Ordnance gazetteer of Scotland

GLASGOW
Roseneath, Skelmorlie, Greenock, Garvel Point, Gan-
tocks, Burnt Isles, and Toward. The dredgings lifted
amount to over 4,000,000 tons, and the income and
expenditure to about £15,000 per annnm.
Bridges. — Within the limits of the city the river is
crossed by ten bridges. The one farthest down the
river, immediately below Glasgow Bridge, is a large and
massive iron lattice-girder bridge, by which the Cale-
donian railway traffic is carried to the Central station.
It was finished in 1879. Proceeding np the river the
next bridge is Glasgow Bridge, one of the busiest places
in Glasgow, as continuing the line of Jamaica Street to
Bridge Street and Eglinton Street. It forms the princi-
pal communication with the S side. The original struc-
ture, known as the Broomielaw Bridge, founded in 176S,
had seven arches. About 1830 it was found inadequate
for the traffic, and in 1833 was replaced by a granite-
cased structure, also of seven arches, designed by Telford.
This, which was 60 feet wide, remained till 1893, when,
becoming in its turn insufficient for the increased traffic,
and showing signs of failure in its foundations, it was
decided to rebuild it It was at first proposed to erect
a bridge of four spans, but for reasons connected with
the navigation of the upper harbour, the proposed piers
not being in line with those of the contiguous railway
bridge, it was agreed to rebuild it on the same plan as
Telford's bridge, but 20 feet wider, thus making the
extreme width between the parapets 80 feet. Operations
were begun in 1895. The caissons supporting the arches
are sunk to a depth of about 75 feet, so as to be beyond
the influence of any probable scour in the river. The
centre span is 58 feet 10 inches, the one on each side of
this 57 feet 9 inches, the next on each side 55 feet 7
inches, and the side spans 52 feet each. Granite is
used throughout. The Portland Street Suspension
Bridge, a little to the E of Glasgow Bridge, was erected
at the expense of the heritors of Gorbals in 1853, and
altered and improved in IS 70-71. Still farther E, and
forming an important HtiV between the N and S side of
the river, is Victoria Bridge. This erection occupies
the site of the old and first bridge of Glasgow. We
have already seen that a bridge, probably of wood, is
mentioned as existing here in the time of Wallace. It
was about 1350 replaced by Bishop Eae's Bridge, a
great work for the time, consisting of eight stone arches,
12 feet wide between parapets. In course of time thi«
naturally became somewhat decayed, and in 1658 an
order was made that no cart was to cross on wheels, but
was to have the wheels removed and to be 'harled'
across — a method which hardly commends itself to us
now-a-days as likely to be better for the bridge. In
1671, during the Fair, the arch at the S end felL It
seems to have been merely rebuilt, but in 1777 the bridge
was widened by 10 feet added to its eastern side; and
to narrow the river, and so assist in the prevention of i
floods, two of the arches on the N side were built up.
In this condition it remained till 1821, when it was
again repaired; but in 1845 an Act of Parliament was
obtained for the erection of a new one on the same site,
and it was finally pulled down in 1847, and replaced by
the present bridge, which was opened in the beginning
of 1S54. Named Victoria Bridge in honour of the
Queen, it cost £40,000, and is 60 feet wide, with five
arches of from 67 to 80 feet in span. The next bridge
is a high lattice-girder bridge, opened in 1870, by which
the Union and the Glasgow and South-Western rail-
ways cross to St Enoch's station. Next is the Albert
Bridge, which has replaced what was known as the
Hutchesontown Bridge. The first bridge that was
erected here was one built in 1792, when the Hutcheson-
town lands were feued; but it was hardly finished when,
in 1795, it was destroyed by a flood on the river. In
1803 there was a light wooden bridge for foot passengers,
free during the week, but with a pontage of Id. on Sun-
day. The third bridge, a very plain structure, with
five arches, was not erected till 1829, and the founda-
tions having become insecure it was closed in 1868, and
was in 1868-71 replaced by the present bridge. Named
in honour of the Prince Consort, it crosses theriver in three
GLASGOW
magnificent spans, the centre one being 114 feet wide,
and the others 108 feet. The foundations rest on cast-
iron cylinders filled with cement, and sunk deep in the
bed of the river. The abutments and piers are of white
and red granite. The parapet is of open work, and has
in the centre a close space with the city arms. On the
abutments are panels, with medallions of the Queen and
Prince Consort, It is 410 feet long, and the roadway
is 60 feet wide. Opposite the middle of the Green is
a foot suspension bridge, erected in 1856, for the accom-
modation of factory hands in the east end. It is known
as Harvey's Suspension Bridge (from the promoter of
its erection, Bailie Harvey), or as St Andrew's Suspen-
sion Bridge, the latter being the authorized name.
