the life of thomas telford-第2节

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Macadam

Cartland　Crags　Bridge

Improvement　of　the　London　and　Edinburgh　post　road

Communications　with　Ireland

Wretched　state　of　the　Welsh　roads

Telford's　survey　of　the　Shrewsbury　and　Holyhead　road

Its　construction

Roads　and　railways

London　and　Shrewsbury　post　road

Roads　near　London

Coast　road；　North　Wales





CHAPTER　XII。　　The　Menai　and　Conway　Bridges



Bridges　projected　over　the　Menai　Straits

Telford's　designs

Ingenious　plan　of　suspended　centering

Design　of　a　suspension　bridge　over　the　Mersey　at　Runcorn

Design　of　suspension　bridge　at　Menai

The　works　begun

The　main　piers

The　suspension　chains

Hoisting　of　the　first　main　chain

Progress　of　the　works　to　completion

The　bridge　formally　opened

Conway　Suspension　Bridge





CHAPTER　XIII。　　Docks；　Drainage；　and　Bridges



Resume　of　English　engineering

General　increase　in　trade　and　poulation

The　Thames

St。　Katherine's　Docks

Tewkesburg　Bridge

Gloucester　Bridge

Dean　Bridge；　Edinburgh

Glasgow　Bridge

Telford's　works　of　drainage　in　the　Fens

The　North　Level

The　Nene　Outfall

Effects　of　Fen　drainage





CHAPTER　XIV。　　Southey's　tour　in　the　highlands



Southey　sets　out　to　visit　the　Highlands　in　Telford's　company

Works　at　Dundee　Harbour

Bervie　Harbour

Mitchell　and　Gibbs

Aberdeen　Harbour

Approach　to　Banff

Cullen　Harbour

The　Forres　road

Beauly　Bridge

Bonar　Bridge

Fleet　Mound

Southey's　description　of　the　Caledonian　Canal　and　works

John　Mitchell

Takes　leave　of　Telford

Results　of　Highland　road…making





CHAPTER　XV。　　Mr　Telford's　later　yearsHis　death　and　character



Telford's　residence　in　London

Leaves　the　Salopian

First　President　of　Institute　of　Civil　Engineers

Consulted　by　foreign　Governments　as　to　roads　and　bridges

His　views　on　railways

Failure　of　health

Consulted　as　to　Dover　Harbour

Illness　and　death

His　character

His　friends

Integrity

Views　on　money…making

Benevolence

Patriotism

His　Will

Libraries　in　Eskdale　supported　by　his　bequests





PREFACE



The　present　is　a　revised　and　in　some　respects　enlarged　edition　of

the　'Life　of　Telford；'　originally　published　in　the　'Lives　of　the

Engineers；'　to　which　is　prefixed　an　account　of　the　early　roads　and

modes　of　travelling　in　Britain。



From　this　volume；　read　in　connection　with　the　Lives　of　George　and

Robert　Stephenson；　in　which　the　origin　and　extension　of　Railways　is

described；　an　idea　may　be　formed　of　the　extraordinary　progress

which　has　been　made　in　opening　up　the　internal　communications　of

this　　country　during　the　last　century。



Among　the　principal　works　executed　by　Telford　in　the　course　of　his

life；　were　the　great　highways　constructed　by　him　in　North　Wales　and

the　Scotch　Highlands；　through　districts　formerly　almost　inaccessible；

but　which　are　now　as　easily　traversed　as　any　English　county。



By　means　of　these　roads；　and　the　facilities　afforded　by　railways；

the　many　are　now　enabled　to　visit　with　ease　and　comfort　magnificent

mountain　scenery；　which　before　was　only　the　costly　privilege　of　the

few；　at　the　same　time　that　their　construction　has　exercised　a　most

beneficial　influence　on　the　population　of　the　districts　themselves。



The　Highland　roads；　which　were　constructed　with　the　active

assistance　of　the　Government；　and　were　maintained　partly　at　the

public　expense　until　within　the　last　few　years；　had　the　effect　of

stimulating　industry；　improving　agriculture；　and　converting　a

turbulent　because　unemployed　population　into　one　of　the　most　loyal

and　well…conditioned　in　the　empire；　the　policy　thus　adopted　with

reference　to　the　Highlands；　and　the　beneficial　results　which　have

flowed　from　it；　affording　the　strongest　encouragement　to　Government

in　dealing　in　like　manner　with　the　internal　communications　of

Ireland。



While　the　construction　of　the　Highland　roads　was　in　progress；

the　late　Robert　Southey；　poet　laureate；　visited　the　Highlands　in

company　with　his　friend　the　engineer；　and　left　on　record　an

interesting　account　of　his　visit；　in　a；　manuscript　now　in　the

possession　of　Robert　Rawlinson；　C。E。；　to　whom　we　are　indebted　for

the　extracts　which　are　made　from　it　in　the　present　volume。



London；　October；　1867。





EARLY　ROADS　AND　MODES　OF　TRAVELLING。





CHAPTER　I。　　OLD　ROADS。



Roads　have　in　all　times　been　among　the　most　influential　agencies　of

society；　and　the　makers　of　them；　by　enabling　men　readily　to

communicate　with　each　other；　have　properly　been　regarded　as　among

