THE builder of the great Forth Bridge, and senior partner
in Dalmarnock Iron Works, was the son of a cotton-spinner who became manager of
the mill of Messrs. J. & P. Coats in Paisley. He was born at Houston in 1839,
and began work when nine years of age in Johnstone cotton mill. He afterwards
"wrought in a mill in Paisley. This work, however, showed little prospect of
advancement, so, at the age of fourteen, he bound himself apprentice to a
Paisley blacksmith. At the end of his "time" he wrought in various towns of
England and Scotland to improve his knowledge, and at the age of twenty-four
became foreman in the boiler works of Messrs. Laidlaw & Sons, Glasgow. There he
was entrusted with the carrying out of important contracts. Five years later he
began business for himself in Bridgeton, and in 1871, having taken to bridge
building, he founded Dalmarnock Iron Works.
One of his first important tasks was the building of the
Caledonian Railway Company's bridge over the Clyde at Bothwell. There he put
into practice his idea of building the bridge on land, and then rolling it out
over the water. Formerly bridges were rivetted piece to piece in their place. A
little later he had the building of the great Caledonian bridge over the Clyde
at the Broomielaw, and for that work he devised a new mechanical driller which
saved immense labour. Another of his many inventions was a hydraulic rivetter
which does better work than the old hand labour. And indeed no difficulty has
ever arisen in his work which he was not able to overcome by some new resource.
He had undertaken the contract to build the suspension bridge planned by Sir
Thomas Bond to span the Forth, and had spent some thousands of pounds on
preparatory works when, in 1879, that engineer's Tay Bridge collapsed with
fearful loss of life. Fresh plans were made for both structures. Sir William
Arrol was entrusted with the building of them, and they stand to-day for
monuments of his skill and courage. At the opening of the great Forth viaduct on
4th March, 1890, the Prince of Wales, now His Majesty King Edward, intimated
that Queen Victoria intended to confer the honour of knighthood on the builder.
Since then Sir William has built the great Tower Bridge
across the Thames, and many another mighty viaduct; and he is still building. In
1895 he was induced to adventure upon politics, and was elected for South
Ayrshire as a Liberal Unionist. In the House of Commons as elsewhere he took his
duties seriously, as one of his latest appearances, which attracted much
attention went to prove. His first wife, Elizabeth Paterson. being for some
years dead, he married again in 1905. The marriage took place in Scotland, and
on the same night an important division took place at the House. Most men would
have held themselves excused in the circumstances, but Sir William was present,
and counted for his party in the division. For this sacrifice to duty he was
made the recipient of a presentation by his fellow members at Westminster. Sir
William has built for himself the beautiful house of Seafield at Ayr, where some
day he may retire to enjoy the many academic and other honours which have come
to him.
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Index of Glasgow Men (1909)