1S40.]. 



THE CIVIL ENGINEER AND ARCHITECTS JOURNAL. 



3J5 



In case the Weirs cannot be purchased for a reasonable sum, I would pro- 

 pose making a cut across the bed of the river near Lisgoole Abbey. The line 

 I have selected is very favourable for this purpose ; it would lessen the dis- 

 tance considerably, and might be done for a comparatively small sum. At 

 the same time I would prefer keeping by the river channel, although the dis- 

 tance is greater ; still it would he easier accomplished and wouhl keep the 

 channel wider, so as to give every facility to the Drainage and Navigation. 



The channel of the river from Dane's Weirs to Carry Bridge is fine and 

 open, with the exception of a few small ridges or shoals of gravel, which can 

 be cleared away in tlie course of a week, with a good Dredging Machine. 



Carry Bridge forms a great obstruction to the navigation and drainage ; in 

 fact it can scarcely be called a bridge, as tlie opening is but 12 feet wide, 

 and 10 feet high, the remaining part being a long wall forming tlie roadway 

 to the island of Inishmore. In flood time this oljstruction creates two feet 

 head of water, and nearly stops the passage of the water ; so that although 

 this channel is the finest no boats are able to pass. This erection requires 

 to be entirely cleared away, and the channel deepened according to the sec- 

 tion ; and instead of the present bridge, I propose that a new bridge be 

 erected of three arches, each 40 feet span, the two side ones to be fixed stone 

 arches, and the centre one of cast iron, in two parts, so as to allow steamers 

 and masted vessels to pass at all times witliout lowering their chimneys or 

 masts. 



Proceeding along the western channel, the Black Rock is the next obstruc- 

 tion to be met with, upon entering the narrow channel, which is from 70 to 

 80 feet in width. There are a considerable number of large detached pieces 

 of rocks in the sides and Ijottom of the river, which in summer have only 

 about two feet water upon them, which can easily be cleared away either by 

 blasting or lifting tiiem out of the river with proper tackle. 



There are two or three smaller ridges or slioals above this in the western 

 channel, which are composed of clay and gravel, and which ought to be re- 

 moved to the depth of 7 feet from summer water, and to the width of 100 

 feet, which can be easily done by the Dredging Machine. 



At the ferry at Inishmore there is a fine site for a snsjiension bridge, which 

 might be elevated sufficiently so as to allow masted vessels to pass. It would 

 also be of great convenience to the county. 



.^.bove Crom Castle there are two shoals or ridges, also near Wattle Bridge, 

 which are composed of gravel and clay, and easily removed at a small ex- 

 pense. 



Blockson's Ford is of solid limestone rock ; this shoal is a great obstruction 

 to the free discharge of the water, and ought to be removed. This part is 

 the most difficult to be remedied, and will require a C'offre Dam, so as to 

 clear one-half of the river, first by blasting and removing the rock, and when 

 this is accomplislied, to remove the Coffre Dam to the other parts of the 

 river, and clear it in like manner. 



I have carefully prepared Estimates of the before-mentioned works, and 

 find that the whole may be executed in a workman-like manner, for the sum 

 of £29,797. 



In conclnsion, I beg to remark that I am not aware of any work or project 

 whatever, where so much benefit might be derived at so small a cost, both on 

 account of the Drainage and Navigatiou, and when it is considered that the 

 Ulster Canal is now on the eve of completion, wliich connects the port of 

 Belfast with Lough Erne: and the possibilityof the projected Junction Canal, 

 which will join Lough Erne with the river Shannon, being carried into exe- 

 cution, it will form a communication from the Atlantic Ocean to St. George's 

 Channel, and as it is a work similar to the Shannon, and next to it in im- 

 portance, it well deserves the consideration of the Legislature, so as to put it 

 in every respect upon the same footing with that great national undertaking. 



Trusting the foregoing Report may meet with your approbation, and the 

 Gentlemen connected therewith, I have the honour to be, Sir-, 



Your most obedient and humble servant, 



Thomas Rhodes. 



Estimate of the cost of the proposed works for the improvement of the 

 navigation and drainage of Lough Erne, to accompany Mr. Rhodes's report, 

 dated 13th July, 1840. 



New Bridge at Belleek £8,000 



Dredging the bed of the river from Belleek to Roscor, includ- 

 ing the clearing away of the Eel Weirs and the masonry of 



the proposed Weir 9,147 4 6 



Dredging the bed of the river at Portora 784 14 6 



Dredging both channels of the river at Enniskillen, and under- 



pinning the piers of the bridges 1,860 19 6 



Clearing away Dane's Eel Weurs, and dredging the bed of the 



river 2,250 



Dredging the bed of the river at Black Rock 150 



Excavating the channel of the river at Carry Bridge, and 



building a new bridge there, as shown on the plan 6,000 



Excavating and blasting the rock at Blockson's Ford, and other 



small fords and shoals 1,604 2 6 



Total amount £29,797 1 



N-B. — If the river course be abandoned at Dane's Weirs, and 

 a cut made across the low- lands near Lisgoole Abbey, a fur- 

 ther sum must be added of the amount of .' 3,516 13 9 



£33,313 14 9 



Thomas Rhodes. 

