Grand River times. [volume] (Grand Haven, Mich.) 1851-18??, 1854-11-08

The Iron BRIDGE OVER THE ST. LAWRENCE.
The Montreal Pilot says, the work on this
bridge, called the "Victoria Bridge" is rapidly
progressing, and that it knows Of nothing on the
continents Of America or Europe which ap-
proaches it in the grandeur and greatness of its
design. It's total length will be 1924 feet,
and from the north shore of the st. Lawrence
to the north abutment there will be a solid stone
embankment of rough masonry, 200 feet in
length, raised like an artificial rock, to resist
the current The stone embankment leading
from the south shore Of the river to the south
abutment will be half the length, or 600 feet
The first stone was laid in the bed of the river
OH the oath of July last, and on the 14th inst
pier No. l was several feet above the water.
| The Pilot adds -
"Unless unforeseen difficulties arise, the first
railway train will pass over the broad st. Law
renee by the summer of 1855 The CONNER
cia disadvantages will consist in the fact that
the Victoria Bridge will bring into direct COM
munication, without break of gauge or bulk,
the exhaustless products of Canada West, and
of Michigan Illinois, Iowa, Wisconsin, and all
the Western States of the Union. Reciprocity
will have opened the door Of international CON-
munication, and the requirements of traffic will
be cheaply and expeditiously met by the iron
road and its tubular bridge. A few years hence,
and this very bridge will become one of the
greatest attractions Of the tourist and the tray-
eler.
The Colossus of Rhodes, under which the
pigmy shaIop of former ages could pass, was
esteemed one of the wonders of the Old World
But an iron bridge spanning river two miss
in width, giving safe passage to hundreds of
tons of weight between its iron sides, and per-
hitting ships of the largest tonnage to pass be-
meath its elevated arches, is an achievement
still more remarkable for the New World, and
is worthy of the young giant rising in the west
A STARTLING STATEMENr.-Last Sabbath
evening the Rev Henry Ward Beecher delivered
sermon on the recent disaster to the steamship
Arctic, and in the course of his remarks, he
stated, upon the authority of individuals deeply
interested that, during the past twelve months,
more than four thousand American vessels, in
Guiding those on the lakes and rivers have been
lost During the same length of time, the num-
Der of vessels lost throughout the whole world
was ten thousand Up to the year $780, the
number of vessels lost, all over the world,
averaged 5000 a year. The amount reinsurance
paid by the Marine Insurance Companies in New
York, last year amounted to twelve millions
The loss on land, by railroads and otherwise,
amounted to eighteen millions, making the total
loss, by sea and land, to be thirty million of dol
lars
Ten thousand vessels destroyed in one year
How many lives have been sacrificed within the
same period we are not enabled to state, but
surely the number cannot fall below one hun
dred thousand And yet this is but 1.-THE of
the number of deaths caused by disasters and
casualties. The number of victims, annually, if
we could arrive at anything near the truth, void
startle, amaze us. Instead of human life being
rendered more secure by the progression of our
race, it does seem to be more uncertain and less
valuable. The occurrence of a calamity result
ing in the death of scores or hundreds, exctes
the public sympathies; like nine days wonder
it is soon forgotten, and the people continue as
before reckless and tho'tess on their journey
through life. Alb. Transcript.