the life of thomas telford-第53节

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rapidly　improving　towns　of　Congleton　and　Macclesfield。　　The　line

was　twenty…nine　miles　in　length；　ten　miles　on　one　level　from

Harecastle　to　beyond　Congleton；　then；　ascending　114　feet　by　eleven

locks；　it　proceeded　for　five　miles　on　a　level　past　Macclesfield；

and　onward　to　join　the　Peak　Forest　Canal　at　Marple。　　The　navigation

was　thus　conducted　upon　two　levels；　each　of　considerable　length；

and　it　so　happened　that　the　trade　of　each　was　in　a　measure

distinct；　and　required　separate　accommodation。　　The　traffic　of　the

whole　of　the　Congleton　district　had　ready　access　to　the　Grand　Trunk

system；　without　the　labour；　expense；　and　delay　involved　by　passing

the　boats　through　locks；　while　the　coals　brought　to　Macclesfield　to

supply　the　mills　there　were　carried　throughout　upon　the　upper

level；　also　without　lockage。　　The　engineer's　arrangement　proved

highly　judicious；　and　furnishes　an　illustration　of　the　tact　and

judgment　which　he　usually　displayed　in　laying　out　his　works　for

practical　uses。　Mr　Telford　largely　employed　cast　iron　in　the

construction　of　this　canal；　using　it　in　the　locks　and　gates；　as

well　as　in　an　extensive　aqueduct　which　it　was　necessary　to

construct　over　a　deep　ravine；　after　the　plan　pursued　by　him　at；

Pont…Cysylltau　and　other　places。



The　last　canal　constructed　by。　　Mr。　Telford　was　the　Birmingham　and

Liverpool　Junction；　extending　from　the　Birmingham　Canal；　near

Wolverhampton；　in　nearly　a　direct　line；　by　Market　Drayton；

Nantwich；　and　through　the　city　of　Chester；　by　the　Ellesmere　Canal；

to　Ellesmere　Port　on　the　Mersey。　　The　proprietors　of　canals　were

becoming　alarmed　at　the　numerous　railways　projected　through　the

districts　heretofore　served　by　their　water…ways；　and　among　other

projects　one　was　set　on　foot；　as　early　as　1825；　for　constructing　a

line　of　railway　from　London　to　Liverpool。　　Mr。　Telford　was

consulted　as　to　the　best　means　of　protecting　existing　investments；

and　his　advice　was　to　render　the　canal　system　as　complete　as　it

could　be　made；　for　he　entertained　the　conviction；　which　has　been

justified　by　experience；　that　such　navigations　possessed　peculiar

advantages　for　the　conveyance　of　heavy　goods；　and　that；　if　the

interruptions　presented　by　locks　could　be　done　away　with；　or

materially　reduced；　a　large　portion　of　the　trade　of　the　country

must　continue　to　be　carried　by　the　water　roads。　　The　new　line

recommended　by　him　was　approved　and　adopted；　and　the　works　were

commenced　in　1826。　　A　second　complete　route　was　thus　opened　up

between　Birmingham　and　Liverpool；　and　Manchester；　by　which　the

distance　was　shortened　twelve　miles；　and　the　delay　occasioned　by

320　feet　of　upward　and　downward　lockage　was　done　away　with。



Telford　was　justly　proud　of　his　canals；　which　were　the　finest　works

of　their　kind　that　had　yet　been　executed　in　England。　　Capacious；

convenient；　and　substantial；　they　embodied　his　most　ingenious

contrivances；　and　his　highest　engineering　skill。　　Hence　we　find　him

writing　to　a　friend　at　Langholm；　that；　so　soon　as　he　could　find

〃sufficient　leisure　from　his　various　avocations　in　his　own

unrivalled　and　beloved　island；〃　it　was　his　intention　to　visit

France　and　Italy；　for　the　purpose　of　ascertaining　what　foreigners

had　been　able　to　accomplish；　compared　with　ourselves；　in　the

construction　of　canals；　bridges；　and　harbours。　　〃I　have　no　doubt；〃

said　he；　〃as　to　their　inferiority。　　During　the　war　just　brought　to

a　close；　England　has　not　only　been　able　to　guard　her　own　head　and

to　carry　on　a　gigantic　struggle；　but　at　the　same　time　to　construct

canals；　roads；　harbours；　bridgesmagnificent　works　of　peacethe

like　of　which　are　probably　not　to　be　found　in　the　world。　　Are　not

these　things　worthy　of　a　nation's　pride？〃



Footnotes　for　Chapter　X。



*＇1＇　Mr。　Matthew　Davidson；　above　referred　to；　was　an　excellent

officer；　but　a　strange　cynical　humourist　in　his　way。　　He　was　a

Lowlander；　and　had　lived　for　some　time　in　England；　at　the　Pont

Cysylltau　works；　where　he　had　acquired　a　taste　for　English　comforts；

and　returned　to　the　North　with　a　considerable　contempt　for　the

Highland　people　amongst　whom　he　was　stationed。　　He　is　said　to

have　very　much　resembled　Dr。　Johnson　in　person　and　was　so　fond

of　books；　and　so　well　read　in　them；　that　he　was　called

'the　Walking　Library。'　He　used　to　say　that　if　justice　were　done　to

the　inhabitants　of　Inverness；　there　would　be　nobody　left　there　in

twenty　years　but　the　Provost　and　the　hangman。　　Seeing　an　artist　one

