Page:The National Gazetteer - A Topographical Dictionary of the British Islands, Volume 2.djvu/698

Rh LONDOK, 690 LONDON. been completed ia to bo erected and maintained, as London Bridge is, from the " Bridge House Estates," an ancient fund held in trust for the maintenance, in the first instance, of London Bridge. Tho Bridge House Estates consist of lands and buildings in the parishes of St. Olavo and St. Saviour, Southwark ; at Lewisham, Sydenham, Kent-road, St. George's Fields, Bermondsey, Stratford, Ewell, and other quarters. The estates revenue is about 40,000 per annum, and an additional sum of 21,000 will fall in between now and 1871 on account of terminable annuities, upon which money was advanced by Government for the building of London Bridge. The new bridge at Blackfriars will cost, it is expected, about 300,000. The capital raised for Waterloo Bridge and its approaches exceeded 1,000,000. It is considered one of the most excellent stone bridges in existence. It was erected between the years 1811 and 1817. The bridge is of nine arches, is 1,242 feet long, with 42 feet width between the balu- strades. "Westminster Bridge was commenced in 1853, and finished in 1862. It is a government work, free to the public. The roadway is wide enough to accommo- date six lines of vehicles. It cost about 400,000, and is unique in character from its combination of elegance and strength. The arches are constructed in great part of malleable iron, which gives great bearing power and elasticity, with unusual lightness in design. It is admirably in accord, as was intended, with the style of the Houses of Parliament, so near to it. Lambeth suspension-bridge cost about 50,000. Vauxhall Bridge cost about 296,998. The width of the roadway is 24 feet, total width 36 feet, the length from gate to gate 976 feet 6 inches. It consists of nine arches of cast iron, on stone piers, the acclivity being 1 in 35. The next bridge on the river, apart from the railway viaduct, and the handsomest structure amongst them, is the Chelsea suspension-bridge. It is a toll bridge, and was executed by Government at the moderate cost of about 105,652, exclusive of the embankment works. The old Battersea Bridge is an unsightly object and a dangerous obstruction. The capital of the Fulham or Putney Bridge is 30,000, and the tolls are very high. Tho bridge was first opened for traffic in 1728. The capital of the Hammersmith Bridge, opened in 1827, is 80,000. Kew Bridge, erected about 100 years ago, was tho property of a single individual, whose trustees claim the right to take tolls on the bridge, or its successors, for ever. The probable cost of this bridge was about 20,000. The annual take in tolls is about 2,500, of which 1,000 is contributed by foot passengers at one halfpenny each. As regards the traffic over the metro- politan bridges, London Bridge gives much the largest returns. For the twenty-four hours ending with mid- night on tho 23rd of May last, the following was the traffic: Cabs, 6,127; omnibuses, 3,981; waggons, carts, &c., 2,564; horses, 183; passengers in vehicles, 72,559 ; on foot, 91,080 : total, 163,639. The number of passengers by Southwark Bridge before the tolls were abolished, was, from 8th November, 1863, to 7th May, 1864, 257,616 ; from 9th November, 1864, to 1st May, 1865, after the bridge was opened free, the foot pas- sengers rose to 2,359,312, with 487,249 vehicles, and 10,975 saddle and other horses. At Blackfriars Bridge, for the twenty-four hours ending at midnight on the 9th June, 1865, the traffic was, cabs, 2,735 ; omnibuses, 844; waggons, carts, &c., 7,246 ; other vehicles, 1,414; horses led or ridden, 293 ; passengers in vehicles, 30,141, on foot, 48,572: total, 78,713. At Waterloo Bridge the total number of foot passengers for the year ending 23rd February, 1865, was 5,111,368. The average daily number of foot passengers by the Charing-cross railway- bridge, at 2<i toll, is 5,348. At Westminster Bridge the foot passengers who crossed between 6 A.M. on the 10th, and 6 A.M. on tho llth June last, was 47,062; with 5,110 cabs, 553 omnibuses, 4,990 light traffic vehicles, and 2,466 with heavy traffic. The traffic over Lambeth Bridge is equal to about 1,300,000 persons annually. For Vauxhall