A GREAT ENGINEER'S LAST TRIUMPH.

King Country Chronicle, Volume VII, Issue 570, 24 May 1913, Page 3

A GREAT ENGINEER'S LAST TRIUMPH.

One morning in 1859, a carriage truck was slowly drawn across the great Royal Albert Bridge at Saltash, which links together the co-un-ties of Devon and Cornwall. On this vehicle was a couch, and on the couch lay Sir Isumhard Brunei, the great engineer whose name must for all time be associated with some of the finest feats of engineering in the world. It was the only occasion on which he saw in its final form the magnificent bridge he had planned and designed, and a month or two later he died. The building of the bridge was in large measure a gigantic experiment, and its splendidly successful erection is a fine illustration of the resourcefulness of Brunei. The account given in "Engineering Wonders of the World (Nelson's) is a fascinating one. Like many other engineering marvels, the part most difficult of accomplishment, and, from an engineering point of view, by far the most interesting, is out of sight and probably scarcely noticed by tlioste who cross the bridge. The Admiralty required on the ground of possible obstruction to the all-important naval base at ! Devonport, adjoining the site of the bridge, that the river, 1,100 feet wide, should be crossed by only two main spans, resting on a single pier in the centre of the stream. The task of Salt ash therefore was even gre.vtfer than in the case of the Britannia Bridge ovit the Menai Straits where a rock rose in mid-stream above the surface of the water. No such natural facility was afforded at Saltash. A depth of 87 feet of water had to be dealt with, and below that mud and rocky debris removed to secure good foundations. While this task was in progress, the gigantic ironwork for the centre spans was being constructed on the Devonshire shore of the river. Each of the two main girders was formed of a huge wrought-iron tube, 16 ieat 9 inches broad and 12 feet 3 inches high. Massive chains are suspended from end to end of the tubes, and upright standards linking chains and tubes together supported the railway track. The whole structure being complete, elaborate arrangements were made for floating it into position on great pontoons. Five vessels, moored in different positions in the river, had on board powerful capstans for hauling the pontoons into their place. Slowly but surely the structure was drawn into position and carefully adjusted. Then ■the pontoons were filled with water, and allowed to drift away as the tide fell, leaving the girder resting on the piers, whence finally it was raisedj Dy hydraulic presses to its final rest-ing-place. Five years after the divers commenced their work in the riverbed the vast structure was formally opened by the Prince Consort.