TELFORD TERTIARY FORMATIONS. 



817 



its share to the perfection of the whole. In this, as in all his 

 great works, he employed, as sub-engineers, men capable of 

 ' 



identin.'U them with the success of the work. In ascertaining 

 the strength of the materials for the Meuai bridge, he employed 

 men of the highest nink for scientific character and attain- 



ments. 



Improving the river Weever navigation, between the Che- 

 shire salt works and sea entrance. 



Constructing a tunnel 3000 yards in length, through Hare- 

 castle hill, upon the Trent and Mersey navigation, near the 

 great Staffordshire potteries. 



Making a canal from ditto, 29 miles in length, by Maccles- 

 field, to the Peak forest and Huddersfield canals. 



Improving the Birmingham old canal, formerly laid out by 

 Mr Brindley. 



Making a canal 39 miles in length, with a branch 11 miles, to 

 connect the Birmingham raual with the Shropshire and Che- 

 shire canals, and open a new communication with Liverpool 

 and Manchester, and thence to London. 



Improving the outfalls of the river Ouse, in Norfolk, and the 

 Nene in Lincolnshire, including the drainage of the North 

 Bedford Level, between the Nene and the Welland. 



Constructing the St Katherine docks, adjoining Tower hill, 

 London. 



Constructing- a cast-iron bridge, 170 feet span, over the river 

 Severn, at Tewksbury, in Gloucestershire. 



Building a stone bridge, 150 feet, over the Severn, near the 

 city of Gloucester. 



Designing a stone bridge of seven arches 50 feet wide with- 

 in the parapets, and 500 feet long, built over the Clyde, at 

 Glasgow, on the site of Jamaica street bridge, and called Glas- 

 gow bridge. 



Opening a navigable communication across Sweden, from 

 Gothenburg, on the North sea, to Soderking, on the Baltic. 



In the year 1817, parliamentary-loan commis- 

 sioners were appointed to apply 1,750,000 to- 

 wards carrying on public works. Mr Telford was 

 employed as their engineer ; and from that time he 

 examined and reported on the following works, for 

 which aid was requested : 



1. The Regent's canal, from Paddiugton, by Islington, to 

 Limehouse. 



2. A cast-iron bridge across the Thames from Queen Street. 



3. A short canal between the Thames and Isis, and the 

 Wilts and Berks canal. 



4. For an extension of Folkstone harbour, on the coast of 

 Kent. 



5. For completing the Thames and Medway canal from 

 Gravesend to Rochester. 



6. For completing the Gloucester and Berkley canal, which 

 was done under his direction. 



7. For completing the Portsmouth and Arundel canal. 



8. For the Tay Ferry piers, which were constructed under 

 liis direction. 



9. For rebuilding Folly bridge, at Oxford, on the site of 

 Friar Bacon's Study. 



10. For making a short canal between the river Lea and the 

 Regent's canal. 



11. For rebuilding Windsor and Kingston bridges upon the 

 river Thames. 



12. For making a canal from the city of Exeter to the sea. 



13. For constructing a harbour at Shoreham, on the coast 

 of Sussex. 



14. For building a timber bridge at Teignmouth, in the 

 county of Devon. 



15. For completing the Bridgewater and Taunton canal. 



16. For constructing locks and wears upon the river 

 Thames. 



17. For completing the Liverpool and Manchester Railway. 



18. For completing Courton harbour in Ireland. 



19. On the proposed Railway between Waterford and 

 Limerick. 



20. On the Ulster canal, as proposed, in the north of Ireland. 



21. On the Norwich and Lowestoft navigation previous to 

 the commencement, and while in progress 



Mr Telford also made the following extensive 

 surveys, by direction of the post office: 



1. From London, by Ware and Royston, and also by Barnet 

 and Hatfield, to Newark on the Trent. 



2. From thence, by York and Newcastle, to Morpeth, also 

 by Doncaster, Boroughbridge, and Durham, to the same 

 place. 



