Page:Walker (1888) The Severn Tunnel.djvu/60

Rh To understand the difficulty of their escape, it must be understood that the heading into which the water broke was 40 feet above the heading under the river, and the water falling from the westward heading made a sheer leap of 40 feet down the Old Pit and cut off all escape by it; the men had therefore to pass through the small iron door into the Iron Pit to effect their escape.

It was a melancholy result of nearly seven years’ work, and no doubt those in authority no longer undervalued the contingencies of such a work, which they had thought had been over-estimated by the contractors two years before.

The Directors then called in Sir John Hawkshaw, who up to this time had been consulting engineer, and asked him to take full charge of the works as chief engineer, and carry them on as he thought best himself.

Sir John Hawkshaw agreed to take charge only on the condition that they would allow him to let the works to some one in whom he could have confidence; and on their consenting to this condition, he did me the honour to send for me, and asked me if I were still willing to enter into a contract.

Even after this irruption of the water under the land (water which it was well known was perfectly fresh and sweet), no one seemed to be fully alive to the fact that the greatest dangers and difficulties were to be found there, but everyone still thought the danger lay in the construction of the tunnel