Document 35, Mr Smeaton's Memorial concerning Hexham Bridge, p 1
| 64 | ||||
| Mr Smeatons Memorial concerning Hexham Bridge | ||||
| When Mr Smeaton was applied to by Mr Errington for the Building of | ||||
| Hexham Bridge, it was not until after the Total Destruction of a Bridge | ||||
| at the West end of the Tyne Green near that place, built under the patron- | ||||
| -age of Sir Walter Blackett; which about 12 or 14 Months after it was | ||||
| finished was totally destroyed by an Extraordinary Flood that has ever | ||||
| since been distinguished by the name of Great inundation which hap- | ||||
| -pened in November 1771:But as this Bridge was standing at Dark in | ||||
| the Evening, and totally demolished the next morning, no other infor- | ||||
| -mation could be drawn from this very Total and alarming Accident but | ||||
| that this River was capable at times from certain combinations of Causes | ||||
| of being swelled to a degree of Violence farr Exceeding any thing that had | ||||
| before this been Experienced; handed down by Tradition, or imagined. | ||||
| As an Evidence of this amongst many others that might be given | ||||
| the water rose seven or eight feet or thereabouts upon the Main Ground | ||||
| Floor of Mr Fenwicks new built Apartments at Bywell; which being | ||||
| Erected from the Designs of that Eminent Architect Mr Payne it is not | ||||
| likely that he would direct the main floor to be laid within flood mark, | ||||
| as it had at that time been known, or then thought likewise to happen | ||||
| And yet Bywell being many miles below the Junction of the two Tynes that | ||||
| is of the North and South Tyne about a Mile above Hexham and after it had | ||||
| had much Room to spread over the wide Haughs that lay between Hexham and | ||||
| Corbridge and also the space between Corbridge and Bywell, we must | ||||
| conclude that the rise of the water was less at Bywell than in the Neighbour- | ||||
| -hood of Hexham. | ||||
| Under this degree of Information and Experience of the Utility of a | ||||
| Bridge at Hexham (Sir Walter Blackett having chose rather to forfeit the | ||||
| penalty of a Bond of £3000 that he laid himself under for the upholding | ||||
| thereof than attempt to rebuild, or re establish the Bridge) the Reerection was | ||||
| taken up by the County and for this purpose consulted that Eminent Engineer | ||||
| Mr Wooler then Engaged for the Town of Newcastle in the reestablishment of | ||||
| 1 Tyne | ||||
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Transcribed by CTW and TB