382 



THE CIVIL ENGINEER AND ARCHITECT'S JOURNAL. 



[October, 



THE RIVER CLYDE. 

 Extracts from a General Report on a part of the River Clyde, between Ja- 



mnica-fitreet Bridge and tfie Glasrjoni JVater-works. Bv AVii.liam Bald, 



F.R.S.E., M.R.I..\., &c. Civil Engineer. 



* * The first great step to improve and extend tlie trade 



of (ilasgow, is to increase the width and de])tli of the river Clyde, and to 

 render it safe in even' part of its navigation ; secondly, to give sntiicient room 

 and fnll protection to all ships frequenting the harljour or port of the city. 

 But, to attain tlie first of these important objects, it is necessary to observe, 

 that to preserve depth in river channels l)y artificial means, is attended with 

 a constant and a considerable expense ; but, if natural means can be called 

 into action to secure depth, and also width, or even partly to assist in doing 

 so, it would be extremely desiral)le, and is tlie first tiling wliich shoidd occupy 

 the attention of the engineer in the improvement of a tidal river channel. If 

 increased width be contemplated for any river, lieyond the Uniits which 

 nature has assigned to it, for the discharge of its land-flood waters, it will 

 decrease in depth what has been given to it in width ; and, on the other 

 hand, if the uatural lireadtli of a river be narrowed, it will acquire in depth, 

 what has been taken from it in width ; taking into account the nature of the 

 soil at the bottom, and on the sides of the river, and the velocity of the water 

 current. 



Reflecting on these fundamental principles, and looking at the river Clyde, 

 and the great necessity there exists of giving it increased breadth for the 

 purposes of navigation, the first consideration should lie, to preserve the 

 dcptli where increased width is proposed to be given to it, by the immediate 

 removal of every kind of obstacle wliich in any manner inteifcres witli the 

 free tidal flow of the sea-water upwards, liy deepening and widening the 

 channel of entrance, clearing away all banks, shoals, and obstructions, so that 

 the sea-tide flood may ascend freely upwards, to the greatest extent that it 

 can possibly reach. 



It is manifest, that any plan that shall increase the volume of water into 

 tlic upper reaches of the Clyde above the city of Glasgow, will be attended 

 with the most beneficial results. The tide water in the Harbour v^ill be in- 

 creased ; the time of high water will be more early, thereby enalding ships 

 outward and inward bound to reach the port sooner, and depart from it 

 earlier. .The velocity of the tide of flood and eblj would be increased, not 

 only through the Ilarljonr, but also through the wliole navigable channel of 

 the Clyde ; and even for some distance tliis scouring power would lie felt 

 aljove Ilutcheson's Bridge, by which tlie whole impurities of the sewerage of 

 the city would lie washed away downwards by the cbl)ing tidal current, and 

 which woidd render Cilasgow more healthy, and tlie water in the Harbour 

 more inire. 



By the removal of the weir at the New Bridge, the Clyde could be deep- 

 ened upwards in such a manner as to allow a volume of water each tide to 

 ascend the Clyde towards Dalniarnock Ford, of aliout 13,200,000 cubic feet, 

 equal to 367,242 tons. 



(6,232 X 13,200,000 = 82,262,400 gaUons, or 

 13,200,000 X 02.5 „„ „„„ 

 —^'240 = 368,303 tons.) 



The removal of the weir would give a volume of water each tide, into the 

 upiier reaches of the Clyde, to the end of the tidal flow aliovc tlie Glasgow 

 works, of 20,400,000 cubic feet of water, equal to JG7,Jo7 tons. 

 (6,232 X 20,400,000 = 127,132,800 gallons, or 

 20,400,000x62-5 „„ .„„ 



2^240 = 569,196 tons.) 



This is nearly equal to a river line of four miles long, four feet deep, and 

 two hundred and forty-two feet wide. Tliis immense volume of water as- 

 cending and descending each tide, would eminently tend to cany away all 

 impurities which are discharged into the Clyde at Glasgow; indeed, the 

 eft'ects of this scouring jiower would be felt towards the lower extremities of 

 the river Clyde, as far as the banks opposite Port-Glasgow and Greenock. 



The removal of the weir would at once open an extent of river, between 

 the New Bridge and Ilutcheson's Bridge, of nearly twenty-three acres, equal 

 in extent to tlie whole of the lower Harbour; and a deepening of tlirec or 

 four feet would enaljle all the smaller craft in tlie lower Harbour to ascend 

 into the very centre of the city, which would be a great relief to tlie lower 

 Port, where the large ships lie. But this upjier Harbour of twenty-three 

 acres is quite cajiable of being so improved, that shijis of the largest class 

 might lie in it, and Cdasgow would then indeed have the aspect of a gi-eat 

 maritime port. To those who liave visited some of the continental harbours 

 and cities — such, for example, as .\msterdam and Rotterdam — nothing can 

 apjiear more natural, and simple than to convert the whole of the Clyde, 

 between the New Bridge and Ilutcheson's Bridge, into a large floating liar- 

 bour. Its position in the very middle of the city, would confer many advan- 

 tages on the merchant and trader. 



In the first instance, the weir miglit be lowered about three feet; the bed 

 of the river between the New and the Old Bridge deepened three feet, and 

 between that liridge and the City Wharf deepened only two feet. I am of 

 opinion, that this extent of deepening will not endanger the Old Bridge at 

 Stockwell-street, if proper precaution be taken; and this first step would 

 aff'ord immediate relief to tlie lower Harliour, by art'ording ample room to all 

 the smaller craft to bertli themselves between tlie bridges. 

