260 



PLYMOUTH BEEAKWATER. 



PART VII. 



steam power and railways worked by powerful locomo- 

 tives. 1 Towards the end of the year about 300 yards of 

 the west end of the Breakwater had been raised to the 

 full height of two feet above high water, and 20 feet 

 above low water of spring tides. 



Success, as usual, produced over confidence ; and the 

 authorities on the spot, believing that if the sea slope 

 of the rubble were roughly put together at an inclination 

 of 3 to 1, it would present sufficient resistance, as well 

 as in order to reduce the expense, directed it to be so 

 executed. But about this time a succession of severe 

 gales set in from the south-west and sent a tremendous 

 sea upon the Breakwater, especially one of great vio- 

 lence which occurred on the 17th of January, 1817. 

 On examining the work, after the return of moderate 

 weather, it was ascertained that a length of about 200 

 yards of the rubble of the upper part had been dis- 

 placed or deranged, that several blocks of stone, vary- 

 ing from two to five tons, had by the force of the waves 

 been thrown over from the south or sea slope to the 

 north or land slope, and that their further effect had 

 been to increase the inclination of the former to 5-|- to 1 

 instead of 3 to 1, as it had originally stood. Never- 

 theless, the great mass of the Breakwater remained 

 unmoved, and large numbers of vessels, availing them- 

 selves of the secure protection which it provided, had 

 been enabled to ride out the storm in safety. Unfor- 

 tunately, however, the Jasper sloop of war and the 

 Telegraph schooner, anchored without the line of pro- 

 tection, were driven on shore and wrecked under the 

 citadel, when a melancholy loss of life took place. 



Mr. Rennie was of opinion that this storm had been 



1 The largest quantity of stone de- 

 posited in one year was in 1821, 

 when not less than 373,773 tons were 



quarried, lightered, and emptied into 

 the work. 



