the life of thomas telford-第62节

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drainage。　　The　North　Level　includes　all　that　part　of　the　Great

Bedford　Level　situated　between　Morton's　Leam　and　the　river　Welland；

comprising　about　48；000　acres　of　land。　　The　river　Nene；　which　brings

down　from　the　interior　the　rainfall　of　almost　the　entire　county　of

Northampton；　flows　through　nearly　the　centre　of　the　district。

In　some　places　the　stream　is　confined　by　embankments；　in　others　it

flows　along　artificial　outs；　until　it　enters　the　great　estuary　of

the　Wash；　about　five　miles　below　Wisbeach。　　This　town　is　situated　on

another　river　which　flows　through　the　Level；　called　the　Old　Nene。

Below　the　point　of　junction　of　these　rivers　with　the　Wash；　and

still　more　to　seaward；　was　South　Holland　Sluice；　through　which　the

waters　of　the　South　Holland　Drain　entered　the　estuary。　　At　that

point　a　great　mass　of　silt　had　accumulated；　which　tended　to　choke

up　the　mouths　of　the　rivers　further　inland；　rendering　their

navigation　difficult　and　precarious；　and　seriously　interrupting　the

drainage　of　the　whole　lowland　district　traversed　by　both　the　Old

and　New　Nene。　　Indeed　the　sands　were　accumulating　at　such　a　rate；

that　the　outfall　of　the　Wisbeach　River　threatened　to　become

completely　destroyed。



Such　being　the　state　of　things；　it　was　determined　to　take　the

opinion　of　some　eminent　engineer；　and　Mr。　Rennie　was　employed　to

survey　the　district　and　recommend　a　measure　for　the　remedy　of　these

great　evils。　　He　performed　this　service　in　his　usually　careful　and

masterly　manner；　but　as　the　method　which　he　proposed；　complete

though　it　was；　would　have　seriously　interfered　with　the　trade　of

Wisbeach；　by　leaving　it　out　of　the　line　of　navigation　and　drainage

which　he　proposed　to　open　up；　the　corporation　of　that　town

determined　to　employ　another　engineer；　and　Mr　Telford　was　selected

to　examine　and　report　upon　the　whole　subject；　keeping　in　view　the

improvement　of　the　river　immediately　adjacent　to　the　town　of

Wisbeach。



Mr。　Telford　confirmed　Mr。　Rennie's　views　to　a　large　extent；　more

especially　with　reference　to　the　construction　of　an　entirely　new

outfall；　by　making　an　artificial　channel　from　Kindersleys　Cut　to

Crab…Hole　Eye　anchorage；　by　which　a　level　lower　by　nearly　twelve

feet　would　be　secured　for　the　outfall　waters；　but　he　preferred

leaving　the　river　open　to　the　tide　as　high　as　Wisbeach；　rather　than

place　a　lock　with　draw…doors　at　Lutton　Leam　Sluice；　as　had　been

proposed　by　Mr。　Rennie。　　He　also　suggested　that　the　acute　angle　at

the　Horseshoe　be　cut　off　and　the　river　deepened　up　to　the　bridge　at

Wisbeach；　making　a　new　cut　along　the　bank　on　the　south　side　of　the

town；　which　should　join　the　river　again　immediately　above　it；

thereby　converting　the　intermediate　space；　by　draw…doors　and　the

usual　contrivances；　into　a　floating　dock。　　Though　this　plan　was

approved　by　the　parties　interested　in　the　drainage；　to　Telford's

great　mortification　it　was　opposed　by　the　corporation　of　Wisbeach；

and　like　so　many　other　excellent　schemes　for　the　improvement　of　the

Fen　districts；　it　eventually　fell　to　the　ground。



The　cutting　of　a　new　outfall　for　the　river　Nene；　however；　could　not

much　longer　be　delayed　without　great　danger　to　the　reclaimed　lands

of　the　North　Level；　which；　but　for　some　relief　of　the　kind；　must

shortly　have　become　submerged　and　reduced　to　their　original　waste

condition。　　The　subject　was　revived　in　1822；　and　Mr。　Telford　was

again　called　upon；　in　conjunction　with　Sir　John　Rennie；　whose

father　had　died　in　the　preceding　year；　to　submit　a　plan　of　a　new

Nene　Outfall；　but　it　was　not　until　the　year　1827　that　the　necessary

Act　was　obtained；　and　then　only　with　great　difficulty　and　cost；　in

consequence　of　the　opposition　of　the　town　of　Wisbeach。　　The　works

consisted　principally　of　a　deep　cut　or　canal；　about　six　miles　in

length；　penetrating　far　through　the　sand　banks　into　the　deep　waters

of　the　Wash。　　They　were　begun　in　1828；　and　brought　to　completion　in

1830；　with　the　most　satisfactory　results。　　A　greatly　improved

outfall　was　secured　by　thus　carrying。　　the　mouths　of　the　rivers　out

to　sea；　and　the　drainage　of　the　important　agricultural　districts

through　which　the　Nene　flows　was　greatly　benefited；　while　at　the

same　time　nearly　6000　acres　of　valuable　corn…growing　land　were

added　to　the　county　of　Lincoln。



But　the　opening　of　the　Nene　Outfall　was　only　the　first　of　a　series

of　improvements　which　eventually　included　the　whole　of　the　valuable

