the life of thomas telford- 第59部分

Yet　I　trust　that　he　will　not　forget　his　promise　of　one　day　making

Keswick　in　his　way　to　and　from　Scotland。〃



Before　leaving　the　subject　of　Telford's　public　works　in　the

Highlands；　it　may　be　mentioned　that　875　miles　of　new　roads　were

planned　by　him；　and　executed　under　his　superintendence；　at　an

expense　of　454；189L。；　of　which　about　one…half　was　granted　by

Parliament；　and　the　remainder　was　raised　by　the　localities

benefited。　　Besides　the　new　roads；　255　miles　of　the　old　military

roads　were　taken　in　charge　by　him；　and　in　many　cases　reconstructed

and　greatly　improved。　　The　bridges　erected　in　connexion　with　these

roads　were　no　fewer　than　twelve　hundred。　　Telford　also　between　the

year　1823　and　the　close　of　his　life；　built　forty…two　Highland

churches　in　districts　formerly　unprovided　with　them；　and　capable　of

accommodating　some　22；000　persons。



Down　to　the　year　1854；　the　Parliamentary　grant　of　5000L。　a　year

charged　upon　the　Consolidated　Fund　to　meet　assessments　and　tolls　of

the　Highland　roads；　amounting　to　about　7500L。　a　year；　was

transferred　to　the　annual　Estimates；　when　it　became　the　subject　of

annual　revision；　and　a　few　years　since　the　grant　was　suddenly

extinguished　by　an　adverse　vote　of　the　House　of　Commons。　　The　Board

of　Commissioners　had；　therefore；　nothing　left　but　to　deliver　over

the　roads　to　the　several　local　authorities；　and　the　harbours　to　the

proprietors　of　the　adjacent　lands；　and　to　present　to　Parliament　a

final　account　of　their　work　and　its　results。　　Reviewing　the　whole；

they　say　that　the　operations　of　the　Commission　have　been　most

beneficial　to　the　country　concerned。　　They　〃found　it　barren　and

uncultivated；　inhabited　by　heritors　without　capital　or　enterprise；

and　by　a　poor　and　ill…employed　peasantry；　and　destitute　of　trade；

shipping；　and　manufactures。　　They　leave　it　with　wealthy　proprietors；

a　profitable　agriculture；　a　thriving　population；　and　active

industry；　furnishing　now　its　fair　proportion　of　taxes　to　the

national　exchequer；　and　helping　by　its　improved　agriculture　to　meet

the　ever…increasing　wants　of　the　populous　south。〃



Footnotes　for　Chapter　XIV。



*＇1＇　We　have　been　indebted　to　Mr。　Robert　Rawlinson；　C。E。；　in　whose

possession　the　MS。　now　is；　for　the　privilege　of　inspecting　it；　and

making　the　above　abstract；　which　we　have　the　less　hesitation　in

giving　as　it　has　not　before　appeared　in　print。



*＇2＇　Mr。　Rickman　was　the　secretary　to　the　Highland　Roads

Commission。



*＇3＇　Referring　to　the　famous　battle　of　Bannockburn；　Southey　writes

〃This　is　the　only　great　battle　that　ever　was　lost　by　the　English。

At　Hastings　there　was　no　disgrace。　　Here　it　was　an　army　of　lions

commanded　by　a　stag。〃



*＇4＇　See　View　of　Banff　facing　p。　216。





CHAPTER　XV。



MR。　TELFORD'S　LATER　YEARSHIS　DEATH　AND　CHARACTER。



When　Mr。　Telford　had　occasion　to　visit　London　on　business　during

the　early　period　of　his　career；　his　quarters　were　at　the　Salopian

Coffee　House；　now　the　Ship　Hotel；　at　Charing　Cross。　　It　is　probable

that　his　Shropshire　connections　led　him　in　the　first　instance　to

the　'Salopian；'　but　the　situation　being　near　to　the　Houses　of

Parliament；　and　in　many　respects　convenient　for　the　purposes　of　his

business；　he　continued　to　live　there　for　no　less　a　period　than

twenty…one　years。　　During　that　time　the　Salopian　became　a　favourite

