1831.] Architecture of New London Bridge. the 15th of June, 1825 (the tenth anniversary of the battle of Waterloo,) by the Lord Mayor (Garratt), in the presence of the Duke of York, the President and a committee of the Royal Society, and other distinguished visitors, as well as all the city senators and official characters.* Since the death of Mr. Rennie in 1826, the works have been carried on under the superintendence of his son, now Sir John Rennie,† and by William Joliffe, Esq. and Sir Edward Banks, as contractors. The original amount of the contract made by those gentlemen was 426,000l., and 30,000l. for the alterations and repairs necessary to the new bridge during the works. The amount was increased to 506,000l. by the addition of 80001. for additional centering, and of 42,000l. granted by the Lords of the Treasury in 1825 for making the bridge six feet wider, namely, two feet in the roadway, and two feet in each footpath. The outline of the surface of the bridge, as proposed in Mr. Rennie's original design, was a very flat segment of a circle, which has been rendered still more flat by an increase in the height of the arches near the banks, and the present ascent is not more than seven feet. The design of the bridge displays five very beautiful elliptical arches, the two outwardmost of which are 130 feet in span, and 244 feet in height; the two next 140 feet in span, and 271⁄2 in height; and the central one 152 in span, and 29 in height, the largest elliptical stone arch in existence. The piers on each side this magnificent opening are 24 feet in width; the two other piers are 22 feet wide; and the abutments are 73 feet each at the base. The piers are plain rectangular buttresses, resting on massive plinths, and pointed cut-waters; they are crowned by a bold projecting block cornice, which describes the sweep of the roadway, and is surmounted by a plain double blocking-course, receding in two heights, like the scamilli of the ancients. There are no balusters, as at the other stone bridges in 125 London; but the architectural feature last described forms a dwarf wall, over which a grown person may look upon the river. The total height of the bridge, from low water mark, is fifty-five feet. The width of the carriage way is thirty-six feet, and of each footpath nine feet. On both sides of the bridge, at each extremity, arc magnificent flights of stairs. They are twenty-two feet in width, and lead straight to the water without a turn, but are relieved by two landing-places. The number of steps is seventy-seven, about thirty of which are covered at high water. At the head of each flight of stairs stand two colossal blocks of granite, each weighing twenty-five tons. The exterior of the bridge is of three sorts of granite, wrought in the most beautiful and scientific manner. The eastern side is faced with purple Aberdeen granite, the western with the light grey Devonshire Heytor, and the voussoirs or arch stones of both are united with the red brown granite of Peterhead. The fillings-in of the piers, spandrils, roadway, &c. are of the hard Bramby Fell (a fine indurated sandstone), Derby, and Whitby stone. The materials were roughly shaped at the quarries, and, after being carefully wrought in a large field at Mill Wall, Poplar, were finally dressed and accurately fitted to their places at the bridge. Mr. Elmes, the architect, in a pamphlet on London Bridge," recently published (to which we are principally indebted for the present description), states that he watched the fittings in of the key-stone course of the second arch from the London side, and witnessed the anxious expression of the countenance of Sir Edward Banks at the blows on the head of the key-stone, which made the whole fabric of the arch and centre tremble; but which succeeded so well, that at the striking of those ponderous masses of carpentry, the sinking of the arch and the consequent alteration of its curvature (a circumstance so much regretted in some of the best of the scientific Peyronnet's bridges) is scarcely perceptible. See a description of the ceremony in our vol. xcv. i. 557. The honour of knighthood was conferred on this talented representative of a highly talented father, on the 17th of the present month. The iron arches of Southwark Bridge are, the side arches 210, and the central one 940 feet. 126 Opening of New London Bridge. In order to conclude our description of the bridge, we have only to notice the handsome bronze lamp-posts which are fixed on the parapet walls, one supporting two lamps at each side over the four smaller arches, and one with three lamps at each side over the centre arch. They have been cast by Mr. Parker, of Argyll-street, out of captured cannon brought from his Majesty's yard at Woolwich; their design is elegant, and is displayed to so much the greater advantage, from the total absence of ornament in the masonry. The provision of adequate approaches, attended by the necessary purchase of many valuable premises, has been the source of a vast additional expenditure. To avoid the inconvenient declivity, which was the principal annoyance connected with the old bridge, the roadway is carried from the bridge on a series of land arches, with a very gradual slope, until it meets the level of the Highstreet, Southwark, on the Surrey side, and the higher levels of Fish-street Hill, Great Eastcheap, and their vicinity, on the London side. The roadway on the Surrey side is continued up in nearly a straight line, until it meets the old road near St. Thomas's-street. On the eastern side of this new road, another diverges northward, and by a similar inclined plane, meets Tooley-street. Tooleystreet is itself continued westward under a peculiarly handsome and scientifically constructed