Category: Biographies

Life of Robert Stevenson, Civil Engineer

EARLY LIFE. PAGE Birth--Mr. Smith’s improvements in Lighthouse illumination-- Origin of the Scottish Lighthouse Board--Acts as Assistant to their Engineer--Student at Andersonian Institution, Glasgow, and University of Edinburgh--Succeeds Mr. Smith as Engineer to the Northern...

Chapters

13. CHAPTER II.

Resolves to practise as a Civil Engineer--Journals--Reports--Design for the Bell Rock Lighthouse--Improvements on Smeaton’s design--Application to Parliament for Act in 1802--Ac...

27. CHAPTER XVI.

We have seen that Mr. Stevenson’s college education was mainly, if not altogether, due to his own thirst for knowledge, and his education being voluntarily undertaken, could har...

16. CHAPTER V.

Design for approaches to Edinburgh from the East by Regent and London Roads, and opening up access to the Calton Hill--Sites for the new Jail and Court of Justiciary, and buildi...

19. CHAPTER VIII.

There is scarcely a harbour or river in Scotland about which, at some time, Mr. Stevenson was not asked to give his advice. His opinion was also sought in England and Ireland, a...

28. CHAPTER XVII.

Wide range of subjects on which Mr. Stevenson gave advice--Reports on ruins of Aberbrothock Abbey--St. Magnus Cathedral, and Earl’s Palace, Kirkwall--St. Andrews Cathedral--Mont...

29. CHAPTER XVIII.

The unconnected sketches which form this Memoir extend over a period of about forty years. They have, as already stated, been selected from among a large mass of documents, in o...

18. CHAPTER VII.

Canals and Railways on one level--Haulage on Railways--Railways in Scotland--Edinburgh and Midlothian, Stockton and Darlington, and Edinburgh and London Railways--Uniform gauge...

14. CHAPTER III.

Early modes of illumination--Facet reflectors and lamps--Silvered copper reflectors and Argand lamps--Isle of May coal light--Improvements in catoptric lights--Distinctions for...

25. CHAPTER XIV.

Mr. Stevenson was ever an intelligent and anxious observer of the habits and industry of the people of those remote and isolated parts of the country which he so often visited....

12. CHAPTER I.

Birth--Mr. Smith’s improvements in Lighthouse illumination--Origin of the Scottish Lighthouse Board--Acts as Assistant to their Engineer--Student at Andersonian Institution, Gla...

15. CHAPTER IV.

“In early periods, when every family formed a kind of community within itself for providing the necessaries of life, it is obvious that there could be little communication with...

22. CHAPTER XI.

About the year 1812, Mr. Stevenson having, as adviser of the Commissioners of Northern Lighthouses, attained the position of being the most eminent Lighthouse Engineer of his da...

17. CHAPTER VI.

Before we had steamers to navigate our firths and railways to bridge our estuaries, the “crossing of the ferry” was an event of no small solicitude to the traveller. In the sail...

21. CHAPTER X.

Mr. Stevenson’s stone bridges over the North Esk at Marykirk, and the Nith at Annan (Plate VI.), are good specimens of road bridges of moderate extent; and his bridge over the F...

26. CHAPTER XV.

Modern engineers who have practised only under the benign reign of Ordnance Surveys and Admiralty Charts, can have no idea of the toil their predecessors underwent in procuring...

20. CHAPTER IX.

In 1808 Mr. Stevenson was the discoverer of the _Limnoria terebrans_, that small but sure destroyer of timber structures exposed to the action of the sea, and forwarded specimen...

23. CHAPTER XII.

The Carr Rock is a tide-covered reef extending about 1¾ mile from the shore of Fifeness, and forming a _turning point_ in the navigation of the northern-bound shipping of the Fi...

24. CHAPTER XIII.

_First_, In consequence of the dovetailed form of the stones he required a crane that would drop them as nearly as possible on the beds on which they were permanently to rest.

11. CHAPTER XVIII.

10. CHAPTER XVII.

Wide range of subjects on which Mr. Stevenson gave advice-- Reports on ruins of Aberbrothock Abbey--St. Magnus Cathedral, and Earl’s Palace, Kirkwall--St. Andrews Cathedral--Mon...

2. CHAPTER II.

Resolves to practise as a Civil Engineer--Journals--Reports-- Design for the Bell Rock Lighthouse--Improvements on Smeaton’s design--Application to Parliament for Act in 1802--A...

5. CHAPTER V.

Design for approaches to Edinburgh from the East by Regent and London Roads, and opening up access to the Calton Hill--Sites for the new Jail and Court of Justiciary, and buildi...

1. CHAPTER I.

EARLY LIFE. PAGE Birth--Mr. Smith’s improvements in Lighthouse illumination-- Origin of the Scottish Lighthouse Board--Acts as Assistant to their Engineer--Student at Andersonia...

3. CHAPTER III.

Early modes of illumination--Facet reflectors and lamps--Silvered copper reflectors and Argand lamps--Isle of May coal light-- Improvements in catoptric lights--Distinctions for...

9. CHAPTER XVI.

Contributions to _Encyclopædia Britannica_ and _Edinburgh Encyclopædia_--The alveus or bed of the German ocean--Sectio planography--Wasting effects of the sea at the Mersey and...

7. CHAPTER VII.

Canals and Railways on one level--Haulage on Railways--Railways in Scotland--Edinburgh and Midlothian, Stockton and Darlington, and Edinburgh and London Railways--Uniform gauge...

8. CHAPTER X.

4. CHAPTER IV.

6. CHAPTER VI.