The Sun.
London, England, 1858-08-16 00:00:00

RIVER SEVERN NAVIGATION WORKS.

The WorcesterBhire Chronicle gives the following de-
scription of the important works for the improvement of the
Severn navigation, on the occasion of the opening of the
new lock and weir at the Severn Ham, near Tewkesbury,
on Tuesday :

These great works have been in course of construction
during the past two years; their progress towards coraple-
tion has been watched with no little interest, and now that
we have the consummation to which all classes amongst us
have been looking forward, we must endeavour to make the
utmost of the means of commercial improvement which they
will place at our disposal. Tuesday's inauguration, properly
followed up, cannot fail to prove the harbinger of good times
for our Severn navigation. It may not be the forerunner of
a state of things which was at one time dreamt of, whea the
Severn should be a sort of inland sea, but without doubt it
is the first great step in advance.

The lock is truly of gigantic proportions, being capable of
containing a vessel 300 feet in length. It may almost be
called a double lock; for manifestly convenient purposes
the cutting is divided. At each end there is a pair of huge
folding gates, and the ordinary construction is supple-
mented by the insertion of another pair of gates, the object
of which is obvious. By this plan a single vessel will be ena-
bled, without loss of time, to pass through using the single
lock, while if a steam tug with a number of vessels should
come up, the central gates can be thrown open, and the
whole fleet taken into the lock. The depth of the lock is
30 feet. The walls are of brick on a substratnm of concrete,
while the bottom of the lock is formed of an inverted arch
laid upon a bottom of concrete. The sill is of stone from the
quarries of Upper Areley, and the copings a hard grey stone
from the Forest of Dean. The facing of the walls is of an ex-
cellent blue brick. Between the twolocks there is this pecu-
liarity, that while the walls of the smaller are perpendicular,
the larger has a " batter" of from one to one and a half feet.
In width the upper leek istso feet, and the lower 30 feet. The
approach to the lock at each end is about 70 feet in width.
The gates may be called a marvel in themselves. Each ap-
proaches a weight of 18 tons, while the aggregate cost of
them is stated to be about £3,000.