elliptical arch of brick, so that carriages and passengers passing eastward and westward go under the roadway, and those going northward and southward, to and from the bridge, pass and repass without crossing the others; whilst those desiring to go eastward or westward from the bridge accomplish their object by means of the new road which communicates with Tooley-street. [Aug. an elliptical arch, built with Yorkshire stone, but fronted on each side with granite; the eleven other arches, as well as the twenty-two on the Surrey side, will be appropriated as warehouses, cellarage, &c. Near the Thames-street arch, both east and west, a rustic doorway is the entrance to a staircase leading to the foot of the bridge. The ground on each side the new approaches will be hereafter let on building leases, under the management of William Montague, esq. the Clerk of the City Works; but the designs for the elevations next the street are, by the provisions of the last Act of Parliament, to be provided by Robert Smirke, esq. R.A. one of the attached architects to the Board of Works. On the 1st of August, the anniversary of the accession of the House of Hanover, the ceremony of opening the Bridge was honoured by the presence of their Majesties. The King was pleased to command that the procession should be by water, with the double view of benefiting the men employed on the river, and of enabling the greatest possible number of his loyal subjects to witness the spectacle. The arrangements on the river were entrusted to Sir Byam Martin, and the Bridge and its approaches to the Bridge Committee. A triple awning was erected at the London end of the Bridge, commencing from a magnificent pavilion, and extending for the whole width of the Bridge, as far as the second piers. The pavilion and awning were covered with the colours of all nations, and upwards of 150 flags and banners floated from the top of the Bridge. In the Royal tent was erected the throne prepared for the intended dinner at Guildhall in November last, in front of which was a table laid for their Majesties and the members of the Royal Family, and under the canopy were two long tables, on each side, capable of accommodating 1500 persons, for the use of the aldermen and officers of the Corporation, the Common Councilmen, and their ladies, &c., the centre being left open for the procession, and to afford an uninter The road from the bridge on the City side proceeds in a straight line, rupted view along the Bridge from the Royal over the site of the late church of St. Michael, Crooked - lane, and then branches off on each side to Fishstreet Hill and East Cheap. The road from Thames-street passes under table. The flooring used for entertainments in Guildhall was laid down, and a magnificent carpet spread throughout the Royal tent; at each of the four corners of which a man stood in a full suit of armour, four of the most splendid suits having been brought *For the use of the accompanying cut, showing the interior arrangements of the Pavilion, we are indebted to the Editor of the Mirror, in which intelligent and wellconducted weekly Periodical it originally appeared. 1831.] Opening of New London Bridge. 127 from the Tower for the occasion. Along the whole line of procession also, and, indeed, in every part of the Bridge laid out for the entertainment, the boards were carpeted. The providing of the banquet was entrusted to Mr. Leech, of the London Coffeehouse; and the spacious premises of the late Mr. Bovil, adjoining the bridge, were engaged for his use. The total of the supplies furnished by Mr. Leech, were as follow: 370 dishes of chickens; 150 hams and tongues; 75 raised French pies, &c.; 75 pigeon pies; 40 sirloins of beef; 50 quarters of lamb; 250 dishes of shell fish, &c.; 200 ditto sallads, cucumbers, &c.; 200 fruit tarts; 200 jellies, creams, and strawberries; 350lb. weight pine apples; 100 dishes hot-house grapes; 100 do. nectarines, peaches, apricots, &c.; 100 do. greengages, Orlean plums, &c.; 100 do. currants, gooseberries, raisins, &c. ; 150 ornamented Savoy cakes; 300 icecreams, &c.; 300 turtles, roast chickens, &c.; 840 dozen of wine. To facilitate their Majesties' passage down the river, and to prevent confusion and inconvenience, two parallel lines of vessels were formed into a passage of about 150 feet wide, consisting of a double, and in many cases a triple, line of barges, steamers, yatchs, and craft of every description, which extended from the upper water-gate of Somerset House next Waterloo Bridge, to about half-way between Southwark Bridge and the new Bridge, when the line became more open, and gradually spread to the stairs of the new Bridge, on each side, so as to afford ample space for the boats in the procession to land their inmates and retire. The termination of the lines at these points was formed by the eight City barges, with the navigation barge and shallops. These were new gilt, and decorated with their gayest flags, and were filled with company. Each barge had its appointed station; those of the Lord Mayor and Stationers' Company were rather in advance of the Bridge; and all were provided with bands of music. Several gun-brigs were brought up the river, from which and from the wharfs adjacent, salutes were fired throughout the day; flags and colours of all descriptions were brought into requisition; and even the vessels below bridge all appeared in their holiday decorations. On the terrace of Somerset House, several tiers of seats were erected; the bridges, and every building which could command a view,* were also thronged with spectators. Every Many hundred persons enjoyed a bird's eye view of the whole procession from the stone and iron galleries of St. Paul's. On the roof of St. Saviour's Church were raised |