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 * ONCE A WEEK.

[Ootobbb 29,  1869.

also, the  first  surveys  and  estimates  for  the  Lon- don and Birmingham  Railway  were  framed,  lead- ing eventually to  the  obtaining  of  the  act. Then followed the  execution  of  that  line,  and  here Robert Stephenson  had  an  opportunity  of  showing his great  talent  for  management  of  works  on  a large  scale. This was  the  first  railway  of  any magnitude executed  under  the  contract  system; perfect sets  of  plans  and  specifications  (which  have since  served  as  a type  for  nearly  all  the  subsequent lines)  were  prepared, — no  small  matter  for  a series of works  extending  over  112  miles,  involving  tun- nels and other  works  of  a then  unprecedented magnitude.

Many other  railways  in  England  and  abroad were executed  by  him  in  rapid  succession: the Midland, Black  wall,  Northern  and  Eastern, Norfolk, Chester  and  Holyhead,  together  with numerous branch-lines,  were  executed  in  this country by  him; and  amongst  railways  abroad may be  enumerated  as  works  either  executed  by him  or  recommended  in  his  capacity  of  a consult- ing engineer, the  system  of  lines  in  Belgium, Italy, Norway  and  Egypt,  and  in  France,  Holland, Denmark, India,  Canada,  and  New  Zealand.

To these  works  of  course  must  be  added  the enormous amount  of  work  he  went  through  in giving  Parliamentary  evidence,  and  in  reports  and arbitrations. The assistance  afforded  by  him  to the  Sewage  Board,  when  matters  had  come  to  a dead  lock,  will  not  soon  be  forgotten.

The bridges  erected  by  him  (although  some  of them  contained  in  the  previously  enumerated railways)  must  not  be  passed  over  without  special comment. Time was,  and  will  be  well  remembered by every  engineer,  when  in  case  of  a railway  having to be  carried  over  openings  exceeding  thirty  or forty  feet  wide,  special  plans  had  to  be  prepared and consultations  held  upon  the  subject; but  now (such is  the  confidence  acquired  through  the  expe- rience of  Stephenson  in  the  use  of  wrought-iron), that a bridge  of  three  or  four  times  the  span  is regarded  as  an  ordinary  work. This is  the practical result  brought  about  by  the  construc- tion of the  Conway  and  Britannia  tubular  bridges and by  the  high  level  bridge  over  the  Tyne  at Newcastle.

These works,  so  great  in  themselves,  and  with- out the power  of  constructing  which  some  of  our main lines  of  railway  would  not  have  existed,  have — like difficult  lessons  learnt  in  other  mental walks — yielded an  abundant  harvest  in  the  facility they have  given  the  engineer  of  mastering  ordinary difficulties. Nor should  mention  be  omitted  here of the  bridge  of  the  enormous  length  of  nearly  two miles across  the  St.  Lawrence,  built  under  the direction of  Stephenson,  and  about  to  be  opened, it is  expected,  by  the  end  of  next  month. The unprecedented difficulties  attending  the  construc- tion of the  piers  of  this  bridge  in  the  deep  and rapid waters  of  the  river,  added  to  the  depth  to which  it  was  necessary  to  sink  their  foundations below its  bed,  and  the  short  portion  of  the  year during which  the  engineering  operations  could  be carried  forward,  render  this  work  undoubtedly one of  the  most  remarkable  in  the  world. *

will find  a full  account  of  most  of  his  more  important  works
 * Those who  care  to  examine  more  closely  into  the  matter,

The last  work  to  which  Stephenson  gave  much personal attention,  and  in  which  he  felt  a very great interest,  was  the  restoration  and  almost renewal of  the  superstructure  of  the  noted  bridge at Sunderland  over  the  River  Wear. The works were completed  and  opened  to  the  public,  without accident, in  the  month  of  July  last.

On the  completion  of  the  tubular  bridge  across the Menai  Straits,  and  again  on  the  opening  of  his splendid bridge  across  the  Tyne,  Robert  Stephenson was offered  the  honour  of  knighthood,  which — like his father  before  him — he  respectfully  declined. For our  own  parts  we  think  that  many  a baronetcy has been  earned  more  cheaply; but  even  the  honour of the  “blood-red-hand”  if  added  to  his  escutcheon on the  part  of  her  Majesty,  as  a reward  of  such signal services  in  the  development  of  the  resources of the  nation  over  which  she  rules,  could  scarcely have added  anything  to  the  dignity  of  the  man. Still, assuming  honours  and  titles  to  be  regulated by a scale,  it  would  seem  an  obvious  question  in the  rule  of  three,  if  the  ducal  coronet  did  not misbecome the  browB  of  the  author  of  our  canal system,* what  title  and  what  grade  in  the  peerage would have  been  the  fitting  reward  of  the  peaceful triumphs of  George  and  Robert  Stephenson? Coupled with  his  professional  qualifications,  there  is no  doubt  that  the  quality  which  tended  chiefly  to the  very  elevated  opinion  of  his  worth  entertained by his  contemporaries,  was  his  manly  and  straight- forward probity. He was  the  very  antipodes  of  a mere  advocate  or  partisan,  and  whether  the  matter before him  was  some  important  parliamentary  evi- dence on a railway  bill — some  contest  wherein  he acted  the  part  of  an  arbitrator-— or  some  misunder- standing between any  of  his  friends — his  opinions and decisions  always  convinced  the  parties  con- cerned of the  amount  of  thought  bestowed  upon the matter,  and  of  the  fairness  of  his  arguments.

In respect  of  any  undertaking  to  which  he  was himself invited,  he  was,  like  his  father,  distin- guished by the  pains  he  took  to  assure  himself  of its  eligibility  and  soundness  in  a commercial sense; and he  invariably  brought  the  weight  of his  knowledge  and  position  to  bear  in  deterring others from  expenditure  which  he  considered  un- necessary.

In his  direction  of  public  works  he  adopted an admirable  management; admitting,  almost  at a glance,  of  his  forming  a precise  idea  of  the  state of all  and  every  work  under  his  charge. One of his  chief  characteristics  consisted  in  the  judgment with which  he  selected  those  he  intended  to  take part under  him,  and  in  the  power  he  possessed, not only  of  preserving  harmony  amongst  them, but of  creating  in  their  hearts  a warm  friend- ship towards himself  capable  of  supporting  them and him  amidst  any  difficulties. Amongst them his visits  to  the  scene  of  their  labours  were always hailed,  not  more  for  the  solution  of

in the  way  of  bridge- making,  in  an  able  article  on  Iron Bridges, contributed  by  Mr.  Stephenson  himself  to  the Bncyclopoedia Brilannica.

present oentury  the  Duke  of  Bridgewater  was  almost  the  only person who  foresaw  the  future  Importance  of  the  railway system, if  fully  developed. As he  chuckled  over  the  huge income which  ne  drew  from  his  canal-shares,  he  is  reported to have  cried  out  one  day,  in  the  spirit  of  prophecy: “Con- found these tram-ways,  there? tn ’em! *
 * It is  worth  while  to  remark,  that  at  the  beginning  of  the