lands　of　the　North　Level；　in　the　district　situated　between　the　Nene

and　the　Welland。　　The　opening　at　Gunthorpe　Sluice；　which　was　the

outfall　for　the　waters　of　the　Holland　Drain；　was　not　less　than

eleven　feet　three　inches　above　low　water　at　Crab…Hole；　and　it　was

therefore　obvious　that　by　lowering　this　opening　a　vastly　improved

drainage　of　the　whole　of　the　level　district；　extending　from　twenty

to　thirty　miles　inland；　for　which　that　sluice　was　the　artificial

outlet；　would　immediately　be　secured。　　Urged　by　Mr。　Telford；　an　Act

for　the　purpose　of　carrying　out　the　requisite　improvement　was

obtained　in　1830；　and　the　excavations　having　been　begun　shortly

after；　were　completed　in　1834。



A　new　cut　was　made　from　Clow's　Cross　to　Gunthorpe　Sluice；　in　place

of　the　winding　course　of　the　old　Shire　Drain；　besides　which；　a

bridge　was　erected　at　Cross　Keys；　or　Sutton　Wash；　and　an　embankment

was　made　across　the　Salt　Marshes；　forming　a　high　road；　which；　with

the　bridges　previously　erected　at　Fossdyke　and　Lynn；　effectually

connected　the　counties　of　Norfolk　and　Lincoln。　　The　result　of　the

improved　outfall　was　what　the　engineer　had　predicted。　　A　thorough

natural　drainage　was　secured　for　an　extensive　district；　embracing

nearly　a　hundred　thousand　acres　of　fertile　land；　which　had　before

been　very　ineffectually　though　expensively　cleared　of　the　surplus

water　by　means　of　windmills　and　steam…engines。　　The　productiveness

of　the　soil　was　greatly　increased；　and　the　health　and　comfort　of

the　inhabitants　promoted　to　an　extent　that　surpassed　all　previous

expectation。



The　whole　of　the　new　cuts　were　easily　navigable；　being　from　140　to

200　feet　wide　at　bottom；　whereas　the　old　outlets　had　been　variable

and　were　often　choked　with　shifting　sand。　　The　district　was　thus

effectually　opened　up　for　navigation；　and　a　convenient　transit

afforded　for　coals　and　other　articles　of　consumption。　　Wisbeach

became　accessible　to　vessels　of　much　larger　burden；　and　in　the

course　of　a　few　years　after　the　construction　of　the　Nene　Outfall；

the　trade　of　the　port　had　more　than　doubled。　　Mr。　Telford　himself；

towards　the　close　of　his　life；　spoke　with　natural　pride　of　the

improvements　which　he　had　thus　been　in　so　great　a　measure

instrumental　in　carrying　out；　and　which　had　so　materially　promoted

the　comfort；　prosperity；　and　welfare　of　a　very　extensive

district。*＇3＇



We　may　mention；　as　a　remarkable　effect　of　the　opening　of　the　new

outfall；　that　in　a　few　hours　the　lowering　of　the　waters　was　felt

throughout　the　whole　of　the　Fen　level。　　The　sluggish　and　stagnant

drains；　cuts；　and　leams　in　far　distant　places；　began　actually　to

flow；　and　the　sensation　created　was　such；　that　at　Thorney；　near

Peterborough；　some　fifteen　miles　from　the　sea；　the　intelligence

penetrated　even　to　the　congregation　then　sitting　in　churchfor　it

was　Sunday　morningthat　〃the　waters　were　running！〃　when

immediately　the　whole　flocked　out；　parson　and　all；　to　see　the　great

sight；　and　acknowledge　the　blessings　of　science。　　A　humble　Fen　poet

of　the　last　century　thus　quaintly　predicted　the　moral　results

likely　to　arise　from　the　improved　drainage　of　his　native　district：…



　　　〃With　a　change　of　elements　suddenly

　　　　There　shall　a　change　of　men　and　manners　be；

　　　　Hearts　thick　and　tough　as　hides　shall　feel　remorse；

　　　　And　souls　of　sedge　shall　understand　discourse；

　　　　New　hands　shall　learn　to　work；　forget　to　steal；

　　　　New　legs　shall　go　to　church；　new　knees　to　kneel。〃



The　prophecy　has　indeed　been　fulfilled。　　The　barbarous　race　of

Fen…men　has　disappeared　before　the　skill　of　the　engineer。　　As　the

land　has　been　drained；　the　half…starved　fowlers　and　fen…roamers

have　subsided　into　the　ranks　of　steady　industrybecome　farmers；

traders；　and　labourers。　　The　plough　has　passed　over　the　bed　of

Holland　Fen；　and　the　agriculturist　reaps　his　increase　more　than　a

hundred　fold。。　　Wide　watery　wastes；　formerly　abounding　in　fish；

are　now　covered　with　waving　crops　of　corn　every　summer。　　Sheep　graze

on　the　dry　bottom　of　Whittlesea　Mere；　and　kine　low　where　not　many

years　since　the　silence　of　the　waste　was　only　disturbed　by　the

croaking　of　frogs　and　the　screaming　of　wild　fowl。　　All　this　has　been

the　result　of　the　science　of　the　engineer；　the　enterprise　of　the

landowner；　and　the　industry　of　our　peaceful　army　of　skilled

labourers。*＇4＇



Footnotes　for　Chapter　XIII。



*＇1＇　Telford's　Life；　p261



*＇2＇　The　piers　are　built　internally　with　hollow　compartments；　as　at

the　Menai　Bridge；　the　side　walls　being　3　feet　thick　and　the　cross

walls　2　feet。　　P