant and manufadurei, have at length given rife to propofitions and plans to remedy thofe evils. On this great national fub: jeCt, which embrates inch a vanety of objeds, opi nions have, of courfe, been various, and fome of them contradiCtory : this produced mach difctif- I Grin while the bufinefs remained with an open Committee of the Houle of Commons ; and, al. though much ufeful information was obtained, yet no projed appeared to be finally agreed on, and brought to maturity. Thii led to the judicious meafure of appointing a feled committee, confiding of members who were not concerned in any of the projects brought forward. This committee has made three molt valuable reports to the Houle of Commons, where in every thing relative to the port of London, and the general commerce of the kingdom, as far as ie is connected with this port, has been arranged with an accuracy and precifion which will enable the legiflature and the public to comprehend, at one view, a fabled which requires information be yond the power of any individual to bring together. In this great plan, they have judicioufly divided the port of London into three parts. The firft is the docks iwthe We of Dogs, which are calculated to accommodate the Weft India trade, which, ufually arriving in large fleets, contributed in a peculiar degree to the crowded and embarraffed date of the river, and which, from the valuable nature of their cargoes, were very much capled to depredation. There is alto, in this part, a canal, by means of which thole !kips that with to come up the river, may avoid the circuituous route by Greenwich and Dag/Ilford. The fecond part ilfthe docks in Wapping, which are intended for the accommodation of feveral great branches of our trade which are fubjed to heavy duties. And The third•is, the improvement of the river from the Tower, upwards, to Blackfriars bridge • and this third part includes the rebuilding of L ondon bridge. By this means, colliers and coali ng vef fels, and al l veffels of light burthen, are to be ad. mitted to pals the new London bridge, and (hip and cfifcharge goods immediately at wharfs and warehoufes, to be conftruded along the banks of the river, and oppofite to the centre of the city. The two fir* parts of the plan have been fanc tioned by Parliament, and have been undertaken by incorporated companies, excepting the canal, which is now executing under the diredion of the city of London. The committee have, in their third report, alfo recommended a general plan for improving the third or upper part of the port of London; that is, by removing , the prefent London bridge, and; upLiciag a with cu of WI itoa,6s tut AO in the clear above high water, with inclined planesl connecting it with the prefent limas, and loch other improvements as may grow out of this al teration. Alfo, deepening the bed of the river, to admit of (hips of two hundred tons lying afloat at low water; and contrading the width of the river, in order to preferve its prefent velocity, and to ac-, quire fpace for wharfs and wareboufes, and for the inclined planes, without encroaching upon the property which is now connected with the lhores. 'he portion of this plan which has been more im • mediate] y under the confideration of the committee during the prefent feftions of parliament, has been a deign by Meflis-Telford and Douglafs, in which it is propofed to conftrud a bridge of a Lingle arch compofed wholly of call iron: the fpan of the arch is Goo feet, being the width to which, by Mr. jefrop's report, the river ought to be contracted, if it is excavated to have 13 feet at low water: the height in the clear above high water is 65 feet, being the elevation determined by the refolution of the committee laft fefGons. The boldnefs and fimplicity of this defign ren der it an objet of attention, .not only to the com mittee, who are engaged in confidering the fur ther improvement of -the port of London, but to men of fcience and pralical engineers, and to all who feel an intereft in the improvement and credit of)their country. It is now generally admitted that the prefent London - bridge ought to be removed, being ex penfive and dangerous in itfelf; and forming an obftrudion in the moll valuable part of the river. if the prefent bridge is to be removed, the new , bridge ihould be rebuilt upon that plan which fhould leave the river clear of obflacles, and, at the fame time, reflect rfioft credit on the Britifh artills. If A tingle arch can be . conarated without en- 1 dangcring the folidity and duration of 'lmbue cure, mca undoubtedly then can be only one opinion as to the propriety .of adopting it. It would be a great national work, combining the greateft degref of utility and magnificence, and fu- 1 perior in its kind to any thing the world has yet feen. Itt a work of this nature it, would have been im prudent to have been guided by the judgment or opinion of any individual; it therefore became ne celfary to coiled the fentiments of all the perfons moll eminent for feientific knowledge and pradical 101: this has been done by the committee in the molt effedual and Impartial manner that could be deviled, by tranfmitting copies of the plans, ex planatory drawings, acrd the queries relating there to,lo perfons Who