Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1891-10-03
ON LYNDON BRIDGE.
Remarkable Structure which Has sfoo
More Than Six Hundred Years.

The original building of the bridge
can not be discovered, says Walter
Besant in Harper's Magazine. As long
ms we know anything OF London the
bridge was there. For long time Il
was bridge of timber. provided with
a fortified gate-one Of the gates of the
city. In the year 1901 the chronicler
relates that on the feast of St. Edmund
the archbishop at the hour of 6 a
dreadful wairlwind from the southeast,
coming from Africa thus do author
ities in all ages seize upon the oppor.
tunity OF parading their knowledge
from Africa!" all that way!-blew up
on the city and overthrew upward OF
600 houses and several churches.
greatly damaging the tower, and tore
away the roof and part of the wall of ST.
Mary lie Bow, In Cheapside. During
The same storm the water In the
Thames rose with such rapidity anI
increased so violently that London
bridge was entirely swept away.
The bridge was rebuilt. Two years
aiSrward 1t narrowly escaped de-
structlon when a great part of the city
was destroyed by fire. Forty years
later it did meet this fate in the
still greater fire of 1886. 1t was i'm.
mediateIy rebuilt. but suppose hur-
riedly. because thirty years later 1t had
10 be constructed anew.
Among the clergy Of London was
then living one Peter, chaplain of a
small church in the Pouitry-where
Thomas Beckett was baptized-called
Coechurch. This man was above all
others, skilled in the craft and mystery
of bridge-building. He was, perhaps,
member Of ihe fraternity called the
Pontilic (or bridge-bulding) Brothers.
who about this time built the famous
bridges at Avignon. Point st. Esprit,
Cahors Saintes, and La Rochelle. He
proposed to build stone bridge over
the river. In order TO raise money for
this great enterprise offerings were
asked and contributed by king. citizens,
and even the country at large. The
list OF contributors was written out on
tablet for posterity and preserved in
the Bridge chapel.
This bridge, which was to last 70,
$50 years. took as long 10 build as
King Solomon's temple. namely, three
aud thirty years. Before it was finish
ed the architect lay in his grave.
When it was completed the bridge was
S26 feet long and 40 feet wide-Stow
says 80 feet--it stood 60 feet above
high water; it contained draw-bridge
and - pointed arches and massive
piers. varying from % to 81 feet in
'olidity, raised upon strong elm piles
covered with thick planks. The
bridge was curiouslv irregular; there
was no uniformity in the breadth Of
the arches; they varied from ten feet
TO thirty-two feet. Over the tenth and
longest pier was erected a chapel dedi-
Gated to the Youngest saint in the call
ender, St. Thomas of Canterbury.
The erection of chapel on a bridge
was by no means uncommon. Every
budy, for instance. VINO has been in
the south of France remembers the
chapel on the broken bridge ut Wake
held, ia Yorkshire. Like the chapel
at Avigon, that of London bridge con-
tanned an upper and lower chapel; the
latter was built in the pier with stairs,
making it accessible from the river
The bridge gate at the southern end
was fortified by a double tower and
there was also tower at the northern
end. The wall or parapet of the
bridge followed the line of the piers
so as 10 give ut every pier additional
room. The same arrangement used to
be seen on the old bridge at Patney.
The citizens have always regarded
London bridge with peculiar pride
and affection. There was no other
bridge like it in the whole country,
nor any which could compare with it
for strength or for size. 1 think. in-
deed, that there was not in the whole
OF Europe any bridge that could COM
pare with it, for it was built not only
over a broad river. but tidal river.
in which the food rose and ebbed with
great vehemence twice n day. Later
on they built houses on either side, but
at the first the way was clear. The
bridge was endowed with broad lands;
certain monks called Brethren of ST.
Thomas on the Bridge. were charged
with the services in the chapel. and
with administering the revenues for
maintainance OF the fabric.