Before its erection there was a ferry here, in times of
spate a scene of great excitement. Still farther up,
opposite the line of Main Street, Bridgeton, is Ruther-
glen Bridge. The old and not very beautiful structure
of 1776 having become unsafe was removed in 1893 and
replaced by the present three-arch stone bridge, which
has a length of 330 feet and is 60 feet wide. Next
comes the Caledonian Eailway Bridge at Dalmarnoek,
constructed in 1861 ; and last the bridge at Dalmarnoek,
which continues the line of Dalmarnoek Road towards
Rutherglen. The first Dalmarnoek Bridge, which was
of wood and was erected in 1S21, lasted till 1848, when
it was replaced by another of the same material. This
was removed in 1889, when the present bridge was
erected. It is 320 feet long and 50 feet wide, with five
steel-girder spans each 54 feet 8 inches long, the girders
resting on granite piers. The last three bridges are
partly in Glasgow and partly in the county of Lanark.
At both Eutherglen and Dalmarnoek there were origin-
ally fords.
Besides the bridges over the Clyde there is an elegant
one-arch bridge, fancifully called the Bridge of Sighs,
leading across the Molendinar ravine to the Necropolis.
It has a span of 60 feet, and was erected in 1S33 at a coat
of £1240. The Kelvin is crossed by a number of bridges.
Proceeding upwards from the mouth there is first a
girder bridge, by which the Stobcross railway crosses;
then a bridge, for a continuation of Bridge Street, Par-
tick, to Old Dumbarton Road. New Dumbarton Road
crosses the stream by a handsome iron bridge (1877)
resting on stone abutments, while a stone arch carries
the roadway over the adjoining mill-lade. Within the
limits of the West End Park the Kelvin is crossed by
three bridges — one of stone; one a strong lattice-girder
bridge for carriage traffic, finished in 1881; and one
known as the Prince of Wales Bridge, from the original
wooden structure having been erected for the use of the
Prince of Wales when he laid the foundation-stone of
the University buildings. To the N of the park are
two bridges on the line of Woodlands Road and of
Great Western Road. The first, a steel bridge of one
span, resting on masonry abutments, and 60 feet wide,
was erected in 1892-94 to replace the old one of 1853.
The other, which replaced one erected originally in 1S3S-
40 and enlarged in 1858-59, is 60 feet wide, and was
erected in 1889-91. It is constructed of iron and has
four spans, the two central each 91 feet wide, that on
the W 34 feet, and that on the E 20 feet. There are
iron balustrades between the piers, which are carried
up all the way in a casing of Aberdeenshire granite,
and finished at the top with handsome capitals bearing
lamps. Close by is the girder bridge of the Glasgow
Cestp.at, Railway. Two handsome single-arched stone
bridges at Belmont and Queen Margaret College, erected
in 1870, were taken over by the Corporation at the time
of the extension of the city boundary to be maintained
as public property. The other bridges do not call for
particular notice.
Cemeteries. — Some ancient cemeteries in the city
have been converted into building ground or market
places ; while others, at the Cathedral, St David's,
Gorbals, Calton, and Bridgeton still remain, but
are not now important for their original purpose,
but as lungs for the city. The cathedral cemetery is
the oldest, the first part of it that was used being very
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