CHAP. XII. THE MENAI B1UDGE. 449 



half-inch-square iron, so placed as to give a square of 

 six on each side, making the whole chain about four inches 

 in diameter, welded together for their whole length, 

 secured by bucklings, and braced round with iron wire ; 

 whilst the ends of these great chains were to be secured 

 by a mass of masonry, built over stone arches between 

 each end of the supporting piers and the adjoining shore. 

 Four of these arches were to be on the Anglesea, and 

 three on the Caernarvonshire side, each of them fifty-two 

 feet six inches span. The roadway was to be divided, as 

 in the Runcorn design a carriageway twelve feet wide 

 on each side, and a footpath of four feet in the middle. 

 Mr. Telford's plan was supported by Mr. Rennie and 

 other engineers of eminence ; and the Select Committee 

 of the House of Commons, being satisfied as to its prac- 

 ticability, recommended Parliament to pass a Bill and 

 make a grant of money to enable the work to be carried 

 into effect. 



The necessary Act passed in the session of 1819, 

 and Mr. Telford immediately proceeded to Bangor to 

 make preparations for commencing the works. The 

 first proceeding was to blast off the inequalities from 

 the surface of the rock, called Ynys-y-moch, situated on 

 the western or Holyhead side of the Strait, at that time 

 only accessible at low water. The object was to form an 

 even surface upon it for the foundation of the west main 

 pier. It used to be at this point, where the Strait 

 was narrowest, that horned cattle were driven down, 

 preparatory to swimming them across the channel to 

 the Caernarvon side, when the tide was weak and at 

 its lowest ebb. Many cattle were, nevertheless, often 

 carried away when the current was too strong for the 

 animals to contend against. 



At the same time a landing-quay was erected on 

 Ynys-y-moch, which was connected with the shore by 

 an embankment carrying lines of railway. Along this 

 horses drew the sledges laden with stone required for the 



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