London Bridge.

Taranaki Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 11663, 24 January 1901, Page 1

London Bridge.

Thk widening of London Bridge i* (Austin Brereton writes in the Morning Post) a problem which occurs at various, but none the less certain, periods to the city fathers. For a thousand years a bridge of sorts has spanned the Thames from London to Southwark. The earlier bridges were of timber; the first stone bridge, the London Bridge of history, was commenced in 1178. Completed in 1209, it lasted for over six centuries. But for nearly 200 of those years it was too narrow for its purpose; hence, in due time, came London Bridge as we know it know it to-day. Yet, so great are the exigencies of the traffic, despite the enortdous relief afforded by the Tower Bridge, that increased width is required for foot passengers, and in about two years hence will be obtained. Before dealing with this improvement, however, let us glance, though briefly, at the story of the past. Of the first bridge over the Thames there is abundance of rumour and romance, bub little solid fact. In 993 King Olave, of Norway, sailed without impediment up the Thames as far as Staines, which he plundered. THE EAKLIEST BRIDGES. In all probability this expedition gave rise to the first Saxon bridge over the river, for in 1008 there was a lively battle of London Bridge between the forces of Ethelred the Unready and the Danes. The account, furnished by the old Icelandic historian, Snorro Sturlesen, is too long to give here, but it proves that the bridge was sufficiently wide for two carriages to pass one another on meeting. At the sides looking on the river were "ramparts and castles that were defended on the top by penthouse bulwarks and sheltered turrets, covering to the breasts those who were fighting in them. The bridge itself was also sustained by piles that were fixed in the bed of the river." An attempt to carry the bridge by an attack from land having failed, it was determined to take it by water. The Norsemen constructed immense scaffolds, formed with wooden piles and osier twigs, 'and King Olave "so enveloped his ships that the scaffolds extended beyond their sides. . . . The fleet being now ready, they rowed towards the bridge, the "tide being adverse; but no sooner had they reached than they were violently assailed from above with a shower of missiles and stones of such immensity that' all. their helmets and shields were shattered and the ships themselves .icery seriously injured." Nothing daunted, however, the attack was resumed by King Olave and his Norsemen, who rowed their ships up to the bridge, and fastened them thereto, which so strained the structure that these efforts, aided by the ebb tide, brought away the piles from under the bridge (on which there was a great load of stones) so that the structure collapsed. This, the first London bridge, was speedily rebuilt, for on the invasion of Canate in 101 6 his fleet, after staying awhile at Greenwhich, proceeded to London, where his men " sank a deep ditch on the south side, and dragged their ships to the west side of the bridge. London Bridge is mentioned in a charter granted to the monks of Westminister Abbey in 1067. This, the second wooden bridge, was entirely swept away in a violent storm which arose on November 16, 1091, when 600 houses in the city and several churches were thrown down by the south-east wind. Tfae bridge was rebuilt for the third time, only to be burnt dowii in ITSft By a fire which began at L4hdon Stone, and extended eastward to Aldgate, and westward to St. Paul'lr It wms entirely rebuilt once more in the year 1163 by " Peter of Colechurch, priest and chaplain," according to Stow, it having been in the meantime repaired.

