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THE CIVIL ENGINEER AND ARCHITECT'S JOURNAL. 



[November, 



formed serious obstructions to tlie drainage. That a new lock should be 

 conslructed, at a place called Haarlem Hill, about 18 miles above Ferraby 

 sluice. 



That as during floods, the Ancholme and the Rasen brought down a 

 considerable quantity of sand from the adjacent hills, so as sometimes to 

 block up the main river and the drains, and thus to prevent them from 

 discharging their waters and causing inundation of the adjacent lands ; it 

 was further proposed, to construct a large overfall and weir, wiih an ex- 

 tensive resersoir on the lower side, to catch all the sand and mud, which 

 was brought down from the upper part of the country, and thus to prevent 

 it from falling info ihe main riier. From the reservoir, the mud and sand 

 would be occasionally removed, at a trifling expense. It was also sub- 

 sequently recommended, that there should be similar overfalls, weirs, and 

 reservoirs, at all the minor streams, and brooks, where they united with 

 the level. 



An Act of Parliament for these objects was obtained, in the year 1S25, 

 the works were commenced directly and were completed, so far as re- 

 garded the navigation of the main river Ancholme, up to Bishop's Bridge, 

 by Ihe ISIh of June 1828. This was with difficulty eliected on account 

 of the limited time allowed, and it was of the utmost consequence that 

 this period should not be exceeded, because the lime specified by the Act, 

 fur the completion of Ihe navigation works, expired within three days 

 afterwards; but as no time was specified, in the Act, for Ihe compleliou 

 of Ihe drainage works, the Commissioners determined to proceed with 

 them, more leisurely. The next important object, was the west catch- 

 water drain ; ihis, it was determined to carry into ellecl, only as far as Cas- 

 tlelhorp, about 9 miles above Ferraby, and in order to save expense, it 

 v\as kept within the level skirling the high lands near Appleby. 

 Works commenced in 1842. 



The new sluice was proposed to consist of three openings, each 18 feet 

 in width, having their cills 8 feet below the cill of the old Ferraby sluice, 

 or from 2 feet 6 inches to 3 feet below low water of an average spring tide 

 in the Humber. 



The lock was to be 20 feet wide in the clear, and 80 feet long, between 

 the gates, so as to give a clear water way of 7 1 feet, with an additional 

 fall of 8 feet, which would discharge above four times the quantity of 

 water in the same time that the old sluice could do. 



The work, which was directed to be built wholly of the best Yorkshire 

 stone, was commenced in the beginning of March, 1842, by forming two 

 whole-tide cotfer-dams of limber, one on the Humber, the other on the 

 Ancholme side, so as to enclose a complete space for the sluice, including 

 also Ihe old sluice, but not the old lock, which was still left open for the 

 navigation. In older to provide for Ihe drainage, in the event of floods, 

 an opening, 16 feet wide, was made through each cotl'er-dam. Bolh open- 

 ings were titled with liliingdoors, working in grooves, to be raised by 

 machinery, whenever it was requisite. The old lock also served as an 

 additional opening for the drainage. The excavation for the foundations 

 of the new lock and sluice, was made in alluvial silt and clay, in which 

 piles from 24 feet to 28 feet long were driven, at intervals of 3 feet from 

 centre to ceuire ; Ihe piles averaged 12 inches diameter, in the middle, 

 and were of beech, elm, or fir timber, wilh wrought iron hoops and shoes, 

 of sufHcient sirengih to prevent Iheni from splitting whilst being driven ; 

 iheir heads were then cut off and levelled ; the earth was excavated 2 feet 

 deep, below the pile-heads, large blocks of chalk were rammed in soundly 

 between Ihem, and Ihe whole was well grouted wilh lime and sand. Upon 

 the lops of the pile-heads, cap-cills, 12 inches square, of IMemel fir, elm, 

 or beech, were then nicely filled, bolh in the longitudinal and transverse 

 directions, and were firmly spiked down with jagged spikes ; the spaces 

 between the cills were then solidly filled up wilh brickwork, set and well 

 grouted wilh the best Roman cement, and the whole was then covered 

 wilh a flooring of Baltic fir plank, 3 inches thick, closely jointed and well 

 spiked down to Ihe cills below, wilh jagged wrought iron spikes 9 inches 

 long. This flooring was also well bedded in lime, pozzolana, and sand, 

 in the proportion of two parts of lime, three of sand, and one of pozzolana, 

 well ground together. Upon the top of this platform, inverted arches of 

 stone were laid, of solid masonry, 18 inches deep at Ihe crown. The quoins, 

 where the gates shut against, were 2 feet inches deep, and were made 

 perfectly waler-tight. The piers were ihen carried up of solid masonry, 

 set in pozzolana moiiar, wilh ihe beds, faces, and joints finely dressed 

 and set. When the piers were carrit-d up to the requisite height, they 

 were covered with elliptical stone arches to form the roadway. 



Draw-doors fnr regulatijig the Navigation Lcrel, 

 Each opening of the sluice was provided wilh double gates ; one pair 

 on the laud-side, with diaw-doors which lifted in a water-tight groove, by 

 means oi wrought iron pinions, working in screws attached to vertical 

 rods. These draw-doors were for the purpose of regulating the navigation 

 level, which is 13 feet 8 inches above the cill, and so as to enable a depth 

 of 8 feet 9 inches to be preserved at Brigg, which is 9 miles distant, and 

 C feet 6 inches at Haarlem Hill lock, which is 18 miles above the sluice. 