 In the above calculation no allowance has been made for the purchase of 

 Eel W'eirs. 



FALL OF A SUSPENSION BRIDGE IN INDIA. 



It is with feelings of much regret that we announce a lamentable accident 

 which has just occurred at Madras, attended witli great personal injury to 

 many unfortunate individuals, though, as yet, so far as we have heard, with 

 but one loss of life. On Monday afternoon the 33rd Regiment of Native In- 

 fantiT (or certain coinpanies of that corps) were crossing the Suspension- 

 bridge at Chintandripett, on their way to escort His Highness the Nabob, 

 and take part in the customary procession to his father's tomli, when one of 

 the great suspension chains at the eastern end of the bridge gave way, preci- 

 pitating the roadway and the concourse of persons then upon it (al)out a 

 company and a half of sepoys) into the stream below. The crash must have 

 been tremendous, and great personal injury sustained by manv. We hear 

 that 1 Subadar, ! llavildars, and 26 men were severely hurt and bruised, and 

 several more slightly injured ; indeed, had not the elevation of the bridge 

 above the water Ijeen so small, and the water itself so shallow, the accident 

 would have been attended with great loss of life. The part of the bridge 

 which gave way was the links of the eastern suspension chain, wliere they 

 pass over the friction roller of the nortli-eastern pier. Two of the three links 

 have snapped across, and on examining the fracture it is evident that both, 

 but one more especially, has for a long time been in a defective state, having 

 a crack extending almost through it. Indeed, it seems to us that the bridge 

 has, at some forujer period, experienced a powerful strain, which had partially- 

 cracked these links, weakening them so far, that the pressure of the crowd at 

 once tore away the remaining fibres, and occasioned the whole fabric to give 

 way. It is a fact ofsDme importance, and one perhaps not very generally 

 known, that a concourse of people is one of the greatest loads which can be 

 imposed upon any structure, since it brings a vast weight witliin a narrow 

 compass, and that the strain is especially severe in the case of a body of mili- 

 tary- marching in regular order. We may here observe that one of the few 

 occasions on vliich we have know-n an English suspension-bridge to fail was 

 about ten years ago at Morpeth, in Northumberland, when exposed to a some- 

 what similar strain to the one in question, being crowded liy persons returning 

 from a fair. On two other occasions, where suspension-bridges at home have 

 given way, it has been during the passage of troops in a regular march over 

 them, — we allude to the bridges at Broughton and Jlontrose. The severe 

 strain or vibration occasioned by the measured tread of a body of military is 

 indeed so tning to these structures, that it is considered by engineers that 

 they will in this case bear but one-eighth part of the weight they might be 

 otherwise safely loaded with. — Madras paper. 



ERECTION OF A SAFETY BEACON ON GOODWIN SANDS. 



The task undertaken by Captain Bullock, of Her Majesty's steamer Boxer, 

 of erecting a safety beacon on the Goodwin Sands, about seven miles from 

 the town of Deal, has Ijeen successfully accomplished, by which it is hoped 

 to avert the dreadful loss of life by shipwreck which has so frequently oc- 

 curred in that part of the British Channel. To the high credit of Captaia 

 Bullock this desirable object was accomplished on Thursday, 10th ult., under 

 his superintendence and that of Captain Boys, superintendent of the naval 

 store deparment of Deal. Captain Bullock has been long engaged in carry- 

 ing out the above object, and in tbe arduous duty of correcting the charts in 

 various parts of tlie globe, and is now doing so under the authority of Go- 

 vernment in the waters of England. lie commenced at 'Westminster Bridge, 

 and proceeded towards tlie Land's End, which is at present undergoing Ids 

 survey. The beacon he has succeeded in erecting consists of a column about 

 40 feet above tbe level of the sea, having elects and ropes attached to four 

 of its sides, with holds for hands and feet. At the summit of the column is 

 attached a gallery of hexagon form, made of trellis work, and capable of 

 holding 20 persons at one time. -Vbove the gallery, and in continuation of 

 the column, is a flagstafi' 10 feet long, thus making the entire beacon 50 feet 

 in height. The sides of the gallery are so constructed as to enable the per- 

 sons in it to be covered in with sailcloth, which is reefed in and round it, 

 and can be used at pleasure ; as also an awning to pass over it, which is fixed 

 to the flagstaff ; thus entirely protecting any unfortunate mariner who may 

 seek shelter on the column from foul and tempestuous weather. A barrel of 

 fresh water, together with a painted bag enclosing a flag of distress, is sta- 

 tioned on tbe gallery, and the words "hoist the flag" painted in the lan- 

 guages of aU nations on bosrds stationed round the inner part of the gallery, 

 so that the foreigner as well as native seaman may be enabled to show a sig- 

 nal of distress, and obtain help from shore, which is about seven miles distant 

 from the beacon. The means by which the beacon has been erected in so 



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