are well qnalified to invefrigate the lubjeet: thofe gentlemen have taken it up With an impartiality, candour, and patriotifin,.which does them much honour, and have furnifhed able and fatidadory demonftrations and opinions. The refult is, that an arch,'of the plan and dime:talons referred to their confideration, may be conftitieted fo as to berenderedafuPantial and durableedifice. The particulars of thefe mafterly difquifitions are contained in the Appendix to the fourth Re port of the Sete& Committee for the further im provement of the port of London ; they will be the means of throwing much new light on this important fubjed, and will, molt probably, change' the principles and pradice of this fpecies of archi tedure.. It would require many drawings and much de tail to convey an adequate idea of the forin and conftrudion of this magnificent arch it cannot properly be 'fbewn as whole in a drawing upon any kale that would fuit a publication of this nature. We underftand the public cur iofity will be fpeedily gratified with a peripedive view, taken from the Surrey fide of the prefent Landon bridge, on a plate four feet long and two feet wide, and which, befides the new litidge, comprehends he principal objects in the cities of London and Weltminfter, from Bow church to Whitehall ; and the propoled wharfs, w:trehoufes, and terraces, between the bridges. The bridge part is engraved by that emi.i nent artift Mr. Lowry, ,whofe fcientific knowledge is only exceeded by his dexterity as an engraver; and all the reft . by Mr. Malton, whore views of London have done him honour, and qualify him to give the back ground with a precifion which no other artift could be expelled tdequal. - According to this plan, the bridge is to be corn. poled wholly of calf iron, which is much lefs lia ble to decay or alteration than hammered iron.— The ribs are to be cart in portions of as large a fize as to be conveniently moulded, and call correctly, and fuch as can bereadily managed in the remov ing and putting up : they are to be connected to gether by crofs and diagonal tyes and braces, placed in filth a manner that any of the pieces of the ribs or tyes, or braces, may he taken out cepa. rately, and be replaced without injury or inter ruption to the bridge. The ribs will receive the weight and prelrure in a direction that the firers will operate Upon the pieces of iron endways ; therefore, before the bridge can give way, the iron mutt be crufhed to pieces. All the frames or ribs arc to be cdnnedcd vertically and horizontally from the foffit of the arch to the roadwaY, fo that the whole bridge will ad as one frame, and by that means leffen the lateral preffure againft the abut ments, and guard againft any error in the equili bration'of the arch. The ribs are to be to difpored that they fpread from the middle of the bridge to the abutments, with the view of caufing the abut ments to embrace a greater (pace on the fhore, to increafe the width of the bridge, to accommodate the roadway in turning towards the inclined planes, and to prevent any tendency the bridge might have to fide vibrations : the fide wibrations will be further oppofed by the crofs and diagonal, tyes and braces, and by the plate or grating which is to be laid acrofs the ribs to receive the roadway. The roadway is to be compofed, firft of a light, dry, and durable fubflance, laid next to the iron plates; fecondly, of a compact fubttance, which• will not admit of water palling through it ; and, thirdly, of the, fide-paths and pavements for the driving-way. The whole external form of the bridge is to be compofed of Gothic tracery ; the railing is alto to be of Gothic work,' with Gothic- pinnacles to re ceive the lamps ; fr that the bridge will, at a dif tabu., haVe the appearance of a frame of light 1111 Gxhic trAcery,finillted on the top with that wildneLsi of outline of whack tide (bible itylc is fa capable. Flambe: its Altana Leghorn Napies Galas The mhtttMents,.bithc fProgliAg loin of the •hridge, their conneetion with the entrances at each end, and with the wharfs_ at racti fide of it, wi l l occupy a fpace on the orc; fuificien t, ta , form an ample foundation for as edifice Opable of ref - I:II:17 any preffare whatever . . he form and conneJlioii of the mafotuy. mall allWecalculated to dill: ibut e the refiltance dirmigh`the'whole mars, in the fame manner as if it was'a•folid rock of equal magni tude : additional ftrength will alto be gained by the land arched, Or wareheufes,, yhich - are under the.inclined planer. . ~ . . By making three enttinces or avenues with the additional width ofifte bridge et each end, advan tages nearly equal to Om& arifing from three bridges will be afforded to the ptiblic. In all ie"- fpeCts, therefore, the bridge wilt be an original de fign, as its importlntlirraion and diftinguilhed name jultly demand. ' • The fcaffolding upon which the iron arch will be turned, is to be formed by driving rows of piles into the river, the top of which will be abovelo w . water mark ; thefe piles to. be - properly brazed r.b. gether ; upon them. wi 11 heraifed.a proper frami,ng to fupport the part of the iron work which will reit upon them : at a convenient diiiancel 'lto ad mit barges to pats, another fit . ofipiles and