Early history of the undrtaking—1879. under the deepest part of the river. Sir John had to explain to me that the Directors had determined, in the first place, to complete the tunnel under what was known as the ‘Shoots’ (that is, the low-water channel of the river), before proceeding further with the tunnel under the land, and he asked me to give him a price for executing that part of the work only.
After a little consideration, I declined to do this, but offered to carry out the works on the tender I had made in 1877, executing the work under the ‘Shoots’ first, if he thought that advisable. I gave to him then all the details of the tender I had made in 1877. The Directors accepted the tender, with certain modifications necessary in consequence of the lapse of time and the work that had been done, and the contract was entered into with me, and the works handed over to me on the 18th December, 1879.
Nothing could be more desolate than the appearance of the works at this time. There were, as I have stated, near the main shaft only six cottages and a small office, the necessary boiler-houses and engine-houses, a small carpenter’s shop, a fitter’s shop, a blacksmith’s shop, and two low buildings or sheds used as cottages also. The tramway which had been originally laid to Portskewett Station had been pulled up, and in lieu of it another tramway had been laid, following (on the surface of the ground) the centre line of the tunnel itself from the Old Shaft to the Marsh Pit, and joining the Great Western Rail-