the life of thomas telford-第35节

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Although　Mr。　Pulteney's　influence　had　no　doubt　assisted　Telford　in

obtaining　the　appointment　of　surveyor；　it　had　nothing　to　do　with

the　unsolicited　invitation　which　now　emanated　from　the　county

gentlemen。　　Telford　was　not　even　a　candidate　for　the　engineership；

and　had　not　dreamt　of　offering　himself；　so　that　the　proposal　came

upon　him　entirely　by　surprise。　　Though　he　admitted　he　had

self…confidence；　he　frankly　confessed　that　he　had　not　a　sufficient

amount　of　it　to　justify　him　in　aspiring　to　the　office　of　engineer

to　one　of　the　most　important　undertakings　of　the　day。　　The　following

is　his　own　account　of　the　circumstance：



〃My　literary　project*＇3＇　is　at　present　at　a　stand；　and　may　be

retarded　for　some　time　to　come；　as　I　was　last　Monday　appointed　sole

agent；　architect；　and　engineer　to　the　canal　which　is　projected　to

join　the　Mersey；　the　Dee；　and　the　Severn。　　It　is　the　greatest　work；

I　believe；　now　in　hand　in　this　kingdom；　and　will　not　be　completed

for　many　years　to　come。　　You　will　be　surprised　that　I　have　not

mentioned　this　to　you　before；　but　the　fact　is　that　I　had　no　idea　of

any　such　appointment　until　an　application　was　made　to　me　by　some　of

the　leading　gentlemen；　and　I　was　appointed；　though　many　others　had

made　much　interest　for　the　place。　　This　will　be　a　great　and

laborious　undertaking；　but　the　line　which　it　opens　is　vast　and

noble；　and　coming　as　the　appointment　does　in　this　honourable　way；

I　thought　it　too　great　a　opportunity　to　be　neglected；　especially　as　I

have　stipulated　for；　and　been　allowed；　the　privilege　of　carrying　on

my　architectural　profession。　　The　work　will　require　great　labour

and　exertions；　but　it　is　worthy　of　them　all。〃*＇4＇　　Telford's

appointment　was　duly　confirmed　by　the　next　general　meeting　of　the

shareholders　of　the　Ellesmere　Canal。　　An　attempt　was　made　to　get　up

a　party　against　him；　but　it　failed。　　〃I　am　fortunate；〃　he　said；　〃in

being　on　good　terms　with　most　of　the　leading　men；　both　of　property

and　abilities；　and　on　this　occasion　I　had　the　decided　support　of

the　great　John　Wilkinson；　king　of　the　ironmasters；　himself　a　host。

I　travelled　in　his　carriage　to　the　meeting；　and　found　him　much

disposed　to　be　friendly。〃*＇5＇　　The　salary　at　which　Telford　was

engaged　was　500L。　a　year；　out　of　which　he　had　to　pay　one　clerk　and

one　confidential　foreman；　besides　defraying　his　own　travelling

expenses。　　It　would　not　appear　that　after　making　these

disbursements　much　would　remain　for　Telford's　own　labour；　but　in

those　days　engineers　were　satisfied　with　comparatively　small　pay；

and　did　not　dream　of　making　large　fortunes。



Though　Telford　intended　to　continue　his　architectural　business；

he　decided　to　give　up　his　county　surveyorship　and　other　minor　matters；

which；　he　said；　〃give　a　great　deal　of　very　unpleasant　labour　for

very　little　profit；　in　short　they　are　like　the　calls　of　a　country

surgeon。〃　　One　part　of　his　former　business　which　he　did　not　give　up

was　what　related　to　the　affairs　of　Mr。　Pulteney　and　Lady　Bath；　with

whom　he　continued　on　intimate　and　friendly　terms。　　He　incidentally

mentions　in　one　of　his　letters　a　graceful　and　charming　act　of　her

Ladyship。　　On　going　into　his　room　one　day　he　found　that；　before

setting　out　for　Buxton；　she　had　left　upon　his　table　a　copy　of

Ferguson's　'Roman　Republic；'　in　three　quarto　volumes；　superbly

bound　and　gilt。



He　now　looked　forward　with　anxiety　to　the　commencement　of　the

canal；　the　execution　of　which　would　necessarily　call　for　great

exertion　on　his　part；　as　well　as　unremitting　attention　and

industry；　〃for；〃　said　he；　〃besides　the　actual　labour　which

necessarily　attends　so　extensive　a　public　work；　there　are

contentions；　jealousies；　and　prejudices；　stationed　like　gloomy

sentinels　from　one　extremity　of　the　line　to　the　other。　　But；　as　I

have　heard　my　mother　say　that　an　honest　man　might　look　the　Devil　in

the　face　without　being　afraid；　so　we　must　just　trudge　along　in　the

old　way。〃*＇6＇



Footnotes　for　Chapter　V。



*＇1＇　Letter　to　Mr。　Andrew　Little；　Langholm；　dated　Shrewsbury；

10th　March；　1793



*＇2＇　Referring　to　the　burning　of　Dr。　Priestley's　library。



*＇3＇　The　preparation　of　some　translations　from　Buchanan　which　he

had　contemplated。



*＇4＇　Letter　to　Mr。　Andrew　Little；　Langholm；　dated　Shrewsbury；

29th　September；　1793。



*＇5＇　John　Wilkinson　and　his　brother　William　were　the　first　of　the

great　class　of　ironmasters。　　They　possessed　iron　forges　at　Bersham

