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An Encyclopaedia of civil engineering : historical, theoretical and practical : illustrated by upwards of three thousend engravings on wood by R. Branston / by E. Cresy
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PREFACE

Civil Engineering must almost necessarily have been coeval with the worldsexistence, and that its practical usefulness was fully appreciated by the ancientsseems to be shadowed forth in one of their earliest fables; for when the waters whichcovered Thessaly were to be drained, the land rendered serviceable for agriculture,and the air freed from miasma and pestilential vapours, no mortal could be foundcompetent to perform the task, and Hercules was implored to cut off the Hydrashead, or to dam up the watercourses which were the cause of the inundation : butvam were the several first attempts of the hero to destroy the enemy; two headsappeared for every one removed; and until the method of searing up the woundwas discovered, he failed in accomplishing his purpose.

The Phoenicians , Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans, gave active employment tothe Civil Engineer , in draining marshes, mining, constructing sewers, bridges,aqueducts, baths, amphitheatres, roads, canals, moles, harbours, lighthouses, &c. &c.,the remains of which are not only traceable, but sufficient to justify our convictionthat they were executed by a class of men thoroughly acquainted with the principlesof geometry, and many branches of natural philosophy.

After the destruction of the Roman Empire, all engineering works were underthe direction and superintendence of the Freemasons , Brothers of the Bridge, andother fraternities; but Civil Engineering can scarcely be said to have taken its placeamong the sciences until the desire to recover the submerged lands in Italy calledinto action the powers of those philosophers and mathematicians of the seventeenthcentury, whose writings laid the foundation of our knowledge of hydrodynamics :hydraulic architecture as practised in Italy soon spreading over the greater partof Europe . Galileo , Torricelli , Castelli, Gulielmini, Poleni, Manfredi, Zendrini andothers, became distinguished for the laws they propounded upon the activeproperties of water. The torch of theory was then kindled by practice, and againgave back to the artificer and mechanic a light more brilliant than they had beforeenjoyed.

In France , Belidor about the same period collected all the information that mightbe useful to the Civil Engineer , which he published under the title of ArchitectureHydraulique; a work deservedly esteemed, and considered as the primer of themodern school of engineering in that country.

In England, the profession of the Civil Engineer was scarcely known until themiddle of the last century, when the important discovery of the application ofsteam by James Watt , and its rapid development, called into existence a new classof mechanics, who gave a fresh impetus to manufactures by the improvement of alltands of machinery. The vast commercial enterprise which attended this movement,and its great and growing success, have necessarily led to the enlargement of ournarbours, and the improvement of our inland navigation; the progress, too, of anenlightened civilisation in its regard for the sanatory condition of the empire,requi reg that our towns and cities shall be amply supplied with water, lighted,drained, &c.; while innumerable other causes are almost daily arising to call forne reconstruction of our quays, bridges, and every other work, executed beforems great and general movement in civilisation was made. During the last halfcentury hundreds of millions sterling have been devoted to these important objects,and, great as the amount may appear, it is infinitely less than what will be expendedupon railroads alone if the country remains at peace, and its prosperity unimpaired.p... 61 ',these circumstances it will at once be seen of what importance it is that theivil Engineer should be qualified to discharge his duty in the great career that

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