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"Let herso that she gets it!" exclaimed ...
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_t*3n<-tt*t« ta oetrg.
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TO ROME. is I sto 01 * on ** e Forum's s...
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The Girlhood of Shakespeare 's Heroines....
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The Britannia and, Conway Tubular Bridge...
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Puseyites are now called "Brummagem CatU...
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Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.
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"Let Herso That She Gets It!" Exclaimed ...
_Febrtjary 1 , 1851 . THE _^ _QllTHERiNiSTAR _^ r ,,. __ ... 3 _, I _;'* ? ~ " _""~*~ - . . ¦ ' ¦ [ : : ~ - ' _"«
_T*3n≪-Tt*T« Ta Oetrg.
_ t * 3 _n < -tt * t _« _ta _oetrg .
To Rome. Is I Sto 01 * On ** E Forum's S...
TO ROME . is I sto 01 * _** Forum ' s sacred earth , _A _ d _p azed on _****• * ° _* Roman bivth , I thoug ht that each column its silence broke , jtnd these words of fate the echoes woke ! Oh Rome ! thou panting heart of giant men , Thou thatonce wert—and then did cease to be ; Jang dead—late risen—we welcome thee again , Hencefor th and ever more worthy to be free"Metropolis of the world ' s mined paradise I Bright altar of Italian sacrifice ! That startled Venice from her slumbers deep , And bade fair Florence cease to mourn and weep K Hope , and Truth , and Justice , can prevail , Thou shalt be freeI Hail , all hail !
Thou latest born of that giant birtb , "Begat by Freedom from the groaning earth , Liit and greatest of the Intercessors ! pleading to Heaven ' gainst _Crown'd Transgres sors - __ Arrayed in _iWadom _' s glorious mail , Thou didst cast aside tbe priestly cope , Stript every gaud—rent Error Tell by veil , "With eye and heart of quenchless nope ! Fear cot ! for Freemen gazing on their foe , ilore mighty are—whilst slaves more feeble grow 3 Best thee ! sublime—unawed—Jlazzini ' s name With thine , shall blazon yet the rolls of fame ! And Hope , and Truth , and Justice , yet prevail O ' er Fraud and Wrong I Hail , all hail 1 Thomas IUrtix "Wheeler .
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The Girlhood Of Shakespeare 'S Heroines....
The Girlhood of Shakespeare ' s Heroines . In a Series of Fifteen Tales . By Mabx Cowdbn Cjubke . Tale II . The TAane ' ' - Daughter . London : Smith and Son ; Simpkin , Marshall , and Co . A FEW weeks ago we noticed the first tale of this series , Portia , the Heiress of Belmont , and now we have before us The Thane ' s Daughter , the preludes to Lady Macbeth . Every reader of Shakespeare is , of course , well-acquainted with that character , at once one of tbe . darkest , and most finely drawn of any that occur in the whole range of our drama . The high-souled , but unrelenting and merciless woman , with all the finest
sympathies of the woman ' s nature , dimmed and paralysed by the promptings of a stern ambition lor power , with scarcely a touch of tenderness or affection as a sign of holy memories dwelling within her , except when she cannot slay thesleepingDuncau , becausehis whitehairs remind her of her father ; risking ail , prepared to sacrifice all , for tbe attainment of that power which had become her soul ' s God , a subtle demon rather than a tender woman , till the prize is attained , and then , the object attained , the feminine nature asserting itself , and the mind under the horror ofa memory too fearful to be borne , becoming so diseased that no physician can minister to it
In this play of Macbeth we may notice the fine distinction between the natural action of the mind of the man and the woman . Macbeth , as open to the promptings of ambition as his Lady , is yet reluctant and vacillating , unwilling to consummate the crime over which he is to step to a throne , while she is forward and resolute , and recklessly hastens on the catastrophe . The purpose acts -with tbe greater power than npon the weaker , the woman ' s nature . But the Song dead , mark the difference . The reaction from high strung excitement has , like the purposes , the greater power , too , over the feminine organisation . Tho man grows far more determined and resolute than ever , but the woman sinks under the shock and becomes a wreck .
The . character , then , of which Mrs . Clarke had to lay the fonndatiou in the Tftane _* S Daughter is one naturally ambitious ; loving power for its own sake , and under that stimulus , cruel and unscrupulous , such an one would not be needlessly sanguinary , but can suffer nothing to stand between herself and her object . So that she would wade knee deep through blood if she thought it necessary ; but afterwards the physical rather than the menta l sensibilities of her sex arise and unnerve her . Let us see how beautifully Mr 3 . Clarke
depicts the process by which this character is formed by nature and education . To epitomise tlie story , the mother of Lady Macbeth is a noble , high-souled , impetuous woman—a ward ofthe Scottish Crown , married for reasons of State policy to Kenneth , the somewhat aged Thane of Moray . The Thane is a kind-hearted , weak , irresolute man , whom the wife despised for his tameness of spirit ; and "the dark lady of Moray " longs for a son , whom she may train up to rale with a Strong Land , and bear himself as becomes the descendant of a line of warriors . The son comes , but
dies in its infancy , and the "dark lady" becomes still more imperious and morose . A daughter follows—the fnture Lady Macbeth . For some time the nurses feared to tell the moiher that the new-born baby is not a boy : and when she hears it , in the bitterness of her disappointment , she says that , being a girl , the child were as well unborn . From that time the dark lady seldom leaves her chamber—her own proud heart , inch by inch , is killing her—her vexed spirit chafes within , and wears away the form that enshrines it ; and so , hy almost imperceptible degrees , she pines awa y to a shadow , and dies . Her death-scene will do something towards developing the texture of tbe story Mrs . Clarke haB woven , and we extract it : —
And there , week after week , and month after month , sat the dark lady , like a living statue , mute and immutable ; the only perceptible alteration in her altitude being a gradual sinking and collapsing ol the frame , which brought her low , bent , and drooping , like a withered plant . Each day , and from day to day , the change could scarcely be traced ; bnt when she first assumed tbat seat , and that fixed position , her body was erect , haughty , _wn-rgetic , and defiant ; before a twelvemonth had elapsed , the muscles were flaccid , the flesh was shrunk and wasted , the cheek was worn and hollow , tbe form was feeble , and thewholefigure sat l . eaped together languidly , as if devoid of vitality .
