5244 Mr Stevenson^ Description of Bridges of Suspension. 
celeration, that three or four persons, who were very improperly 
amusing themselves, by trying the extent of this motion, pro- 
duced such an agitation in all its parts, that one of the longest 
of the radiating chains broke near the point of its suspension. 
On another occasion, in a very high wind, one of the horizontal 
chains, stretched under the beams of the roadway, gave way. 
But, on the 15th of January 1818, after this bridge had been 
finished about six months, a most violent gale of wind took 
place, when the vibrating motion of the bridge was so great, that 
the longest radiating chains were again broken, the platform 
blown down, and the bridge completely destroyed. Messrs 
Smith happened unluckily to be from home at the time of the 
accident, but on examining a number of persons who saw it, 
they all concurred in stating, that the vertical motion of the 
roadway of the bridge before its fall, was as nearly as may be 
equal to its lateral motion, and was altogether concluded to 
be such as would have pitched or thrown a person walking 
along it into the river. 
The eyes, formed on one end of the rods or links of the chains 
ot this bridge, were welded, but the other end was simply turned 
round, and fixed with a collar, as shewn in the connecting dia- 
grams, marked 6, Fig. 8. It further deserves particular notice, 
that after the bridge fell, and on a careful examination of the 
rods or links, not more than one or two instances appeared of 
the iron having failed at the welded end, but had uniformly 
broken at the open eye of the link, as shewn in the diagrams b , b 
above alluded to, — a mode of construction which had been re- 
commended to Messrs Smith, by an experienced blacksmith. 
The sudden destruction of this bridge, created a great 
sensation of regret throughout all parts of the country, and 
was considered an occurrence of so much importance in the 
erection of chain-bridges, that several of the gentlemen of Li- 
verpool, interested in the proposed bridge at Runcorn, made a 
journey to Scotland, for the express purpose of inquiring into 
the circumstances of the misfortune. Messrs Smith, the con- 
tractors, had engaged with the Earl of Buchan, to erect this 
chain-bridge for somewhat less than L. 500, and were bound to 
uphold it against all accidents only during the period of its 
erection, so that the loss fell wholly upon Lord Buchan. 
