The Sun.
London, England, 1859-05-04 00:00:00

OPENING OF THE ROYAL ALBERT
BRIDGE BY TILE PRINCE CONSORT.

But a little time ago each bridge across a petty river was
- a work of difficulty, the completion of which attracted atten-
tion and elicited praise. Now-a-days, however, ordinary
bridges have got to be things of no account, for the country
has become accustomed to set the most stupendous diticul-
ties overcome, and viaducts have arisen everywhere more
worthy of our admirßtion than the purposeless and Uncouth
mountain columns of the Egyptians which we travel to see.
Of such a kind, but surpassing all both in skill and magni-
tude, is the Albert Bridge, which year by year has been
approaching completion, unnoticed and unknown, till its
opening by the Prince Consort has suddenly announced that
the most difficult engineering wort which has ever been
attempted in this or any other country is completed. On
seeing the working drawings of the bridge some time since
the Prince Consort was so impressed with the ingenuity of
;the design that we believe he determined to have a small
copy of it erected at Balmoral, and at the same time signi-
fied his intentiSn of opening the bridge at Saltash himself.
The occasion was quite worthy of this honour, and it is
only to be regretted that, the great engineer who designed
and carried out the work (Mr. Brunel) was prevented by ill
health from being present at such a ceremony. It is not
often that Plymouth has an opportunity of paying its re-
spects to Royalty, so this occasion was made the most of.
The great gathering was of course around Saltash, where
the fields and hedgerows were thronged with spectators,
and where enterprising agriculturists reaped an unexpected
harvest by charging for Omission to the meadows which
adjoined upon the bridge. Altogether at this point, what
with the crowd, the nags, some eve.rgreensi a battery of
artillery, and a few companies of the 96th, the scene was
animated enough, and the only anxiety was on account
of the weather, which was .dull and lowering, and which
the delicate attentions of a south-west wind hourly threat-
ened to make worse. Fortunately, however, the rain
held off, and beyond the disappointment of the outsiders
who couldn't see the "ceremony" and the disappointment
of those who could, and found that it was not much after
all, the day passed off smoothly and pleasantly enough
At the temporary station .on the eastern side of the bridge
the most distinguished- of those who were to, receive
Royal Highness awaited his arrival, Among others were
the Marquis of Abereorn, Earl Mount-Ed cumber Viscount
Valletort, M.P., Major- General Eden YieesAdrnfral Sir
Barrington Reynolds, the Earl of Morley Sir Erskine
Perry, M.P., the High Sheriff of Coistwall, R, Collyer,
M.P., J. Wilson, M,P,, &e, To these in the course of, the
morning were added the Mayors of Plymouth, 841teshY and
Devonport, each in their relies of office, and each attended
by those dread symbols of corporate authority, the antique
maces, and their scarcely less antique macebearers. The
latter constituted the pageantry of the affair, and displayed
enough gold lace almost to warrant -their being considered
in the light, of a procession, But without such gorgeous
accessories as these there was more than enough to occupy
the mind and please the eye of the visitor in the scene be-
neath, when the Tamar was covered in every part with
ships of war, with boats and steamers ; and when high
above all, in two huge arches, the Albert bridge bestrid like
another Colossus this arm of the sea, stretching across into
the hills of Cornwall, amid which the line was hidden till
it emerged again on a bridge of the frailest-looking wood-
work over the Coombe Lake. The line for which this mag-
nificent work has been constructed is the Cornwall Rail-
way, and which, crossing the valleys and hills of that un-
even county, of course presents a continued series of engi-
neering difficulties. In a distance of 60 miles there are no
less than seven tunnels and upwards of five miles of via-
ducts, besides cuttings, curves, and gradients almost innu-
merable. The viaduct of all others is of course the Albert
bridge at Saltash, which is unsurpassed by any in the
world. Perhaps the shortest way to describe its dimen-
sions is to say that the whole structure consists of 19 spans
or arches. Seventeen of these spans are wider than the
widest arches of Westminster-bridge, while two, resting
on a single cast iron pier of four columns, cross the
whole stream of the Tamar at one gigantic leap of upwards
of 900 feet, or a greater distance than the breadth of the
Thames at 'Westminster. The total length of the structure
from end to end 'is 2,240 feet, very nearly half a mile, and
300 feet longer than the entire stretch of the Britannia-
bridge. Its greatest width, as formed only for a single pair
of rails, is 30 feet at basement, but its height from founda-
tion to summit is no less than 260 feet, or more than 50
feet higher than the monument. The Britannia-bridge,
both in size, purpose, and engineering importance, seems
to offer the best comparison with that in Cornwall, but the
similarity is far from being as great as might be at first
supposed. Each is built on a different principle, and the
engineers of each had most peculiar difficulties to overcome.
Each bridge, in fact, surpasses in its way, and is best
adapted to the duty it has to perform and the obstacles it
was necessary to surmount.

