ENGINEERING FEAT.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 752, 26 February 1910, Page 13

ENGINEERING FEAT.

; ;;A;'mabveli,ous -bbidge.^ S /.The- death; of ISir .TSdward :;Leader." : Wil-* liam", the 'engineer; of-.the': Manohestor Ship', Canal, : in. his: 82nd i year;-recalls the : toe'inory; of.one 'of his i triumphs; of ; .in-' genuity '.-in. .overcoming ''•; the '.. enormous ilif-: ifipulties'met;withvin-that great.under-taking..i-Thus;->Bar.tbn|'> the; builders[iwere' 'faced ■.■'with . an. ■ lapparehtly. - insunnountable, 'obstaole'ln"'tne' shape "of .a"'/canal; actUeduct-TTa,' canal '. passing ■ over'' the river at;''right v angles; , was of stoiie,';and ,had. been built, by Bfindley. Sir -ieader'i set- to work'iland designed', a swing-bridgo) '"the';first:".of;its- kind' in tli'e',world.. ■: The' Bridgewater: Canal had .t6.bo.kept ; intact;.:and yet the'SUp .Canal had ,:t6"be so.'constructed 'as to allow ships with 75.feet of'head-room to ;pass underneath -/the' .aqueduct..-;,":: •■;'.'.'■■■■ ,; ' '.';■ A' kind'of'afring trough was'constructed '.nnd'.filled ;to. tlie , 'same 'depth - as tho -Bridgewate'r.■'Canal.-■.'When"a vessel camo along, the: Ship.: Canal' the..Bridgowator Canal, wag {Eevered .nnd-kept intact by watertight gates,:so thnt'yessels with.any, height of mast were able to pass through.' Frequently 'it: hasr'happened 'that 'thero' have : :been loaded barges in" the Bridgewater .Canal; bridge trough, when it was' swung clear : for'large steamers to pass below/ ■'-'■" .'■ •'•■'• v.- -■■■; v.-■■'■■ v ; \: . .

; There , -is compafativoly -little loss ofwater i in. the process,. -and' the'" whole action, is wbrked- easily and , swiftly by hydraulic: power./.This,'feat- had:,never, been equalled in engineering, and the name;-of ...Loader'.William becamo-fa-moiis throughout the: world. -It is/ still one.. of.tho- most; interesting, sights of the caiinl,-- and is .undoubtedly the show place, of the. watorway.. . It ■ has ..been visited by thousands-of. people of all nationalities, • and ■: has. been fpund•, 'par-. .ticularlyZ interesting, to/,-Americans,-'/who are : constrained 'to admit .its /wonderful ingenuity nnd'daring./-..,,' -.-'.' ■■■'.■•■ \ : -'\