Trinity Pier of Smpension.^ 27 
by the unavoidable delay of going into port would be avoided : 
This is desirable under any circumstances ; but in a military 
point of view, it may be of vast importance^ because the success 
of any expedition may depend priricipally on the rapidity by 
which it is dispatched. 
It would engross too great a portion of the valuable pages of 
the Edinburgh Philosophical Journal to enter into any specula- 
tion respecting the benefits that may hereafter be derived, from 
the more general adoption of bridges and piers of Suspension. 
But there is a purpose to which they may be applied, of no less 
importance than that of saving many lives from shipwreck, and 
even preventing that most deplorable of all human disasters. 
It is perfectly well known, that when a boat has once cleared the 
surf, she is then considered comparatively freefrom danger; and that 
no gale,' or sea, will deter our Deal boatmen from attempting to 
save a ship in distress. Their utmost hardihood and skill,however, 
are unavailable at particular times of tide in the Downs, and thou- 
sands of ships have been on the eve of destruction, without the pos- 
sibility of rendering them help. I have not yet ascertained the 
practicability of driving piles off‘ Deal Beach, but upon the pre- 
sumption that it is to be accomplished, all other objections to a 
pier of suspension vanish. There is no part of the coast, where 
there is sucli.a tremendous sea and surf ; but I see no difficulty 
in proportioning the strength of the piles, and the frame of the 
pier, to the violent action to which they must be exposed. And 
I would propose that boats of certain descriptions should be sus- 
pended from davits, in the same way that they are hung to the 
quarters of ships, ready to lower down, with their boats’ crew, 
and every necessary appointment, to put off at a moment’s no- 
tice, night or day. In the centre of the pier, I have to propose, 
two steps for large boats, capable of conveying off the largest an- 
chors and cables. 
My plan is not so far advanced as to enable me to enter at 
present into any farther details ; but, from the consideration 1 
have given the subject in all its bearings, I have great confi- 
dence in the opinion that it is neither impracticable nor diffi- 
cult. S. BiiowN. 
London, 
25, Charles Street, St James Square, 
'ttk Nov. 1821, 