{ The great object of the works, as has been freqnently men-
tioned, is to raise the level of the river to such an extent that
vessels of considerable tonnage might navigate with ease be-
tween Tewkesbury and the city of Worcester. In carrying
out this object it was necessary to make two great cuttings,
1 the one for the lock, to which we have referred, and the other
for the weir, which is formed of grey Bristol stone, deposited
1 on a foundation of concrete. In length it is 500 feet, and its
base is 36 feet. It la calculated that the water will flew over
it in a sheet of six inches deep at ordinary periods, though on
some occasions, of course, the depth will be considerably
more. The depth of water will be sufficient to allow of the
unimpeded progress of the fish over, while the construc-
tion of the weir itself is favourable to their free passage. The
position of the weir is diagonal, and in consequence the
action of the water is rendered feebler than if the erection
were placed at right angles with the course of the river,
while the weir itself obtains a greater power of resist-
' ance. Besides, the water leaves the weir in a direction
favourable to its subsequent course, and in a manner less
liable to wash the banks. In the new course of the river
below the weir the banks have a slant " batter" of one and
a half feet towards the bottom, and of four feet to one to-
wards the top. Between Diglis and the Upper Lode the fall
of the river before the erection of the weir was about four
and a half feet. It is calculated that the raising of the water
at Tewkesbury six feet, which has now been effected, will
i raise it from a foot to a foot and a half at Diglis.
The cost of the whole works, including the filling up of
the old channel of the river subsequently noticed, and the
erection of houses and offices for the lock-keepers will not ex-
ceed the original estimate, which was £34,750. Up to the
present time the expenditure has been from g3:2,000 t0X33,000,
and, taking into account the value of the materials and ma-
chinery which are to be disposed of after the whole of the
work has been completed, Mr. Williams calculates that the
original estimate will not be exceeded.
To Mr. Leader Williams, whose admirable plans have been
so successfully carried out under his owe guidance, and the
able management of his son, Mr. Alfred Williams, there is
no small amount of credit due. When we consider the diffi-
culties with which he had to contend at the very outset;
when we know the great obstruction which was presented
by the loose nature of the subsoil, and the ingenious manner
in which it was overcome, and reflect upon the extraordinary
tact and talent displayed in combating each arising difficulty,
it is impossible to award to Mr. Williams more praise than
is justly his due.
The opening of the leek was effected without accident,
and, according to the opinion of others more competent
than ourselves in such matters to judge, with the most com-
plete success. Ceremonial, properly speaking, there was
none. The whole affair might be summed up in half-a-dozen
lines. There were people collected from all parts. half-a-
dozen be ats and barges sailed down the old channel, which
was then closed. The sail boats then got in the lock when
the water became high enough, and they went in and
c ime out again, and again did the same, and there were
firing of ba:teries and loud cheering of the people, and
" there's an end on't." But fellowing the usual custom, we
must be somewhat more particular in our account of the
opening and the proceedings by which it was accompanied,
for although the ceremonial was so meagre its its character,
still its signification was large and the thing signiflei, we
dare say, more than the thing itself, was uppermost in the
generality of reflective minds.
The Worce,ter party, which comprised many of our local
authorities and eminent citizens, including the Severn Com-
missioners, was to start from the Esplanade at the bottom of
Diglis-street, at half-past eight o'clock. Before that hour
their state barge was in readiness, fitted up in proper style,
and waited on by a steamer, the Enterprise, which was to
tow her down to the works. At the same point there was
also the trim little steamer, and the pretty-looking barge of
the Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal Company, whose
directory were to have sailed down the river, but did not.
They preferred the more speedy conveyance of the rail, and
joined their state barge at the Ham. The Worcester party
were as
punctual as might have been expected. A few of
Them having been taken on board, the barge was towed up
to the bridge to have the compliment completed. In the
meantime the Canal Company's steamer and barge started
down the river, anti by a long distance took the lead of
the Enterprise—which,by the way, is reported not to have
oinns.heirpierosgartelssd—owarnid,
wthhetelsharogneeno!
pf
mr oe
syserds . very
s ta
ille uotretrhp
and
i nsg
ephi eadr
auopt
ewra. r d
The
hoef
stkwyo
wh
aosu rnsl,o
nwdays
in
nf
theth e
epal
re
lays a nte st
period possiblemorning, and the heat was consequently less oppressive
than it would otherwise have proved. Before the distance,
however, had been half gone over, and shortly after the
cathedral tower, from which the grey mist was being gra-
dually uplifted, had been lost to view, the sun shone out with
full meridian power, and during the whole of the day the
warmth continued excessive. Our (the Worcester) party
was not very numerous, but our enjoyment on our passage
down between the willow-lined banks of the beautiful
Severn was by no means small. The perfection of the natural
scenery which has so often been descanted on by everybody,
the state of the river which has been praised by nobody, the
importance of the new works not unacknowledged by any-
body,
abgur et
emtaebadinieny.nos other topics were passed in review, and the
otherwise
Asatilsewveari
onlysanoteintson
renderedthe river
banks
ibu t
very
were, as there had been at startingp from crowdsWorcester,te
re
of people who had had for iirnowledge of our intentions and
had assembled to witness oen
however, get many cheers until we progress. We didn't,
reachednde the Ham, and
these, perhaps, were quite as much Tnte
of
out
r thenvi
provided
thei Tewkes-
burytheir
party as for us. This party hafidtteedl(si
" state " barge, which was gaily
freighted. It contained the authorities of Tentkeas;:ild Ifully
in-
cluding the mayor, the magistrates, and the townw clerk,ur,:' and
some said Mr. Humphrey Brown, late M.P. for the
nie little town." Mr. Brown was there, for we had jsaun-1
demonstration of the fact, but whether he honoured flaw
mayor with his presence on board the barge we cannot with
certainty aver. The Tewkesbury boat awaited in the Avon
the arrival of the Worcester party, which it followed up in
its progress down the old bed of the river. Before coming
to the spot where, for " unnumbered ages" the Severn has
"flowed gently past," but will now flow no longer, the
Canal Company's party had reached their barge. This party
consisted of Lord Hatherton, Lord Wrottesley, the Hon. E.
R. Littleton, Alex. Hordern, Esq.. Thomas Salt, Esq., the
Rev. J. Salt, Thos. Evans, Esq., Wm. Tarratt, Esq., Henry
Ward, Esq., Matthew Frost, Esq., civil engineer, Thomas
Waters, Esq., solicitor, and Mr. Butter, secretary to the
company.
The closing of the old channel was effected by Mr.
Williams with extraordinary celerity. The place had
1 previously been prepared. The channel had been
Inarrowed to the width of 70 feet, and all that remained to
shut out the stream for ever from its time-honoured course
was to sink a loaded barge and drive in the centre planks of
the timber sheathing. The operations were witnessed with
great interest by the crowd of well-dressed people who lined
submerged
the banks. The boat wasiu the most approved
fashion, and cheers andthcanfidrianggaoinfstrhxegreunwst froelleohweeedrs;
andthe
last plank was inserted,
firing, and sundry
the singular
agrullyargr
success
sLs Ladies
and gentlemen, descant' with
which Mr. Williams had accomplished
lock, where, on board the various oa ,
day's work, now turned their steps in
ttshelduinrechetiownxioftotbhee

served. The lunch over, there were entering and re-entering
the lock by the various barges, that of the Canal Company
being supposed to pass through first. The performance was
gone through as well as the state of the tide would admit, a
battery was fired, there were loud and rt peated huzzas on
all bands, or, mote properly speaking, from all mouths, and
the lock was formally opened for traffic.
In Tewkesbury the day was kept as a general holiday.
The shops and other places of business were closed, and
during the proceedings at the Ham the town wore quite a
deserted aspect. From an early hour in the morning the
population had begun to move towards the scene of attrac-
tion. Many of them got on board the gaily-trimmed small
craft which floated on the bosom of the Severn, others took
up positions on the banks add the gigantic mounds of earth
around, lending to the whole vicinity a most animated ap-
pearance, enhanced not a little by the " fields of floating
bunting," in their brilliant and variegated colours.
There was rejoicing in Tewkesbury in the afternoon. The
rejoicings became Tewkesbury, for these works will make
of Tewkesbury what she has never been made before.
Amongst other details of the Tewkesbury festivities, we
may mention that 1,‘2.00 of the Sunday school children were
feasted on tea and cake, the funds for which had been raised
by public subscription.
The commissioners and their friends afterwards dined on
board their boat. After dinner, Sir Thomas Winniugton'
klatr., M.P., proposed, in a highly-complimentary speech,
the health of Mr. E. L. Williams, which that gentleman
aptly and pertinently acknowledged.