The Prince Consort was expected at Saltash at 12.20, and
precisely at that time arrived the heavy boom of guns from
the flagship and citadel announced that ho had reached the
junction of the Cornwall line, about two miles from Saltash.
His Royal Highness was accompanied by General Grey
and Colonel Ponsonby. The chief personages on the plat-
form having been duly presented, the Mayor of Saltash,
attended by the other members of the corporation, presented
the following address, which was listened to by the Prince,
without alighting, at the door of the Royal carriage.
The address was as follows:

May it please your Highness, we, the mayor, aldermen,
and free burgesses of the borough. of Saltash, in the county
of Cornwall, welcome with intense satisfaction the first visit
of your Royal Highness to this ancient and loyal borough,
and would have hailed with delight also our most gracious
Queen, had the auspicious occasion been graced with her
august presence. We are particularly gratified by this
further proof of your Royal Highness's support and encou-
ragement to works of art in condescending to honour with
your presence the opening of the Royal Albert Bridge, that
noble work of engineering skill which has united the

important counties of Cornwall and Devon, and made our
borough the main entrance into the county of Cornwall—a,
work destined in our opinion to be a memento to genera-
tions yet unborn of your Royal Highness's name and
memory, as also of the skill and perseverance evinced by
the eminent engineer in the construction thereof. We fur-
-1 ,ther tender our sincere interest in the welfare of your eldest
son, whom we hail with pride as holding the dukedom of
our county. We humbly pray that the lives of our beloved
and most gracious Queen and of your Royal Highness may,
thi ough Divine Providence, be long spared to receive in-
creased marks of the loyalty and affection entertained and
felt by all her Majesty's subjects, but by none more de-
votedly than by ourselves and the inhabitants of this an-
cient borough.
To this the PRINCE, bowing as he received the address,
replied—" Mr. Mayor and gentlemen, it has given me ranch
pleasure to attend here this day, at the opening of the
bridge which is to connect the important county of Corn-
wall with the rest of the kingdom, and most heartily do I
thank you for your kind address, and for the cordial wel-
come which has marked my coming among you. I have
also to acknotiledge on the part of the Queen and of my son,
the Duke of Cornwall, the gratifying assurances of your
loyal and affectionate attachment, and I am sure that they
will join cordially with me in the hope and trust that this
noble work, which does so much credit to the enterprising
men by whom it has been planned and executed, may be
productive of increased prosperity to your town and
county."
A second address was also presented by the Chairman and
Directors of the Cornwall Railway, though the majority of
the directors were unfortunately prevented attending on
this most interesting occasion, inasmuch as their engine
broke down halfway between Saltash and Truro, and the
train only arrived exactly as the proceedings terminated.
Immediately after the delivery of the addresses and his
Royal Highness's reply, the Royal train moved forward,
and entered the Albert Bridge. The pace was very slow, in
order to give his Highness an opportunity of surveying the
extraordinary work. As the train went on, a slight vibra-
tion was perceptible, yet, strange to say, much less than
was'observed when a company of soldiers, tramping in re-
gular step, crossed it a few minutes before to the Saltash
side. As the engine passed under the standard of the centre
pier, a Royal salute was fired from a battery of artillery on
the hill. The train then continued its course through the
Saltash station, where some thousands were assembled, who
gave his Royal Highness a most enthusiastic welcome, and
passed on to the Coombe Lake viaduct. This viaduct is
of wood, though in its way quite as curious as the colossal
iron span of Saltash. Its height from the water is about
120 feet, and so slight looks the web of neatly-arranged
beams, whi4, rising one upon another, carry the roadway
high over all, that it taxes the passenger's confidence in Mr.
Brunel to the very utmost to venture on it in a heavy train.
It has, of course, been properly tested, and, before proof,
