New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1854-10-12
THE BRIDGE OYER THE ST. Law
RENCE TWO NILES LONG.
From Tie Montreal Plct

The Victoria Bridge over the 81. Lawrence win
sereiny be the most rem aksbe work OF Inc Iud ID
de Caosdss-ws might say in the whole world. IL
rnincs US of some OF the OLD Roman worAs, sucn ~
the sncsnt squsducs which sPsn the valleys ~ Italy
On their grand and gigantic proportions more than OF
an csdinsry bridge over river. We know OF moth.
iIg on The continent OF notwithstanding on the con-
IN "a, Of Europe which approaches this work In the
grandeur and grea; ness Of its design.
The ,ucce's Of the engineer in the building OF the
Btitspnia bridge, bss fully justified him in deciding
spop the adoption OF the same plan for the Victoria
bridge which ~i be constructed on t~sny feur piers.
With spare CT spsces for the navigation exclusive OF
TIE two abu,mepn from whence the tsbcs spring st
ether sise. Tie center space or span will bs $50
feet VIDE and each Of the other .wentyfour spans
vii he $50 feet wide. The width cf the two piers
seGe' to each ahuimsnt will be 10 feet and as the
pss svpr. scb the cen,erspsD be width and strength
Of each win be increased until they reach the two
sertsr pie,s, when it will amount to Is feet.
Tie sbutmeLfs from which the tubes spring will be
zach Of them 2l2 feet long and 80 feet vide, ana
rom The north shore Of the 81. lawrence TO the
forth abutme Mt there will be solid stone embank.
rent Of rough masonry 200 feet in length, raised
bio an artificial rock TO resist the current. The
rone ,ubenimtnt leading from the south shore OF
Tie river n the sonth abutmeut viii he half this
~ergth or 600 feet. The length Of the bridge ifsef
Rom The sbu,ment, and IL total length from river
bank TO river bank, will be lo,2et feet, or about 80
ysrds Iess Than two English miles.
The GUNNER average depth Of the st. L,wrene
,sres from IA feet near the center to feet near the
lsrks and the current runs In this part At the rate OF
run : 10 10 miles an hour. The clear distance be-
,setp the under surface Of the center tube and the
average summer level OF the riverIs TO be GO feet,
nd tbe hight will diminish to~srd siiber eide with
nsde AZ tie rate of in 1870 40 feet in the mile;
net Of the ont or river edge Of each abumeni, the
hight will he sc feet above the summer Lowell
On the Path Of July last the fret stone in the bed
The river was rsised for the construction Of the
ast pier of the bridge and now, the 18th Of Sep
kpter, Pier No. l. hss Arisen several feet above
The level Of the river and the process Of binding the
blocks may be seep and understood. Each stone OF
the structure 10 clamped 10 Its follow by bands Of
bop and the ipsteTstces are filed with molten lead
end The strongest Roman cement The result viii
De the constr uctop of masonry a. durable % tina. Of
Ne Coliseum or the Appisn Ways, which have With
hsn oo0 years. and which Gill continue to ssst a
nsasnenis of the skill and industry Of man.
rnIsss unforpeen difficulties srse the hnt railway
train will pass over the broad st. Lawrence by tbs
sun mer ~ 1859. The commercial advantages Will
tonsst in The fact that the Victoria Bridge viii bring
htc direct communication, without break Of gusge or
bsl, the sxhsnstlsss products of Canada West, and
II Michigan, Illinois, Iowa, Wisconsin, and al the
Wss'trD S'ates OF the Union.
Reciprocity will have opened the door to interna-
thpsl communication, and the requirements OF traffic
-yill be cheapiy and sxpedtiousy met by the iron
road and lite tubular bridge. few years hence, and
tbs very bridge win become one OF the greatest A.
esct,ors to the tourirt and the traveller.
The Cclossus OF Rhodes npder ~hich the pigmy
hslops of former ages could pass was esteemed one
d,ke wonders Of the old world. But an iron bridge
Planning river two miles in width, giving safe pas
sge 10 the hume reds Of tups Of weight between its
hsn sides and permitting ships Of The largest tunnage
h psss beheath its elevated arches IL an achievement
sii more eparkabe for the neg world, and is worthy
o. the youpS giant rising in the west. Ii the Co
liseum ard the Pantheon, and the Pireus, sad the
Pyramids have attracted vntors from every land 90
In future Gays will TIE vctori. Bridge; and Montreal
win hereafter reap much Of the benefit which must
follow the completion Of 80 mighty work.