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completely dispensing with all uncertain tunnelling and sub- 

 structures. The parts could be made and practically finished at 

 any distance from the site, which is of immense importance to 

 engineers and contractors. 



In channels, etc., where depth and bottom will permit, 

 the design of bridge would undergo considerable modifications 

 in form, etc. It would not then be buoyant, but could rest on 

 the bottom and be made of the best form to resist erosion and 

 currents ; the levelling of the bed could be done by hydraulic 

 excavation or by dredging, or the bridge could rest upon and 

 be bolted to submerged piers, thereby dispensing with anchors 

 and cables ; the buoyancy being resisted by any suitable means, 

 such as filling in the space between the shells by concrete, etc. 



I have to thank Mr. George Kyle, B.A., C.E., for checking over 

 some of my calculations, who likewise, together with Mr. James 

 Turpin, jun., helped me to prepare plans and work out quantities 

 for this paper. 



The President, in opening the discussion on the paper, said 

 that a good many might hesitate to spend five millions to have 

 such a scheme as Mr. Maxton proposed carried out, but it 

 would be of immense importance that some tunnel or some 

 other means could be constructed for the purpose of conveying 

 letters and parcels from this country to Great Britain, and vice 

 versa. In this way the practicability of carrying out Mr. 

 Maxton's scheme could be tested. 



Professor Fitzgerald, after making some observations as to 

 the torsional stresses that would come on the structure under 

 assumed conditions (not explained) for which he had made 

 calculations, said that Mr. Maxton had omitted to mention the 

 provisions arranged for to guard against the stresses likely to be 

 set up by vibrations, but said they could very easily be met. 

 Having criticised a number of other details, he said that Mr 



