24 A STATISTICAL ACCOUNT OF THE 



Treasurer, Richard Hill Morris. 



The first Building Committee were 



Richard Peters, George Fox, William Sheaff, John 

 Dunlap, and John Kean. 



The general wish of the Stockholders, at the com- 

 mencement of the project, was strongly in favour of a 

 stone bridge. A draft of a stone structure, elegant, 

 plain, practicable and adapted to the site, with very 

 minute and important instructions for its execution, was 

 furnished to the President gratuitously, by William 

 Weston Esq. of Gainsborough m England: a very 

 able and scie^itific hydraulic engineer, who w^as then 

 here, and from friendly and disinterested motives, most 

 liberally contributed his, professional knowledge and 

 information, to promote the success of the Company. 

 The foundations of the present piers, and abutments 

 w^ere laid neai'ly according to his plan, though circum- 

 stances compelled a considerable departure from it, as 

 the work advanced. His communications were attend- 

 ed to with great advantage, Avheresoever they could be 

 applied. Having viewed the inefficiency of the eastern 

 coffer dam — in the same spirit of liberality, he furnish- 

 ed to the President, a draft for the western coffer daiUy 

 before his departure for England. This plan was origi- 

 nal, and calculated for the spot on which it was to be pla- 

 ced. It was faithfully and exactly executed under the care 

 of Mr. Samuel Robinson, who "svas then Superintendant 

 of the Company's work in wood. Mr. TVeston foresaw 

 great risques and difficulties, arising from the peculiar 

 character of the river, and the nature of its bottom, in 

 so great a depth of water. He declared, that he should 

 hesitate to risque his professional character on the event. 



