Читать книгу Autobiography of Sir John Rennie, F.R.S., Past President of the Institute of Civil Engineers - Sir John Rennie - Страница 6

The bridge and approaches were completed and opened with great ceremony by George IV., then Prince Regent, on the 15th of June, 1817, in commemoration of the battle of Waterloo, after which it was especially named. Twenty-five pieces of artillery were placed on the centre of the bridge, which fired a salute as His Royal Highness, the directors of the Company, and a brilliant suite walked over in procession, when he christened it Waterloo Bridge, and declared it open to the public. His Royal Highness came by water in his state barge, accompanied by the Admiralty and other barges, in which were the ministers and suite; he landed at the stairs on the south-east side of the bridge, and walked over it from south to north; he embarked again on the north-east side, and returned to Whitehall and Carlton House. The sight was very brilliant, the weather magnificent, and everybody seemed to be satisfied.

The total cost of the bridge was 565,000l., which was 10,000l. more than estimated by Mr. Rennie; the approaches, besides the land and buildings, cost a further sum of 112,000l.; so that the total cost of the bridge and approaches was 677,000l., and the land and buildings and contingencies 373,000l., making a total of 1,050,000l. This is certainly a very large sum for a bridge and its approaches; but when its extent is considered, the bridge alone being a quarter of a mile long, and the approaches nearly three-quarters of a mile more, also the great cost of materials and labour of every kind, the stone-cutting costing from 4s. to 6s. a cubic foot in the rough state, timber from 7l. to 14l. per load, and labour in the same proportion (which is more than double the present price), we cannot be surprised at the total cost.

I still continued my duties at the Southwark Bridge, which was completed in March, 1819, and was opened without any ceremony by Sir John Jackson, the chairman of the Company, and the other directors.