The eyes alone retained their spirit . These still " _* ere haughty , energetic , defiant as ever . For as she _sattbere _' enwrapt in stony stillness , she would watch the shiftinE clouds , now careering in fleecy ¦* fbitenes 3 across the spring a > tber , now dappling lightly the summer blue , now hurrying athwart the murky grey , or driving wildly along upon , the storm blast ; hut through all the countless varieties of form , and hue , and motion , in cloudland , those dark eyes flashed ever towards the sky , prond defiance , accusation , and resentment of hopes defeated . None the less a rebel to Heaven ' s will , for her voiceless inward chafing ; it seemed as if the nnrest of her . soal fought all the more fiercely for tbe marble JBiescence of her body .
One bright noon , even in that northern region , tie sua shone with powerful rays , and cast their _taoad light full into the chamber , where the dark _« _-l y sat , ~ _s 3 usual dumb and motionless , surrounded _oj her silent women . _Bethoc _, the aged nurse , held tbe child in her " Ufa ? , as it _struggled , and strained , and held out its bands towards the sunbeams , that shed their _radi-** _«•„) such bright alluring streams just within its r « ica . The _crowins joy and glad shrill tones of
* m Utile one sounded strangely in that silent room as the _bab- ? shouted its imperfect utterances of _^ kht _atthegav _dancing _moies it beheld in the _swlieams ; and still it leaped and bounded in the --arse ' s arms , and clutched at tbe brilliant atoms it . _Riore to grasp . . The mother ' s _attention was arrested ; and she . "Med upon the infant ' s eagerness with a look of lT * _5 rr 5 ttLat her lace had not worn for _m-my a _moaili
Then vexition succeeded to delight , as the phantom brightness still eluded pursuit . Tbebaby hands _c-tt ) ek _ angrily , and struck and buffeted at the £ _& den rays thev could not seize . The dark lady ncted the rage that sprang from ° ? P **' ! iou with a k _« en sati-fied glance . ., _frowns succeeded to seniles . Tears sparkled in * - _* _-e childish eyes . Short shrieks , and cries of bailed **' - _' . took the place of former joyful _ei-owings ; Xasii'i in at the window flew a small silver-winged ? -b , that took its plsee with the motes in the sun-V * *' *" , _d-, _ ein < r , and float ia ? , and flaring np and fll _"* i in tiie flood of l : ht "
_ _ . _i' _^ is tai . giole _object of interest and pursuit , pact-* tit ! babe ; and all its clutching - " and strivings * f _** e renewed and concentrated upon this pretty r _^ nt spark of _brightness . * The old nuree drew ta _a with her charec . " l > t it alone , my darling ; ? . e' ifll the bonnywee _thioir ; je'Jl _enu-h the poor m -ebeastle' *
The Girlhood Of Shakespeare 'S Heroines....
" Let her , so that she gets it ! " exclaimed the dark lady abruptly . * l ! hs unwonted bound of her lady ' s voice mad , Bethoc start . The child made one more plunge and by chance , caught the silvery moth . The next instant , the little fingers were unclosed ' to one of tbem stuck the mangled insect , crushed even by so slight a touch . Bnt as the child held up the victim of her success in baby triumph , and as her eyes sparkled and glistened now . with smiles as well as tears in token of joyful conquest , the mother exclaimed exultingly : — . " Resolute in achievement ! Firm of purpose even unto death ! That should be a , masculine spirit Bethoc , bring the little Amazon to me '" "Let her . set that . eVi _ < u >> -o _' n i » _» - „ iu ; . _ l . * * •*„(
But as she uttered the words , a sharp sudden shiver passed over her frame , a spasm convulsed the face , and b _« fore the women could . reach ber , or Bethoc could place her child within her arms , ' the dark lady sank back—a corpse .. From this time , the little Gruoch—for that was her name—was left to the care of her father , whose quiet , calm temper , too , shows in its sympathies to be activel y affectionate or tender , and to the charge of her . women attendants , who , of course , humoured her every whim , and she roamed about among the menat-arms as she liked . Following the love of power , which the surrounding circumstances so -well fostered in her apt nature , she chose for I her companion a grim man-at-arms , who , in ! strength and dexterity , exceeds aU his fellows : —
i There was one man , she remarked , who was I peculiarly skilful in the handling of all sorts' of | weapons . " lie was a tall , stalwart . fellow , singularly _i uncouth and ugly , with wild shaggy hair , and a ferocious look . . 'lis name was Grym . But he uniformly surpassed ail his companions in adroitness , bold daring , activity , expertness , and success in bis feats of arms . So to this large , ungainly , ill-favoured , but triumphant giant , did the child take a strong fancy , -ind he became a sort of hero , a personification of conquest and . success , a favourite rallying point for all her wishes and interest in the scene of contention .
Grym , although rough and coarse withal , and a daring soldier , had a tender heart ; and the child twined herself amid its chords with that peculiar fascination which so often belongs to nature's ambition and fond of power . With Grym and Culen , a boyish page , she roams through the woods ,, practises archery , and sports in the castle ; ahd from this period of her girlhood we take a scene which shows how the baby , clutching the moth , had been developed into the girl . In the following extract , Grym , Culen , and the Thane ' s daughter , are < n the platform of the Castle , the latter tossing a ball which the page has brought her : —
For some time Gruoch continued to watch this pretty sight with interest ; then she stepped down from the stone seat , and began to toss her ball again . Suddenly it swerved in its upward flight , and fell just beyond the wall . The page sprang to the spot he had just quitted , and exclaimed : — "I see it ! It has lodged just below the nest ! Look ! On that frieze , that range of fretwork just beneath . " I see it ! I see it ! " cried Gruoch , who bad stepped up again by his side . " It looks quite near What a pity we can't reach it ! 0 my beautiful ball !"
