the life of thomas telford-第55节

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to　Edinburgh；　saving　rather　more　than　fourteen　miles　between　the

two　points；　and　securing　a　line　of　road　of　much　more　favourable

gradients。



The　principal　bridge　on　this　new　highway　was　at　Pathhead；　over　the

Tyne；　about　eleven　miles　south　of　Edinburgh。　　To　maintain　the

level；　so　as　to　avoid　the　winding　of　the　road　down　a　steep　descent

on　one　side　of　the　valley　and　up　an　equally　steep　ascent　on　the

other；　Telford　ran　out　a　lofty　embankment　from　both　sides；

connecting　their　ends　by　means　of　a　spacious　bridge。　　The　structure

at　Pathhead　is　of　five　arches；　each　50　feet　span；　with　25　feet　rise

from　their　springing；　49　feet　above　the　bed　of　the　river。　　Bridges

of　a　similar　character　were　also　thrown　over　the　deep　ravines　of

Cranston　Dean　and　Cotty　Burn；　in　the　same　neighbourhood。　　At　the

same　time　a　useful　bridge　was　built　on　the　same　line　of　road　at

Morpeth；　in　Northumberland；　over　the　river　Wansbeck。　　It　consisted

of　three　arches；　of　which　the　centre　one　was　50　feet　span；　and　two

side…arches　40　feet　each；　the　breadth　between　the　parapets　being　30

feet。



The　advantages　derived　from　the　construction　of　these　new　roads

were　found　to　be　so　great；　that　it　was　proposed　to　do　the　like　for

the　remainder　of　the　line　between　London　and　Edinburgh；　and　at　the

instance　of　the　Post…Office　authorities；　with　the　sanction　of　the

Treasury；　Mr。　Telford　proceeded　to　make　detailed　surveys　of　an

entire　new　post…road　between　London　and　Morpeth。　　In　laying　it　out；

the　main　points　which　he　endeavoured　to　secure　were　directness　and

flatness；　and　100　miles　of　the　proposed　new　Great　North　Road；　south

of　York；　were　laid　out　in　a　perfectly　straight　line。　　This　survey；

which　was　begun　in　1824；　extended　over　several　years；　and　all　the

requisite　arrangements　had　been　made　for　beginning　the　works；　when

the　result　of　the　locomotive　competition　at　Rainhill；　in　1829；　had

the　effect　of　directing　attention　to　that　new　method　of　travelling；

fortunately　in　time　to　prevent　what　would　have　proved；　for　the　most

part；　an　unnecessary　expenditure；　on　works　soon　to　be　superseded　by

a　totally　different　order　of　things。



The　most　important　road…improvements　actually　carried　out　under

Mr。　Telford's　immediate　superintendence　were　those　on　the　western

side　of　the　island；　with　the　object　of　shortening　the　distance　and

facilitating　the　communication　between　London　and　Dublin　by　way　of

Holyhead；　as　well　as　between　London　and　Liverpool。　　At　the　time　of

the　Union；　the　mode　of　transit　between　the　capital　of　Ireland　and

the　metropolis　of　the　United　Kingdom　was　tedious；　difficult；　and

full　of　peril。　　In　crossing　the　Irish　Sea　to　Liverpool；　the　packets

were　frequently　tossed　about　for　days　together。　　On　the　Irish　side；

there　was　scarcely　the　pretence　of　a　port；　the　landing…place　being

within　the　bar　of　the　river　Liffey；　inconvenient　at　all　times；　and

in　rough　weather　extremely　dangerous。　　To　avoid　the　long　voyage　to

Liverpool；　the　passage　began　to　be　made　from　Dublin　to　Holyhead；

the　nearest　point　of　the　Welsh　coast。　　Arrived　there；　the

passengers　were　landed　upon　rugged；　unprotected　rocks；　without　a

pier　or　landing　convenience　of　any　kind。*＇3＇　　But　the　traveller's

perils　were　not　at　an　end；comparatively　speaking　they　had　only

begun。　　From　Holyhead；　across　the　island　of　Anglesea；　there　was　no

made　road；　but　only　a　miserable　track；　circuitous　and　craggy；

full　of　terrible　jolts；　round　bogs　and　over　rocks；　for　a　distance　of

twenty…four　miles。　　Having　reached　the　Menai　Strait；　the　passengers

had　again　to　take　to　an　open　ferry…boat　before　they　could　gain　the

mainland。　　The　tide　ran　with　great　rapidity　through　the　Strait；

and；　when　the　wind　blew　strong；　the　boat　was　liable　to　be　driven

far　up　or　down　the　channel；　and　was　sometimes　swamped　altogether。

The　perils　of　the　Welsh　roads　had　next　to　be　encountered；　and　these

were　in　as　bad　a　condition　at　the　beginning　of　the　present　century

as　those　of　the　Highlands　above　described。　　Through　North　Wales

they　were　rough；　narrow；　steep；　and　unprotected；　mostly　unfenced；

and　in　winter　almost　impassable。　　The　whole　traffic　on　the　road

between　Shrewsbury　and　Bangor　was　conveyed　by　a　small　cart；　which

passed　between　the　two　places　once　a　week　in　summer。　　As　an

illustration　of　the　state　of　the　roads　in　South　Wales；　which　were

quite　as　bad　as　those　in　the　North；　we　may　state　that；　in　1803；

when　the　late　Lord　Sudeley　took　home　his　bride　from　the