frames will be fixed, and thefe frames will allele braced together, at a vroper height, over the-barge open ings, 'which will admit afigangways'being made quite sterol's the river, fo that the whole will be come one general franiefroM Aare to here. The top bring made to fuit the ectrve of &trot& of the arch, the iron work will then be fated 'upon it with facility and cafe. Thei weight of the whole iron work, when difiributed ova fo great a fpace, is very fmalli when conitia cid voids %corks conitrufted with none- The 6 , dt - tiding will not, therefore, require to be of the.latic.thmertfions which may at firlt he imagined: the truth of the principles was fully proved by the very ingenious, though apparently flight, fcaffoldingiover which the arch of Wearmouth was turned; and they maybe il. lultrated by Rating, that thistgreatell`done Arches are turned upon centres formed of timber. When the courfes of ftone'have theen brought up to near the crown of the arch, on each fide; the Whole iefts upon the timber centres, and it large arches this weight.-ismery greet 1 the centre molt, however, be •equal to fupport the weight; othersfifelt would give way, and the tione.irenik would fa dowri. The irowarch is, 'in fativaio ntore than lamm ing fimilar to that forelteeentring for a {lone arch, with this difference, igatkielfrinTraming has lit. de =Ma to:carry than -its' • weight. -4.lmOron work having muchinoreat than tisnlicsonay sai tit be made pruportitirtally linti ~ In iamb,* wild putting up s . omber centresjhere bunibe prApsitnd lonians, ;Ma the fcaffoldias 4rir istpporting.sbe iron framing mai.be conapad to theteivapasad . fupports. ••• -. l. ~. . • . . By deepening and embearbint. the rirer,"nitnir. ufeful (pace will be gteaaii, and the properties along each bank of the rive*, ativell nalheitosets adjoining, and leading fisim:rhince info thi , 'citt, will, by a judicieusarrangetnent. 'be rendered xtry valuable. Depofits, and public snarkitsfor:agala, may alto be formed under the whorl's, , by 'which means the lighterage amp's bmtighifrom the pool up as farasßlackfriars bridge would he coniiiletely raved. .This,plan is inapora Tay 14;;Dousl#04 who has given a full defcription of it ie. the,Aip pendix to the third Report Of the SeleftC.Autimittre of the Houfe of Comnitri.'" 'Elora his efiliates on the general cOnfumptioh of coat in — Lonclon,. it appears, that the ravings in two years will be ade quate to the i l l pence of_ eroSing the new icon bridge. This plan merits -snatort .confidersitiort- The coals being regularly iiipplied, would teral to prevent fudden injurious COmpetiliosi t ialiich of late years has been fuch a burthen pp tht public. If this part.pt the plan for improving the,port of London be fucceftfully executed, welball molengrr -be reproached byforeigners,thmt we , aveone of the fineft rivers in the woad running through ousprin cipal city, ytt that we.fnifei its nfernlnsfs to be ill a great meature dpftroyed by maintaining l• one embankment "actors the molt TalupPe part ,Of..it, by fuffering its litotes Toli t sibit, an eittent ftr.mtitl, initead of convertiNc thsin into Valid' wharfs ; and its banks to le covered V;itli.ntein and UP& left buildings, ;Mica of edifices Athol' 'to fo noble a fituation, and wOrthythecOrwaiiitail metropolis of Europe. ' _ • . ftleidtitiliD, • Monday fenniett. of alktiline, Mr. lament' didit : hef; . tnneof Mr. John johnton, MthrTaiker . On Saturday fensight:dbilitt Willarettaty,E4 'Captain of his Majefty's skip Edgar, as MfglieneWb . OlSlShecr of Aar-Admiral Hailpway, itcoad Wt esetu ttn iai r d e r i PortisneSth. Saturday lalt, !Art Efq. }kb ' or the county of Sotnerfct, to Mili Cruelititunk,Ml - thirieltinntf. We nefilv bit, it St- jlonceercisele4mmlly NAP* rarri too. of the yth Dragoon Chards, Eft As Mifajmnes. &miser of the late-Pita ea, Efq. of Moor Cwt. arastfordatire- At Earth, Capt. Thomtn Annie/ow, of tis4Esitiloyd H; Arrnttist, dial/fuer M the It Telex et Arai -o.rong, of Ennis, Eft. DIED. On Thurfday evening, Mr. Thome Balmer, of Shorediteb,„ grocer. At Yarmooth, aged kg, Lim. Aagualase.Plaigerald, .of the eptk reginade, yeses& fan et.itagaltisee Pkagtrald, of New t own-Fery, Efq. • '' • On Sauday awning the apt but. at Sorthangeon, muck re gretted by all her friends, Mra Roboal, wife or Dr. goboal, of that town, and eta, of the bee Dereher NIA% Ilk On Saturday let, 114weead jenny, E.fig. of Hama, Dear . Woodbridge, Suffolk. On Sunday lift, at her manke-hook, E Great-iladdrise„. in her 77th year, fiera 'MK widow of Lewis Atiols formerly an eminent swam la Mdtke-triara. Oa Studs, evening kit, at kla boefe at lUaludaera, In the loth year of his age, Mr. Thanes kleirseds. On Friday fendlght, Mrs. Jaekket, et Cahlo.aneet, Livesnol, widow of the late Mr. Wen. *Moo. Smut demellandbaili, egad ss, after a loaf sad tallies In difpodeiao, Mrs. Dare. raft at the lac Cated Miami Dana, • of Liverpool. U. . -1: I 1144144 v. us. : ct . S 4 Opine • 60. - - 4s thiblis 0 . 14 • LONDON; Printed for eePropeSeedrs, (of Carnaby-Omet ) at the 14.a* POINT tell. 1 1 (0. Cam-Iron ; and pubililted ip Avjl. r ( c a° =bury-place. Lantheth), it ,110. t. and d erxt-0 reel, Teenpleader to* ldelMg7o7l cesagai" 41111. " ie r as Loma IOPISINMer obis 5ik411.6