Wed 21 Feb 1923
Swing bridge at Bond’s Mill: Mr Bloxam’s letter to Messrs King & Co. No steps to remedy mistake in level of bridge. Danger to traffic. Temporary measures taken. £3 requested towards expense. Permanent solution costly. Messrs King claim bridge substantially of level arranged. Company would not admit allegation. Mistake by Messrs King & Co compelled Company to carry out work. Messrs King replied they would adjust matters when final payment made and asked for a cheque. Cheque for £34 10s, further 30% of contract price. No further payment made until satisfactory arrangement reached.
Bristol Road Lock: Clerk reported:
1. Mr Vick of Tuffley, owner of land near canal at Aqueduct raised no objection to gap being cut from ditch to let water out of canal.
2. Letter drafted by Mr Bloxam sent to Engineer of Sharpness Dock Co accepting their offer re dam at the Aqueduct.
3. New gates on site 12 February. Mr Cullis had to remove dam at Aqueduct to a place further up pound. Water not let off at date of meeting.
4. Ryeford Saw Mills Co allowed £1 10s for defective balance poles.
Old gates inspected by Mr E J Bradley, Superintendent for Severn Commission Statement dated 20 February 1923 re accident at Bristol Road Lock says:
Evidence that gate on north side (offside) struck with considerable force on iron langett or T iron, about 18” from mitre of gates. Effect of bursting gates open for certain distance. Fall in lock at time of accident about 8 feet. Resulting back pressure too much for gates to stand and they were carried away. Sizes of new gates. Estimate about £217, if built with best English oak and good pitch pine planking, new ironwork etc. Unfamiliar with best conditions for stanking and pumping. With bad weather and consequent floods unable to give cost of emptying Lock and fixing of gates. As to how long gates would have lasted, bar accident, only approximate estimate possible. Defective heel post on gate on tow path side, defective head or mitre on opposite gate. 5 years, then replacement by new ones.
Mr Bradley asked to give approximate amount allowed for timber, iron work and labour in his £217 estimate.
Bottom gates of the Pike Lock in bad state of repair.
Bottom gates of Blunder Lock to be renewed. Some timber in stock.
Extra carpenter to be borrowed from neighbouring Navigation as usual.
Verbal report by Mr G A Evans re present state of Thames & Severn Canal. Very silted condition. On barge “Perseverance” on voyage from Stroud to Brimscombe 4 January, Mr Aldridge, Thames & Severn Canal Committee, Mr H Smart, owner of barge, and Clerk present. Chairman to write to County Council.
[1923 21 July] Committee Meeting held at Wallbridge on Wednesday the 21^st day of February 1923 @ 3.20 o'clock pm
Present: Jack Margeston W^m Davies, W R Bloxam, Henry R Hooper, Gd Evans, R J C Little, also J R M Ball (failed to sign).
Before commencement of business the Chairman welcomed Mr H R Hooper to the Committee.
Swing Bridge at Bond's Mill.
In accordance with the minute of last Meeting a letter drafted by Mr Bloxam had been sent to Messrs King & Co, informing them that, as they had taken no steps to remedy the mistake in the level of the Bridge, which was a danger to traffic, the Company had been compelled to take temporary measures with that object, and asking them to pay the sum of £3 toward the expense, incurred by the Company, & also pointing out that the measures taken were of a temporary nature only and that the question of dealing in a permanent manner with the level of the Bridge would be a costly matter; to which they had replied that the bridge is substantially of the level arranged.
The Clerk had written in reply that the Company could not admit their allegation and had repeated that it is entirely owing to the mistake made by them that the Company had been compelled to carry out the work previously referred to.
Messrs King & Co had replied that they would adjust matters when final payment was made & asked for a cheque.
The Clerk was instructed to forward a part cheque for £34.10..0 being a further 30% of the contract price of the bridge, and to inform Mess^rs King & Co that no further payment will be made until they had made a satisfactory arrangement as to the points raised in the previous letters.
With regard to the proposed improvement of Pike Bridge at Eastington no further communication had been received from the County Surveyor.
