Tag: Nine Arches

The Sankey Viaduct ( Nine Arches Bridge )

Steven Dowd

It was then that the wealthy Quaker Joseph Sandars met William James, who proposed a railway which he undertook to build in 18 months at a cost of £100,000. Though his offer was accepted, long delays then occurred and by 1824 he was succeeded by George Stephenson as the company’s engineer. The next year a Parliamentary Bill was introduced, but it failed principally owing to Stephensons inability to answer questions on his survey by opposing counsel. He was accordingly dismissed by the board, who appointed the professional civil engineers Sir…

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Tommy Burns jump off the 9 Arches?

Steven Dowd

Tommy Burns was a young Widnes man who had been causing no end of a sensation up and down the country by his high diving feats. He laid no claims to being a great) swimmer but he had cer?tainly perfected the art of diving. Height never daunted him, he always gave a per?fect performance and did not demand very deep water for he had no sooner cut the water than he was swimming on the surface Burns was travelling about the country giving exhibitions of diving for what he could…

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