Samuel Smiles: 'Metcalfe and Telford.' (original) (raw)

CONTENTS.

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EARLY ROADS AND MODES OF
TRAVELLING.

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CHAPTER I.
OLD ROADS.

Roads as agents of civilisation�Their important uses�Ancient British trackways or ridgeways�The Romans and their roads in Britain�Decay of the Roman roads�Early legislation relating to highways�Roads near London�The Weald of Kent�Great Western roads�Hollow ways or lanes�Roads on Dartmoor�in Sussex�at Kensington.

Riding on horseback the ancient mode of travelling�Shakespeare's description of travelling in 'Henry IV.'�Queen Elizabeth and her coach�Introduction of coaches or waggons�Painful journeys by coach�Carriers in reign of James I.�Great North Road in reign of Charles I.�Mace's description of roads and travellers�stage-coaches introduced�Sobri�re's account of the Dover stage-coach�Thoresby's account of stage-coaches and travelling�Roads and travelling in North Wales�Proposal to suppress stage-coaches�Tediousness and discomforts of travelling by coach�Pennant's account of the Chester and London stage�Travelling on horseback preferred�The night coach�Highway robbers and foot-pads�Methods of transport of merchandise�Pack-horse convoys�Traffic between Lancashire and Yorkshire�Signs of the pack-horse.

CHAPTER III.
MANNERS AND CUSTOMS INFLUENCED BY
THE STATE OF THE ROADS.

Restricted intercourse between districts�Local dialects and customs thereby preserved�Camden's fear of travelling into the barbarous regions of the North�Rev. Mr. Brome's Travels in England�Old Leisure�Imperfect postal communication�Hawkers and pedlars�Laying in stores for winter�Household occupations�Great fairs of ancient times�Local fairs�Fair on Dartmoor�Primitive manners of Dartmoor District.

CHAPTER IV.
ROADS AND TRAVELLING IN SCOTLAND
IN THE LAST CENTURY.

Poverty of Scotland�Backwardness of agriculture�Idleness of the people�Andrew Fletcher's description of Scotland�Slavery of colliers and salters�Improvements in agriculture opposed�Low wages of the labouring population�State of the Lothians and Ayrshire�Wretched state of the roads�Difficulty of communication between districts�Coach started between Edinburgh and Glasgow�Carriers' perils between Edinburgh and Selkirk�Dangers of travelling in Galloway�Lawlessness of the Highlands�Picking and lifting of cattle�Ferocity of population on the Highland Border�Ancient civilisation of Scotland.

CHAPTER V.
ROADS AND TRAVELLING IN ENGLAND TOWARDS
THE END OF LAST CENTURY.

Progress made in travelling by coach�Fast coaches established�Bad state of the roads�Foreigners' accounts of travelling in England�Herr Moritz's journey by the basket coach�Arthur Young's descriptions of English roads�Palmer's mail coaches introduced�The first 'Turnpike' roads�Turnpike riots�The rebellion of 1745�Passing of numerous highway Acts�Road-making thought beneath the dignity of the engineer.

Metcalf's boyhood�His blindness�His boldness�Becomes a Musician�His travels�Journey on foot from London to Harrogate�Joins the army as musician in the rebellion of 1745�Adventures in Scotland�Becomes travelling merchant and horse dealer�Begins road-making�Builds a bridge�His extensive road contracts in Yorkshire and Lancashire�Manner of making his surveys�His skill in road-making�His last road�His death�Roads in the south of England�Want of roads on Lincoln Heath�Land lighthouses�Dunstan pillar�Rapid improvement in the roads�Application of steam�Sydney Smith on improved facilities of communication.

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LIFE OF THOMAS TELFORD.

CHAPTER I.
ESKDALE.

Eskdale�Langholm�Former lawlessness of the Border population�Johnnie Armstrong�Border energy�Westerkirk�Telford's birthplace�Glendinning�Valley of the Meggat�The "unblameable shepherd"�Telford's mother�Early years�"Laughing Tam"�Put to school�His school-fellows.

'Telford apprenticed to a stonemason�Runs away�Re-apprenticed to a mason at Langholm�Building operations in the district�Miss Pasley lends books to young Telford�Attempts to write Poetry�Becomes village letter-writer�Works as a journeyman mason�Employed on Langholm Bridge�Manse of Westerkirk�Poem of 'Eskdale'�Hews headstones and doorheads�Works as a mason at Edinburgh�Study of architecture�Revisits Eskdale�His ride to London.

CHAPTER III.
WORKING MASON IN LONDON, AND FOREMAN
AT PORTSMOUTH.

Telford a working man in London�Obtains employment as a mason at Somerset House�Correspondence with Eskdale friends�Observations on his fellow-workmen�Proposes to begin business, but wants money�Mr. Pulteney�Becomes foreman of builders at Portsmouth Dockyard�Continues to write poetry�Employment of his time�Prints letters to his mother.

