G.—ENGINEERING 125 
creating thereby an enormous intrinsic and superfluous weight, exceeding 
that which it has to sustain on transit, and this it is which constitutes the 
grand vice of the present system, and which, sooner or later, Mr. Dredge’s 
must supersede. Mr. Dredge’s bridge may be well imagined by supposing 
a church spire laid horizontally, and met by another of equal dimensions 
at the point... . 
“Thus his genius has led him, by the simplicity and perspicuity of his 
conceptions to effect a discovery which I firmly believe will turn out of 
great national importance, the recognitions of which by the country will, 
I am sure, be felt by him as the highest possible reward.’ 
“Mr. Dredge’s principle of suspension bridge building completely over- 
throws the theory and practice of a Telford, a Brunel, whose experience and 
talents we are bound highly to respect, and to whose genius I readily offer 
the humble tribute of my admiration ; can we then be surprised that the 
public should evince some fear, and some reluctance, hastily to adopt 
Mr. Dredge’s novel principle or theory, in substitution of that which has 
been so long acted upon? They ought, therefore to pause, they ought to 
inquire if there are any persons about to direct the construction of other 
suspension bridges: it is a duty they owe to those for whom they may be 
acting, to examine fully into the merits of a novel system which promises 
_ fairly such advantages, before they determine to persist in the further 
adoption of the present, of the correctness of which the state of the Menai 
bridge and the vast expenditure it occasions, may well create a doubt, 
independently of the obviously faulty principles in which it is, I think, 
clearly shown to be constructed.’ 
The praise of influential people was supported by some of the technical 
papers. For instance, the Surveyor, Engineer and Architect commends 
_ Lord Western and ‘ those other high honourable and likewise discriminat- 
ing noblemen and gentlemen’ who took an interest in Dredge’s im- 
provement, and the article goes on to state that ‘on the part of the 
profession and of scientific men generally’ there was a disposition to 
“throw cold water on it,’ and continues: ‘It is true that Mr. Dredge 
does not belong to the profession or lay any claim to a niche in which 
avowed science deposits her numerous mummies, living or dead, and this, 
in conjunction with the pretty common feeling that nobody has a right 
to invent anything but themselves, may tend to warp their judgments, 
which everyone knows are very straight.’ 
Dredge’s first bridge was built in 1836, across the Avon at Bath ; it had 
a span of 150 ft., and it and others which followed must have had a slight 
margin of stability, more by accident than design, through their timber 
platforms being sufficiently stiff to withstand the compression. 
Dredge attended the Newcastle Meeting of the British Association in 
1838, and read a paper on his bridges and ‘ Mathematical Principle ’ to 
the Mechanical Section. He had such confidence in his designs that 
he made the most preposterous statements. For instance, he told his 
audience that whereas the main chains of Telford’s Menai suspension- 
bridge had a sectional area of 260 sq. in. and a total weight of 1,900 tons, 
under his ‘ Mathematical Principle’ 30 sq. in. of sectional area and a 
weight of 70 tons would have been sufficient. 