neighbourhood　of　Welshpool　to　his　residence　only　thirteen　miles

distant；　the　carriage　in　which　the　newly　married　pair　rode　stuck　in

a　quagmire；　and　the　occupants；　having　extricated　themselves　from

their　perilous　situation；　performed　the　rest　of　their　journey　on

foot。



The　first　step　taken　was　to　improve　the　landing…places　on　both　the

Irish　and　Welsh　sides　of　St。　George's　Channel；　and　for　this　purpose

Mr。　Rennie　was　employed　in　1801。　　The　result　was；　that　Howth　on　the

one　coast；　and　Holyhead　on　the　other；　were　fixed　upon　as　the　most

eligible　sites　for　packet　stations。　　Improvements；　however；

proceeded　slowly；　and　it　was　not　until　1810　that　a　sum　of　10；000L。

was　granted　by　Parliament　to　enable　the　necessary　works　to　be

begun。　　Attention　was　then　turned　to　the　state　of　the　roads；

and　here　Mr。　Telford's　services　were　called　into　requisition。

As　early　as　1808　it　had　been　determined　by　the　Post…Office　authorities

to　put　on　a　mail…coach　between　Shrewsbury　and　Holyhead；　but　it　was

pointed　out　that　the　roads　in　North　Wales　were　so　rough　and

dangerous　that　it　was　doubtful　whether　the　service　could　be

conducted　with　safety。　　Attempts　were　made　to　enforce　the　law　with

reference　to　their　repair；　and　no　less　than　twenty…one　townships

were　indicted　by　the　Postmaster…General。　　The　route　was　found　too

perilous　even　for　a　riding　post；　the　legs　of　three　horses　having

been　broken　in　one　week。*＇4＇　　The　road　across　Anglesea　was　quite　as

bad。　　Sir　Henry　Parnell　mentioned；　in　1819；　that　the　coach　had　been

overturned　beyond　Gwynder；　going　down　one　of　the　hills；　when　a

friend　of　his　was　thrown　a　considerable　distance　from　the　roof　into

a　pool　of　water。　　Near　the　post…office　of　Gwynder；　the　coachman　had

been　thrown　from　his　seat　by　a　violent　jolt；　and　broken　his　leg。

The　post…coach；　and　also　the　mail；　had　been　overturned　at　the

bottom　of　Penmyndd　Hill；　and　the　route　was　so　dangerous　that　the

London　coachmen；　who　had　been　brought　down　to　〃work〃　the　country；

refused　to　continue　the　duty　because　of　its　excessive　dangers。

Of　course；　anything　like　a　regular　mail…service　through　such　a

district　was　altogether　impracticable。



The　indictments　of　the　townships　proved　of　no　use；　the　localities

were　too　poor　to　provide　the　means　required　to　construct　a　line　of

road　sufficient　for　the　conveyance　of　mails　and　passengers　between

England　and　Ireland。　　The　work　was　really　a　national　one；　to　be

carried　out　at　the　national　cost。　　How　was　this　best　to　be　done？

Telford　recommended　that　the　old　road　between　Shrewsbury　and

Holyhead　（109　miles　long）　should　be　shortened　by　about　four　miles；

and　made　as　nearly　as　possible　on　a　level；　the　new　line　proceeding

from　Shrewsbury　by　Llangollen；　Corwen；　Bettws…y…Coed；　Capel…Curig；

and　Bangor；　to　Holyhead。　　Mr。　Telford　also　proposed　to　cross　the

Menai　Strait　by　means　of　a　cast　iron　bridge；　hereafter　to　be

described。



Although　a　complete　survey　was　made　in　1811；　nothing　was　done　for

several　years。　　The　mail…coaches　continued　to　be　overturned；　and

stage…coaches；　in　the　tourist　season；　to　break　down　as　before。*＇5＇

The　Irish　mail…coach　took　forty　one　hours　to　reach　Holyhead　from

the　time　of　its　setting　out　from　St。　Martin's…le…Grand；　the　journey

was　performed　at　the　rate　of　only　6　3/4　miles　an　hour；　the　mail

arriving　in　Dublin　on　the　third　day。　　The　Irish　members　made　many

complaints　of　the　delay　and　dangers　to　which　they　were　exposed　in

travelling　up　to　town。　　But；　although　there　was　much　discussion；　no

money　was　voted　until　the　year　1815；　when　Sir　Henry　Parnell

vigorously　took　the　question　in　hand　and　successfully　carried　it

through。　　A　Board　of　Parliamentary　Commissioners　was　appointed；　of

which　he　was　chairman；　and；　under　their　direction；　the　new

Shrewsbury　and　Holyhead　road　was　at　length　commenced　and　carried　to

completion；　the　works　extending　over　a　period　of　about　fifteen　years。

The　same　Commissioners　excrcised　an　authority　over　the　roads

between　London　and　Shrewsbury；　and　numerous　improvements　were　also

made　in　the　main　line　at　various　points；　with　the　object　of

facilitating　communication　between　London　and　Liverpool　as　well　as

between　London　and　Dublin。



The　rugged　nature　of　the　country　through　which　the　new　road　passed；

along　the　slopes　of　rocky　precipices　and　across　inlets　of　the　sea；

rendered　it　necessary　to　build　many　bridges；　to　form　many

embankments；　and　cut　away　long　stretches　of　rock；　in　order　to

secure　an　easy　and　commodious　route。　　The　line　of　the　valley　of　the

Dee；　to　the　west　of　Llangollen；　wa