Bridge there are no published returns of traffic that we know of. Tho number of foot u I = o 3 passengers over Chelsea suspension-bridge in tho year ending March 31, 1864, was 957,294; horses and vehicles, 198,633. A new company has been formed the Albert Bridge Company with powers to buy up the Fulham and Battersea bridges, and which puts forward the project of erecting a new iron bridge at lower tolls than those now paid. An opinion prevails that tho gene- ral interest would bo promoted by a bridge rate instead of tho toll system. Besides these bridges over the river, there is also a passage under it, viz. the Thames Tunnel, reaching from Wapping-stairs on the N. bank of the river to Rotherhithe on the S. It is 1,200 feet long, and is pierced by two arched passages, each above 16 feet wide, lighted throughout their whole length with f;; having a footway 3 feet wide. The descent is down a staircase, formed in large circular shafts, and the chargo for passing through it used to bo Id. either by day or night. It is, however, for the future to serve as a tunnel for the railway which is to run from Eotherhitho to the N. side of the river, so as to form a line of communi- cation between the populous districts which lie at tha E. end of London. The river Thames, to which London owes its importance, is one of tho busiest and most won- derful of its great highways. Its crowds of shipping and ceaseless activity render it an object of con amazement both to natives and foreigners, and it is almost a trite remark to observe, that there is no port in the world that can compare for the extent and variety of its commerce with tho port of London. "Above bridge," as that portion of the river is termed which lies above London Bridge, small steamers are constantly plying between the various piers at Hungerford, Blackfriars, the Temple, and London Bridgo ; and tho embankment which is now being made along the north bank of the river from^Westminster Bridge to Blackfriars will, when completed, not only aid in improving the navigation, but will be a magnificent embellishment by adding a noble lino of terrace frontage to the river, and securing a fine and healthy promenade by its side, while at the same time it will aid effectually in facilitating the system of drainage which is now being carried on for its purification. Below bridge, the river, following iU course downwards, is divided into the Upper, Middle, and Lower pools. These extend for 4 miles, and constitute what is properly termed the Port of London. They reach from London Bridgo to Deptford, and are covered with tiers of shipping from four to five hundred yards in breadth. Then comes Limehouse Reach, then Greenwich and Blackwall reaches ; next Long Reach, then Gravesend Reach, and then the Nore Light. In going down the river the principal object! on the Middlesex or left-hand shore, are Billingsgate Market, the Coal Exchange, tho Custom House, the Tower, St. Katharine's docks, and tho London d<" whilst on the Surrey side are St. Olave's church, ami extensive range of wharves, in which an immense variety of merchandise is stored, representing an < mous amount of capital and enterprise. In tho, pool wo have on the Middlesex side the eastern entrance to the London docks, and the Regent's canal and 1. and on tho Surrey side the Grand Surrey docks canal, and the Commercial docks. In Limclimiso Reach, on the Middlesex side are the South I> the Isle of Dogs, and vast steam-engine, anchor, and i cable factories ; while on the Surrey side are tho ( mercial Dock pier, the East Country dock, tin 1 ( land dock, and Deptford Dockyard. In Greenv Reach, on the Middlesex side, are East Ferry, and ral large and important ship-building establishment warehouses ; and on tho other or Kentish side i.-> tho town of Greenwich, of which the hospital extends along the river front. This institution is for disabled so:n and 2,720 pensioners partake of its bounties. It has a famous painted hall by Sir James Thornhill, &c., which are worthy of a visit, being open gratis on Mondays and Fridays, and for a fee of 3d. on other days. Greenwich Observatory is on a hill in i behind the hospital, and from hence tho longitude ia reckoned in all British calculations ; and tho true