680 



BRIDGE. 



youths are placed as apprentices, nni by the prison, 

 where disorderly person* arc made to work during 

 lln-ir confinement. 



BRIIX;K. It is n<-edlr>s to investigate ancient an 

 thors for a description of tin- primitive bridge, as its 

 origin and elements are to be found in uncultivated 

 nations of modern times. Stepping-sUmes, in slmllow 

 rivers, covered with planks from stone to stone, ex- 

 hibit the incipient principles of piers and arches, 

 which science has brought to their present perfection. 

 In deeper river-, an accumulation of stones forms a 

 loftier pier ; and, where the openings were sufficiently 

 narrow, and the slabs of stone sufficiently long, or the 

 art and strength of the untaught architect sufficient 

 to the task, a roadway was formed from pier to pier, 

 like the Vitnivian architrave of the primitive Tuscan 

 temple. With the Greeks, who were a more maritime 

 people, and more accustomed to navigation than the 

 Romans there is no doubt that ships and boats pre- 

 ceded, if they did not supersede, the use of bridges. 

 In their brightest days, when their fine style of archi- 

 U'Cture was complete, when their porticoes were 

 crowded with paintings, and their streets with statues, 

 the people of Athens waded or ferried over the Ce- 

 phi-.ii>. for want of a bridge. The Greeks do not 

 seem to have valued the construction of the arch 

 sufficiently to excel in bridge-building. No people 

 of the ancient world carried the power of rearing the 

 stupendous arch and the magnificent dome to such an 

 extent as the Romans. After the construction of 

 their great sewers, their aqueducts, and the cupola 

 over the Pantheon of M. Agrippa, a bridge over the 

 Til>er was of easy execution ; and the invention of the 

 architecture of stone bridges, as practised in its best 

 and most effectual manner, must be conceded to this 

 great and indefatigable people. The most celebrated 

 bridges of ancient Rome were not distinguished by 

 the extraordinary size of their arches, nor the peculiar 

 lightness of their piers, but, like the rest of the mag- 

 nificent works of this city, as far as construction is 

 concerned, they are worthy of study from their ex- 

 cellence and durability. The span or chord of their 

 arches seldom exceeded seventy or eighty feet, and 

 the versed sine or height was nearly half of the chord, 

 so that they were mostly semicircular, or constituted 

 a segment nearly of that form. 



Among the most celebrated bridges in modern 

 times, or those built subsequently to the destruction of 

 the Roman empire, are those of the Moors in Spain, 

 who imitated and rivalled the best constructions of the 

 Romans. The bridge of Cordova, over the Guadal- 

 quivir, is an eminent example of their success. The 

 bridge over the Rhone, at Avignon, is one of the 

 most ancient bridges of modern Europe. It was built 

 by a religious society, called the brethren of the bridge, 

 which was established upon the decline of the second, 

 and the commencement of the third race of French 

 kings, when a state of anarchy existed, and there was 

 little security for travellers, particularly in passing 

 rivers, on which they were subject to the rapacities of 

 banditti. The object of this society was, to put a stop 

 to these outrages, by forming fraternities for the pur- 

 pose of building bridges and establishing ferries and 

 caravansaries on their banks. The bridge of Avignon 

 was commenced in 1 176, and completed in 1 178. It 

 was composed of eighteen arches. The length of the 

 chord of the largest was 110 feet 9 inches, and its 

 height 45 feet 10 inches. France can boast of many 

 fine bridges, built during the last two centuries. 



In Qreat Britain, the art of building bridges appears 

 to have been diligently studied from early times. 

 The most ancient bridge in England is the Gothic 

 triangular bridge at Croyland in Lincolnshire, said to 

 have^been built in 860. The ascent is so steep that 

 none but foot-passengers can go over it. The longest 



bridge in England is that over the Trent at Burton 

 in StnflbnUhu-e, built in the twelfth century, of 

 squared free-stone. It consists of thirty-four arches, 

 and is 1545 feet long. London bridge was com- 

 menced in 1176, and was incumlxTed with houses 

 lor many years. These were removed Ix'tween 1756 

 and 1758. The other bridges over the Thames are 

 highly ornamental, as well us necessary, to the me- 

 tropolis. Blackfriars bridge is both novel and hand- 

 some in design, and its elliptical arches are well 

 suited to its situation, but its material is bad and 

 perishing. This bridge was designed and erected hy 

 Robert Milne, an able Scottish architect. It was 

 commenced in 1760, and completed in 1771. It is 

 995 feet long, and 43 feet G inches broad between 

 the parapets. The centre arch is 100 feet in span. 

 find 41 feet 6 inches in height. Waterloo bridge i> 

 one of the greatest architectural works of our times. 

 (See Plate XIV). It is the only bridge over the 

 Thames which has a flat surface in its whole course. 

 Its length is 1250 feet. It consists of nine elliptical 

 arches, each 120 feet in span, and 32 feet in height. 

 Westminster bridge is one of the handsomest as well 

 as most scientifically constructed bridges in Europe, 

 and forms an era in English bridge architecture, from 

 the success of the method employed in laying the 

 foundations in deep water and a rapid current. It 

 was commenced in 17-10, and completed in 1750. It 

 is 1220 feet long, and 44 feet between the parapets, 

 has thirteen large and two small arches, all semicir- 

 cular. The middle arch is 76 feet in span. 



Among the more important bridges, erected of 

 late years in Britain, may be mentioned the New 

 London bridge, which was commenced in 1824, and 

 finished in July, 1831. It consists of five elliptical 

 arches, the least of which is larger than any stone 

 arch of this description ever before erected. The 

 centre arch is 152 feet span, with a rise of 29 feet 

 6 inches above high-water mark. The two arches 

 next the centre are 140 feet span, with 27 feet 6 inches 

 of rise. This magnificent structure, erected after a 

 design of the late John Rennie, measures from the 

 extremities of the abutments 982 feet, with 53 feet 

 of roadway between the parapets. It cost about two 

 millions sterling, of which government contributed 

 200,000. The Dean bridge, Edinburgh, is a beau- 

 tiful structure, remarkable for its situation and height. 

 It crosses the deep ravine formed by the stream 

 called the Water of Leith, a little above St Bernard's 

 well. It is 447 feet in length, 39 feet in breadth, 

 and JOG feet from the roadway to the bed of the 

 river. It was finished in 1831. Something similar in 

 construction to the Dean bridge is the magnificent 

 bridge of Cartland Craigs, which crosses a profound 

 chasm near the falls of Clyde. The bridge which 

 crosses the Den bum, at Aberdeen, consists of one 

 arch 130 feet in span, with a rise of only 29 feet, 

 and may therefore be considered as a great archi- 

 tectural curiosity. At Glasgow a stone bridge of 

 five arches has been lately thrown across the Clyde 

 at Hutchesontown, but with very little promise 

 of utility. The necessary ascent which it makes 

 from its banks, to give the water way during floods, 

 must always render it unpopular for draughts. It 

 is, besides, heavy and inelegant in appearance, and 

 altogether, whether viewed in a useful or orna- 

 mental light, may be pronounced " a successful 

 failure." The old Broomielaw bridge, although an 

 elegant structure, was, in 1832, taken down for that 

 which constitutes the principal fault of the Hutche- 

 sontown bridge steepness of ascent. In its place is 

 at present (1833) erecting, from a design by Mr 

 Telford, a new bridge, that promises to surpass, in 

 size and beauty, all other bridges over the Clyde. 

 The following cut gives a slight representation of it : 



