Vlll 



on more than one occasion, when the river made irruptions into the 

 tunnel, the salvation of the works was clue. 



One of his first great independent designs was that for the pro- 

 posed suspension hridge across the river Avon, from Durdham Down, 

 Clifton, to the Leigh "Woods ; and the acceptance of his proposal he 

 owed to the fact that, upon the reference of the competing designs to 

 two distinguished mathematicians, for the verification of the calcula- 

 tions, his alone was pronounced to be mathematically exact. Want 

 of funds alone prevented, at that period, the execution of the design, 

 which, however, there are now some hopes of seeing carried into 

 effect by transplanting to that site the present Hungerford Suspension 

 Bridge, which is itself the work of Mr. Brunei. 



His introduction to Bristol led to his appointment as Engineer to 

 the Docks of that city, which he materially improved. He had been 

 previously engaged in the construction of the Old North Dock at 

 Sunderland, and subsequently he designed the Bute Docks at Cardiff. 



In 1833-34 he was appointed Engineer to the Great Western 

 Railway ; and whilst engaged on the surveys, he matured his views 

 of the Broad Gauge, relative to which he sustained one of the hardest 

 fought engineering contests on record. This work placed his reputa- 

 tion high among Engineers, and henceforth his mental and physical 

 powers were taxed almost beyond those of any other member of the 

 profession. His attention to all the details of even the smallest 

 works was unremitting ; and the Hanwell and Chippenham Viaducts, 

 the Maidenhead, and other masonry bridges, the Box Tunnel, and 

 the iron structures of the Chepstow and Tamar bridges on the 

 extension of the Railway to the South and West, attest the boldness 

 and originality of his conceptions, his taste in designing, and his skill 

 in the use of various constructive materials. 



The partial failure at the opening of the Great Western Railway 

 appeared only to incite his inventive faculties, and to afford a field 

 for the exhibition of his great powers. All the physical impediments 

 were met and conquered ; and his perseverance was ultimately crowned 

 with success, in attaining a speed of travelling, combined with comfort 

 and security, hitherto unrivalled. 



In the attempted adaptation of the atmospheric system of propul- 

 sion to the South Devon Railway he was, however, signally unfortu- 

 nate, in spite of all the ingenuity displayed ; but this failure had the 