"If I had but a ledge ever so small to set my foot upon , I could get it ; I know 1 could ! " exclaimed Culen . " It ' s quite close , I could be over in a moment" " " Would you venture ? " said his young mistress , looking at b * im approvingly . " That I wonld ! I could get it in an instant , if I bad but a spot to step my foot npon—ever such a point would do ! If the martlet ' s nest were not there , now , that would be quite room enough !" " But we can soon dislodge the nest , if that's all exclaimed Grnocb . " Here ' s one of Grym ' s long shafts—that'll do exactly to poke it off with . **' •* Oh no ! " said tbe page hastily . "Are yon afraid ? " said she , looking at him abrnptly . "So . not that ; but I don't like—I can ' t push the nest off , " said Culen . " Then I will ! Give me tho arrow ' . " she
exclaimed . Gruoch leaned over the edge ; fixed tho point of the arrow into the caked mud and earth wbich fastened the nest to the jutting point ; loosened it ; raised it ; and in another moment tbe martlet's home , with its unfledged tenants , spun-whirling through the air , and was scattered to pieces , striking against the buttresses and rough-hewn walls . She stayed hot to note its career , but tamed to the page . Sow , Culen ! It wa 3 a brave offer 1 Save you courage ? I will hold your hand firm ! Give it me . " Tbe page seized the beautiful little band that was held out to him , and taking tbe arrow in tbe other , tbat he might reach and secure the soft ball with it , he climbed over the edge of the outer wall , wbicb was narrower there , ou account of the . deep recess that was made in its thickness , and formed the ledge od which they stood .
Bat when he set his foot upon the jutting point which bad lately held the nest , and tben planted the other foot on the same spot , and after that , carefully stooped down , and stretched his arm out , SO as to Stick the arrow into the ball , that he might raise it , and convey it to tbe top of tbe wall , — -he had no sooner effected this , than be suddenly felt his head reel , and his eyes swim , at tbe unaccustomed height over which _hehungsuspended , merely sustained by that frail support . Be closed his eyes for an instant , and struggled to nerve himself boldly against the thought of the small point on which he stood , and to shut out the view of the depth beneath bim . Gruoch felt the spasmodic twitch that these sensations communicated to the hand she grasped . * ' Keep firm , Culen I Hold fast my hand ! I bave yours _tiiiht ! " And the small hand never trembled , or wavered , but clutched close , like a vice .
Ber voice did him good ; her tone of resolution inspired him ; her steady grasp encouraged him ; and be was enabled to recall his dizzied senses . He looked up , aud as he beheld that _exquisite face leaning over towards him , anxiety and interest in each lineament , and wish for his success beaming in every feature , be flung up the ball froni tho point ofthe arrow , aud strove to regain tbe top of the wall . But on raising his arm to tbe edge , he found he I should not be able to obtain sufficient purchase , —
even when he should gain the assistance of the ether hand which was now held by Gruoch , —to enable him to draw himself up that height . The point upon which he stood afforded too little space , the weight of his body was too great , to allow of his climbing up again unassisted . The page cast one look of mute dismay towards his young mistress . She perceived bis peril . " Keep a brave heart , Culen ! Ilold my hand steadily ! Tou are safe , fear not ! " she exclaimed . " Here , Grym ! Grym ! Come here ; make haste Help , Grym , help _T '
The whole scene has occupied some time to relate ; hut it had , in fact , passed so . rapidly , that by no means a long time had elapsed since Grym had retreated to the other end of the platform to fetch the arrows . While occupied in collecting them , he bad not perceived what had been going on at that distance ; but he now hastened to the spot , on hearing his young lady ' s call for assistance . He soon perceived the emergency ; and hardly giving utterance to his thought : — " What have these children been about ? " he leaned over the top ofthe wall , and seizing Culen ' s hand from Gruoch
in his own herculean grip , he drew him carefully , but readily , from his perilous position . The first impulse of tbe kind-hearted bowman was to hug the lad in his arms , and to inquire whether he was hurt ; the next was to shake him by the scurf of his neck , and . to ask him gruffly , " What d'ye mean hy playing such fool ' s tricks , master page ? Don't you see how you ' ve frightened my young lady , here ?" And as thoy both looked at Gruoch , they saw her turn pale ; she staggered forward , and would have fallen to the ground , had not Grym caught , her in his arms .
" Poor lamb '" he mattered , as he bore her gently to her own apartments to recover ; " She's as tender-hearted as she ' s _beautifiil . " " And she feels thus for roe 1 " whispered Culen ' s heart , as he stood rooted to the spot , his cheek flushed , and his chest heaving , at the thought . They _wctc wrong . Seither the page nor the * r : „ n-at-arms guessed that _hir swoon was the effect of mere physical sympathy ; a sickening sense oi danger past ; a reactio n of the nerves , —braced for the moment by strength of will , with an object in vie ** , _—t _ t suddenly relaxed from their tension , by the native _weakness of a frame less powerful than her spirit .
In this , the character , of the future Lad y Macbeth is more than typified . "We see , in tbe above scene , in action , the qualities so powerfully influencing her after-life . The scattered-bird ' s nest , with its callow young , which the page did not like to disturb—the manner in which she prompts him io his dangerous feat—the courage she evinces in tbe face of . danger , and the quivering of the over-strung nerves , when the excitement has passed away , lay bare to us her mixed nature , with its good arid evil—its reckless daring , and its woman ' s
instincts . _! tlI _**__ _Z _ Z
The Girlhood Of Shakespeare 'S Heroines....
From this period we can but trace , briefly , ; the progress of the already formed character . She meets Macbeth , a young and rising warrior , with near claims to the throne , and loves him as much for his prospects of power and fame as for his personal qualities . A glance of approbation from Macbeth thrown upon a highland maiden who forms part of her suite , wakesup the jealousy of her nature , and Bhe sends Doada in the face ofa coming snow storm to her mountain home , so that Macbeth may see her no more , and Doada , her first victim , perishes of cold hy the way . - " _-ci _ l _ __• . -. ¦ . . . - * __
Grym , too , the faithful companion of her childhood , perishes too in her service . He is ' sent after the betrpthmenfc of his lady to Macbeth , an errand bf danger , to carry _etters from _Gruach and her lover , and , attacked by foes upon his return , is brought home mortally wounded by a knight , who arrived just m time to save him from instant death' at the hands of his assailants . But Grym bears the letter from Macbeth , and Gruoch takes it , blood-stained , from his breast , and even while Grym is dying , the sunshine of her new hopes , and tbe glow other awakened love , dispel the passing shadow of his fate .