3. From Morpeth by Alnwick, Berwick, and Haddington to 

 Edinburgh; also by Wooller, Coldstream, and Dalkeith, to 

 Edinburgh. 



4. From Boroughbridgo, by Hexham, to Caterfell, on the 

 Teviot Ridge; also, from the same place, by Aldstone Moor 

 down the South Tyne, and across the Irthing river, to Castleto 

 in Liddesdale. 



5. From Carlisle, by Langholm, top of F.ttrick and Farquhair, 

 to Edinburgh. 



C. From Glasgow, across Ayrshire, and along the coast to 

 Stranraer and Portpatrick. 



7. From the Holyhead road, at Dunchurch, by Tamworth 

 VII 



and Lichfield. to Newcastle, Staffordshire, and thence in three 

 several directions to Liverpool. 



8. From Northleach, in Gloucestershire, by Monmouth, Bre- 

 con, Carmarthen, and Haverfordwest, to Milford Haven; also 

 from Bristol, by Newport and Cardiff, along the shore to Pem- 

 broke. 



Many details of Mr Telford's works are contained 

 in Sir Henry Parnell's " Treatise on Roads." 



The genius of this distinguished engineer was 

 not confined to his profession. At an early period 

 of his life he gave indications of considerable 

 poetical talent. He was the " Eskdale Tarn " of 

 the poetical corner of "The Scot's Magazine," and 

 addressed a poetical epistle to Robert Burns, a 

 portion of which is given in Dr Currie's Life. 

 But, as has been justly and finely observed, " Mr 

 Telford was a poet of the highest order all bis 

 lifetime : not a mere rhyme-stringer, into which 

 almost any dunce might be drilled: the poetry of 

 his mind was too mighty and lofty to dwell in 

 words and metaphors; it displayed itself by laying 

 the sublime and the beautiful under contribution 

 to the useful, for the service of man. His Cale- 

 donial canal, his Highland roads, his London and 

 Holyhead road, are poems of the most exalted 

 character, divided into numerous cantos, of which 

 the Menai bridge is a most magnificent one. What 

 grand ideas can words raise in the mind to compare 

 with a glance at. that stupendous production of 

 human imagination?" 



Mr Telford had taught himself Latin, French, 

 and German ; and could read those languages with 

 facility, and converse freely in French. He under- 

 stood algebra well, but thought that it led too 

 much to abstraction, and too little to practice. 

 Mathematical investigation he also held rather 

 cheaply ; and always, when practicable, resorted 

 to experiment to determine the relative value of 

 any plans on which it was his business to decide. 

 He delighted in employing the vast in nature to 

 contribute to the accommodation of man. When 

 the project of Denocrates, to hew Mount Athos 

 into a statue of Alexander, bearing a city in the 

 one hand and an aqueduct in the other, was one 

 day mentioned in his presence, his eyes glistened 

 with pleasure, and he exclaimed that Denocrates 

 " was a magnificent fellow!" Nature and practice 

 had so formed his eye for judging of levels, that 

 he has been often known to ride through a coun- 

 try and point out the line which a canal must take, 

 and subsequent surveys have confirmed his views. 

 He was the patron of merit in others, wherever it 

 was to be found : his kind disposition, unaffected 

 manners, and easiness of access, were the means 

 of raising many deserving individuals from obscur- 

 ity to situations where their talents were seen and 

 appreciated. He was a man of sound principle ; 

 and his gradual rise from the stone-masons' and 

 builders' yards to the top of his profession, in his 

 own country, or, we believe we may say, in the 

 world, is to be ascribed not more to his genius, his 

 consummate ability, and his persevering industry, 

 than to his plain, honest, straightforward dealing, 

 and the integrity and candour which marked his 

 character throughout life. He was never married. 

 His servants always spoke of him as the kindest 

 of masters. He died at his house in Abingdon 

 street, Westminster, on the 2d of September, 

 1834. His remains were deposited in Westminster 

 abbey on the 10th of the same month. 



TENTERDEN, LORD. See Abbot, Charles, in 

 Supplement. 



TERTIARY FORMATIONS. In geology 

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