Bristol Road Lock.
The Clerk reported that:-
1. Mr Vick of Tuffley near Gloucester, the owner of the land near to the Canal at the Acqurduct, had been seen, had raised no objection to a gap being cut in the ditch for the purpose of letting water out of the Canal.
2. A letter as drafted by Mr Bloxam had been sent to the Engineer of the Sharpness Dock Co, accepting their offer respecting a dam at the Acqueduct.
3. The New Gates were on the site on Monday the 12^th February and by about middle day on Wednesday the 14^th inst had been lowered into the Lock ready for water to be drawn out of the pound, but as Mr Cullis had found it necessary to remove the dam at the Acqurduct to a place further up the pound, the water had not been let off at the date of the meeting.
4. The Ryeford Saw Mills Co has allowed £1..10..0 for defective balance poles.
The Old Gates have been inspected by Mr E J Bradley Superintendent for the Severn Commission in which he sates as follows:
20^th February 1923
re Accident at Bristol Road Lock.
"In accordance with your request I have inspected the broken Lower Lock Gates at the above Lock and from my examination I find evidence that the Gate on the North side (or offside) had been struck with considerable force on the iron Langett or T.iron about 18" from the Mitre of the Gates this would have the effect of bursting the Gates open for a certain distance and considering the fall in the Lock at the time of the accident at about 8 feet the resulting back pressure was too much for the Gates to stand and they were carried away."
"I have ascertained the sizes of a pair of New Gates and estimate them to cost, if built with best English Oak and good Pitch Pine Planking, New Ironwork, etc at about £217/0/0 (Two hundred and seventeen pounds) as I am not familiar with the local conditions for Stanking and Pumping and with the bad weather and consequent Floods to contend with I am unable to give any estimate of the cost of emptying the Lock and fixing the Gates, etc."
"With regard to the question of how long the Gates would have lasted (bar accident) it will be readily understood that this can only be given approximately but considering the defective Heel Post on the Gate on the Tow Path side and the defective Head or Mitre on the opposite Gate I consider that in about 5 years from now these matters would have to be attended to and with the general worn condition of the Gates it would be necessary to have them replaced by new ones."
(Signed)
Edward J Bradley
It was decided to write to Mr Bradly and ask him to give the approximate amount he had allowed for Timber, Ironwork and Labour in arriving at the amount of his estimate of £217.
The Clerk reported that the bottom gates at the Pike Lock were in bad state of repair, and that the bottom bates of the Blunder Lock required to be renewed. With regard to the latter some timber is in stock.
In order to carry out this work it would be necessary to borrow an extra Carpenter from a neighbouring Navigation, as usual.
A verbal report was made by Mr G A Evans with regard to the present state of the Thames and Severn Canal, which he stated to be in a very silted condition. He mentioned that he attended, as arranged, the barge "Perseverance" on her voyage from Stroud to Brimscombe on the 4^th Jany last. Mr Aldridge of the Thames and Severn Canal Committee, Mr H Smart, owner of the barge, and the Clerk were present. After discussion the Chairman stated that he would write to the County Council on the matter.
Cheques drawn:
Committee fees: 1..12..6
E C Govier Poor Rates: 10..16..0
J H Wilson Poor Rates: 6..11..3
J B Powell Poor Rates; 6..6..0
D E Tanner Poor Rates: 2..2..0
F Miles Poor Rates: 4..5..3
D H Neale Poor Rates: 3..1..0
F Cookley Poor Rates: 2..17..0
Stroud Gas C^o: 1..0..3
G Gabb Canal Maintenance: 1..17..6
G F J Powell Canal Maintenance: 1..7..0
Post Master General Telephone: 3..10..5
King & C^o Ltd (Bridge) Bond's Mill: 34..10..0.
The Tonnage for the period 1^st January to 20^th Feby was £18..9..10 comparing with £201..7..0 last year and £165..9..11 in 1914.
Bank Balance was £430..17..2 against £330..16..10 last year and £234..16..2 in 1914.
