B R I 
out and recommenc^a proper matter; fuhjefl always to the 
rigorous examination, and entire Approbation, of the houfe- 
commitfee. • 
“ Let a Aim, by way of premium, not exceeding 20I. 
in all, be appropriated for each boy ; but not more than 
10L be conditioned for, and paid down a? the apprentice- 
fee : the other 10I. to be referved for diftribution to the 
matter at different periods, as the committee (hall think 
proper, to excite kind treatment and reward good beha¬ 
viour. Fur inftance, 5I. after thrse or four years, and the 
Other 5I. at the expiration of the apprenticefhip. 
“ Let the boy alio be encouraged to improve, and to be¬ 
have well. For which purpofe let the committee have'a 
difcretionary power to give him, or to withhold, accord¬ 
ing to his conduit, a Anal! allowance for pocket-money, 
payable quarterly, or, if that be too minute and trouble- 
fome, a Aim not exceeding 20s. a-year ; 7I. 10s. for clothes 
when out of his time, and the further Aim of 20I. to ena¬ 
ble him to fet up in btifinefs for himfelf. 
“ Let there be alfo an annual allowance of 5I. for the 
boy’s clothes during his apprenticefhip ; to be paid half- 
yearly, or on production of proper vouchers. The com¬ 
mittee to have fatisfaifory information that the boys are de¬ 
cently and properly clothed. And let there be fixed pe¬ 
riods, once a-year at leaft, for the attendance of thofe mat¬ 
ters and boys who refide in London, or within a moderate 
diftance, upon the committee, in order to fatisfy them of 
the good behaviour of both parties : but let certificates, 
figned by the minifter, and one or two other refpetfable 
neighbours, be admitted from parties at an inconvenient 
diftance. 
“ This imperfedt outline without doubt requires, and 
will admit of, fome variations, and many modifications in 
the'detail. A remote affinity in the plan to the lefs excep¬ 
tionable parts of the old fyftem of apprentices, will at once 
be peiceived ; but it bears, or ought to bear, a nearer re- 
femblance to the exemplary pradtice of a fitter hofpital 
(Chritt’s), whofe pratfe is in every mouth ; and it feems to 
furnifh a reafooable hope, that many boys would thus learn 
a great variety of ufeful trades, with every advantage, and 
every chance of fuccefs : particularly, as they would be fo 
much difperled, that the irregularities of a few could not 
affedt the remainder; and the governors, by means of the 
rewards held out to merit, would retain a confiderable in¬ 
fluence and controul over both parties; diverted of that 
pernicious interference, with the necefiary and falutary 
authority of the matter over his apprentice, which has 
greatly contributed to render ineffectual all attempts at 
good management within the walls of the hofpital. Ex- 
clufive of the greater probability of good from fuch a 
plan, it will not be attended with fo much expence as the 
practice fo jufitly condemned. For inftance, 
The premium with 100 boys, 20I. each, will 1 . s. d. 
be - - - - - 2000. o o 
Clothing per arm. 5I. each, for feven years 3500 o o 
Pocket allowance 1 1 . each for ditto - 700 o o 
Allowance on fetting up, 20I. each - 2000 o o 
For clothes when out of their time, 51.10s. each 570 o o 
Total for 100 boys in feven years - 8750 0 0 
Fortunately for the caufe of humanity, the funds of the 
hofpital are amply fufficient to bear even a more extended 
fcale of expence; and, becaufe the children of criminals 
and vagrants are not included in this plan, yet are affu- 
redly comprehended under the original objeCts of this cha¬ 
rity, Mr. W. goes on to advife a co-opcration with the 
Philanthropic Society in the attainment of this molt bene¬ 
volent purpofe. With this view, a certain portion of the 
hofpital revenue, he obferves, may be contributed in aid 
of their eftablifhment. 
BRIDGE,/! [Crfr, Sax.] A building raifed over water 
for the convenience of pattage. The upper part of the 
nofe. The fupporter of the firings in liringed inftruments 
of mufic. 
Although done bridges are uriqueftionably the mod per- 
Vol. III. No. 137. 