The knight who brought back the wounded Grym is Cullen , the former page , who , prompted by love for his mistress and the infection of her bold spirit , left the castle to become a soldier , and returns a knight , to find that he has no place in her heart , no memory amid her affection , but for the knowledge of how the knight disguises himself tobe again her servitor ,, so that . he may be near her , and how at last he , lays down his life to shield her and her child , and how ill he is requited . We must referour readers " to the hook itself ,
where , too , they will find how the lady wedded Macbeth , and spurred on his ambition and rejoiced in his triumph , down to the time when Shakespeare ' s drama opens , for Mrs . Clarke leaves the lady Macbeth at that point . ' When a letter is placed in ber hands by a tru 3 ty envoy from her lord , wherein she reads words of wondrous import , that kindle into flame the smouldering fire of her thought . . . Her self-communing upon this peru ? _aJ , begins in these Words of apostrophe to her lord : — " * " Glamis thou art , and Cawdor ; and shalt be What thou art promis'd . " And for herself Mrs . Clark modestly says : — "But that ' our will became the servant to
defect , ' the above should be * prologue to the swelling act ofthe imperial theme . *" . "We hope we have done enough to recommend this little book to the hearts of the lovers of Shakspeare , and shall wait for Mrs . Clarke ' s next effort , in order to continue our notices of the series .
The Britannia And, Conway Tubular Bridge...
The Britannia and , Conway Tubular Bridges ; . . with General Inquiries on Beams and on the Properties of Materials used iri ¦ Construction . By Edwin Clark , Besident Engineer . London : Weale . Tab Chester and Holyhead Railway was designed to consolidate the " union" of Great Britain , and Ireland ( and to pay a dividend to the shareholders ) by shortening . the time between London and Dublin ; and , like the
"Union itself , it has had to contend with a series of natural and man-made difficulties . The mountains of Wales , the river Conway , the Menai Straits , the owners of the land , the navigators of the water , opposed themselves to its construction ; while the government offices of Admiralty and Woods and Forests added to the , troubles . Difficulties _, began from its leaving Chester , not to _ceaae till the Menai was crossed , or rather till the railway reached its final destination—Holyhead .
A series of works of unrivalled magnitude characterises its whole length of eighty-four miles and a half . It emerges from Chester through a tunnel in the red sand-stone 405 yards iu length ; a viaduct of forty-five arches leads to the bridge by which it crosses the Dee . Following the embanked channel of tbis river and the lever shores of its estuary , it crosses the river Foryd by a pile and swing bridge , and continues its course along the shore through the Rbyddlan Marshes , and through the limestone promontory of Penmaen Bbos , by a tunnel 530 yards long , until stopped by the bold headlands of the Great and little Orme ' s Head . It now for the first time leaves the coast , and , passing through the
narrow valley that separates these headlands from the mainland , crosses the river Conway beneath the castle-walls , by means of the tubular bridge . Passing through the town of Conway and under the walls by a tunnel ninety yards long , it again reaches the coast at the Conway Marshes , and continues its course along the shore through the greenstone and basaltic promontories of Penmaen Bach and Penmaen Mawr , the terminating spurs of tho Snowdon range , by tunnels 630 and 220 yards long respectively ; being carried for some distance after leaving Penmaen _Mawr . on a cast iron girder viaduct over the beach .. The sea-walls and defences , on the one hand , along this exposed coast , are all on a
magriificant scale ; whilst , on the other , a timber gallery , similar to the avalanche galleries on the Alpine roads , protects the road line from the d 6 bris that rolls down from the lofty and almost overhang ; ing precipices above it . • ' ' The Ogwen river and valley are then crossed' by a stone viaduct 246 yards in length ; and between this and the Britannia Bridge the line passes through three ridges of hills perforated by tunnels , 440 , 920 , and 726 yards . in length , through slate , greenstone , and primary sandstone ; the river Gegyn , with its beautiful valley , being crossed by a viaduct 132 yards long and fifty-seven feet high The line thence continues rising to the level ofthe
Britannia Bridge , and _enterin-j Anglesey , passes across the Maldraeth Marsh , and through a tunnel , in slate , rock , and clay , 550 yards in length . To enter the island of Holyhead , nse is made , to a certain extent , of the embankment ofthe Holyhead Road Commissioners , called " The Stanley Sands Embankment ; " for which tbe Company aro required , as at Conway , to make a yearly payment to her Majesty ' s Commissioners of Woods and Forests . The amount in this case is £ 106 . " It is . the object of the present volume to describe two of the most important works in this magnificent catalogue—the passage of the Conway River and of the Menai Straits .
All the land difficulties eould be overcome by money , or over-ridden by act of parliament . The water obstacles were not so manageable by mere outlay ; and the necessity for a free navigation , enforced by the Admiralty , interposed obstacles beyond what Nature herself had p laced upon the passage . The essential difficulty to be encountered—a bridge of enormous . span without intermediate supportwas much the same at the Menai Straits and the Conway Biver . As the Menai Tubular Bridge , though the same in principle , and not very much more . difficult to erect than . the
bridge across the Conway , more impresses the mind from the daringness of its conception , the dangerous-looking grandeur of its place , and its immense span , ithasexcitedmuch public attention .. We shall therefore confine our notice to that structure ; endeavouring to present an idea of the difficulties encountered , the way in which tbey were overcome , some of the more striking facts elicited during the enterprise , and the gradual manner in which the conception grew in its author ' s mind , and was finally worked out by reasoning and experiment into a practical form .
The Menai Strait , which separates the island ' of Anglesey from the mainland ot Wales , _iB about eleven miles and a half long , with a width of water-way varying from about 1 , 000 feet to three quarters ofa mile . A tortuous course , extensive sandbanks at either end , and numerous rocks or groups of rocks , render the navigation difficult . This difficulty is further increased by a tidal peculiarity , that causes violent and baffling currents ; for the main tidal wave , as it advances northward up the Irish Channel , branches : off into the Menai Straits orer the sandbanks of Carnarvon Bay , and arrives in Beaumaris Bay at the other end ofthe Straits before the _mtiiu tidal wave has completed the circuit of the island .