 I am quite aware that uoue of the Acts of Parliament permit the river 



trustees to deepen any part of the Clyde aliove Stockwell-street Jiridgc ; yet, 

 notwithstanding, if the river were deepened even so far up as that bridge, it 

 would be a most important advantage. The space lictween the New Bridge 

 and the Old is about fifteen hundred feet long, by nearly four liiindred feet 

 wide, being an area of more than thirteen acres; it would therefore afford 

 immense accommodation to the smaller vessels frequenting the Port of 

 Glasgow. 



It is really to Ijc regretted that so magnificent a harbour im[irovement 

 should be sealed up, and prevented from being earned into execution, on 

 account of tlie existence of the weir at the New Bridge. I am aware that it 

 has lieen, and continues to be, a source of very deep regret to that active and 

 commercial intelligence, which so pre-eminently distinguishes the inliabitants 

 of this great city, to have seen, for so long a period, a space so large lying 

 wholly unoccupied, and wliich might be so easily and so cheajily converted 

 into a most useful harliour ; while, on the other hand, the lower Port is so 

 crowded with vessels, that hardly a lierth can Ijc procured, nor even the neces- 

 sary repairs made to parts of the quay walls without seriously inconvenienc- 

 ing the shipping : and all this has arisen about the lowering of the weir, 

 whicli the Glasgow Water Company object to, as being injurious to their 

 interest. On this important point I shall now proceed to otter a few obser- 

 vations. 



Tlie princijial objection oflfered to the removal of the weir at the Glasgow 

 New Bridge, has been made by the Glasgow Water Company. They state 

 that it would lower the level of their present supply. Now, looking at the 

 Glasgow Water-works, anil the numerous public interests connected \ritli 

 them, both imlustrial and maniifacturing, looking at the immense steam- 

 jiower emiiloyed in the ^^'ater-^\orks, amounting to no less, when completed, 

 than 682 horse power ; and again, at the vast capital which has been invested 

 in those works, it really, on public groimds, becomes a question of the gieat- 

 est importance, in deepening the river Clyde, and improving and enlarging 

 the ])ort of the city of Cilasgow, to preserve tliese M'ater-works from sustain- 

 ing any injury, either in lowering the existing level of the water in the Clyde, 

 or deteriorating the quality of tlie water which affords the supply. On this 

 most important subject, we fortunately have on record the evidence of the 

 late Mr. Thomas Telford, and we have also the very clear and very able evi- 

 dence of Mr. James Jardine, engineer to the Edinlinrgh Water-works; both 

 of these gentlemen mention distinctly, that if the bottom of the ford at Dal- 

 marnock Bridge be seemed, so that its present level remain undisturbed, the 

 weir may then be taken away at the Cdasgow Bridge, and the Clyde decjiened 

 between Dalniarnock I'ord and that bridge for about six feet, without, in 

 their opinion, doing any injury to the Glasgow Water-works. But be it 

 understood, that the work nliicli they recommended, was not to rise above 

 the level of the present bed of the Clyde at Dalmaruock Ford; for Mr. Tel- 

 ford says in his evidence, that when the bed of the river would be seem'ed, 

 " a stranger would be unconscious of any such operation having been per- 

 formed there," because no weir would be seen tiaversing the Clyde. Nume- 

 rous interests would, I fear, otter many serious objections to the erection of 

 a weir rising even a few inches above the bed of the Clvde at Dalmaruock 

 Ford. 



Attentively reflecting on the evidence of Mr. Telford and Mr. Jardine, 

 regarding the Glasgow Water-works, and considering that the Ford of Dal- 

 niarnock is at present nearly eighteen inches above the level of the Clyde, 

 where tlic present supjily is taken for the Cranstonbill M"ater-works, I tliink 

 it possilile to obtain a supply of water from the level of the river at Dalmar- 

 uock, without raising its level by the constrnction of any weirs rising above 

 the present bed of the Clyde at that ])oiiit, by simply securing the existing 

 level of the river waters at the Ford. For I frankly avow, that I am decidedly 

 opjiosed to the erection of any weirs across the bed of the Clyde. It would 

 perhaps even be much better to carry a sutficient quantity of water from a 

 still higher level of the Clyde, to supiily the Water-works, than in any manner 

 to interfere with the river channel, by the erection of engineering works 

 which would obstruct the free passage of the land and tide waters, and pre- 

 vent the navigation from being improved hereafter in the higher reaches ; 

 and also to enlarge and extend those uatural tidal flows or scouring powers, 

 which would act so beneficially, not only in cleansing all dcjiosition caused 

 by the city sewers, but would also be of great benefit to the Harbour in 

 keeping it clear, as well as the whole channel bcil of the river downwards. 

 I am unable to find language to exjiress all my thoughts on the great value 

 which I attach to this upper scouring power, and on the necessity which 

 exists that no jiart of the bed of the river shall ever be encumbered cither 

 with weirs, dykes, or locks, where it may be possible for the tidal rise to 

 reach, or to which it at present extends. 



Looking at the triumphant success with wliich the open tidal estuaries of 

 rivers have been navigated since the application of steam power to maritime 

 juirposes. looking at the improvements which are being made in so many 

 rivers, not only in Great Britain and Ireland, but also on the New and the 

 Old Continents, to facilitate and extend the jirogress of this power into the 

 most remote corners where the tide flows, and the extension of tliis jiowcr, 

 which so peculiarly characterises and adonis the Clyde — the cradle of steam 

 navigation — its further extension into the highest tidal reaches of the Clyde, 

 at once claims and demands the deepest attention of those intrusted with the 

 direction and improvement of the river and the poit of this great city. Re- 

 flecting on the events of the last twenty-five years, in the iniprovemeut of the 

 lower Clyde, who can tell to what an extent the improvement of the upper 

 reaches of the river may not be carried .' 



