Worcester Bridge 1890.
basil | 11/22/2005 | 12:59 pm
An 1890’s postcard photographer has captured a remarkable incident at the bridge. A pair of horse drawn canal boats have come down river from the canal at Stourport on Severn drifting on the current. As the enlarged portion shows the boatman has erected a black tarpaulin sail on the boats towing mast to obtain some steerage from the breeze. Unfortunately as he approaches the bridge the wind has died and he has been forced to use his long iron tipped ash shaft to push on the eight foot deep gravel bottom. By this method the breasted up boats can be lined up to drift under the bridge arch. With a bit of luck, and much skill, he will run through the centre arch and not break his mast.
While all this is going on the photographer has also captured a painter who has fastened his ladder to the bridge parapet and climbing down is busily painting the ornate ironwork facing to the bridge. He has painted the right hand panels picking out the scrolls.
All being well he will have the bridge looking bright and cheerful for the Coronation celebrations. Hopefully a steamer will not come upstream and sweep him and his ladder into the river as there were no Health and Safety regulations in those days. Max
Navigating the River Severn in times of flood was a highly dangerous business and the skippers of Tankers, Barges and Tugs needed all their skill to negotiate the limited dimensions of Worcester Bridge. Coming downstream the boats were often out of control and could not be steered through the bridge arches.The skipper of the tanker “Regent Lady” has turned by the Rowing Club and then reversed under the Railway Bridge controlling his vessels speed with forward drive and gently lowered into the eastern arch of Worcester Bridge. He has lowered the wheelhouse which just enables him to scrape under the bridge without getting stuck which has happened to less fortunate boatmen.
With the river running at full spate the Skipper of “Regent Swift” has lowered all the deck fittings and charges upstream to push through the bridge. The flow of water is higher on the upstream side of the bridge and the boat can rise up and collide with the masonry. A highly dangerous operation when laden with 150 tons of petrol or aviation fuel. Max
