The Sun.
London, England, 1854-05-17 00:00:00

SALTASII RAILWAY BRIDGE•

On Monday morning last, the great shaft, or caisson,
of Mr. Brunei's designing, being ready for launching, a
great concourse of people from both sides the Tamar be-
gan to assemble at an early hour to watch the interest-
ing performance. Soon after seven, Captain Claxton,
R.N., Mr. Brereton, Lieuts. Glenny and Bratchley,
R.N., and others connected with Mr. Brunel's engi-
neering matters, having arrived, the process commenced,
under the arrangements of Mr. Campbell, the contrac-
tor's (C. Mare, Esq.) engineer. Seamen, labourers, and
artisans in large numbers being stationed at the lowering
crabs, the immense mass of iron was gradually lowered
on its well-greased ways, and in about four hours reached
the low-water mark, when there was a lull until the
evening's flood, which floated it off between six and
seven p.m., drawing exactly the water, and resting dia-
gonally on its side, as calculated by the engineers ; and
eventually it was hauled out to the pontoons, in the
middle of the Tamar, where we were given to understand
it would be sunk at the end of the week, in the presence
of Mr. Brunel and the Cornwall and Devon Railway
directors. During the day Salrash-passage was visited
by the Commander-in-Chief, Admiral Sir Wm. Parker,
and all the naval officers in the district, who seemed
greatly interested in the operations. The ladies, how-
ever, preponderated, and stages were provided for their
accommodation ; and Mr. Mare, with his usual libera-
lity, took care there should be no lack of good cheer on
the occasion, every little room and office in the place
being set out with the good things of this prolific neigh-
bourhood.
When this bridge is completed, Penzance, Falmouth,
&c., will be brought by one continuous broad gauge line
within nine hours of the metropolis, and our friends in
the Great Western, Bristol and Exeter, South Devon,
and Cornwall Railways in no slight degree benefited by
this whole county feeder. The shaft which is launched
is nearly 90 feet long, and between 30 and 40 feet in
diameter. It is to be sunk upright, and when tight, a
granite pier is to be built, commencing from the Rock
of Dun Stone, at the bottom of the Tamar, over which,
at high water, there will be no less than 83 feet of water.
In the Menai Mr. Stephenson had a rock ready made to
hand, the Britannia. Mr. Brunel has to make one, over
which, when built up about 10 feet above high water, two
cylindrical piers, about 140 feet in height, are to be built
of cast iron, and on the top of these, and on either side
of the river, on the top of stone piers, built from low-
water mark, are to he placed the immense cylindrical
beams, nearly 50 feet in length, which are to carry the
iron railway in the same manner, suspended by chains
as the Chepstow-bridge, which has been found to answer
so well, and the model of which was seen by so many at
the Great Exhibition. The advantages of bridges of
this description over the tunnel tubes of Mr. Stephenson
is the saving of weight, the quantity of iron used being
less than half ; and as a single line is deemed sufficient,
it will be built at less than one-fourth the expense of
the double one across the Menai. Captain Claxton,
R.N., who assisted Mr. Stephenson at all his floatings,
has also the charge of the operations on that head,
which will be conducted by seamen at the Tamar, and,
I we trust, with the same success.