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Document 45 p 4

92
acted immediately under Mr Smeaton him ever known to have
preferred a Complaint of that Sort to Mr Smeaton? Who then
was brought forward in Support of this Mighty Charge, which
every man of Credit concerned in the Work knows to be an
impudent Falsehood, no other than a Drunken Labourer – Sir
the whole of this Attempt, as well as the Evidence adduced in support
of it is, you will agree with me, too contemptible to deserve
any further Comment – but notwithstanding the skill of the
Engineer, and the liberal Zeal of the Undertaker the Enterprize has
from a Combination of unfortunate Circumstances proved
unsuccessful and the Question now is, what is to be done?
My first Application was of Course to Mr Smeaton who as soon
as he was in possession of every fact attending the Downfall of
the Bridge & the State of the Bed of the River after the
Waters had subsided, declared in the most positive Terms, that
to attempt rebuilding would be imprudent in the extreme; that
he could not execute it better, that the same Causes would
inevitably produce the same Effects, & that he thought it
impossible to be done with any reasonable hope of proving a permanent
or successful Undertaking. & added moreover, that he had no blame to
lay on any one concern’d under him in the execution of his Designs or
Orders. When the first Engineer in England, or perhaps in
Europe, a man as eminent for his Integrity as skill in his
Profession, the Person whose Instructions I am by my Contract
bound to obey in all things relating to this Work, made such a
Declaration what I to do? No other I conceive than what I did
do,- come down to you, expose to you the State of the Case with
the Opinion of Mr Smeaton & his reasons in support of that
Opinion, declaring myself at the same time willing to come into
any Terms that should be thought reasonable in order to be
released from an Engagement, which to persist in could possibly
answer no good End to the Public must occasion a very [fruitless?]
Expence to the Undertaker, & in the End prove burthensome to the

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Note: Letter from Mr Errington to Mr Aynsley, 22 September 1783, p 4

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Transcribed by CTW and KS