As soon , however , as the roam tidal wave enters Beaumaris Bay , it repels the current tbat has set in from Carnarvon , and the tide flows into the Straits in opposite directions . This meeting of the waters < ri „ dtia !' y retires before the Beaumaris wave , and arrives at the Britannia Bridge about twenty minutes before high water there ; so that the tide continues to'flow ,, or the water to rise , twenty
The Britannia And, Conway Tubular Bridge...
minutes aftfer . the current . has changed its direc * tion . . . ";* . ¦ ' . ' _.- _•'; * : . ;• 7 * . * fal _* t _eroffteStraif 8 is , however , so importanr ; , and the _sa-wng of distance is so considerable ? ? _i- ng ' I ' ourney _, of sixty miles round the _mMm 31 *? A dan ' g «« _"ou 8 coast ofthe island , _that too ouj ft of the coasting vessels , some of them of mrge tonnage , avail themselves of its advantages , as qo also a . great number of . vessels employed in the carriage of slates from tho _Penrhyn , LIanherris , ana other slate quarries , among the Carnarvon _ , ; _ . __» .. _ .. . . ..
-It was owing to these peculiarities of the channel that _; thp tubular principle was inves * tigated , the present structure erected , and an _f _xtennve modification—if not a new featureintroduced into , engineering . and architectural con- "traction . _: When Telford , in 1826 , threw his celebrated _susp-jnsion-b rid ge across tlie . Menai Straits , he selected the narrowest part for the site . On the original survey of . the line for the railway by the late Mr . Stephenson , in 1840 , it was proposed to use a portion of this suspensionbridge for the passageof the _; trains _;" . dividing them , and employing horse power for the
transit . . ' The ' -Woods and Forests _nominaUy consented to a partial use of the bridge , but with a . clause which rendered their , consent nugatory . Objections were also made by other parties to the . proposed line . A deviation was accordingly ' ordered by the directors , and it was finally determined .. to cross at the Britannia Rock . This rock emerges as nearly as possible in the centre ofthe Straits ; it is 350 feet long , 120 broad , and rises eleven feet above low-water level . The- idea of a _isnspension bridge was abandoned by Mr . Stephenson , because he intended to cross by locomotives , and in that form of structure there is , he' says in his evidence before the Committee of the
House of Commons , " a difficulty in keeping the platform steady ' . when the train went on to the Stockton and Darlington lino , the rails rose up-three feet in front of the engine ; they were unable to use it . " . The first plan for crossing the Menai Straits was to erect a gigantic pier oii _^ the Britannia Rock across its entire width , arid two other piers ( instead of the usual abutments ) rising from low-water mark of spring-tide on either side of the Strait .- These three piers were to be 'fifty-five feet above ' spring-tide , and to be connected by two cast-iron arches of 360 feet
span , the centres of which were to bo fifty feet above the piers , and 105 feet above hi gh water . As centering to support the arches while in the course of ' evection , would interfere with the navigation , and would , at the Menai Straits be objectionable , , on account of the expense , Mr . Stephenson determined upon a modification ofa plan of Sir Isambard Brunei . " The erection ofthe arch was to be proceeded with by placing equal and corresponding
_voussoirajm opposite sides of the pier , at * the same time tying them -together by horizontal tie-bolts ; " a distinct idea of which principle the reader can . form , by passing a skewer through a couple of apples , resting tho . skewer oh the top of a book standing upright , and pressing the apples close to . the volume . No sooner , however , was his plan of the- bridges made known , than it was opposed by all the interests connected with the navigation of the Straits . Various hindrances and evils were
predicted ; but they were substantially resolved irito ' the . diminution of head-way and waterway , from the low springing ofthe arches , and the occupation of the Britannia Rock by the central pier . . Right or wrong , the navigation interests triumphed .. The entire width of the rock was not to be occupied ( tho actual size of the tewcr is about sixty feet by fifty ) , arid a clear headway of 100 feet along the whole span was peremptorily insisted on . by the Admiralty . Thus ,, everything had to be . begun again , and Mr . Stephenson was thrown back upon original principles , at least as far as . regards extent and structure . In 1841 he had niade
a design for- a wrpught-iron bridge of fifty feet span , for carrying a common road over the river Lea , in which the conditions only admitted of a platform eighteen or twenty inches in thickness . This bridge was not erected in conformity with tbe design , but Mr . Stephenson now recurred to it ; rejecting various suggestions that were made to him , or rather fusing them all into his own plan . The object sought was a straight stiff road-way j
one end resting on the Welsh , ' the other bh . the Anglesey shore , and tlie middle , or middle ends , supported on a pier built on the Britannia Rock ; a petty example of which is _peeri daily in a plank-bridge over . a k'ook . In practice , however , such a road-way could not be attained ; a solid body of that length would break by its own weight ,. every addition to its strength increasing , so to speak , its weakness ; it would vibrate more or less ; and if people would have trusted themselves on . such an
open platform , parliament would not have passed the bill— _-thpughithey aro as safe , probably , without _as . with the seeming protection _^ since none of the walls of bridge or viaduct , anywhere , could resist the weight of a train if . it got off the , rails . . Sides of somo kind , therefore , as well as a top , ' are absolutely ne _cessary , for they give stiffness arid , strength to a lighter bottom . Arches not being permitted ,
the suspension bridge being rejected , and a solid beam being . impossible , a tube ' 'whether in tho form of a pipe or an oblong box became imperative . The combination of the self-supporting principle with suspension by chains . _wasindeed pressed . upon Mr . Stephenson , and he started with the idea of using them as part of the process of . erection ; but they were finally discarded altogether .
