JDuie of BriigtwaUr'i underground inclined Plane. 487 



At Worfley the Duke of Bridgewater's navigation begins 5 it goes weft to Leigh, and 

 eaft to Manchefter, where it locks up into the Rochdale canal. In its way to Manchefter, 

 it turns out, in a weftern dirediion, near Longford Bridge, to meet the Grand Trunk 

 Canal, above Prefton Brook; and from thence it goes north-weft to Runcorn, where it 

 locks down into the Merfey, in the tide-way to Liverpool. 



To this navigation above-ground, which, in all its direftions, is extended through a 

 length of * forty miles, upon one level, without tunnel or lock, except the locks at the 

 extremities. At Worfley, an underground navigation is joined, which goes to the dif- 

 ferent mines of coal under Walkden-Moor ; from which mines, by thefe navigations above- 

 ground and under-ground, Manchefter and various other places are fupplied with that 

 valuable article. 



The canals of this under-ground navigation lie upon two levels, or ftories. 



The lower is upon the fame level with the open navigation, which it joins at Worfley; 

 and confifts, in the different lines which h purfues to the different feams of coal, of near 

 twelve miles of tunnelling. 



The higher is thirty-five yards and a half perpendicular height above the level of the 

 lower, and varies from thirty-eight to fixty-one perpendicular yards below the furface of 

 the earth, and confifts of near fix miles of tunnelling. 



The tunnelling of each level is ten feet four inches wide, and eight feet fix inches deep ; 

 and the depth of water, three feet feven inches. 



Before a communication was made by an inclined plane, the coals were difcharged by 

 hand from the boats on the higher level, and were let down the pits in tubs by an engine 

 and a break-wheel into thofe upon the lower. To convey the boats theiflfelves from the 

 canals of the higher level into that of the lower, was the intent of making this under- 

 ground inclined plane. By the help of this machinery, the whole bufinefs is now done at 

 once, without difcharging or damaging the coal, and at one fourth of the expence : for 

 the boats of the higher level are bodily let down the inclined plane, and are floated from 

 ,the foot.x)f it through nearly three miles, in a ftrait line, of the lower level canal, into the 

 open navigation at Worfley : and, whereas they were before obliged to be drawn up to the 

 furface of the earth at great inconvenience and expence, to be repaired at a work-fliop on 

 Walkden-Moor, they now come of themfelves, in their courfe of bufinefs, to be repaired 

 at the great dock-yard at Worfley. 



• Forty miles upon one lewl.} Adding to thefe forty miles, nearly twelve miles of the Duke of Bridge- 

 water's underground navigable canal, which lie upon his lower main level, and including eighteen miles of 

 the Grapd Trunk Canal betwixt the loweft lock between Middlewich and Prefton-Brook, there are feventy 

 miles of navigable canal, without a lock, upon one level, eighty-two feet above low-water mark ; whereby 

 a communication is obtained between London, Liverpool, Briftol, and Hull. At this loweft lock the 

 Grand Trunk Navigation locks down, to be upon a level with the Duke of Bridgewater's, 



4 TI«s 



