6
Mr. White’s Design for the New London Bridge ,
building London Bridge , which will in all probability be donein a few days, they will take your letter into consideration.
I have the honour to be, Sir, your obedient servant,
Sion College Gardens, Jan. 22, 1823. R. F. Newman.
III. To Dr. Olinthus Gregory , Royal Military Academy,
Woolwich.
Sir,—My brother has had the goodness to introduce to yourobservations the accompanying papers respecting London Bridge , which were written to elucidate my design lor the newstructure.
I am desirous of obtaining the judgement of a [previous]stranger [to my plans] of your well known abilities, and I shallconsider it an eminent favour if you would condescend tocommunicate to me your sentiments thereon at an earlyperiod, whether for my private satisfaction, or to show to myfriends, as may be agreeable to yourself.
I have the honour to be, with the greatest respect,
Sir, your most humble servant,
New Road, Marylebone , March 3, 1823. John White.
IV. On the Plans for erecting a New London Bridge, distin-
guished by the Signature “ Amicus.”
The author of the accompanying plans (marked [Plate II.]1, 2, 3, 4, 5) is of opinion that in the construction of bridges thefollowing particulars deserve especial attention, viz.
First. The pressure or gravitation of the component ma-terials.
Secondly. The cohesion of those materials, the principlesof gravitation and cohesion being, in practice, in many respectsessentially different.
A bridge depending principally on the gravity, and conse-quently on the pressure or equilibration of its constituent parts,in order to be perfectly durable, must be formed of the mostcostly materials, must be contrived with the greatest skill, andmust be executed with the utmost nicety; yet such a bridgewill from its very nature be ill adapted for great adventitiousand unequal weights; and a design upon that principle has notbeen pursued, but one on the cohesive chosen.
If we reflect upon the durability of edifices, and judge fromthe remains of former times, we shall perceive that cohesivebuildings are of three distinct formations:
The first denominated the “ Cyclopian,” and considered tobe the most ancient of Grecian erections, has the stone or
marble