CHAPTER IV.
SURVEYOR FOR THE COUNTY OF SALOP.

Superintends repairs of Shrewsbury Castle�Appointed Surveyor for County of Salop�Superintends erection of new gaol�Interview with John Howard�His studies in science and literature�Poetical exercises�Fall of St. Chad's Church, Shrewsbury�Discovery of the Roman city of Uriconium�Overseer of felons�Mrs. Jordan at Shrewsbury�Telford's indifference to music�politics, Paine's 'Rights of Man'�Reprints his poem of 'Eskdale.'

Advantages of mechanical training to an engineer�Erects Montford Bridge�Erects St. Mary Magdalen Church, Bridgenorth�Telford's design�Architectural tour�Bath�Studies in British Museum�Oxford�Birmingham�Study of architecture�Appointed Engineer to the Ellesmere Canal.

Course of the Ellesmere Canal�Success of the early canals�The Act obtained and working survey made�Chirk Aqueduct�Pont-Cysylltau Aqueduct�Telford's hollow walls�His cast iron trough at Pont-Cysylltau�The canal works completed�Revisits Eskdale�Early impressions corrected�Tour in Wales�Conduct of Ellesmere Canal navigation�His literary studies and compositions.

Use of iron in bridge-building�Design of a Lyons architect�First iron bridge erected at Coalbrookdale�Tom Paine's iron bridge�Wear iron bridge, Sunderland�Telford's iron bridge at Build. was�His iron lock-gates and turn-bridges�Projects a one-arched bridge of iron over the Thames�Bewdley stone bridge�Tongueland Bridge�Extension of Telford's engineering business�Literary friendships�Thomas Campbell�Miscellaneous reading.

Progress of Scotch agri culture�Romilly's account�State of the Highlands�Want of roads�Use of the Cas-chrom�Emigration�Telford's survey of Scotland�Lord Cockburn's account of the difficulties of travelling the North Circuit�Parliamentary Commission of Highland Roads and Bridges appointed�Dunkeld Bridge built�920 miles of new roads constructed� Craigellachie Bridge�Travelling facilitated�Agriculture improved�Moral results of Telford's Highland contracts�Rapid progress of the Lowlands�Results of parish schools.

Highland harbours�Wick and Pulteney Town�Columnar pier work�Peterhead Harbour�Frazerburgh Harbour�Banff Harbour�Old history of Aberdeen, its witch-burning and slave-trading�Improvement of its harbour�Telford's design carried out�Dundee Harbour.

Canal projected through the Great Glen of the Highlands�Survey by James Watt�Survey by Telford�Tide-basin at Corpach�Neptune's Staircase�Dock at Clachnaharry�The chain of lochs�Construction of the works�Commercial failure of the canal�Telford's disappointment�Glasgow and Ardrossan Canal�Weaver Navigation�Gotha Canal, Sweden�Gloucester and Berkeley, and other canals�Harecastle Tunnel�Birmingham Canal�Macclesfield Canal�Birmingham and Liverpool Junction Canal�Telford's pride in his canals.

Increase of road-traffic�Improvement of the main routes between the principal towns�Carlisle and Glasgow road�Telford's principles of road-construction�Macadam�Gartland Crags Bridge�Improvement of the London and Edinburgh post road�Communication 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 SUSPENSION 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.

R�sum� of English engineering�General increase in trade and population�The Thames�St. Katherine's Docks�Tewkesbury 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.

Southey sets out to visit the Highlands in Telford's company�Dunkeld�Works at Dundee Harbour�Bervie Harbour�Mitchell and Gibbs�Aberdeen Harbour�Approach to Banff�Cullen Harbour�The Forces 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.
TELFORD'S LATER YEARS-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 moneymaking�Benevolence�Patriotism�His Will�Libraries in Eskdale supported by his bequests.

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LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

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FULL-PAGE ILLUSTRATIONS.

| | PAGE | | | ----------------------------- | ------------------------------------- | | THOMAS TELFORD | Frontispiece | | ANCIENT CAUSEWAY NEAR WHITBY | 1. | | THE CANAL, LLANGOLLEN | 200. | | BRIDGE AT DUNKELD | 246. | | FOLKESTONE HARBOUR | 258. | | LOCKS ON THE CALEDONIAN CANAL | 290. | | ST. KATHERINE'S DOCKS | 350. |

