Engineering Wonders of the World
Volume I

190 ENGINEERING WONDERS OF THE WORLD. by a supreme effort and make his way to the staircase, already blocked by a panic-stricken crowd. Escape was cut off. Fortunately a tremendous wave which bore him to the top of the shaft enabled him to grasp the staircase, and so effect his escape. Six of the workmen, dragged by the wave back into the tunnel, were drowned. While Isambard was recovering from the injuries sustained during this adventure, his father resumed the duties of resident engineer. Disregarding the hundreds of Funds useless suggestions tendered for exhausted, plugging the hole in the river- bricked bed, repeated his former plan up> and dumped down 4,500 tons of clay and gravel. This work exhausted the funds of the company. At a meeting called on July 5, 1828, the Duke of Wellington, who took a great interest in the tunnel, appealed to the public to subscribe for debentures which should enable the enterprise to be carried through. As the necessary help was not forthcoming, nothing remained but to brick up the shield and wait for happier times. The completion of this operation, early in August, terminates the first period of the tunnel’s history. Though through no inherent fault Brunel’s method had failed to accomplish the desired end, the failure stimulated nearly five hundred would-be experts to submit ManY schemes for completing the Suggestions. tunnel more cheaply and ex- peditiously than would be possible if his system were adhered to. Of these schemes all but one were rejected by the directors, and about this single exception the Duke of Wellington made some scathing remarks. The directors, nevertheless, looked so favour- ably upon it that Brunel felt it to be neces- sary to draw up a statement defending his own principles, and setting forth in detail the difficulties with which he had had to contend. Government advances Money. A commission appointed to sit in judgment reported that the alternative plan was imprac- ticable. This led to a resolution being passed by the shareholders expressing confidence in their engineer, and advising that an application should be made to Government for the funds necessary to carry on the work. Imagine the indignation of the shareholders when they learned subsequently that a loan had been offered by the Government, but refused by the management! Brunel’s patience now gave out, and he resigned his appointment definitely in disgust. Popular opinion would not, however, allow the tunnel scheme to fall through altogether. It was thought that Government should give the necessary aid. This en- couraged the company to pre- pare a petition to Parliament; but, by some extraordinary fatality, when the time came for its pre- sentation the petition could not be found! The Government consented, however, to ad- vance £240,000 to the Tunnel Company, on condition that the money “ should be solely applied in carrying on the tunnel itself, and that no advance should be applied to the de- fraying any other expense, until that part of the undertaking which is most hazardous shall be secured.” This condition was unfortunate, as it prevented the sinking of the second shaft on the northern shore, and the simultaneous prosecution of the work from both ends. Brunel consented to associate himself again with the enterprise. His first task was to re- move the brick heading-wall and replace the original shield—now in a ruin- ous condition—by a new one embodying certain improve- ments. As a preliminary, the space occupied by the shield had to be tim- bered securely on all sides. This done, the frames and other parts were removed in detail. The new shield, built by Messrs. Rennie, was in place and ready for work at the beginning New Shield installed.