Page:The Lucknow album 1874 by Darogha Ubbas Alli.djvu/56

 From the Bulrampore Hospital may be seen the — 

This handsome bridge was sent out from England, by sections complete, in the year 1816, but the death of the importer put a stop to the undertaking : Saadut Ali Khan died about two years before its arrival, and the work long remained suspended, because the king was reluctant to complete a project commenced by his predecessor. After the lapse of about thirty years, when Mohummed Ali Shah came to the throne, the bridge was erected and now forms a conspicuous ornament to the city. The British force crossed this bridge, in the retreat from Chinhutt and, as it could be swept by the cannon from the Residency, the persuing rebels were terribly cut up in following. However, crossing the bridge did not finish the Chinhutt disaster, for, in passing the narrow streets on their way to the entrenchment, about fifty men were cut off by the rebels who fired from the housetops and could not be got at. Had the enemy known of the Chinhutt defeat, they might have taken possession of the Iron Bridge, and so have cut off the retreat of the British, in which case, the Garrison, containing some four or five hundred men, women and children would have fallen into their hands. The bridge several times suffered a severe battering, but appears now not at all disfigured, and it serves as a convenient means of transit.

At the north-western extremity of the city appears the — 

This Bridge was built by Newab Ausuf-ood-dowlah, about the year 1780. It is a substantial structure and has proved