| | PAGE | | PAGE | | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------- | | The Old Stage Waggon | 17. | The Cas-Chrom | 235. | | The Night Coach | 31. | Map of Telford's Roads | 243. | | The Pack-horse Convoy | 36. | Dunkeld Bridge | 245. | | Pack-horse Halfpenny Tokens | 39. | Craig-Ellachie Bridge | 248. | | Site of an ancient Fair on Dartmoor | 50. | Folkestone Harbour | 258. | | The Devonshire Crooks | 56. | Plan of Peterhead Harbour | 260. | | The Basket Coach, 1780 | 79. | Peterhead | 261. | | Metcalf's Birthplace, Knaresborough | 91. | Banff | 267. | | Portrait of Metcalf, the Blind Road-maker | 109. | Plan of Banff Harbour | 269. | | Metcalf's House at Spofforth | 118. | Plan of Aberdeen Harbour | 276. | | Land Lighthouse on Lincoln Heath | 120. | Aberdeen Harbour | 277. | | Valley of "The Unblameable Shepherd," Eskdale | 126. | Section of Pier-head work | 279. | | Map of Eskdale | 128. | Plan of Dundee Harbour | 280. | | Telford's Birthplace | 135. | Dundee Harbour | 281. | | Cottage at the Crooks | 137. | Map of Caledonian Canal | 286. | | Westerkirk Church and School | 139. | Lock, Caledonian Canal | 289. | | Telford's Tool-marl | 145. | Cross section of Harecastle Tunnel | 300. | | Valley of Eskdale | 147. | Galton Bridge, Birmingham Canal | 302. | | Lower Valley of the Meggat | 152. | Portrait of Mr. Macadam | 309. | | Shrewsbury Castle | 178. | Gartland Crags Bridge | 311. | | St. Mary Magdalen, Bridgenorth | 188. | Road descent near Bettws-y-Coed | 321. | | Map of Ellesmere Canal | 189. | Road near Nant-Ffrancon | 322. | | Chirk Aqueduct | 192. | Map of Menai Strait | 327. | | Section of Pier | 193. | Proposed Cast-Iron Bridge over the Strait | 328. | | Side view of Cast-Iron Trough | 196. | Plan of Suspended Centering | 329. | | Pont-Cysylltau Aqueduct | 197. | Outline of Menai Bridge | 333. | | Section of Pont-Cysylltau Aqueduct | 200. | Section of Main Pier | 336. | | The first Iron Bridge, Coalbrookdale | 210. | Mode of Fixing Chains in the Rock | 338. | | Wear Iron Bridge, Sunderland | 214. | Suspension of the first Chain | 341. | | Buildwas Bridge | 216. | Menai Suspension Bridge | 344. | | Proposed Iron Bridge over the Thames | 221. | Conway Suspension Bridge | 346. | | Bewdley Bridge | 224. | Dean Bridge, Edinburgh | 353. | | Tongueland Bridge | 225. | Glasgow Bridge | 357. | | Section of Polish Road . . . 381. | | | | | Telford's Burial-place in Westminster Abbey . . . 387. | | | |

| | PAGE | | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | --------------------------------------- | | The Parish Church of St Michael the Archangel, Chagford. | 54. | | Montford Bridge, Shropshire, spanning the River Severn. | 180. | | St. Mary Magdalen Church, Bridgnorth, Shropshire. | 180. | | Map of the original proposed route of the Ellesmere canal, published in 1795. | 189. | | The Chirk Aqueduct, the Llangollen (formerly the Ellesmere) Canal. | 192. | | The Pontcysyllte Aqueduct the Llangollen Canal�side view of cast iron trough. | 196. | | Cast-iron aqueduct at Longden-on-Tern, Shrewsbury Canal, 1796. | 196. | | The Pontcysyllte Aqueduct the Llangollen Canal�trough seen from beneath. | 197. | | Abraham Darby's Iron Bridge across the Severn at Ironbridge, Shropshire. | 208. | | Bridge over the Severn at Bewdley. | 223. | | Bridge across the Dee at Tongland, Kirkcudbright (1806). | 225. | | General Wade's Bridge at Aberfeldy (1733), Perth and Kinross, Scotland. | 233. | | Craigellachie Bridge (1812-14), Speyside, Scotland. | 247. | | Craigellachie Bridge � side-on view. | 249. | | Loch Lochy on the Caledonian Canal. | 283. | | Neptune's Staircase on the Caledonian Canal. | 287. | | The Clachnaharry railway swing bridge across the Caledonian Canal. | 288. | | The Caledonian Canal at Fort Augustus. | 291. | | Cruise ship on the Gotha Canal. | 296. | | The start of the Birmingham Canal at Gas Street Basin. | 297. | | Galton Bridge (1829). | 303. | | Construction of the first macadamized road in the United States (1823). | 311. | | Cartland Crags Bridge. | 313. | | Waterloo Bridge, Betws-y-Coed. | 321. | | Menai Suspension Bridge. | 327. | | Menai Suspension Bridge in the evening. | 345. | | Menai Suspension Bridge�view prior to rebuilding. | 345. | | Engraved portrait of Thomas Telford. | 348. | | St. Katherine's Docks, London. | 351. | | View and plan of the Mythe Bridge, Tewkesbury. | 352. | | Dean Bridge, Edinburgh. | 354. | | Robert Southey. | 365. | | Telford's bridge across the Tay, Dunkeld. | 366. |