Autobiography of Sir John Rennie, F.R.S 46

Autobiography of Sir John Rennie, F.R.S 46

The Bessemer process has considerably reduced the expense of producing

good iron in England, and also for converting it into steel, still the

Swedish iron is so much better that there will always be a certain demand

for it.

 

It becomes a question, then, whether it would not be worth while to

export the Swedish ore to England, where there is plenty of fuel, and

where it could be converted into the best iron at the least expense.

Would it not be cheaper to do this, than to manufacture the iron in

Sweden, where fuel is so much dearer? and as the Swedish iron ore is very

rich compared with ours, except the haematite, the extra freight would

soon be recouped. I think it is by no means improbable that it will come

to this at last.

 

About the time that the Railway guarantee was obtained from the Swedish

Government, and the company was successfully started, another undertaking

was proposed to me by a M. Von Alstein, a Belgian proprietor, and a man

of some influence and property in that kingdom. The Dutch Government was

anxious to get a more direct and constant navigation up the Scheldt,

as that round by Bergen-op-Zoon was only practicable from half tide to

high water, while at low water the whole channel was completely dry. It

was considered, also, that the whole of the old channel might be filled

up and converted into valuable land, so that the fertile island of St.

Beveland might be joined to the mainland, and thus the kingdom would be

greatly benefited. The Government did not, however, want to undertake

the necessary works itself, but was ready to give up the whole of the

old channel to any company that would construct the new canal above

mentioned, as well as an embankment and road across the old channel, so

as to connect the island of St. Beveland with the mainland. Accordingly

upon these terms a concession was granted to M. Von Alstein and others,

giving them the whole of the lands to be reclaimed, which would amount

to a very considerable tract. The plan, upon due investigation, appeared

to offer considerable advantages to any party who would undertake it. It

was accordingly brought before the English public. A Belgian and English

company was formed to carry it out. The money was duly subscribed, and

Mr. Thomas Hutchings, at that time a large railway contractor, and

considered to possess undoubted means, offered to take a large number

of shares. He accordingly became the contractor for the work, and I

was appointed the engineer-in-chief, while M. Von Alstein became the

managing director, and a M. Dronker, a Dutch engineer and contractor of

considerable experience, was appointed by Mr. Hutchings sub-contractor

under him. I went over to Holland to examine the whole district and

the works proposed, and it appeared to me that if they were properly

carried into effect, it would turn out a very fair speculation, yielding

considerable profit. My visit was made in December, 1851.

 

Things having, in 1852, been satisfactorily settled with the Government

at the Hague, as soon as the weather would permit, arrangements were

made for commencing the works, and in the month of June Mr. Hutchings,

myself, and the English and Belgian directors being present, the first

sod of the canal was turned with considerable ceremony by one of the

Dutch Princes.

 

Whilst the canal was proceeding, the company was empowered to enclose

as much of the land of the old channel as was considered advisable by

a jury of Dutch experts, without whom nothing could be done. M. Von

Alstein, the manager of the company, attended, and the jury marked out a

space in the old channel of the Scheldt, which was always covered to a

considerable extent at high water of spring tides, and even neap tides,

including the green marsh as well as the sands. The Dutch jury marked a

space of 3000 acres, which included about one-third of green marsh and

two-thirds of sand--part of which was clayey; when this was done, I went

over to examine it, and was much surprised to find that so large a space

had been decided upon. I said to M. Von Alstein, the director, that I

thought it was far too much to be taken in at once; that it would cost

a great deal of money; that the sands were not worth the expense; and

that I thought it would be far better to confine the intake to the green

marshes for the present year, and that before the sands were taken in

they ought to be worked up so as to become green marshes. For, in fact,

in England, where I had reclaimed many thousand acres, I never thought

of enclosing bare sands. The manager, however, told me that was totally

contrary to the Dutch system, and as the jury had decided upon taking

the sands as well as the green marshes to the extent above mentioned, it

must be done, and he would not listen to my recommendation of taking in

a less quantity. The Dutch engineers also fixed the dimensions and form

of the embankments, which I did not approve of. In fact, I disapproved

of the whole plan, and told M. Von Alstein my opinion, and that I could

not take upon myself the responsibility. The manager said that the works

must be carried into effect as decided by the Dutch jury and the Dutch

engineers. I was therefore obliged to be silent, particularly as Mr.

Hutchings, who was the contractor and also the leading shareholder,

had consented to it. The works accordingly began under M. Dronker, Mr.

