The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-07-05
LONDON BRIDGE.

The Story of q Remarkable Structure,
Whose Origin Is Hid In Obscurity.
The original building of the bridge can
not be discovered. Az long as we know any
thing of London the bridge was there. For
vided with a fortified gate--one of the gates
of the city. In the year 1891. the chronicler
relates that on the feast of ST. Edmund, the
archbishop, at the hour of six, a dreadful
whirlwind from the southeast, coming from
Africa-thus do authors in all ages seize
upon the opportunity of parading their
knowled-"from African all that way
blew upon the city. and overthrow upward
of 600 houses and several churches, greatly
damaged the Tower. and tore away the
roof and part of the wall of st. Mary le
Bow, in Cheapside. Duringthe same storm
the water in the Thames rose with such ra-
pidity and increased SO violently that Lon
don Bridge was entirely swept away.
The bridge was rebuilt. Two years after
ward it narrowly escaped destruction 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 1875. 1t was i'm
mediately rebuilt, but l suppose hurriedlv,
because thirty years later it had to be con-
structed anew.
Among the clergy Of London was then
living ono Peter, chaplain of il small church
in the Poultry-where Thomas a Beckett
WAS baptized-called Colechurch. This
man was above all others skilled in the
craft and mystery of bridge building. He
was perhaps Il member of the fraternity
called tho Pontiiic Cor bridge-building)
brothers, who about this tinfe built the
famous bridges ut AviRnon, Pont st. Esprit,
Cahors, Saintes, and La Rochelle. He pro-
posed to build II stone bridge over the river.
In order to raise money for this great en-
terprise. offerings were asked and contribu-
tod by king, citizens, and even the country
ut large. The list of contributors was writ
ton out on Il table for posterity, and pre-
served i'll the bridge chapel.
This bridge, which was TO Inst for 600
years, took rs long to build as King Solo.
mons temple, namely three and thirty
years. Before it was finished the architect
lay i'll his grave. When it was completed
the bridge was 926 feet long and forty feet
wide-Stow says thirty feet: it stood sixty
feet above high wnto.; it contained II draw
bridge and nineteen pointed arches, with
massive piers varying from twenty. five to
thirty-four foot III solidlty, raised npon
strong elm piles covered with thick planIs.
The bridge was ouriously irregular; there
was no uniformity III tho breadth of the
arches; they varied from ten feet to thirty
two feet. Over tho tenth and longest pier
was erected II chapel dedicated to Sir
Thomas of Canterbury. Tho erection OF u
chapel on a bridge was by no means unoom-
mon. Everybody, for Instance, who has
boon in the south of France ro-
members the chapel on tho
broken bridge at Avignon. Again, u
chapel was built on the bridge ut Droit-
wich, in Cheshire, and ono on the bridge Mt
Wakefield, in Yorkshire. Like tho chapel
at Aviguon. that of London bridge som
tanned IN upper and n lower chapel; the
latter was built in the pier with stat rs,
making it accessible from tho river. The
bridge gate at the southern end was forth
fled by II double tower, and there was also u
tower at the northern end. The wall or
pnrapet of tho bridge followod tho line of
tho piers, SO rs to give Mt every pier addi-
tional room. The same arrangement used
to he seen ON tho old bridge at Pntney.
The citizens have always regarded LON
don bridge with peculiar pride and afeo-
ton. There WAS no other bridge like it in
the whole country, nor any that could conl-
pare with it for strength or for size. There
was not i'll the whole of Europe any bridge
that could compare with it; for it was built
not only over a broad river. but u tidal river
in which tho tiood rose and ebbod with
great yohemenco twice n day. Later on
they built houses on either side, but at tirss
the way was clear. The bridge was on
dowod with broad lands; certain monks,
called brethren of st. Thomaso on tho bridge,
were charged with tho services in tho
chapel, and with administering tho revo-
Rues for the maintenance of the fabric.--
Walter ReBant, in Harper's Magazine.