south banks. The want of overland bridges was one of the issues cited by the Illustrated London News in an editorial of 1854 enumerating the most urgent needs of the city. London Bridge remained the city's busiest artery for the entire century, averaging 22,242 vehicle and 110,525 pedestrian crossings per day in 1882. More than 30 petitions were submitted to various authorities between 1874 and 1885 requesting that the bridge either be widened or rebuilt to relieve congestion. This resulted in the commission of Tower Bridge by Act of Parliament in 1885. This was a bascule bridge designed by Sir Horace Jones, completed in 1895. It was an engineering marvel which solved the conundrum of how to bridge the Thames downriver from London Bridge without inhibiting shipping in the Pool of London. Using a 200 ft (60-metre) wide central bay, the bascules, or drawbridge, could be raised on either side by massive hydraulic accumulators, allowing clearance for ships up to 140 ft (43 metres) in height. It rests on two piers sunk deep into the river bed, constituting some 70,000 tons of concrete and stone, while the towers and bridge itself are framed in 11,000 tons of steel clad in Cornish granite and Portland Stone. Lighting The development of gas lighting at the beginning of the 19th century provided London with comprehensive street illumination for the first time in its history. Before this, oil lamps were used along the main thoroughfares, but they were only required to be lit during the darkest time of the year (between Michaelmas on 29 September and Lady Day on 25 March), and then only as late as midnight. The first gaslight in London was installed in the Lyceum Theatre in 1804, by the German-born entrepreneur F.A. Winsor. "Winsor patent Gas", supplied by Winsor's New Light and Heat Company, would be installed along the north side of Pall Mall to celebrate George III's birthday in 1805. In 1810, the Westminster Gas Light and Coke Company was incorporated by Act of Parliament, and the first gas works in the U.K. were established by the company at Peter Street and Horseferry Road to provide gas to Westminster. In 1813, Westminster Bridge was lit by gaslight, and the London theatres installed gas between 1817 and 1818. Gaslight was quickly adopted for shop window displays because it enabled owners to better display their wares, but it was slower to