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Proceedings of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. [Sess. 
work presenting- many troublesome points, to which Mr Blyth gave very 
close attention. 
Among important bridges designed and carried out by his firm were 
the new North Bridge, Edinburgh, the new Broomielaw Bridge, Glasgow, 
and others over the rivers Ayr, Dee, Gala, Spey, Tay, and Tweed. 
One of the last works on which Mr Blyth was engaged was a large 
new dock at Methil intended mainly for the exporting of Fife coak 
This work comprised the construction of a sea wall more than a mile 
in length, which had to be carried out regardless of the severe storms 
which are so frequent on the east coast. 
These engineering works, in so far as they suggest physical strength 
and solidity, may be said to be peculiarly apt memorials of him who was 
responsible for their design and construction. 
Although his professional career was after the time known as the 
“railway mania,” he saw a portion at least of the good times for engineers 
which, thanks to peace agreements, etc., are now at an end. Then, as now, 
almost every large work required Parliamentary sanction, which could only 
be obtained by following the course prescribed in Standing Orders — namely, 
detailed advertisements in the Edinburgh or London Gazette and in the 
local newspapers in the middle of November, followed by the deposit of 
plans and sections at the end of that month. The greatest secrecy had to 
be maintained, especially in railway schemes, lest some opponent should 
come forward with a competitive proposal. At the last available moment, 
and of course under great pressure, a large staff of assistants would make 
the necessary surveys, etc., in the field during the day, and develop them 
indoors at night, with the result that men, regardless of wetting and other 
discomforts, did not have their clothes off for a fortnight or more at a time. 
He was consulting engineer to the North British and the Great North 
of Scotland Railway Companies. 
Like his father, Mr Blyth had a high reputation as a professional 
witness, and his services were in great demand in Parliamentary, court, 
and arbitration proceedings, where he was able both to express his 
points with great clearness and to take good care of himself in cross- 
examination. 
Blyth was ever ready to maintain the best traditions of his profession. 
He took enormous trouble on numerous occasions to assist, gratuitously and 
whole-heartedly, brother engineers who, in his view, had been shabbily 
treated by the companies, authorities, or individuals who employed them. 
It is, of course, common knowledge that Parliament has not yet solved 
the problem of housing. Blyth used to refer humorously to a passage in 