was known to be strong enough for what it was required to
bear ; yet, in spite of all, the Coombe viaduct is one which
the public will never feel much confidence in from merely
looking at. Yet this bridge, we are told, is nothing to one
higher up the line, at St. Austell, where the same kind of
structure spans a tremendous ravine at a height of 156 feet
from the ground. Returning over the Coombe viaduct,
the train stopped at Saltash station, and his Royal High-
ness alighting, proceeded on foot to examine the wonderful
proportions of the Albert Bridge in detail. For this pur-
pose he was attended by Mr. Brereton, Mr. Brunell's super-
mtendent engineer, and Mr. I,Voolcomb, one of the direc-
tors of the railway. Accompanied by these gentlemen,
the weights and dimensions of the bridge were briefly and
clearly explained to his Highness, together with the unex-
ampled nature of the difficulties which Mr. Brunel had
almost day by day to overcome during the progress of the
work. A description of this fine work appeared in the
columns of The Sun last autumn, while the earlier 'span
was still in course of being raised to its lofty resting place ;
but a brief recapitulation of the chief points of the structure
will not, we are sure, be without intetest to our readers,
especially as this will, perhaps, be the best mode of showing
the difficulties that existed, by explaining how they were
actually overcome in the every-day progress of the work.
The whole structure, as we have said, contains 19 spans.
The smaller spans, or arches, if we may so term them, were
made with comparatively little difficulty. These lead from
the hills at either side to the edge of the Tamar, and consist
of massive double columns of solid masonry, 11 feet square,
with wrought iron longitudinal beams of boiler plate, to
carry the roadway on either side. The main stone piers
are at the water's edge, and support the ends of the great
spans crossing the river. These two of course are of the
most solid kind, and more resemble the massive columns of
Egypt than the works of modern engineers. Each is of
granite, 29 feet wide by 17 feet thick, and no less than 190
feet from foundation to summit. It is, however, on the
main pier, in the centre of the river, on which both the great
spans rest, that all the pressure and vibration comes, and
for this was required a tower of such proportions that
nothing short of the solid rock itself would suffice for its
foundation. But to reach this was a matter of no ordinary
difficulty, inasmuch akoome 70 feet of sea water, with 20
feet of mud and concrete gravel, lay between Mr. Brunel
and the stone on which he wished to build. A cofferdam
for such a depth, and in such a tideway, was out of the
question ; yet, by a most ingenious application of the
cofferdam principle, what seemed an insuperable obstacle
was at last overcome. An immense wrought-iron cylinder
of boiler plate, 100 feet high and 37 feet in diameter
and weighing upwards of 300 tons, was made and sunk
exactly on the spot whence the masonry was to rise.
From this water was pumped out and air forced in ; the
men descended, and working as in a gigantic diving bell at
the very bottom of theriver, cleared out the mud and gravel
till the rock was reached and hewn into form to support the
cylinder evenly all round. Powerful steam air-pumps were
necessary to keep the labourers supplied below, and, as a
Matter of course; they worked at an atmospheric pressure of
upwards of -351 b. to the inch. At first this affected them
severely; many were constantly seized with cramps, faint-
ness, and insensibility, but this was only at the commence-
ment, and after a time 40 labourers could remain at puce in
the large diving apparatus with apparently little inconve-
nience. But it was always dangerous and unpleasant la-
bour, and all were glad *hen the first great difficulty was
over, and the noble column of granite, built- inside the
cylinder, rose above the water's edge at last. On this mas-
sive pile the iron columns for the centre pier are raised.
Until these ponderous masses were cast metal works of such
dimensions were seldom dreamt of. There are four octagon
columns, 10 feet in diameter and 100 feet high. Each
'stands 10 feet apart from the other in the centre of the
grallite, forming a squgre pf about 30 feet, and all bound
together with a handsome massive lattice-work of wrought
iron, which cheeks vibration, and prevents any lateral