B R I 3,3 
manent, yet a remarkable inftance to the contrary has been 
experienced at Scliaff haufen, which communicates with 
the reft of Switterland only by a bridgd acrofs the Rhine. 
At this place the Rhine is exceedingly rapid, and feveral 
Atone bridges, eredted by architects of known ability, have 
been repeatedly fwept away by the torrent. In confe- 
querice of this, a carpenter of Appenzel, named Ulric 
Grubeuman, offered to erect a timber bridge on the fame 
fpot, which fhould overcome every difficulty, and endure 
longer than any (tone bridge whatever. He gave in his 
plan to eredt it only with one arch, though the river at 
this place is near four hundred feet acrofs. To this the 
magiftrates of the canton of Scliaff haufen would not con- 
fent, but required that it fhould be built with two arches, 
and that the middle pier of »he old bridge fhould be em¬ 
ployed for this purpofe. The architect was obliged to 
obey; but he framed the timbers upon fo curious a prin¬ 
ciple, that be has left it a doubt with fubfequent archi¬ 
tects, whether the bridge really derived any permanence 
from tire middle pier ; or w hether it would not have been 
equally as fecure, if it had been formed only of one arch. 
A man'of the lighted weight, in walking over it, could 
feel the bridge tremble under him ; and yet waggons with 
the heavieft loads paffed over, without appearing to be af¬ 
fected by its elaftic motion. Grubeuman began his work 
in 1740, and completed it in lefs than three years, at an 
expence of about 8000I. This lingular and very curious 
fpecimen of aquatic architecture, fell a facrifice to the 
French republican army under general Join dan, who de- 
ftroyed it to cover his retreat, after being defeated by the 
Andrians commanded by the archduke Charles in April 
1799. When general count Nauendorf took pofteffion of 
the town of Scliaff haufen, on the evening of the 13th of 
April, he punctually obeyed the orders of the archduke 
in fparing the town as much as poffible, and wifhed alfo 
to enter into an engagement with the French not to deftroy 
this beautiful bridge ; the republicans, however, rejected 
the proportion, and fet fire to it, fo that it foun became a 
prey to the flames, as did two houfes fituated clofe to it. 
For the conftruCtion of bridges, and the principles of 
the different kinds of arches adapted to them, with views 
of London, Blackfriars, Weftminfter, and Kew, bridges, 
fee the article A rchitecture, vol.ii. p.123. Modern 
invention, however, has produced bridges of cart iron, 
which are faid to be cheaper, and of'greater duration, than 
thofe built with done. Several of thefe have been erec¬ 
ted in different parts of England, and appear defervingof 
public attention. The firft of any importance feems to be 
that of Colebrook-dale, in the eattern part of Shropfhire, 
ereCled over the Severn in 1779. 'This place being cele¬ 
brated for its extenfivd iron-w'orks, gave rife to the fug- 
geftion of conftructing this bridge with call iron. It con- 
fifts of one arch, the fpan of which is one hundred feet 
fix inches, and the height, from the bafe-line to the cen¬ 
ter, forty feet. The weight of iron cbnfumed in this fa¬ 
bric in the whole, is 37tons. The road ovt‘r the bridge 
is tw'enty-four feet wide, and is imbedded with clay and 
iron flag a foot deep. 
A confiderable improvement, however, in the conftruc- 
tion of iron bridges, for lightnefs, (implicit);, and faving 
of material, has more recently taken place. The mod 
elegant and ingenious ftructure of this kind, is the bridge 
eredted by R. Burdon, Efq. over the Wear at Sunderland, 
being the refult of an invention guaranteed to him by let¬ 
ters patent, dated September 18, 1795, and which he de- 
feribes as follows : “ I, Row land Burdon, do declare, that 
my invention confitts in applying iron, or other metallic 
compofitions, to the purpofe of conftrudting arches, upon 
the fame principle as (lone is now employed, by a fubdi- 
vifion into blocks, eafily portable, anfwering to the key- 
ftones of a common arch, which, being brought to bear on 
each other, gives them all the firmnefs of the folid (tone 
arch ; whilft, by the great vacuities in the blocks, and 
their refpedlive diftances in their lateral pofition, the arch, 
becomes infinitely lighter than that of (tone; and, by the 
5 H tenacity 