Hutchings’ sub-contractor; and Mr. Brown, one of Mr. Hutchings’ partners,

was sent over to superintend the works on the part of Hutchings, Brown,

and Wright. I remained some time on the spot, and had a boat fitted up to

live in at Barth, for there were no lodgings to be had. I soon saw by the

manner in which M. Dronker was carrying on the works that they could not

succeed, and I wrote repeatedly to Mr. Hutchings to come over, otherwise

he would be ruined, as his partner--Brown--knew nothing about it, and

allowed Dronker to proceed as he liked. It appeared to me as if it was

nothing more nor less than throwing away money by handfuls, no adequate

amount of work being done for it. I never saw such gross mismanagement in

my life. There were from twelve to thirteen hundred men employed at 3_s._

to 4_s._ a day, with a number of assistants, and they were not doing work

enough for half that number. I also expostulated with Dronker, the Dutch

contractor, but he would not listen to me, and said that he would do as

he liked. The works continued to proceed in this manner, and I wrote

almost every post to Hutchings to come over himself without delay, or to

stop the works, for it was impossible to complete them for any reasonable

sum in the manner in which they were being carried on. I told him,

moreover, that it was in vain to attempt to reclaim 3000 acres at once,

and the better plan would be to confine his operations, in the first

instance, to taking in the green marsh, which was about 1000 acres, and

to wait until the sands were worked on the outside, which would be done

much more rapidly when once the green marsh was enclosed. I told the

manager and Dronker the same; however, they would not listen. At length,

after great difficulty, I got them to divide the enclosure into two

parts, each consisting of 1500 acres, and I hoped that I should be able

to induce them to subdivide these two again into 750 each. By this means

the green marsh in each division would have been reduced to about 500

acres, which would easily have been enclosed at a considerable profit,

leaving the sands to be dealt with hereafter according to circumstances.

 

However, nothing would do but they must continue pushing on the outer

bank over the sands, which I saw was impracticable at any cost within

reason. At last, Hutchings came over himself, and when he visited the

works held up his hands in astonishment, and saw that he was a ruined

man. By this time money ran short, the workmen rebelled for wages and

threatened destruction to Hutchings and all concerned; and the Dutch

Government, being applied to, sent three hundred soldiers and two armed

cutters to keep order. The men were paid, great numbers were discharged,

and the works went on upon a much better system, and considerable

progress was made, but still they would not confine themselves to the

enclosure of the green marsh. After a great deal of difficulty they

nearly succeeded in enclosing 1500 acres near to Barth; but before this

could be done Hutchings’ funds were exhausted, and he was obliged to stop

payment. If my advice had been followed this never would have occurred.

Some fresh parties then joined the concern, and, adopting my advice,

confined themselves to enclosing the 1000 acres of marsh land.

 

At certain times of the year, particularly at the end of summer and in

the autumn, it is difficult to conceive a more unwholesome district,

as at those times the marsh fever invariably makes its appearance with

the most deadly effect. I had several fine, strong, healthy young men as

assistants with me, living in my ship, and at dinner it was by no means

uncommon to see one taken ill and fall off his chair. The only remedy

was to give him a strong stimulant of wine or brandy, wrap him up in

blankets, and send him off as quietly as possible. Fortunately I had been

so thoroughly cured of my fever when at Naples, as before mentioned, that

I had become as it were acclimatized and never experienced the least

attack. The island of St. Beveland, where these works were carried on,

is one of the most rich, and fertile districts imaginable, teeming with

luxurious vegetation of every kind, and abounding in beautiful little

villages, the very models of cleanliness and comfort; but amongst them

the fever lurks in the most insidious form. Mr. Brown, a fine, powerful

man of about forty-five, whilst superintending these works for his

partners and himself, had an excellent house in the village of Yersike,

about four miles distant, supplied with every English comfort both of

furniture and provisions; but after a time he caught the fever, which

stuck to him for a considerable time, and ultimately he was obliged to

leave the place, as otherwise he must have succumbed. The Dutch never

go out in the morning without taking a cup of coffee and a dram of

bitters, composed of gentian, quinine, and gin, and a pipe, which is

scarcely ever out of their mouths, and they repeat the dose at night and

not unfrequently during the day. In the English fens and lowlands we

do pretty much the same, and good port wine and quinine are considered

a specific; but I do not think that the fever is so bad with us as in

Holland; the cause may be that these Dutch islands being surrounded by

the sea, the tide leaves a large surface of mud exposed to the action of

the sun, and thus a considerable amount of malaria is engendered; this

I have always found to prevail most densely where there are trees, which

prevent it from being dissipated; so that it is always safer to be in a

boat, or in a house without any trees near it, so as to be exposed to the

free circulation of the air, also to sleep at least 20 feet above the

ground.

 

The whole of the seaboard of Holland requires to be remodelled. The

numerous channels through which the tidal and fresh waters pass occupy

a considerable surface which is comparatively useless, and only serve

to deteriorate the main channels of the rivers, and thus prevent them

from discharging their waters effectually, and so keeping them open,

in the best state for drainage and navigation. If these superfluous

channels were filled up, and the islands which they surround were united

to the mainland, a great quantity of valuable land would be gained to

the State; the extensive embankments which are now necessary to prevent

these islands from being submerged, and which entail a great and constant

tax upon the kingdom, would be considerably reduced; the main rivers

and harbours would be materially improved, and the general surface of

the water in the interior would be lowered; the drainage also might be

improved in the same manner, so as to render a considerably less amount

of artificial drainage power necessary, which would in turn cause a