- ,
thrust. The weight of each column is 150 tons, eachbeing
cast in 6-feet joints, two inches thick, and suppc,rted inside
with powerful ribs and angle irons. As fast e s they were
finished, planed down, and fitted together witYs the neatness
of joiner's work, they were sent off piecemea;, to the centre
pier, but not erected, as they could only be built up under
the centre spans as the latter, in' one, mass, weighing
1,200 tons, were gradually lifted to their places by hydrau-
lic pressure. The great spans, each end of which rests
on two of these columns, may be best described as being
made on the principle of a double bow. The lower bow is
of chains, carrying the roadway ; the upper is a tube of
wrought-iron, to which the lower is 'attached by powerful
supports. Thus a great weight on the lower bow only
tends to give additional support by straightening the *upper,
and vice versa; each, in fact, counteracts the effects of the
other, so that there is no lateral thrust from either side, an
indispensable requisite where no buttresses could be erected
to resist it. Each arched tube is elliptical in form, being
12 feet by 17 feet, and both are made throughout of inch
boiler plate. At intervals of 20 feet the insides are wrought
iron diaphragms, with tie-rods and, angle irons throughout
their entire length. The curve of the arched tube is 28 feet,
and the tension chains of the lower bow are of course the
same. The double chains are exactly similar in principle
to those of an ordinary suspension-bridge, only, instead of
each link being composed of seven and eight bars, those at
Saltash are of 14 and 15 bars, each barbeing one inch thick
and six broad, and each link having been tested with a
strain of four tons to the inch. Both the chains and tubes
are bound together by wrought-iron trusses to each other.
The spans before being lifted were tested with a strain (in-
cluding their own weight) of 2,300 tons. Thia load, which
gave a strain of about five and a half tons per inch of sec
thin on the tubes and chains, deflected the entire span seven
inches—a deflection which recovered itself immediately after
the mass WAS removed, The greatest strain which the
bridge can now undergo covered with earth to the depth of
a foot, and loaded with a train of locomotives, will be less
by half a ton per inch than this proof. The test of the
Governmentinspector was only a load of 400 tons, under
which the bridge deflected ono and a quarter inch.
The manner of raising these spans was quite as curious
as those of the Brittania-bridge Each was built entire,
and after being tested was 'floated out and lifted by hy-
draulic presses of immense power. These presses, however,
required such massive foundations that only those which
were built for the bridge would serve their turn. Thus the
Span was floated to the centre of the, river, and as it was
raised the iron columns and great massive pier we have
mentioned were built up under them. The two spans, or
arches, which meet on the columns in the' centre do not en-
tirely rest on them, but on a mass of iron built above them,
called a standard, into which the arches aro fixed. This
standard weighs no less than 200 tons, and is composed of
five 6-feet joints, each weighing upwards of 40 tons. When
the whole bridge takes its bearings, as it is termed, the
pressure on the centre pier foundation will be more than
eight tons tathe foot/ or double the pressure of the whole
MASS of the Victoria rower on its basement story. Lateral
motion is counteracted by the transverse floor girders under
the roadway, and the ballast checks vibration. Six inches
have been allowed for contraction and expansion, but the
greatest difference yet observed between the coldest and the
hottest day has only been three inches in the entire length
of both spans. The total quantity of wrought iron used
has been 2,700 tons; of cast iron, 1,300 tons; of masonry
and brickwork, 17,000 cubic yards ; and about 14,000 cubic
feet of timber. The inspection of his Royal Highness, oc-
cupied half an hour or so, and on returning lo the eastern
end his Royal Highness declared the Royal Albert-bridge
opened amid loud and continued cheers. The Prince then'
descended the embankment to the engineer's office to look at
the working drawings ; and, after partaking of lunch in
a pavilion erected for the purpose, embarked on board the
Vivid and crossed to Tor Point, where horses were in math.-
ness, mounting which his Royal Highness and suite rode
across the country for about seven miles, to a place called
Tregantle. This place forms the neck of a little peninsula
of land fronting Plymouth and Devonport, and one side of
which is so well known to the lovers of picturesque scenery
as Mount Edgecumbe. The western side of the isthmus,
however, near Tregantle forms a fine and spacious bay,
admirably suited for landing troops and whence, by 'a short
march on Tor Point, an enemy, by taking_the whole line
of fortifications in the rear, might destroyDevonport and
Plymouth. Across the neck of land at Tregantle, there-
fore, it has been just derided to cut a fosse and throw up a
rampart, to be armed at proper intervals with heavy guns.
It was to inspect this intended fortification, the works of
which have only been. ordered within a very brief period,
that his Royal Highness visited this little spot on Monday.
Not much has yet been 'done towards completing the
earthworks, but his Royal Highness saw enough 'to show
the important nature of the position, and the necessity for
its being immediately placed in a state of complete defence.
When the lines are finished half the garrison always in
Plymouth will suffice to man them, and keep an enemy
confined to the place on which they land till ample time is
en for reinforcements. His Royal Highness remained
ghierre a considerable time, after. which he rd.:embarked on
board the Vivid, and landed at Plymouth in the evening.
As it was not known where he would land, there were com-
paratively few spectators on the spot, but the number soon
increased, and at the station great crowds were collected,
who made the air ring with their cheers. The Royal train
left Plymouth at seven o'clock, and returned to Windsor at
one yesterday morning. .

