Document 35, P 15
| forty men at the pumps to keep it down and it was not without the utmost | ||||
| difficulty that the Pier was founded upon that principle at that Depth. | ||||
| The South Abbutment and Contiguous Pillar were also successfully found- | ||||
| -ed according to the original Intentions but at the second Pier from the South | ||||
| the Water being much deeper (being in the Main channel and the Gravel | ||||
| Bottom clean wash’d like the second from the North Mr Smeaton judged in | ||||
| vain to attempt any more Pillars by Coffer dams because it would be an | ||||
| useless expence to construct a Coffer Dam without the least probability of | ||||
| mastering the Water. | ||||
| Early in the summer of one thousand seven hundred and seventy | ||||
| eight the remaining five Pillars were begun to be executed by Caisson and | ||||
| Mr Smeaton attended the execution of the first that was laid which was | ||||
| the fourth Pier from the North side being the support of the North side of | ||||
| the Center Arch and which was done with so much |
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| Ease and convenience that the Season and weather turning out remark- | ||||
| -ably fine the whole body of Agents and workmen pressed forward to get as | ||||
| many of them done as possible while that favorable Season lasted but a | ||||
| number of Blocks for the Girdle course not immediately arising out of the | ||||
| Quarry’s of a sufficient size for the purpose about the latter end of July four | ||||
| out of the five Caisson Piers were grounded upon the bottom of the River and | ||||
| brought above water when only one of them had any of the Girdle Stones | ||||
| brought and deposited and this only in part around it beginning from the | ||||
| Western or upstream Salient point and extending from thence about half | ||||
| way around the Pier on each side in this state of things after a remarkably | ||||
| dry Season of some Months there came a violent rapid flood not indeed | ||||
| a very high one, but the River being previously empty of Water and the Rain | ||||
| which occasioned it falling very suddenly it came down (being also urged by | ||||
| a violent wind at West) with uncommon rapidity the Consequence of which | ||||
| was that the four Caisson Piers totally unguarded except as above mentioned | ||||
| were all underwashed at the West ends to the depth of about fifteen inches | ||||
| 15 at | ||||
Note: Mr Smeaton's Memorial, p 15
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| An entry outlined like this has a note which may be seen by hovering over it. |
Transcribed by CTW and KS