The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-07-25
THE HOLBORN VALLEY VIADUCT.

The chief stone of the Holborn Valley Via
duct was laid, in Harrington street, on Mon
day, June 3, by Mr.. Deputy 7. II. Fry, Chair
man of the improvements Committee Of the
City of London Corporation. The ceremony
was very brief. The usual forms were OBJ
served, and the stone, o block of polished
granite, weighing seven tons, was declared
well and truly laid, amidst the cheers of the
spectators. The following was the inscrip-
tion:-
''This chief stone of the Holborn Valley vi
aduct was laid, June 3, 1867, by Thomas Henry
Fry, Esq, Deputy Chairman of the Improve
ments Committee of the Corporation of the
City of London. The Right Hon. Thomas
Gabriel Lord Mayor; w. Haywood, engineer;
Messrs Hill and Keddell contractors"
During the proceedings a history and de-
scription OF the undertaking was read by Mr.
Haywood, the engineer. Although the gene
raj features of the work have been long
familiar to the public, the following official
account will be useful as record of an inter-
esting event in the history of the metropolis:
1.-THE Holborn Valley Improvement consists
of viaduct, supporting a roadway between
Hatton Garden and the western end of New
gate street, and two side streets connecting the
upper with the lower or Farringdon street
level. The line of roadway on the viaduct will
be eighty feet in width and will commence at
the western end of Newgate street; from that
point it will be carried in straight line to the
western side of Harrington street, occupying
nearly the whole of the space which now or
recently formed Skinner street, as well as a
large portion of the sites of the houses on that
line OF thoroughfare. 1t will include also a
portion of the churchyard of st. Sepulchre.
From FarripgdOn street westward it will
be carried by a gentle curve to the end
of Hatton Garden, occupying the sites
of the houses which formerly stood on
he Of fha
largest portion Of the present roadway at that
spot; 1t will also occupy part of the church
yard of St. Andrews, Holborn. From New
gate street to the entrance to st. Sepulchre's
Church the gradient will be about in 696,
and at this point the eastern approach street
from Farringdon road will join the viaduct on
its northern side; from st. Sepulchres Church
to Harrington street the gradient will be l in
1853, and from Farringdon street to Hatton
Garden in l43; for all the purposes of traffic,
therefore, the viaduct may be said to be level.
The viaduet in it's formation will include
vaultage beneath each footway, for the accom-
mediation of the future houses on either side of
the roadway; outside these vaults will be a
subway for the gas and water pipes, and
between each subway, and forming the
centre of the viaduct the roadway will be
carried on a series of arches. The footway
vaults at the point next to harrington
street will be three tiers in height on
each side of the road and they will gradually
diminish, both eastward and westward, until,
at Hatton Garden and at Newgate street, they
will be but one tier in height. The general
height of the subways will be about eleven
feet six inches, and their width seven feet
they will be constructed of brickwork, except
where they are carried over the London, Chat
ham, and Dover Railway, and at that point
they will bealtered in form, and be constructed
of iron; the tops of the subways will be but a
4 Io,o4l 4ha
and at Farringdon street and Shoe lane ver-
tical shafts will be formed, to enable connec-
tions to be made between the pipes in the sub
ways and those in the streets named In each
subway provision is made for water, gas and
telegraph pipes, all of which will be so placed
that their joints can be inspected and repairs
made without difficulty. The subways will
be well ventilated, and tubes will be left be-
tween the subways and the vaults of the
houses for the introduction of the service
! pipes to the various premises. At each end
of the subways as well as beneath the
| bridges at Harrington street and Shoe lane,
there will be entrances for the purpose of ad-
| mitting workpeOple and taking in any materials
that may be needed. Immediately beneath the
! subways and sewers, drains from every alter
nate house vault will be constructed to these
sewers at the time the viaduct is built; and
! the mode Of construction of sewers, drains, and
street-gullies is such that it is believed it will
| never be necessary to break up the surface of
| the viaduct, when it is once formed, to repair
or cleanse them. The central vaults beneath
the carriage-ways will be formed by arches
springing from east to west they will be
ventilated into the carriage-way; the level of
their flooring will be such as to enable carts
and trucks to be easily drawn along them;
they will be cOmmodiOus, dry, and have a
| uniform temperature, and, it is anticipated,
will be valuable for many purposes of trade
and commerce. The entrance TO these vaults
will be in the abutments of the bridges over
Shoe lane and Harrington street, On the
top of the fOotway vaults and the
subways the foot pavement will be
laid, and the carriage-way will be
principally laid over the large central
vaults. Farringdon street will be crossed by
a cast-iron bridge of an ornamental character.
| Il will be in three spans supported by piers,
one row being on the outer edge of each foot
way; these piers, as well as the outer abut-
ment piers, are to be formed OF polished
granite; the height of the bridge next to the
curbstones will be sixteen feet, and in the
centre the minimum height will be twenty
feet, which is considerably more than sufficient
for the traffic. At each corner of this bridge
flights of steps will be constructed, to enable
pedestrians to pass between the upper
and the lower levels; these will be en-
closed in stone structures, ample light
and ventilation being given to them
These structures will be carried up
some stories above the level of the viaduot
beneath the steps the space will be appro
priated as shopslor warehouses, and above tn
, steps the floors will be eligible for Offices ol