POLICE INTELLIGENCE,-(TIIIS DAY.)

GUILDHALL.

UNPAID MAGISTRATES.—To-day this police-court was
magistrateless till half-past twelve o'clock, at.which time
Mr. Alderman Allen took his seat upon the bench. From
twelve till half-past a youth, charged with felony, was
standing upon the steps leading to the dock, a mark for
every one to gaze upon. Surely, out of so many aldermen,
one could attend at twelve o'clock, the hour appointed for
adjudicating upon the several prisoners sent for trial to this
court.

ROBBERY BY A Yorm.—Alexander Johnson, a respect-
, able-looking youth, was charged with robbing an iron-
monger, named Parks, of a large quantity of property.
Taylor, a city detective, proved finding a quantity of
duplicates at the prisoner's lodging relating to some tools,
and at the workshop at which he was employed some locks
and screws, which had since been identified by Mr. Parks.
Prisoner,' upon being questioned, said he knew nothing
about the goods found at the workshop ; he purchased
those to which the duplicates related.
Mr. Parks said he was an ironmonger, of Fleet-street,
and had identified the property produced by the officer.
Cross-examined by Mr. Lewis, of Ely-place—He had not
sold the property in question. He knew his private pro-
perty; there was the private mark on it. Witness did not
keep a stock book. Witness received the parcel of locks of
which these produced form a portion about the 11th of
March last, and could swear that between that time and
the present he had not sold any large quantity.
A lad named Stubbs, aged 14, employed by the pro-
secutor, said he saw the prisoner take a package from Mr.
Parks' shop on Saturday last. That package contained
screws. Witness told Mr. Parks about it in the evening.
Cross-examined----The shopman was at the counter at the
time; but I said nothing to him about it as I did not know
what to do, and did not want to have anything to do
with it.

Alderman—But you should have interfered when you
saw your master robbed.

Tlie shopman to Mr. Parks said that on Monday last
prisoner visited the shop at half•past seven in the morning,
and requested to be shown some bradawls. Witness had
occasion to go to the end of the shop once or twice, and
upon witness returning the second time he saw the prisoner
in custody.
Mr. Lewis asked that the case might be disposed of sum-
marily, but

The' Alderman said he must commit the prisoner for
rial.

MARLBOROUGH-STREET.

CURIOUS CHARGE OF STEALING A RlNG.—Mary Con-
nell, a fruit vendor, was charged with stealing a gold ring,
as follows :

Mr. Wm. Coggs, of 20, Stacey-street, New Compton..
street, said that about five o'clock the previous afternoon,
he was coming out of a public house in Upper Rathbone •
place, when a ring which he had on his finger, and which
was rather loose, fell off, and rolled between two paving
stones. While trying to get it up a crowd collected round
him, and the stone was raised, when he saw the prisoner
stoop and pick up something and put it into her mouth.
Believing it to be his ring he seized her throat and held her
till a constable came up. He distinctly saw her put it in
her mouth. He believed it to be gold,—at all events he
bought it as gold, and it was worth quite D.
In answer to Mr. Bingham, the prisoner denied picking
up the ring. It was a sixpence.
Mr. Bingham asked how it was that she put it in her
mouth, then ?
Prisoner said she kept her money always in her mouth—
she wore no pockets.
Dodsworth, a constable, said she told him a man picked
up the ring. ,
A little boy named Wheeler said he saw the prisoner pick
up something, but did not know what.
Remanded.