kimerajamm
Joined: 28 Nov 2010
Posts: 785
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 Posted: Sun Feb 06, 2011 1:32 am Post subject: Battersea Bridge |
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The bridge was not a commercial success. It was 734 feet (224 m) long and only 24 feet (7.3 m) wide, making it impractical for larger vehicles to use.[12] Holland's design consisted of nineteen separate narrow spans, the widest being only 32 feet (9.8 m) wide,[17] and boats found it difficult to navigate beneath the bridge; there were a number of accidents including serious injuries and deaths.[12] Repeatedly rammed by passing shipping, the bridge required frequent costly repairs, and dividends paid to investors were low.[12] During a particularly cold winter in 1795 the bridge was badly damaged by ice, necessitating lengthy and expensive reconstruction, and no dividends at all were paid for the next three years.[18] Concerns were expressed in Parliament about the reliability of the bridge, and the Battersea Bridge Company was obliged to provide a ferry service at the same rate as the bridge tolls, in the event of the bridge being closed for repairs.[5]
In an effort to improve the bridge's poor safety record for its customers, oil lamps were added to the deck in 1799, making Battersea Bridge the first Thames bridge to be lit.[15][16] Between 1821 and 1824 the flimsy wooden fences along the edges of the bridge, which were often breaking, were replaced by sturdy iron 4-foot (1.2 m) railings,[16] and in 1824 the oil lamps were themselves replaced by gas lighting.[15][16] In 1873, in an effort to improve navigation around the bridge and reduce accidents, two of the supporting piers were removed, making the widest span a more easily navigated 77 feet (23 m), and the bridge deck was strengthened with iron girders to compensate for the missing piers.[17
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