About the practicability of the , plan Mr . Stephenson seems never to have entertained a doubt , after the idea had once been formed in his mind . If sometimes he waB appalled at the responsibility , " reflection satisfied " him "that tbe principles on which the idea was founded were nothing- more than an extension of those daily in ' use in the profession of the engineer . '' The directors of the company were equally , or-even more ; confident than himself , arid they seem to have given him almost carte blanche : but the world
was not 60 confiding . The Committee of the House of Commons was " incredulity itself . When the first general experiments , though really successful , became known , the scientific world were as sceptical : — - Everybody had some doubts and fears to beovcrcome ; dismal warnings came in on all hands ,- _suggesting every imaginableapprehension ; andMi _' i Stephenson appeared at times disheartened when ihe withdrew , as was his daily custom , to give instructions on the _subjeot , and to deliberate ' on the weighty difficulties that-had tobe encountered io bis undertaking . Very few are aware of the painful anxiety tbat falls to the' lot of the engineer in circumstances of such deep responsibility ; . he can be satisfied with no ' uncertaintyor doubt—and what other foundations were possible ?
Destruction by its own . weight " wasprophesied by some of the most eminent mathematicians and greatest mechanics . With few exceptions , scientific men generally either reT mained neutral , or ominously shook their heads and , hoped for the best . '' ' Even Mr . Edwin Clark himself , when he went down to superintend the commencement of the works , conld not refrain from sending to his anxious chief a little of Job ' s comfort . . He writes— " It is a fearful span when looking at it on the spot . " . But to return to the narrative . In the
experiments instituted to test the practicability of the conception , throe objects were to be kept in view , —strength , form , and proportion ' . The first series . of experiments was made oii circular tubes , the next on oval , the third ori rectangular . The . tube bavin *** been formed , was supported at cither end just as the bridge would be ; a perforation was made in the bottom , mid tray between the supports , and a suspension-link _sustained'by a cross-bar of wood inside the "tube upheld' a frame-work charged with weights , contintVally _inci'eased till the tube gave way in some part . The _experinicnts "
The Britannia And, Conway Tubular Bridge...
upon the tubes were thirty-four in number ; twelve of which were made on circular tubes , ' seven on oval , and fifteen on rectangular . The result was to establish the fact that rectangular tubes were the strongest , and that the top is the greatest source of strength . In the whole , of these , " says Mr . Stephenson's report tojtho directors , ' * this remarkable and unexpected fact was brought to light , viz ., that in such tubes tho power of wrought-iron to resist compression was much less than its power to resist tension , being , exactly the reverse of that which holds with
cast-iron : for example , m cast-iron beams f . r sustaining weight , the proper form is to dispose of the greater portion-of the material at the bottom side of the beam , whereas with wrought-iron , these experiments demonstrate , beyond any doubt , that the greater portion of the material should be distributed on the upper side of the beam . We have arrived , therefore , at a fact having a most important bearing upon the construction of the tubes , viz ., that rigidity and strength are best obtained by throwing tbo greatest thickness of material into the upper side .
Tho experiments , though highly satisfactory in establishing the correctness of the principle , could not be considered conclusive as regarded the best mode of reducing it to practice . An exact model of the intended bridge was therefore constructed , and it was placed in a position similar to that of the intended bridge . Six different experiments were made upon it . ; the fractures being repaired as they occurred , ( for which wrought-irou affords great facilities , ) and the ' weak points thus developed being of course strengthened . The third experiment , however , was decisive , since the model itself would havo borne a loaded train .
Tlie result of the last experiment illustrated the importance of the pillars in the sides , as , with on addition of only two . hundredweight to the weight of the tube , the top and bottom remained preciselv the same as before , while breaking-weight was increased from 43 tons to nearly 56-5 tons , or more than ten'times its' own weight . ' This tuuv . modol , thereforo wits capable of carrying 113 tons equally distributed over it ; and was of . itself sufficient for railway traffic , as the weight of a line of locomotives upon it would only he 75 tons .
Thus a wrought-iron tubular bridge , made of plates riveted together , was decided on ; and nothing now remained but the construction of the bridges , "the floating of them from their place of manufacture on the shore to their place on the stone piers or towers , and raising them by means of hydraulic machinery from high-water mark to their position in the Menai Bridge , 100 feet above it . All these processes are described minutel y in Mr . _C-ark's volumes . The account of the construction is curious , from the magnitude of the work and the machinery requisite to carry it on , as well as from thejmportance of thoroughl y good
workmanship in every part . It has not , however , the interest involved in the discovery of anew principle and the gradual experiments by which that principle is tested and applied . Neither has the' constructive part the breathless feeling attached to the struggle with , and controul of , the ocean , the military precision of the preparations , and the instant obedience to one master will , that distinguish tho floating and placing o f the Tubular Bridges , Neither does it so fill the mind with wonder , as the raising such immense and unwieldy masses into midair by the simple process of forcing water into a cylinder , which raises a ram , whicli raises whatever is placed upon it . The floating and placing of the tubes was described in the
newspapers , with ample minuteness . . There are incidental passages ,-however , which are interesting in themselves , and also indicate the kind of interest' attaching to the more popular sections of Mr . Clark ' s book ; ofthemwewill quote a few . Magnitude , one of the sources of the sublime , is the great feature of the undertaking . It is the magnitude of the span that caused the doubt of the practicability ofthe brid ge ; it is the magnitude of its suspended height that impresses the mind of tho spectator or reader , •—for the principle is the same whether it were raised ten feet or a hundred . Everything was correspondingly great , down to the men and materials . These are some of the statistics : —
Three steam-engines were employed for raising the stones of the towers and abutments , with 20 travelling-cranes over different parts of tho work , simultaneously engaged in transporting and setting them ; 2 , 177 cargoes ef stone and other materials were discharged for the masonry alone . The stones were worked on the shore on either side of tho Straits , From 500 to 600 men were constantly employed in the erection of the towers , besides 300 or 400 men occupied in the quarries , and in bringing the stones to the Straits .