day　making　a　sketch　in　the　mountains；　he　said　it　was　the　first　time

he　had　known　what　the　hills　were　good　for。　　And　when　some　one　was

complaining　of　the　weather　in　the　Highlands；　he　looked　sarcastically

round；　and　observed　that　the　rain　certainly　would　not　hurt　the

heather　crop。



*＇2＇　The　misfortunes　of　the　Caledonian　Canal　did　not　end　with　the

life　of　Telford。　　The　first　vessel　passed　through　it　from　sea　to

sea　in　October；　1822；　by　which　time　it　had　cost　about　a　million

sterling；　or　double　the　original　estimate。　　Notwithstanding　this

large　outlay；　it　appears　that　the　canal　was　opened　before　the　works

had　been　properly　completed；　and　the　consequence　was　that　they　very

shortly　fell　into　decay。　　It　even　began　to　be　considered　whether

the　canal　ought　not　to　be　abandoned。　　In　1838；　Mr。　James　Walker；

C。E。；　an　engineer　of　the　highest　eminence；　examined　it；　and

reported　fully　on　its　then　state；　strongly　recommending　its

completion　as　well　as　its　improvement。　　His　advice　was　eventually

adopted；　and　the　canal　was　finished　accordingly；　at　an　additional

cost　of　about　200；000L。；　and　the　whole　line　was　re…opened　in　1847；

since　which　time　it　has　continued　in　useful　operation。　　The　passage

from　sea　to　sea　at　all　times　can　now　be　depended　on；　and　it　can

usually　be　made　in　forty…eight　hours。　　As　the　trade　of　the　North

increases；　the　uses　of　the　canal　will　probably　become　much　more

decided　than　they　have　heretofore；　proved。



*＇3＇　'Brindley　and　the　Early　Engineers；'　p。　267。



*＇4＇　'Life　of　Telford；'　p。　82；　83。





CHAPTER　XI。



TELFORD　AS　A　ROAD…MAKER。



Mr。　Telford's　extensive　practice　as　a　bridge…builder　led　his　friend

Southey　to　designate　him　〃Pontifex　Maximus。〃　　Besides　the　numerous

bridges　erected　by　him　in　the　West　of　England；　we　have　found　him

furnishing　designs　for　about　twelve　hundred　in　the　Highlands；　of

various　dimensions；　some　of　stone　and　others　of　iron。　　His　practice

in　bridge…building　had；　therefore；　been　of　an　unusually　extensive

character；　and　Southey's　sobriquet　was　not　ill　applied。　　But　besides

being　a　great　bridge…builder；　Telford　was　also　a　great　road…maker。

With　the　progress　of　industry　and　trade；　the　easy　and　rapid　transit

of　persons　and　goods　had　come　to　be　regarded　as　an　increasing

object　of　public　interest。　　Fast　coaches　now　ran　regularly　between

all　the　principal　towns　of　England；　every　effort　being　made；

by　straightening　and　shortening　the　roads；　cutting　down　hills；

and　carrying　embankments　across　valleys　and　viaducts　over　rivers；

to　render　travelling　by　the　main　routes　as　easy　and　expeditious　as

possible。



Attention　was　especially　turned　to　the　improvement　of　the　longer

routes；　and　to　perfecting　the　connection　of　London　with　the　chief

town's　of　Scotland　and　Ireland。　　Telford　was　early　called　upon　to

advise　as　to　the　repairs　of　the　road　between　Carlisle　and　Glasgow；

which　had　been　allowed　to　fall　into　a　wretched　state；　as　well　as

the　formation　of　a　new　line　from　Carlisle；　across　the　counties　of

Dumfries；　Kirkcudbright；　and　Wigton；　to　Port　Patrick；　for　the

purpose　of　ensuring　a　more　rapid　communication　with　Belfast　and　the

northern　parts　of　Ireland。　　Although　Glasgow　had　become　a　place　of

considerable　wealth　and　importance；　the　roads　to　it；　north　of

Carlisle；　continued　in　a　very　unsatisfactory　state。　　It　was　only　in

July；　1788；　that　the　first　mail…coach　from　London　had　driven　into

Glasgow　by　that　route；　when　it　was　welcomed　by　a　procession　of　the

citizens　on　horseback；　who　went　out　several　miles　to　meet　it。

But　the　road　had　been　shockingly　made；　and　before　long　had　become

almost　impassable。　　Robert　Owen　states　that；　in　1795；　it　took　him

two　days　and　three　nights'　incessant　travelling　to　get　from

Manchester　to　Glasgow；　and　he　mentions　that　the　coach　had　to　cross

a　well…known　dangerous　mountain　at　midnight；　called　Erickstane

Brae；　which　was　then　always　passed　with　fear　and　trembling。*＇1＇

As　late　as　the　year　1814　we　find　a　Parliamentary　Committee

declaring　the　road　between　Carlisle　and　Glasgow　to　be　in　so　ruinous

a　state　as　often　seriously　to　delay　the　mail　and　endanger　the　lives

of　travellers。　The　bridge　over　Evan　Water　was　so　much　decayed；　that

one　day　the　coach　and　horses　fell　through　it　into　the　river；　when

〃one　passenger　was　killed；　the　coachman　survived　only　a　few　days；

and　several　other　persons　were　dreadfully　maimed；　two　of　the　horses

being　also　killed。〃*＇2＇　　The　remaining　part　of　the　bridge　continued

for　some　time　unrepaired；　just　space　enough　being　left　for　a　sin