CHARACTERS. 



741 



sufficiently wide to admit of their 

 passage ; Here therefore they were 

 detained. Brushwood, weeds, hay, 

 straw, and whatever lay in the way 

 of the flood, came down and col- 

 lected about the branches of the 

 trees, that stuck fast in the arches, 

 and choaked the free current of the 

 water. In consequence of this ob- 

 struction to the tlood, a thick and 

 strong dam, as it were, was thus 

 formed. The aggregate of so many 

 collected streams, being unablo to 

 get any further, rose here to a pro- 

 digious height, and with the force 

 of its pressure carriod the bridge 

 entirely away before it. William 

 lid wards had given the most ample 

 security, both in his own person and 

 the sureties of respectable friends, 

 for the stability of the bridge during 

 the space of seven years. Of course 

 he was obliged to ereft another, 

 and he proceeded on his duty with 

 all ])OSbiblc speed. — The bridge had 

 only stood about two years and a 

 half. The second bridge was of one 

 arch, for the parpose of admitting 

 freely under it whatever incum- 

 brances the iloods might bring down. 

 The span or chord of this arch was 

 one hundred and forty feet; its al- 

 titude thirty-five feet ; the segment 

 of a circle whose diameter was one 

 Jiundrcd and seventy feet. The arch 

 was linished, but the parapets not 

 yet erected, when such was the pres- 

 sure of the unavoidably ponderous 

 work over the haunches, that it 

 sprung up in the middle, and the 

 key-stones were forced out. This 

 was a severe blow to a man who had 

 hitherto met with nothing but mis- 

 fortune in an enterprize, which 

 was to establish or ruin him in his 

 profession. William Edwards, how- 

 ever, possessed a courage which did 

 ■ot easily foibukc him, so that lie 



was not greatly disconcerted. He 

 engaged in it the third time ; and 

 by means of three cylindrical holes 

 through the work over the haunches, 

 so reduced the weight over them, 

 that there was no longer any dan- 

 ger from it. These holes or cylin- 

 ders rise above each other, ascend- 

 ing in the order of the arch, three 

 at each end, or over each of the 

 haunches. The diameter of the 

 lowest is nine feet : of the second 

 six feet ; and of the uppermost, 

 three feet. They give the bridge 

 an air of uncommon elegance. The 

 second bridge fell in 1751. The 

 third which has stood ever since, 

 was completed in 1755. It is gene- 

 rally suppob'cd, that William Ed- 

 wards experienced the liberality of 

 some gentlemen in the count)', which 

 was increased by the gratuities of 

 others, who came from many parts 

 of the kingdom to see the bridge and 

 its builder ; but of this we have no 

 clear or certain accounts, nor do 

 his family know that he was ever 

 indebted for any emolument but to 

 his own industry and abilities. 



Hitherto the Rial to was esteemed 

 the largest arch in Europe, if not in 

 the world. Its span or chord was 

 ninety-eight feet. But New-bridge 

 is forty-two feet wider; and was, 

 till lately, if it be not still so, and I 

 am not aware th<at its claim to this 

 distindtion is invalidated, the largest 

 arch in the world, of which we have 

 any authentic account. The fame of 

 tills bridge introduced William Ed- 

 wards to public notice ; and he was 

 employed to build many other 

 bridges in South Wales. One of 

 the next bridges that he constru^cd 

 was Usk-bridge. over the rivei- IJsk, 

 at the town of Usk, in Monmouth- 

 shire. It was a large and handsome 

 work. He afterwards built the fol- 



3 li 3 lowing 



