The topic of the Thames Tunnel was first mentioned in our post of 25th June, 2024. It was made posssible by Marc Brunel’s invention of the tunneling shield. It seems strange that Sir Marc was not present, but at the age of 72, he may have been too infirm to attend. He died in 1849.
“A thoroughfare was yesterday effected in the Thames Tunnel, and was made use of for the first time by the whole of the directors and some of the original subscribers, who had assembled upon the occasion. The shield having been advanced to the shaft at Wapping, a considerable opening was cut in the brickwork, and it was through this the party who had met at Rotherhithe were enabled to pass, thus opening the first subterranean communication between the opposite shores of the river. Upon their arrival at the shaft, the party were greeted by the workmen with most hearty cheers. A curious and interesting incident was connected with the event; a few bottles of wine, preserved since the dinner given on the occasion when the foundation stone was laid, with the understanding that it was to be drunk only when it could be enjoyed by the company to the health of her Majesty and the infant Prince. It was remarked, too, as a singular coincidence, that a seal on one of the corks bore the impress of the Prince of Wales’s feathers, a circumstance that caused some merriment. The engineer, Sir J.* Brunel, appeared highly gratified at the happy result of all his past anxiety and arduous labour.”
The Stamford Mercury, 19th November, 1841.
*We presume this is a type-setter’s error: the tunnel had been designed by Sir Marc Brunel and his son, Isambard Kingdom Brunel worked on the tunnel as well. Somehow the I became a J. It seems strange that Sir Marc was not present, but at the age of 72, he may have been too infirm to attend.