Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-08-30
BY JAMES WALDO FAwCETT.

BY JAMES WALDO FAWCETT.
T%oR untold generations the chill
dren of the British race have
sung that London Bridge is
4 falling down"-the original YER
sion was "breaking down" How
very old this song must be is demon
strated by the fact that the London
Bridge of medieval times stood for 665
years and the London Bridge Of our
day is celebrating this Summer its
Tooth birthday. tt was some remote
predecessor of these two historic struc-
lures that was falling down" The
present bridge. supporting a ceaseless
flow Of traffic. is as Staunch and sturdy
as little likely to fall down" as 1t
was on August /, 1881, when it was
first opened for public service.
Until 1869 London Bridge was the
only bridge over the Thames in Lon
don, the only dry passageway between
the city and the borough of Southwark,
the famous Surrey side" of the stream
It is still the most important bridge in
the metropolitan district. But this
bridge of 1869 was the So-called Old
Bridge, the bridge that Chaucer and
Shakespeare knew. There were London
bridges still older.
ny ANOhAoASs
The Romans built bridge about 260
feet east of the present span. Possibly
they built more than one at this point
There is evidence that they had a
bridge Of boats here and that later
span on wooden piles When the Old
Bridge was taken down, in the first
quarter of the nineteenth century, these
ancient piles were found still in place
after nearly 1000 years In passing it
is worth noticing that something much
more important than rotted timbers
was discovered during the dredging for
the new bridge, namely, the fine bronze
portrait head of the Emperor Hadrian,
which is now on exhibition in the Brit
ish Museum. 1t is conjectured that
this representation of the great Roman
car at one time adorned the parapet
of fortified gate at the Southwark end
of the bridge We know that the Roman
structure was strongly defended, as in
deed it had need to be, for the country
round about Londiniun1 swarmed with
savages hostile to the alien occupation.
What happened to the Roman bridge
when the Romans withdrew from
Britain is not quite clear, but it is GER
tain that there was bridge of some
kind across the river ira this neighbor-
hood through Saxon and down 70 Nor
man times.
First Definite Facts.
However, it is not until we come TO
the reign of King Henry II that we have
definite facts. 1t was this monarch
who. in II67. commissioned Peter, the
rector of Colechurch or as some say the
chaplain Of the Church of st. Mary
Cole. to construct q stone bridge about
200 feet below the present structure on
a line with Fish Street Hill and just by
st. Magnus' Church. The Archbishop
of Canterbury. as well as the sovereign.
had something to do with the arrange
nnents. Peter Of Colechurch did not
live to see the work completed. He was
succeeded in the third year of King
John by a renowned Norman architect
named Isambert, who served four years,
and was followed by Friar West, who
remained in Office until the task was
finished in 1909. The magnitude OF the
undertaking may be estimated by the
fact that there were'20 arches in all
a considerable quantity Of masonry to
construct at a VIGOROUSLY dangerous
place in the rivers course. We are told,
too, that there was drawbridge ar
r6ngement for the accommodation OF
large vessels. And on the center pier
there was a chapel so long by 20 feet
wide. dedicated to st. Thomas of Can
terbury, which in due time became one
of the favorite places Of devotion in the
CITY with four ci1aplains to say masses
for the souls of departed citizens,
Disaster of 1882.
In 1882 this Old Bridge was the scene
Of a frightfui disaster A fire broke
ont in Southwark and destroyed the
Chapel and Priory OF st. Mary's. The
flames. carried along by a strong WIND
from the south, caught the bridge ana
eTectually stopped the progress OF a
multitude OF people who were hurrylng
across to give assistance to their friends
in Southwark Meanwhile, by some nlys-
FERROUS accident the London END o.
the span began to blaze, and 5000 per-
sons, caught IN a trap between the Two
fires. hurried to the central arch, which
rronptly gave way. and ali were crushed
burnt or drowned in the crash. Many
persisted by the overlooking of vessels
which came to their rescue. The only
part of the bridge which remained in
tact and unchanged was the chapel
The work OF reconstruction was at once
/ begun, and on much more substantial
basis So important was this rebuild
ing of the bridge that for more than a
hundred years eminent and wealthy
E
ate sums toward the continuance OF the
enterprise. Possibly 1t was about this
/ tirne-the close Of the thirteenth cen
tury-that the song still sung by the
/ children first appeared. Build It III
with stone so strong. Hurrahl twill las
| for ages long" they chanted. And i
| was indeed, substantially reconstructed
Lined With Shops.
I UySy,n T7fszrsa I'D TT 3ng
/ Old Bridge had become IN effect z
| street, lined with shops and houses. A
! Frlorentine banker. Giovanni Frasco-
/ baldi, who came to London in Chau-
! GERS day, greatly admired the structure
/ He called 1t una rnarayiglta "A marvel
| and wrote home that 1t was finer ant
/ larger than the famous Ponte VecchiC
Of his native city.
The shops seem to have been oc'
/ cupied for the most part by jewellers
| and other dealers In small wares. i
| was in one Of the houses that ST
| Thomas Hewitt lived. He was lord mayo
| in the time Of Quesn Elizabeth. There
/ Is a romantic story, according TO which
i his daughter very lovely girl, fel
| into the river and was rescued by AZ
apprentice, one Edward Osborne
| Naturally, the brave and fortunate
| youth later married the beautiful anS
| wealthy young lady. Together the!
| founded the family Of the Dukes o
| Leeds.
IRE gates of the Old Bridge wer,
| used for the exhibition of the head
| Of traitors. These ghastly trophiei
were stuck up in small iron cages OF
the tops of high poles, and it Is re
| ported that the German travelet
| Hentzner, visiting London two year
4 III