At length the leaning houses on each side seemed ready to fall into the river, and the passenger could scarcely forbear shuddering, when he observed that any of them was inhabited. At the same time, the structure of the noble bridge at Westminster, with the magnitude, safety, and convenience of the arches, convinced the citizens more and more of the advantages that would arise from the resolution of pulling down the houses; and in the year 1756, every one was pleased, that the Lord Mayor, Aldermen and Common Council, had applied to parliament to enable them to put this resolution in practice. In short, an act was obtained, and they were enabled to provide for the expence, by collecting a toll for every horse and carriage that passed over it, except those used for tillage, till the principal and interest of the money that should be borrowed and laid out upon it, should be repaid.
These measures being taken, orders were soon given for taking down the houses on both sides of the way, for a considerable distance north of the gate. This not only pleased every inhabitant of the city of London and the borough of Southwark, but every one who had occasion to pass and repass over this useful bridge; and all whose business leads them to pass in any kind of craft thro’ the arches, began to please themselves with the thought, that their lives would hereafter be secure in the exercise of their lawful employments.
The houses and arches that extended across the bridge being taken down, in all the middle part of that structure a strong temporary bridge, made of wood, was with amazing expedition erected upon the western sterlings of the old structure, for the passage of carriages, horsemen, and foot passengers, till the intended alterations should be completed; and this edifice, which was rendered as safe and convenient as possible, was opened in October 1757.
But when the pavement was dug up, and an opening made into the cavities of all the piers; when some of them were demolished almost to the water’s edge, and the whole space where the houses had been taken down was a confused heap of ruins, that had not the least resemblance of a bridge, the temporary structure burst into a flame, and was intirely consumed.
The fire began on Tuesday the 11th of April 1758, at about eleven at night; and by nine o’clock the next morning, the whole temporary bridge was consumed; though the drawbridge and some pieces of timber among the ruins of the old structure continued burning all the next day.
Various have been the reports of the manner in which this useful structure was set on fire. Some have said, that about ten in the evening they saw several persons who appeared in liquor, coming over the bridge with a torch, and endeavouring to get it from him who held it, while he strove, in play, to defend himself by burning them, at last threw it over the boarded fence of the bridge, when the light disappeared, till the timber below burst into a flame. On the other hand, the watchmen on the Customhouse key on the east side, and at the Steelyard on the west, with many others, are said to have observed about eleven, some lights under the bridge, which appeared in several places like candles in lanthorns; and that soon after, the bridge, from one end to the other, burst into flames: but those who first saw the progress of the fire, observe, that it began in one spot, and extended itself both ways progressively.
At this disaster the citizens were filled with consternation, imagining that the communication between the city and borough of Southwark would for a long time be in a great measure cut off; and every body naturally concluded, that this dreadful disaster was occasioned by some vile incendiaries. The Lord Mayor, who had attended almost the whole time of the conflagration, and did his utmost to stop it, waited in the morning on Mr. Pitt with the dreadful account; and having immediately obtained his Majesty’s pardon for any person who would discover the authors of the calamity, except the identical perpetrators of it, called a court of Common Council, who came to the resolution to offer a reward of 200l. for discovering the base and villainous incendiaries. But though a considerable time is elapsed, no discovery has yet been made.
This prudent step being first taken, the builders of the bridge were asked, how soon they could possibly render it passable for carriages; when they promised to complete it within three weeks, on condition of being allowed to work on Sundays, and to employ a sufficient number of men. This news filled the people with equal joy and surprize; but this surprize was greatly increased, when they found that by keeping men constantly at work day and night, this great work was completed and the old bridge opened again in less than a fortnight; and that in this short time those arches that had been taken down, and the deep cavities in all the piers lately used for cellars, were covered over; the piers which had been demolished had stages formed of large beams of timber raised to support the upper works, and the whole track of ruins was covered with rows of strong beams placed close together; these were gravelled over to a considerable depth; and a strong wooden fence, on each side, raised about six feet high, with places formed for foot passengers to stand in at proper distances, to secure themselves from being hurt by the carriages.
This great work was no sooner finished with such amazing expedition, than preparations were made for a new temporary bridge, which was soon after begun, and in a short time was opened.
The great loss the city had suffered by the burning of the temporary bridge, induced the Lord Mayor, Aldermen, and Common Council, to apply to Parliament for relief; when that body, rendering the repairing and the beautifying of London bridge a national concern, an act was passed the same year for granting the city 15,000l. towards the carrying on of that work; upon which two toll booths that had been erected for receiving the toll granted by a former act, were immediately taken down, and all horses and carriages suffered to go toll free.