 On the outer, or Humber side, there were also gates to prevent the tide 

 from entering the level. These gates were self-acting, shutting by the 

 force of Ihe tide, and opening by the head of fresh water, as soon as the 

 tide had fallen below the level of the water inside ; they rested against 

 stone mitred cills, carried down through the solid invert, and faced with 

 segmeuis of cast iron, run in wilh lead. At the top, the gates abutted 

 against stone mitred arches, projecting from the face of the work, imme- 



diately below the elliptical arches which form the roadway. The stones 

 forming these mitred arches, consisted of large blocks finely dressed, and 

 bonded into the main body of the work. The usual mode of effecting this, 

 is to make a framing of wood, above the gates, against which they 

 abut. The wood, however, is subject to decay, and is not so strong as 

 stone. 



After the sluice was considerably advanced, it was considered advisable 

 to make a communication with ihe west drain, by means of a side cut, in 

 order to give to the district draining by the old west sluice the advantage 

 of the increased fall of the new sluice. For this purpose it was decided 

 to separate the western opening of the new sluice from the other openings, 

 by means of a draw-door, which could be raised and lowered at plea- 

 sure, either for the purpose of turning the whole of the river Ancholme 

 through the three openings, or only through two, as might be deemed ad- 

 visable. Another door, or gale, was constructed on the opening, between 

 the west drain and the river Ancholme, to be raised or lowered according 

 to circumstances. The opening, between the two drains, was formed by 

 an inverted arch, resting upon piles, cills, and planking, in a similar man- 

 ner to that described for the rest of the work, and the gates, which were 

 nicely balanced, were lifted by means of double purchase crabs, with racks 

 and pinions. Over the opening between the Ancholme and the west drain 

 a stone arch served for a roadway to communicate with the west bank ot 

 the Ancholme. 



Thus the principle of the west catch-water drain was still preserved, 

 and the extra width and depth of the new sluice and cill was rendered 

 sufllcient to drain the level. The whole of the sluice was covered by 

 elliptical stone arches, 18 feet wide, rising 4 feet 6 inches, and surmounted 

 by a simple cornice and plain block parapet, 3 feet 7 inches high, per- 

 fectly level from one end to the other. 



Lock-gates. 

 The lock, which was 20 feet wide in the clear, and 77 feet long, between 

 the points of the gates, with a lift of 10 feet at high water, was provided 

 with four pairs of gates ; two pairs of which pointed seawanls, and were 

 high enough to exclude the highest tides ; the other two pair, pointing 

 landwards, were high enough to regulate the navigation level. These 

 gales were wholly constructed of the best English oak, well fitted to- 

 gether with wrought iron straps and bolts. The lock was tilled and 

 emptied by means of side culverts in the piers and abutments, which were 

 constructed of solid and finely-worked masonry, set in pozzolana cement, 

 perfectly impervious to water. They were provided with cast iron sluices, 

 working upon brass faces, and were raised and lowered by wrought iron 

 pinions and screws. The whole of the lock was constructed of solid 

 masonry, of the best description. 



Neiv Bridges. 



Nearly all the old bridges, which were built chiefly of wood, with 

 several small openings, the piles of which materially obstructed the pas- 

 sage of the water, particularly during floods, were removed, and were 

 replaced by others, spanning the river wilh one opening. Commencing 

 at the lower end, a new suspension bridge was built at Horks'ow, one 

 mile above the new sluice ; the span was 130 feet, wiih stone piers. At 

 Saxby, three miles higher, a wooden bridge was placed, consisting of a 

 series of circular ribs bolted together, forming an arch 96 feet 6 inches 

 span, with a versed sine, or rise, of 10 feet 4 inches. The roadway, 

 which was also of wood, and curved 2 feet, was supported by a series of 

 diagonal braces resting upon the arch below. Both arches rested against 

 stone abutments. The roadway was 12 feet 4 inches wide, and the whole 

 was very substantial. 



Three other bridges, of corresponding construction, were placed at 

 Caduey, 76 feet span, and 9 feet 3 inches in rise ; at Hibaldstow, 74 feet 

 span, and 9 feet rise ; and at Minutes Farm, 74 feet span, and 8 feet 9 

 inches rise. At Bondby there was another bridge also of wood, but of a 

 different construction, being framed in the form of a truss, the outer part 

 being 7 feet in tlie middle. 



At Brigg another bridge was built, consisting of a single stone arch, the 

 segment of a circle, whose radius was 63 feet span, and the versed sine, 

 or rise, was 1 1 feet. At Brandy Wharf was a cast iron bridge of a single 

 arch, the segment of a circle, 55 feet span, with a versed sine, or rise, of 

 5 feet ; with stone wing walls and abutments. The bridges of the west 

 catch-water drain varied from 15 feet to 20 feet span, all of semi-elliptical 

 arehes, wilh a rise one-fourth of Ihe span, and built of brickwork. 



The whole of these works, which were completed on the 22nd of May, 

 1807, were opened, wilh considerable ceremony, by the Duke of St. Albans, 

 the Earl of Varborongh, Rlr. Uppleby,the Chairman, Mr. Skipworth, iMr. 

 Corbetl, and a large body of Ihe Commissioners. 



Thus, after a lapse of 43 years, since the late Mr. Rennie's report, and 

 556 years since the drainage commeuced, these works have been finally 

 completed, and the whole of this valuable and extensive district now re- 

 ceives Ihe benefit of a perfect, natural drainage, without the adventitioira 

 aid of mechanical power. The sure principles of drainage, — catch-water 

 drains for the highland waters, and improved rivers aud drains for the 

 lowland or fen waters, — have been established, and the whole of the 

 Ancholme level is now converted into a rich arable district, capable of 

 producing Ihe finest crops of every kind. 



The whole of the works have been completed under the direction ol 

 Sir John Rennie, the principal engineer, assisted by the able co-operatioa 

 of Adam Smith (M. lust. (J. E.), the resident engineer, whose great ei- 