resort　of　engineers；　and　not　only　Telford's　provincial　associates；

but　numerous　visitors　from　abroad　（where　his　works　attracted　even

more　attention　than　they　did　in　England）　took　up　their　quarters

there。　　Several　apartments　were　specially　reserved　for　Telford's

exclusive　use；　and　he　could　always　readily　command　any　additional

accommodation　for　purposes　of　business　or　hospitality。



The　successive　landlords　of　the　Salopian　came　to　regard　the

engineer　as　a　fixture；　and　even　bought　and　sold　him　from　time　to

time　with　the　goodwill　of　the　business。　　When　he　at　length　resolved；

on　the　persuasion　of　his　friends；　to　take　a　house　of　his　own；　and

gave　notice　of　his　intention　of　leaving；　the　landlord；　who　had　but

recently　entered　into　possession；　almost　stood　aghast。　　〃What！　leave

the　house！〃　said　he；　〃Why；　Sir；　I　have　just　paid　750L。　for　you！〃

On　explanation　it　appeared　that　this　price　had　actually　been　paid　by

him　to　the　outgoing　landlord；　on　the　assumption　that　Mr。　Telford

was　a　fixture　of　the　hotel；　the　previous　tenant　having　paid　450L。

for　him；　the　increase　in　the　price　marking　very　significantly　the

growing　importance　of　the　engineer's　position。　　There　was；　however；

no　help　for　the　disconsolate　landlord；　and　Telford　left　the　Salopian

to　take　possession　of　his　new　house　at　24；　Abingdon　Street。　　Labelye；

the　engineer　of　Westminster　Bridge；　had　formerly　occupied　the

dwelling；　and；　at　a　subsequent　period；　Sir　William　Chambers；　the

architect　of　Somerset　House；　Telford　used　to　take　much　pleasure　in

pointing　out　to　his　visitors　the　painting　of　Westminster　Bridge；

impanelled　in　the　wall　over　the　parlour　mantelpiece；　made　for

Labelye　by　an　Italian　artist　whilst　the　bridge　works　were　in

progress。　　In　that　house　Telford　continued　to　live　until　the　close

of　his　life。



One　of　the　subjects　in　which　he　took　much　interest　during　his　later

years　was　the　establishment　of　the　Institute　of　Civil　Engineers。

In　1818　a　Society　had　been　formed；　consisting　principally　of　young

men　educated　to　civil　and　mechanical　engineering；　who　occasionally

met　to　discuss　matters　of　interest　relating　to　their　profession。

As　early　as　the　time　of　Smeaton；　a　social　meeting　of　engineers　was

occasionally　held　at　an　inn　in　Holborn；　which　was　discontinued　in

1792；　in　consequence　of　some　personal　differences　amongst　the

members。　　It　was　revived　in　the　following　year；　under　the　auspices

of　Mr。　Jessop；　Mr。　Naylor；　Mr。　Rennie；　and　Mr。　Whitworth；　and

joined　by　other　gentlemen　of　scientific　distinction。　　They　were

accustomed　to　dine　together　every　fortnight　at　the　Crown　and　Anchor

in　the　Strand；　spending　the　evening　in　conversation　on　engineering

subjects。　　But　as　the　numbers　and　importance　of　the　profession

increased；　the　desire　began　to　be　felt；　especially　among　the　junior

members　of　the　profession；　for　an　institution　of　a　more　enlarged

character。　　Hence　the　movement　above　alluded　to；　which　led　to　an

invitation　being　given　to　Mr。　Telford　to　accept　the　office　of

President　of　the　proposed　Engineers'　Institute。　　To　this　he　consented；

and　entered　upon　the　duties　of　the　office　on　the　21st　of　March；

1820。*＇1＇　　During　the　remainder　of　his　life；　Mr。　Telford　continued

to　watch　over　the　progress　of　the　Society；　which　gradually　grew　in

importance　and　usefulness。　　He　supplied　it　with　the　nucleus　of　a