THE MI&T IN STONE. We now part company from the wooden bridges, and, with the commencement of th 6 first London Jaidge built of stone, we are on- more certain ground as to our facts. Be it noted in passing, however, Ifcf the London bridges have moved westward in the oonrse of their erection. The wooden bridges stood, on the London side, near to St. Botolph's wharf; the first stone bridge was at the, bottom of Fish-street hill, the' present structure 'being 180 ft. to the west. The architect of the stone bridge of old was Peter, the " Priest and Chaplain," the builder of the last wooden one, of St. Mary Colechurch, a chapel distinguished as that in which Thomas a'Becket had been baptised. A large part of the cost was defrayed by a tax on wool. Hence the popular saying that " London Bridge was built on woolpacks." The ecclesiastical architect did not live to see the completion of his labours, for he died in 1806, four years before the bridge was finished, and was buried within the Chapel of St. Thomas a'Becket, which was erected on the principal pier of the bridge. The first stone London Bridge consisted of a solid platform 926 ft. long and 40ft. in width, standing about 60ft. 'above the level of the water. It contained a drawbridge and 19 broad pointed arches, with massive piers varying from 25ft. to 34ft. in solidity, raised on strong elm piles, covered by thick planks bolted together. The sterlings, projections around the piers, were an addition to the original design, and caused endless trouble to the shipping. CHAPELS AND TOWER. The most important of the buildings on the bridge was the Chapel of St Thomas. It was 60ft long by 20ft broad. The face of the building was 40ft in height, having a plain gable surmounted by across of about 6ft more. The wide centre contained a rich pointed arch window, and there were two entrances at the side from the Bridgestreet. As well as the upper chapel, there was a lower one constructed in the bridge itself. Between the chapel and the Southwark end of the bridge one of the arches was formed by a draw-bridge, and at the north end of this opening was a tower. On the top of the front of this tower the heads of persons executed for high treason and "heresy" were placed until the erection there in 2579 of Nonesuch House. The heads were then exposed on the Southwark gate, which was commonly called Traitor's Gate. Among the many heads thus exposed were those of Sir William Wallace, Sir Thomas Percy, Jack Cade, and Sir Thomas Moore. The last head so exhibited was that of Venner, the Fifth Monarchy zealot, in the time of Charles 11. The Southwark Gate was taken down in 1725, and rebuilt in stone two years later. " NONESUCH HOUSE." Tho most ornate building on the bridge was the Nonesuch House, which was constructed in Holland entirely of wood, brought over in pieces, and erected on London Bridge with wooden pegs only, not a single nail being used in the whole fabric. Like most of the other buildings, it overhung both sides of the bridge, thus affording two splendid viewß to the river. The building, however, was a comparatively late affair. Many of the old buildings were destroyed by fire. Indeed, the bridge was a great sufferer by this form of disaster. Soon after its erection— in 1212, to be precise-— it was greatly injured by fire, and continued in a ruinous state for the next 68 years. In February, 1638, fire consumed^ all the houses on tho bridge, and these had not boon restored when the great fire ia 1666 occured. The latter catastrophe, though it did not make its way across the bridge, caused sad havoc. In five years the bridge resumed its «ld aspect. But in

1725 some 60 houses were down. The last of the houses wore removed in J758. The street which ran between the braidings was widened in 1685 from 12ft to 20ft. At subsequent periods there were llttraiions and improvements, but gradually tlie old bridge gave way under the march and ravaf^s of time, and a new one s\ as decided on. Xor v.is tht step taken any too soon, for in 1761 the f-n-gineer who lud beeu hastily summoned as a result of. the alarming appearance of the bridge found. in addition to other serious dilapidations that one of the piers was undermined to the extent of 6t't, and in imminent danger of collapse. •' Fortunate!^, the city gates had just been taken down, and the atones, having been sold to a builder, lay ready in Moorfields; they were instantly repurchased, and, on a Sunday morning, brought as fast as carts could carry them and thrown under the tottering pier." It nevertheless took until 1822 before any active steps were taken towards giving London the bridge >rbieh it required so badly. THE ItKIDKK <>!•' TD-IUY. In 1823, however, an Act of Parliament was passed for the building of the* new bridge — the London Bridge of today — which is built of granite, and cost nearly two millions sterling. But a considerable portion of this sum was expended on the approaches to the bridge. The first architect was John Rennie r who» drew the original designs, but as he died before the building operations' were commenced, the work was continued by hi« son, Sir John Rennie, who made the "working drawings and superintended the construction." The first pile was driven on March 15th, 1824, the first stone being laid, in the presence of the Duke and Duchess of York, on June 15th, 1825. The bridge was opened on August Ist, 1831, by William IV. and Queen Adelaide. Its centre arch is 152 ft span, rising 29ft 6in above high-water mark; the arches immediately on- each side, of the centre are 140 ft span, with & rise of 27ft 6in; while the two abatmenfc arches are 130 ft span, with a rise of 24ft 6in. The length o£ the bridge, including the abutments, is 928 ft, within the abutments 782 ft. The total width between the parapets is 53ft sin. Its total .height, at low water, from the eastern b*ide, is 60ft. PROPOSED IMPROVEMENTS. \lt is now proposed to increase the width to 65ft. by means of granite corbelling and an open granite balustrade, a much better scheme than that of iron cantilevers. The bridge will be thus rendered far more serviceable to the public than at present, and the beauty of the fabric will be enhanced by the alteration. The present four lines for vehicular traffic will be practically the same as before, but the footpaths will^b* increased from 9ft. 6in. to 14ft. Underneath will be separate compartments for teleghone, telegraph, and electric light wires, as well as for water. In the centre of the bridge, the electric light standards will also serve as refuges. Pedestrians will thus be benefited in more ways than one, for the open, balustrade will tend to the dispersing of dust, which has hitherto been a r.uisance on a. windy day as a result of the present form of structure. It is understood that the design is the work of Mr Andrew Murray, the city architect, and that it will take a year before the alterations can be actually commenced on a scheme which commends itself not only from ite useful idea but for its ornamental value in addition. The cost is estimated at £100,000. and it will be borne' by the Corporation o| London.

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