The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1854-10-02
The Bridge Over the u. Lawrence Tive Miles
Long.


The Victoria Bridge over the St. lawrence win GER
aipy be the most remark able work Of the kind in the
minds =. OF soms of the old Rom.n sno,s pcs the
ancient aqueducts which span the valleys Of Italy in
their grand and gigantic proportions more than OF
the continent of merica-nothing the contnen. of
Europe-which approaches this work in the grandeur
az greatness OF its design.
The success Of the engr eer in the building Of the Bril-
tlnnia Bridge has fully justified him in deciding upon
the adoption of the same plan for the Victoria Bridge
spans spaces for the navigation exclusive of the
abutmens from whence the tubes sprg either side
Of the other twenty spans viii be $40 feet wide
The width Of the two piers nearest to each abu.ment
w Re fifteen feet and as the piers approach the centre
span the width and strength or ea:h will be increased
until they reach the two centre PIERS whsn it will
amount to eighteen feet.
The abntments from which The tubes spring viii be
each of them 2A2 fee. long and 30 feet Sde and from
the north shore OF the st. lawrence to the north abat
ment there win be solid stone embankmsnt Of rough
masonry 200 feet 10 length, raised like artificial
rock to resist the current The stone sbankment Lead
ing from the south shore OF the river 70 the south abut
ment will be half this length, or 600 feet The length
of the bridge ITSELF from abutent to sbptmant aud its
total length from river bank to river bank will be 10 2s4
feet, or about 20 yards less than two EOgsh miles
from IA feet rear the centre 20 feet the banks
and the current runs in this a, at the rate of from
seven TO ten miles hour The clear distance between
tbs under surface Of the centre tube and the
sumner level Of the river is to be sixty feet and the
height will di inish towards either side With grade at
the rate Of in 1870 l4o in the NILE so tia: at hs
outer river edge OF each sbutmen height win De
sc feet above the summer level
On the oath of July Last the first stone the bed OF
the river rised fer tbs construction of the frst pier
Of the bridge, and row. the l4th of September sPer
No. ~ has arisen several feet above the level of tho
river and the process OF tindin the blocks may be
and derstood Each stone Of the structure clam
filed with molten lead and the strongest Roman cement
The result will be- the construction Of masonry as dura
bic as that Of the Coliseum the Appap Ways, which
have whstoOd the wear and tear OF time ard traffic for
than COO years and which will continue to exist
APPOINTMENTS OF the skull and Industry of man.
UT less unforseep difficulties arise the first railway
train will pass the bI pad ST. Lawrence BY the
OF 1868. The commercial advantages will consist in
the fact that The V,t,a Bridge will bring into direct
commun cstiop without break Of gusge bulk, the
exhaustess products of Canads West and OF Michigan
illinois, Iowa. Wise nsn, and all the Western States Of
the Union
Reciprocity win have opened the door international
communication and the requirements OF traffic Will be
and exredtiousy net b. the iron road and its
tubular bridge few Jears renee and this very bridge
will become ore OF the greatest attractions to the
tourist and the trayeller
The Colossus o; Rhodes, under which the piyny sbsl
Tops Of former ages could ga =, was esteemed one of
the wonders Of the OLD World. But iron bridge,
Spanning river Two miles ID width giving safe passg
to the hundreds Of tons Of weight between ts iron ide
ard permitting chips OF the largest tonnage pas be-
nea Ia it's elevated arches achieve still more
remarkable for the New World. and IS worthy OF the
young giant rising in the West. II tie Coliseum and
attracted visters from every lana 60 in future days win
the Victoria Bridge; and Montreal viii hereafter resp
much of The benefit which must follow the clnp elton
of SC mighty work.