the　most　effective　pioneers　of　civilization。



Roads　are　literally　the　pathways　not　only　of　industry；　but　of

social　and　national　intercourse。　　Wherever　a　line　of　communication

between　men　is　formed；　it　renders　commerce　practicable；　and；

wherever　commerce　penetrates；　it　creates　a　civilization　and　leaves

a　history。



Roads　place　the　city　and　the　town　in　connection　with　the　village

and　the　farm；　open　up　markets　for　field　produce；　and　provide

outlets　for　manufactures。　　They　enable　the　natural　resources　of　a

country　to　be　developed；　facilitate　travelling　and　intercourse；

break　down　local　jealousies；　and　in　all　ways　tend　to　bind　together

society　and　bring　out　fully　that　healthy　spirit　of　industry　which

is　the　life　and　soul　of　every　nation。



The　road　is　so　necessary　an　instrument　of　social　wellbeing；

that　in　every　new　colony　it　is　one　of　the　first　things　thought　of。

First　roads；　then　commerce；　institutions；　schools；　churches；

and　newspapers。　　The　new　country；　as　well　as　the　old；　can　only　be

effectually　〃opened　up；〃　as　the　common　phrase　is；　by　roads

and　until　these　are　made；　it　is　virtually　closed。



Freedom　itself　cannot　exist　without　free　communication；every

limitation　of　movement　on　the　part　of　the　members　of　society

amounting　to　a　positive　abridgment　of　their　personal　liberty。

Hence　roads；　canals；　and　railways；　by　providing　the　greatest

possible　facilities　for　locomotion　and　information；　are　essential

for　the　freedom　of　all　classes；　of　the　poorest　as　well　as　the

richest。



By　bringing　the　ends　of　a　kingdom　together；　they　reduce　the

inequalities　of　fortune　and　station；　and；　by　equalizing　the　price

of　commodities；　to　that　extent　they　render　them　accessible　to　all。

Without　their　assistance；　the　concentrated　populations　of　our　large

towns　could　neither　be　clothed　nor　fed；　but　by　their　instrumentality

an　immense　range　of　country　is　brought　as　it　were　to　their　very　doors；

and　the　sustenance　and　employment　of　large　masses　of　people　become

comparatively　easy。



In　the　raw　materials　required　for　food；　for　manufactures；　and　for

domestic　purposes；　the　cost　of　transport　necessarily　forms　a

considerable　item；　and　it　is　clear　that　the　more　this　cost　can　be

reduced　by　facilities　of　communication；　the　cheaper　these　articles

become；　and　the　more　they　are　multiplied　and　enter　into　the

consumption　of　the　community　at　large。



Let　any　one　imagine　what　would　be　the　effect　of　closing　the　roads；

railways；　and　canals　of　England。　　The　country　would　be　brought　to　a

dead　lock；　employment　would　be　restricted　in　all　directions；　and　a

large　proportion　of　the　inhabitants　concentrated　in　the　large　towns

must　at　certain　seasons　inevitably　perish　of　cold　and　hunger。



In　the　earlier　periods　of　English　history；　roads　were　of　comparatively

less　consequence。　　While　the　population　was　thin　and　scattered；

and　men　lived　by　hunting　and　pastoral　pursuits；　the　track　across

the　down；　the　heath；　and　the　moor；　sufficiently　answered　their　purpose。

Yet　even　in　those　districts　unencumbered　with　wood；　where　the　first

settlements　were　madeas　on　the　downs　of　Wiltshire；　the　moors　of

Devonshire；　and　the　wolds　of　Yorkshirestone　tracks　were　laid　down

by　the　tribes　between　one　village　and　another。　　We　have　given　here；

a　representation　of　one　of　those　ancient　trackways　still　existing

in　the　neighbourhood　of　Whitby；　in　Yorkshire；



＇Image＇　Ancient　Causeway；　near　Whitby。



and　there　are　many　of　the　same　description　to　be　met　with　in　other

parts　of　England。　　In　some　districts　they　are　called　trackways　or

ridgeways；　being　narrow　causeways　usually　following　the　natural

ridge　of　the　country；　and　probably　serving　in　early　times　as　local

boundaries。　　On　Dartmoor　they　are　constructed　of　stone　blocks；

irregularly　laid　down　on　the　surface　of　the　ground；　forming　a　rude

causeway　of　about　five　or　six　feet　wide。



The　Romans；　with　many　other　arts；　first　brought　into　England　the

art　of　road…making。　　They　thoroughly　understood　the　value　of　good

roads；　regarding　them　as　the　essential　means　for　the　maintenance

of　their　empire　in　the　first　instance；　and　of　social　prosperity　in

the　next。　It　was　their　roads；　as　well　as　their　legions；　that　made

them　masters　of　the　world；　and　the　pickaxe；　not　less　than　the　sword；

was　the　ensign　of　their　dominion。　　Wherever　they　went；　they　opened

up　the　communications　of　the　countries　they　subdued；　and　the　roads

which　they　made　were　among　the　best　of　their　kind。