CHAP. VI. 



RENNIE'S BRIDGES. 



177 



which is 80 feet. It is simple yet elegant in design; 

 its flatness and width contributing to render it most 

 convenient for the purpose for which it was intended 

 that of accommodating the street-traffic of one of the 

 most prosperous and busy towns in the Fens. 



Mr. Eennie's reputation as an engineer becoming well 

 established by these and other works, he was, during the 

 remainder of his professional career, extensively con- 

 sulted on this branch of construction ; l and many solid 

 memorials of his skill in bridge-work are to be found in 

 different parts of the kingdom. But the finest of the 

 buildings of this character which were erected by him are 

 unquestionably those which grace the metropolis itself. 



1 Among his minor works may be 

 mentioned the bridge over the stream 

 which issues out of Virginia Water 

 ;ind crosses the Great Western Road 

 (erected in 1805); Darlaston Bridge 

 across the Trent, in Staffordshire 

 (1805); the timber and iron bridge 

 over the estuary of the Welland at 

 Fossdyke Wash, about nine miles 

 below Spalding (1810) ; the granite 

 bridge of three arches at New Gallo- 

 way, on the line of the Dumfries and 

 rortpatrick Road (1811) ; a bridge of 

 five arches across the Cree at Newton 

 Stewart (1812); the cast iron bridge 

 over the Goomtee at Lucknow, erected 

 after his designs in 1814, and fre- 

 quently referred to in the military 

 oj ic rations for the relief of that city a 

 few years ago ; Wellington Bridge, 

 over the Aire, at Leeds (1817) ; Isle- 

 worth Bridge (1819); a bridge of 

 three elliptical arches of 75 feet span 

 each, at Bridge of Earn, Perthshire 

 (1819); Cramond Bridge, of eight 

 semi -circular arches of 50 feet span, 

 with the roadway 42 feet above the 

 river (1819) ; and Ken Bridge, New 

 Galloway, of five stone arches, the 

 centre 90 feet span (1820). An ad- 

 venture of some peril attended Mr. 

 Rennie's erection of the bridge at 

 Newton Stewart. He happened to 

 visit the works on one occasion during 

 a heavy flood, which swept down the 

 valley with great fury ; and the passage 



VOL. II. 



of the ferry was thus completely in- 

 terrupted. Mr. Rennie and his son 

 (the present Sir John) were conse- 

 quently unable to cross over to New- 

 ton Stewart, on the further side of the 

 river, and they were under the ne- 

 cessity of spending the night in a 

 miserable public-house on the eastern 

 bank. About 11 P.M. the violence of 

 the storm had somewhat abated, and 

 the moon came out, though obscured 

 by the clouds which drifted across her 

 face. Mr. Rennie went out at that 

 late hour to look at the bridge works, 

 and even to tiy whether he might not 

 reach the other side by crossing the 

 timber platform by means of which 

 the works were being carried on. 

 There was a gangway of only two 

 planks from pier to pier on the eastern 

 side, and this he safely crossed. The 

 torrent was still raging furiously be- 

 neath, shaking the frail timbers of 

 the scaffolding. As Mr. Rennie was 

 about to place his foot on the plank 

 which led to the third pier, his son 

 observed the framework tremble, and 

 pulled his father back, just in time 

 to see the whole swept into the stream 

 with a tremendous crash. Fortunately 

 the planking still stood across which 

 they had passed, and they succeeded 

 in retracing their steps in safety. 

 The bridge was finished and opened 

 during the summer of 1814. 



