The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1854-11-02
PROM the Montrra Pilot
THE BRIDGE ACROSS THE ST. LAW
RENEE TWO MILES LONG.

The Victoria Bridge across the SlIaw.
renee will certainly be the most remark
able work Of the kind in the Canadas-
we might say in the whole world. II re-
minds US OF some Of the old Roman
works, such as the ancient squeducts
which span The valleys of Italy, in their
grand and gigantic proportions, more
than Of an ordinary bridge over river.
We know Of nothing on the continam Of
America--nothing on the continent o.
Europe--whiCh approaches this work in
the grandeur and greatness Of its design
The success Of the engineer in build
ing the Britannia bridge, has fully Justl-
fed him in deciding upon the adoption
of the same plan for the Victoria bridge,
which will be constructed on "a piers,
with spans or spaces, for the navigation.
exclusive Of the two abutmentS from
whence the tubes spring at either side
The center space or span will be $50 feet
wide, and each ol the o,her "a spans TO
be 22O feet wide. The width Of the two
piers nearest each abulment will be Is
teet, and as the piers approach the cen.
ter span, the width and strength Of each
will be increased until they reach the two
center piers, when it will amont 10 eigh.
teen feet.
The abutments from which the tubes
spring will be each Of them 242 feet long
and 80 feet wide. and from the north
shore of the St.Lawrence TO The north "a
butment there will be solid stone en-
bankment OF rough masonry l.2OO feet in
length. raised like ali artificial rock to re-
siSt the current. The stone embsnkment
leading from the south shore OF the rlv.
er TO the south abulmenl will be half this
length, or 600 feet. The length of the
bridge itself from the abutment. and its
total length from river bank 20 river bank
will be lO.284 feet, or about 50 yards less
than two English miles.
The summer average depth Of the ST.
Lawrence varies from IA ieet near the
center TO 4 feet near the banks. and the
current runs in this part at the rate oil
from 10 10 miles an hour. The clear
distance between the under surface OF
the center tube, and the summer level oi
the river, is to be 60 feet, and the highth
will diminish toward either side with
grade at the rate Of 2 in l30.or l40 feet
in the mile; so that at the out or river
edge of each abutment, the hight will on
" be 36 feet above the summer level.
On the oath of July last tie first stone
in the bed of the river was raised for the
construction of the first pier Of the bridge
and now, on the l4lh of September,
"Pier No. l. has arisen several feet a.
bove the level of the river, and the pro.
cess Of binding the blocks may be seen
and understood. Each stone OF the
structure is clamped otis fell1w by bands
of iron, and the interslices are filled with
molten lead and the strongest Roman
cement. The result will be the construc-
ton Of masonry as durable as that Of the
Coliseum or the Apian Ways, which have
wi,hstood the wear and tear Of time and
traffic for more than 1000 years, and
which will continue TO exist as monumens
of the skill and Industry of man.
Unless unforeseen difficulties arise, the
first railway train will pass over the ST.
Lawrence by the summer OF 1858. The
commercial advantages will consist IN
The fact, that the Victoria Bridge will
bring into direct communication, without
change Of gauge or bulk the exhaustless
products OF Canada West, and OF Mich
igan, Illinois, Iowa, Wisconsin, and all
the Western states of the Union.
Reciprocity will have opened the door
TO international communication, and the
requirements of traffic will be cheaply
and expeditiousty met by the iron road
and its tabular bridge. A few years and
this very bridge will become one OF the
greatest attraction 10 the tourist and traV
elcr.
The Colossus Of Rhodes, under which
the pgmv shaliops of former ages could
pass was esteemed one Of the wonders OF
the old world. But an iron bridge span.
ming river two miles in width, giving
safe passage to the hundreds OF tons of
weight between its iron sides, and per-
milting ships of the largest tonnage to
pass beneath its elevated arches, is an
chievement still more remarkable for the
new world, and is worthy of the young
giant rising in the west. 1.-THE Coliseum
and the Pantheon, and the Pireus, and
the Pyramids, have attracted visitors
from every land, so in future days will
the Victoria Bridge; and Montreal will
hereafter reap much OF the benefit which
must follow the completion OF so mighty
a work. ....... ......
Penn AND SToRY.-Wm. Penn and