reference　library；　now　become　of　great　value　to　its　members。

He　established　the　practice　of　recording　the　proceedings；*＇2＇　minutes

of　discussions；　and　substance　of　the　papers　read；　which　has　led　to

the　accumulation；　in　the　printed　records　of　the　Institute；　of　a

vast　body　of　information　as　to　engineering　practice。　　In　1828　he

exerted　himself　strenuously　and　successfully　in　obtaining　a　Charter

of　　Incorporation　for　the　Society；　and　finally；　at　his　death；　he

left　the　Institute　their　first　bequest　of　2000L。；　together　with

many　valuable　books；　and　a　large　collection　of　documents　which　had

been　subservient　to　his　own　professional　labours。



In　the　distinguished　position　which　he　occupied；　it　was　natural

that　Mr。　Telford　should　be　called　upon；　as　he　often　was；　towards

the　close　of　his　life；　to　give　his　opinion　and　advice　as　to

projects　of　public　importance。　　Where　strongly　conflicting　opinions

were　entertained　on　any　subject；　his　help　was　occasionally　found

most　valuable；　for　he　possessed　great　tact　and　suavity　of　manner；

which　often　enabled　him　to　reconcile　opposing　interests　when　they

stood　in　the　way　of　important　enterprises。



In　1828　he　was　appointed　one　of　the　commissioners　to　investigate

the　subject　of　the　supply　of　water　to　the　metropolis；　in　conjunction

with　Dr。　Roget　and　Professor　Brande；　and　the　result　was　the　very

able　report　published　in　that　year。　　Only　a　few　months　before　his

death；　in　1834；　he　prepared　and　sent　in　an　elaborate　separate

report；　containing　many　excellent　practical　suggestions；　which　had

the　effect　of　stimulating　the　efforts　of　the　water　companies；　and

eventually　leading；　to　great　improvements。



On　the　subject　of　roads；　Telford　continued　to　be　the　very　highest

authority；　his　friend　Southey　jocularly　styling　him　the　〃Colossus

of　Roads。〃　　The　Russian　Government　frequently　consulted　him　with

reference　to　the　new　roads　with　which　that　great　empire　was　being

opened　up。　　The　Polish　road　from　Warsaw　to　Briesc；　on　the　Russian

frontier；　120　miles　in　length；　was　constructed　after　his　plans；　and

it　remains；　we　believe；　the　finest　road　in　the　Russian　dominions　to

this　day。



＇Image＇　Section　of　Polish　Road



He　was　consulted　by　the　Austrian　Government　on　the　subject　of

bridges　as　well　as　roads。　　Count　Szechenyi　recounts　the　very

agreeable　and　instructive　interview　which　he　had　with　Telford　when

he　called　to　consult　him　as　to　the　bridge　proposed　to　be　erected

across　the　Danube；　between　the　towns　of　Buda　and　Pesth。　　On　a

suspension　bridge　being　suggested　by　the　English　engineer；　the

Count；　with　surprise；　asked　if　such　an　erection　was　possible　under

the　circumstances　he　had　described？　〃We　do　not　consider　anything　to

be　impossible；〃　replied　Telford；　〃impossibilities　exist　chiefly　in

the　prejudices　of　mankind；　to　which　some　are　slaves；　and　from　which

few　are　able　to　emancipate　themselves　and　enter　on　the　path　of

truth。〃　　But　supposing　a　suspension　bridge　were　not　deemed　advisable

under　the　circumstances；　and　it　were　considered　necessary

altogether　to　avoid　motion；　〃then；〃　said　he；　〃I　should　recommend

you　to　erect　a　cast　iron　bridge　of　three　spans；　each　400　feet；　such

a　bridge　will　have　no　motion；　and　though　half　the　world　lay　a

wreck；　it　would　still　stand。〃*＇3＇　　A　suspension　bridge　was

eventual