¦ Tho _wl-ole quantity of timber employed in tho scaffoldings for the masonry was 175 , 000 cubic feet , and for the construction of the land tubes 118 , 230 feet . The platforms on which the large tubes were constructed contained also 110 , 105 cubic feet ; tlie total quantity of timber employed' as scaffolding for the whole bridge being thus 403 , 335 feet . * # * * . Great precautions were taken to preserve the scaffolding from fire ; to which the number of redhot rivets constantly thrown about continually exposed the scaffolding for the land-tubes , which on several occasions actually took fire . The means at command for extinguishing it were , however , so _complete i that ic wason all occasions immediately
and easily subdued , or the consequences would have been most serious , as-tho tubes themselves would inevitably have been destroyed , having no other _, support during their construction " . To . avoid such a disaster , two fire-engines were constantly on tbe spot in working order ; " and tank ' s containing 8 , 000 gallons' of water were erected on tho scaffoldings at either abutment , with cast-iron pipes leading to all parts ofthe scaffolding . Gangways wore also constructed beneath the flooring ; and pliable hose , ready for attachment at any portion of the structure ,, afforded ready means of deluging any part of the platforms with water . The water was pumped into the tanks from cisterns , wliich were supplied from land-springs in the neighbourhood , constantly flowing into them in wooden channels for that
purposo . As every tiling was unprecedented , suspense , one ofthe most powerful sources of interest , is frequently at work . It was a trying operation to remove the scaffolding that supported _theitubos during their construction ,, and the moment arrived to prove whether they would even bear their own weight . Onthel 6 thof J _.-muary , tho operation of cutting away tho platform was commenced , and occupied ten days of intense anxiety . * * . * After driving the wedges , and further removing the plat _, form , as tho tubo descended and compressed the remainder ofthe timber , tbe difficulty of extracting
it became greater and greater , and the timbers were cut out piecemeal . They became at length so compressed that great . difficulty was experienced even in this operation . A hole drilled with au auguy was immediately filled up by the pressure , so that it was impossible , to bore to any depth ; and great labour was required to splinter away the timber in small fragments , The descent of the tube from its own weight was watched constantly with tbe greatest anxiety , as the operation proceeded at lerigth night and day . . The great problem was now being solved . Many had predicted a deflection of two or three feet , and a great number of ln * _-h authorities had affirmed that
the tube could not ; support its own weight ; while others foretold the buckling of the top , distortion of the sides , and crushing of the extremities . Every phenomenon was therefore watched with intense interest as the tube descended inch by inch . The crashing of the . timber , moreover , at times , as it broke away under tho strain , alarmed the men who were working beneath , and it was necessary to be continually present with them to keep them at their post . Mr . Stephenson , however , awaited thercsult with confidence , though not nnmingled with deep anxiety , as the results . of the operations from day to d _.-iy were forwarded to him bv the author . By the 24 th of January , the bulk of ' the platform was removed , and the tube had descended at the . centre
6 * inches . The pressure on tbo remaining props was _estimated . then at about ten tons _^ per foot , the longitudinal balks being nearly destroyed by the weight . ' * •* . * ' All fears , however , wero at an end on the 25 th , when the whole platform was cleared away , and the tube took its own weight from end to end , with a deflection of 7 | inches , being one-eighlh Jess than had been calculated upon . . . Tho first emotions on reflecting on this magnificent solution of the problem which had induced so " much- care and apprehension , were ¦ _inexpressibh exciting ; and though the . novelty-has ceased , no stranger can stand beneath this stupendous beam tapered off , as it appears , by its vast perspective ' _withoutreelingsofintense astonishment . - . ¦ r There _sgll remained the test of what weight
The Britannia And, Conway Tubular Bridge...
the tube would bear , besides its own ; and the trial was attended with a curious example of atmospheric influence . ; The testing of the tube was now rapidly proceeded with . For this purpose rails were laid throughout the tube and platform . Ballast waggons were tken loaded with iron plates and drawn into the centre of the tube . The first twenty tons increased the deflection by one-eighth of an inch , and with httv tons tho deflexion , as read _bylampl- ght , was 9 inches . This weight was left in all n _§ ht , _r , ilthedc aectionin the morning was only 5 L-f _ „ : ! i . was _attributed , at the time , to inthe
some error . reading ; but this , and many other anomalies in tho deflection , wero afterwards fully accounted for by local changes of temperature . A gleam of sunshine on tho top of the tube raised ir ' on one occasion nearly an inch in half an ' hou )" , with 200 tons at the centre ; the top plates being expanded by increase of temperature , while the lower plates remained constant from radiation to Ihe water immediately beneath them . In a similar manlier the tube was drawn stdewise , to the extent of an inch , from the sun shining on one side , and returned immediately as clouds passed over the sun ; being , in fact , a most delicate thermometer in constant motion , both laterally and vertically .
The effect of the wind had also excited great forebodings in most minds , excepting- Mr . Stephenson ' s ; but its influence seems to be less than that of the sun . > In such an extension ofthe theory of the beams as was involved in the construction of these bridges , it became imperative to inquire into every property of snob structures , lest any pheno ' monou , hitherto unimportant in _oi-dinary beams , should now rapidly rise into importance , and increase in somo high ratio of the magnitude : the _cftoct of isochronous vibration from wind or other causes , and the impact of trains in rapid motion , were always foremost among the theoretical apparations that hauutedthe early history of the bridges .
Mr . Stephenson attached , however , little importance to these considerations ; depending oh tho great weight ofthe structure itself , for obviating any danger from impact , and on the fitful nature of gusts of wind , as affording no apprehension of continued _houhiotiQua motion . During tbo violent gales of February last—the heaviest that have occurred for many years—the tubes were but little affected , although one of them was resting at . ' each end only © n a pile of loose planks , and at an elevation of 100 feet , and was neither connected , laterally nor longitudinally , with the nei g hbouring tubes , ' which must nearly Quadruple its lateral strength : its lateral motion amounted , under these circumstances , to about 1 _J inches . Tho blow struck by tho gale was not simultaneous _throughout the length ofthe tube , but impinged locally , and at
unequal _interrals , on all parts of tho length which presentee ; a broadside to the gale . It was impracticable to pass along the top ofthe tube , except by clinging to the winward edge ; and even in this position the fitful nature ofthe gusts was disagrec-» bly perplexing . The gale was' diverted from its horizontal course , and , descending obliquely . into the water below , ploughed it up in clouds of spray for somo distance from the tube . The maximum vibration did not occur during tho greatest violence of tho . wind , but at the momentary lulls , when the tube , partially returning to its normal shape from its own elasticity , was again met by the succeeding wave .. The tube , ho-ever _, on no occasion attained any serious oscillation , but appeared to some extent permanently sustained in a state of lateral deflection , without time to oscillate in the opposite direction .
