124 Mr. Tatem on the Management of the London Bridges. [March I, 

 By a late discussion in parliament on the 

 subject ot° mail-coaches paying toll, it was 

 universally allowed that the roads in Scot- 

 land were in a deplorable state, and in their 



circumstances, bankrupt. 



Directions for Repair of an Old Road. 



No addition of materials is to be 



brought upon a road, unless in any part of 



it be found that there is not a quantity of 



clean stone equal to ten inches in thickness. 



The stone already in the road is to be 

 loosed up and broken, bo as no piece shall 

 exceed six ounces in weight. 



The road is then to be laid as flat as 

 possible, a rise of three inches from the 

 centre to the side is sufficient for a road 

 thirty feet wide. 



The stones when loosened in the road are 

 to be gathered off by means of a strong 

 heavy rake, with teeth two and a half 

 inches in length, to the side of the road, 

 and there broken, and on no account are 

 stones lobe broken on the road. 



When tlie great stones have been re- 

 moved, and none left in the road exceed- 

 ing six ounces, the road is to be put in 

 shape, and a vake employed to smooth the 

 surface, which will at the same time bring 

 to the surface the remaining stone and will 

 allow the dirt to go down. 



When the road is so prepared, the stone 

 that has been broken by the side of the 

 road is then to be carefully spread on it — 

 this is rather a nice operation, and the 

 future quality of the road will greatly de- 

 pend on the manner in which it is per- 

 formed. The stone must not be laid on in 

 shovels full, but scattered over the surface, 

 one shovel-fuU following another, and 

 spreading over a considerable space. 



Only a small space of road should be 

 lifted at once ; five men m a gang should be 

 set to lift it all across : two men should 

 continue to pick up and rake off the large 

 stones, and to form the road for receiving 

 the broken stone, the other three should 

 break stones — the broken stone to be laid 

 on as soon as the piece of road is pre- 

 pared to receive it, and then break up 

 another piece ; two or three yards at one 

 lift is enough. 



The proportioning the work among the 

 five men must of course be regulated by 

 the nature of the road ; when there are 

 many vei^ large stones, the three breakers 

 may not be able to keep pace with the 

 two men employed in lifting and forming, 

 and when tlieve are few large stones the 

 contrary may be the case; of all this, the 

 surveyor must judge and direct. 



But, while it is recommended to lift and 

 relay roads which have been made with 

 large stone, or with large stone mixed with 

 clay, chalk, or other mischievous materials, 

 there are many cases in which it would be 

 highly unprofitable to lift and relay a road, 

 even if the materials should have been 

 originally loo large. 



When additional stone is wanted on a 

 road that has consolidated by use, the old 

 hardened surface of the road is to be 

 loosened with a pick, in order to make the 

 fresh materials unite with the old. 



The only proper method of breaking 

 stones, both for effect and economy, is by 

 persons sitting ; the stones are to be placed 

 in small heaps, and women, boys, or old 

 men past hard labour, must sit down with 

 small hammers and break them, so as none 

 shall exceed six ounce* in weight. 



Every road is to be made of broken 

 stone, without mixture of earth, clay, chalk , 

 or any other matter that will imbibe water 

 and be affected with frost , nothing is to 

 be laid on the clean stone on pretence of 

 binding ; broken stone will combine by its 

 own angles into a smooth solid surface that 

 cannot be affected by vicissitudes of wea- 

 ther, or displaced by the action of wheels, 

 which will pass over it without a jolt, and 

 consequently without injury. 



To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. 



SIR, 



ANEW bridge being about to be 

 built in the room of London- 

 bridge, it may not be an improper 

 time to submit to the public, through 

 the medium of your very liberal and 

 useful Jiagazine, the following plan, 

 for the management of all the bridges 

 williin the metropolis. 



ist That the five metropolitan bridges 

 (viz. London, SoulhwJi'k, Blackfiiars, 

 Strand, and Westminster,) be vested in 

 ti HStees appointed for that purpose. 



3d. That a small toll be laid upon all 

 carriages, horses, and cattle, passing over 

 any of the said bridges ; and, 



3d. That the several tolls so collected 

 be applied to the repairs of the said 

 bridges, and the surplus appropriated to 

 the redemption of the interest of any per- 

 sons having property therein. 



Having thus briefly stated the out- 

 line of the plan, I shall proceed to the 

 detail of the particular parts, and trust 

 that I shall be able to show, that mi- 

 nisterial patronage will not be in- 

 creased by the appointment of this 

 Board of Commissioners, and that the 

 public will be considerably benefitted, 

 although a toll should be imposed. 



It cannot but appear extraordinary, 

 that all the bridges in the metropolis 

 do not belong to the state ; but, as the 

 two which have been recently erected 

 (the Strand and the Southwark,) have 

 been built by the subscription-funds of 

 companies established for that purpose, 

 and as the tolls collected upon them 

 are received by the companies, those 

 bridges may, with the strictest pro- 

 priety, 