near　Chester；　at　Bradley；　Brimbo；　Merthyr　Tydvil；　and　other　places；

and　became　by　far　the　largest　iron　manufacturers　of　their　day。

For　notice　of　them　see　'Lives　of　Boulton　and　Watt；'　p。　212。



*＇6＇　Letter　to　Mr。　Andrew　Little；　Langholm；　dated　Shrewsbury；

3rd　November；　1793。





CHAPTER　VI。



THE　ELLESMERE　CANAL。



The　ellesmere　canal　consists　of　a　series　of　navigations　proceeding

from　the　river　Dee　in　the　vale　of　Llangollen。　　One　branch　passes

northward；　near　the　towns　of　Ellesmere；　Whitchurch；　Nantwich；　and

the　city　of　Chester；　to　Ellesmere　Port　on　the　Mersey；　another；

in　a　south…easterly　direction；　through　the　middle　of　Shropshire

towards　Shrewsbury　on　the　Severn；　and　a　third；　in　a　south…westerly

direction；　by　the　town　of　Oswestry；　to　the　Montgomeryshire　Canal

near　Llanymynech；　its　whole　extent；　including　the　Chester　Canal；

incorporated　with　it；　being　about　112　miles。



＇Image＇　Map　of　Ellesmere　Canal



The　success　of　the　Duke　of　Bridgewater's　Canal　had　awakened　the

attention　of　the　landowners　throughout　England；　but　more　especially

in　the　districts　immediately　adjacent　to　the　scene　of　the　Duke's

operations；　as　they　saw　with　their　own　eyes　the　extraordinary

benefits　which　had　followed　the　opening　up　of　the　navigations。

The　resistance　of　the　landed　gentry；　which　many　of　these　schemes　had

originally　to　encounter；　had　now　completely　given　way；　and；　instead

of　opposing　canals；　they　were　everywhere　found　anxious　for　their

construction。　　The　navigations　brought　lime；　coal；　manure；　and

merchandise；　almost　to　the　farmers'　doors；　and　provided　them　at　the

same　time　with　ready　means　of　conveyance　for　their　produce　to　good

markets。　　Farms　in　remote　situations　were　thus　placed　more　on　an

equality　with　those　in　the　neighbourhood　of　large　towns；　rents　rose

in　consequence；　and　the　owners　of　land　everywhere　became　the

advocates　and　projectors　of　canals。



The　dividends　paid　by　the　first　companies　were　very　high；　and　it

was　well　known　that　the　Duke's　property　was　bringing　him　in　immense

wealth。　　There　was；　therefore；　no　difficulty　in　getting　the　shares

in　new　projects　readily　subscribed　for：　indeed　Mr。　Telford　relates

that　at　the　first　meeting　of　the　Ellesmere　projectors；　so　eager

were　the　public；　that　four　times　the　estimated　expense　was

subscribed　without　hesitation。　　Yet　this　navigation　passed　through

a　difficult　country；　necessarily　involving　very　costly　works；　and

as　the　district　was　but　thinly　inhabited；　it　did　not　present　a　very

inviting　prospect　of　dividends。*＇1＇　　But　the　mania　had　fairly　set

in；　and　it　was　determined　that　the　canal　should　be　made。　　And

whether　the　investment　repaid　the　immediate　proprietors　or　not；　it

unquestionably　proved　of　immense　advantage　to　the　population　of　the

districts　through　which　it　passed；　and　contributed　to　enhance　the

value　of　most　of　the　adjoining　property。



The　Act　authorising　the　construction　of　the　canal　was　obtained　in

1793；　and　Telford　commenced　operations　very　shortly　after　his

appointment　in　October　of　the　same　year。　　His　first　business　was　to

go　carefully　over　the　whole　of　the　proposed　line；　and　make　a　careful

working　survey；　settling　the　levels　of　the　different　lengths；

and　the　position　of　the　locks；　embankments；　cuttings；　and　aqueducts。

In　all　matters　of　masonry　work　he　felt　himself　master　of　the

necessary　details；　but　having　had　comparatively　small　experience　of

earthwork；　and　none　of　canal…making；　he　determined　to　take　the

advice　of　Mr。　William　Jessop　on　that　part　of　the　subject；　and　he

cordially　acknowledges　the　obligations　he　was　under　to　that　eminent

engineer　for　the　kind　assistance　which　he　received　from　him　on　many

occasions。



The　heaviest　and　most　important　part　of　the　undertaking　was　in

carrying　the　canal　through　the　rugged　country　between　the　rivers

Dee　and　Ceriog；　in　the　vale　of　Llangollen。　　From　Nantwich　to

Whitchurch　the　distance　is　16　miles；　and　the　rise　132　feet；

involving　nineteen　locks；　and　from　thence　to　Ellesmere；　Chirk；

Pont…Cysylltau；　and　the　river　Dee；　1　3/4　mile　above　Llangollen；　the

distance　is　38　1/4　miles；　and　the　rise　13　feet；　involving　only　two

locks。　　The　latter　part　of　the　undertaking　presented　the　greatest

difficulties；　as；　in　order　to　avoid　the　expense　of　constructing

numerous　locks；　which　would　also　involve　serious　delay　and　heavy

expense　in　working　the　navigation；　it　became　necessary　to　contrive

means　for　carrying　the　canal　on　the　same　level　from　one　side　of　the

respective　valleys　of　the　Dee　and　the　Ceriog　to　the　other；　and