x801.] 
The abutments by the {preading form of 
the bridge, their conneftion with the en- 
trances at each end, and with the wharfs 
at each fide, will occupy a fpace on the 
fhore fufiicient to form an ample founda- 
tion for an edifice capable of refilting any 
preffure whatever ; the form and connec - 
tion of the mafonry will alfo be calculated 
to diftribute the refiftance through the 
whole mafs, in the fame manner as if it 
were a folid rock of equal magnitude ; ad- 
ditional ftrength will alfo be gained by the 
Jand arches or warehoufes which are un- 
der the inclined planes. 
By making three entrances, or avenues, 
with the additional width of the bridge at 
each end, advantages nearly equal to thofe 
arifing from three bridges will be afford: 
ed to the public; im all refpeéts, there- 
fore, the bridge will be an original defign, 
as its important fituation and diftingyifh- 
ed name juftly demands. 
The {caffelding upon which the iron 
arch will be turned, is to be formed by 
driving rows of viles mto the river, the 
top of which wili be above low-water 
mark, thefe piles to be properly braced to- 
gether ; upon them will be raifed a proper 
framing to fupport the part of the iron 
which will reft upon them ; at a conveni- 
eént diftance, to admit barges topafs. An. 
other fet of piles and frames will be fixed, 
and thefe frames will alfo be braced to- 
gether at a proper height over the barge 
Openings, which will admit of gangéways 
being made quite acrofs the river, fo that 
the whole will become one general frame 
from fhore to fhore ; the top being made 
to fuit the curve of the fofit of the arch, 
the iron work will then be fixed upon it 
with facility and eafe. The weight of the 
whole iron work when diftributed over fo 
great a {pace, is very fmall, when compar- 
-ed with works conftruéted with ftone. 
The fcaffolding will not therefore require 
to be of the large dimenfions which may 
at firtt be imagined. The truth of the prin- 
ciples was fully proved by the very inge- 
nious though apparently flight fcaffolding, 
over which the arch of Wearmouth was 
turned; and they may be, illuftrated by 
ftating, that the greateft ftone arches are 
turned upon centres framed of timber; 
when the courfes of ftone have been 
brought up to near the crown of the arch 
on each’ fide, the whole'refts upon the 
timber centres, and in large arches this 
weight is very great; the centre muft how- 
ever be equal to fupport the weight, other- 
wife it would give way, and the ftone 
work would fall down. 
The iron arch is in fact, no more than 
Propofal for felling Corn by Weight. 
484 
a framing fimilar to that for the centering 
for a ttone arch, with this difference, that 
the iron framing has little more to carry 
than its own weight. The iron work 
having much more ftrength than timber, 
may be made proportionally fimaller: in 
making and putting up timber centres, 
there mult be props and fupports, and the 
{caffolding for fupporting the iron fram- 
ing may be compared to thefe props and 
upports. 
By deepening and embanking the river 
much ufeful {poil will be gained, and the 
properties along each bank of the river, 
as well as the fireets adjoining, and lead- 
ing from thence into the city, will, by a 
judicious arrangement be rendered very 
valuable: depofits and public markets for 
coals may allo be formed under the 
wharfs; by which means the lighterage of 
coals brought fromm the Pool up as far as 
Black Friars Bridge, would be completely 
faved.. This plan is propofed by Mr. 
Dougilafs, who hae givena full defcription 
of it in the Appendix to the Third Re- 
port of the Selec: Committee of the Houfe 
of Commons-: from his eftimates on the 
general confumption of coal in London, 
it appears that the favings in two years 
will be adequate to the expernce of 
erecting the new iron bridge; this plan 
merits mature confideration ; the coals be- 
ing regularly fuppiied would tend to pre- 
vent fudden injurious competition which 
of late years has been {uch a burthen oa 
the public. Cee 
If this part of the plan for improving 
the Port of London be fuccefsfully exe- 
cuted, we fhall be no longer reproached by 
foreigners, that we have one of the fineft 
rivers in the world running through our 
principal city, yet.that we fuffer its ufe- 
fulnefg to be, in a great meafure, deftroy- 
ed by maintaining a ftone embankment. 
acrois the moft valuable part of it, by 
fuffering its fhores to exhibit an extent of 
offenfive mud, inttead of converting them 
to ufeful wharfs, and its banks to be co- 
vered with mean and fhapelels buildings, 
inftead of edifices fuited to fo noble a fitu- 
ation and worthy the commercial metro-. 
polis of Europe. 
To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. 
SIR, | 
T a period when the price of, every 
article of life has been advanced, 
perhaps, to an unprecedented excels, ei. | 
ther by means of a fearcity in the pro- | 
duce, or by the villainy of the dealers in | 
this country; the attention of people has | 
been i 