The impact from the passage of an ordinary train must , of course , be incomparable in effect with-tho blow of such a hurricane , on a surface of 13 , 000 square feet in one span . ] The expense of the preliminary experiments was altogether £ 0 , 350 ; a " great cost , " Mr Clark terms it , but surely money well laid out . The total cost of the Conway Bridge was £ 145 , 000 ; that of the unfinished Britannia Bridge , as near as it could be ascertained atthe time Mr . Clark was writing , was about £ 600 , 000 .
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Puseyites Are Now Called "Brummagem Catu...
Puseyites are now called "Brummagem CatUo < lies . " P „ _ovEnBi * , L _PHitosovHY . — Drinking ale as medicine , and denouncing it as a beverage ! It is generally conceded , now-a-days , that ti makes the very best of belle metal . Mr . James having exhausted the- language la giving titles to his numerous productions , is now publishing—*• A story without a name . " Adding Insult to Injury . — The _tax-gatheracalling upon a blind persoti for the payment of t ' U Window-Tax . —¦ I' -mc ' _- . _Pythagoras oate this excellent precept : — Choose always the way that seems the be 3 t , however rough it may be . Custom will render it easy and agreeable . "You look rather flat , " said the tea-kettle to the pan-cake . " I would take that as an insult , " said the pan-cake , " but I am aware that you have been steaming it . "
- Too much reading and teo little ' meditation produces the effects of a lamp inverted , wliich is extinguished by an ' excess of the very element that is meant to feed it . " ComEherb , my dear ; I want toask you all about _youraister . " "Now tell mo truly , has shegot _^ a beau ?"— "No , its the jaundice she ' s got—the doctor gays so . " '; _Credii is like a looking glass , which , when once sullied by an unwholesome breath , may be wiped clean again ; but if once it is cracked it is never to be repaired . * An Empty Head . —Dawkter , dawkter , " said an exquisite the other day , "I want you to tell me what I can get to put in my head to make it right 1 " — " It wants nothing but brains , " said the gentleman of functions .
In what two cases are precisely the same means used for directly opposite purposes ? Bars are put on bank windows to keep thieves out , and on gaol windows to keep them in . To PbkseRve Life and Health . — The theory nnd practice of Dr . Cheyne was— " The slightest and least of meats and drinks a person can be tole _" - rably easy under , is the shortest and most infallible means to preserve life , health , and serenity . " A Kiss by TKLEaiurH . —A man was found at Hanwell the other day , mounted on a ladder , with his lips pressed to . the telegraph wires . He was kissing his wife in Reading "by tt 1 . 'gruff . " ' It was afterwards found that he was a newly-married man .
Expbessive Eves . — " _D- > you find my eyes expressive of my feelings ? " said a sentimental lover to a lady he desired to please . " Oh , yes , I presume so , " said the lady ; " they make me think ofa codfish dying with the tooth-ache , _' " _Popmatios of America . — The census now taking-in the United States exhibits an unparalleled increase of population and national prosperity . When concluded , it is expected to exhibit tho former at 25 , 000 , 000 , though only 17 , 000 , 000 tea years back . Emigrants are now carried to New York , from this port , at the extraordinary low rate of £ 2 per head . After deducting the cost of provisions , & c , the consignees of the vessel have ouly about 15 s . pec head left to pay all the expenses of vessel , Ac—¦ ' Liverpool Standard .
1 _' omtb , bot Slow . —A _stuttering Vermonter was asked the way to Waterbury . With great politeness he strove to say it was right ahead , but in vain , The more he tried the more he couldn't . At last , red in , the face , and furious with unavailable exertion , he burst forth with , " Gug-gug-go-long . ' darn ye ! you'll _gig-gi-get there afore 1 caa tell ye . ' '' A _BOASisn p _umsnso . —A wealthy , popular , and fust young gentleman once boasted , that he could walk home with anyone of the members of a certain division of the daughters of ( temperance from church . Accordingly , after service was over on the Sabbath ,
he spruced up to a fair damsel , and with a polite bow tendered his-arm . The young lady instinctively drew back as from a serpent , and exclaimed— " No , sir , I'll never put my arm through another jug-handle as long as I live !" Coals . —Of the three million tons and upwards of coals annually consumed in the iMetropolis , about eleven-twelfths are supplied by the collieries of Durham and Northumberland . The ships actually employed in bringing coals from the North are about 2 , 700 , with eight men to a ship , and an average cargo of nearly 300 tons . In 1848 there were 2 , 717 ships employed , which brought to London 12 , 209 cargoes , amounting to 3 , _ 13 , 310 tons .
_Fejulk BACHB _ _pns Oberlin College , in tbe United SUteg _, has lately awarded diplomas toeiKhfc young ladies , ono coloured . The degree of A . B . , va ? f , 0 " ™ "P ° n c-even gentlemen and one lady ; and that of A . M . upon nine gentleman and one lady _, three gentlemen and two ladies completed the _tlieulogical course ; andit . is stated that ono ofthe latter expects to " devote herself to pulpit-labouvs . " Hints to Finders " op AKii ( ium _ s . —Most ant - quarian objects are covert d with rust- » rlicles of
gold alone remain unchanged .- Silver usually assumes a 'blackish tinge . Bn _.-nze and copper in ' peat hogs exhibit a red or blackise tint ; while in ,, the _ijanh they become green . Iron is ah ays very ' ' much corroded , except iii peat bogs . Lead also is oxidised ; amber becomes like i esin ; ami --lass lock's . like mother-of-pearl by laying in the . earth . Bones become black or brown in be _g-, where they are . _dways best preserved . Antigu ties , should "ev . er b -. cleaned ; as tbey are thereby alm'drtal ways injured . ' , S ill more should , the finders be ; careful / hot to break them , which ignorant people often do in their eagerness lo see if they are gold .
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Citation
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Northern Star (1837-1852), Feb. 1, 1851, page 3, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse2.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/ns/issues/ns3_01021851/page/3/
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