270 WILLIAM EDWARDS, BRIDGE BUILDEK. PART IV. 



ration, and professional builders pronounced Edwards's 

 arch to be an excellent piece of masonry. 



Employment now flowed in upon him, and when any 

 work of more than ordinary difficulty was proposed, ap- 

 plication was usually made to William Edwards. Hence, 

 in 1746, when it was proposed to throw a bridge over 

 the river Taff, he w^as employed to build it ; and 

 though he was only twenty-seven years old, and had 

 not yet built any bridge, he had the courage at once 

 to undertake the work. The bridge was built of three 

 arches, in a style superior to anything of the kind that 

 had been erected in the neighbourhood ; the stones were 

 excellently dressed and closely jointed ; the arches were 

 light and elegant, and supposed to be sufficiently sub- 

 stantial for the duty they had to perform ; and as a whole 

 the erection was much admired, and greatly added to 

 the fame of its builder. It would appear, however, that 

 Edwards had not sufficiently provided for the passage of 

 the floods, which in certain seasons rush down from the 

 Brecknock Beacon mountains with great impetuosity. 

 Above Newbridge several rivers of considerable capacity, 

 such as the Crue, the Bargold Taff, and the Cynon, 

 besides numberless brooks descending rapidly from the 

 high grounds, contribute to swell the torrent so as to 

 render it almost irresistible. The piers of Edwards's new 

 bridge unfortunately proved a serious obstruction in tin* 

 way of a heavy flood which swept down the valley 

 about two years and a half after the bridge had been 

 completed. Trees were torn up by the roots and carried 

 down the stream, lodging athwart the piers, where brush- 

 wood, haystacks, and field-gates, becoming firmly stuck 

 amongst their branches, choked up the arches and fairly 

 dammed the torrent. The waters rapidly accumulated 

 above the bridge and rose to the parapets ; the sides of 

 the valley being steep, left no room for their escape, and 

 the tremendous force finally swept away arches and piers 

 together, carrying the materials far down the river. 



