The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1858-07-13
THE VICTORIA BRIDGE At MONTREAL
Correspondence q the N y c,uricr and EaquIrerl


~ Correspondence Of the N Y c'aricr and EhqorerJ
The description of what this Victoria Bridge u.s. Is not
one for ieares either for height or length OF smih-
tude The work is the advancing progressing resisting
sub lung power of the human hand its defined by
the human intellect The preparation for the erection
was enormous II was no narrow strait like the Menai,
quiet placid stream the Hudson, no easy breadth
like the 1names which this way for the locomotive
WIS to be thrown, but the giant St Iswrence, river
that deserves that fed by the successive seas that
n to Superos Fond du nc, river Taught IN the
gorge of the Niagara to all the lessons of the rapids and
its education forgotten wild and savage current and
this an iron road Of a mile and quarter length
was to be placed. sftN A iA.a sa
And while the unending rush of the open water was
an obstacle that seemed to defy the labor OF ant it was
in the farewell Of winter when the ICE OF climate such
as this, formed above in tho Laprare basina widening
OF the rverus below Lrchne when thus taken up In
mass by the accumulation of the fragments that are
broken in the descent at Lchne comes down riding the
terrible cnrrent like the destroyerthat structure OF
mans work must be mighty; the binding together OF
WOOD the timber ever 30 heavy, and tno knissaag to-
gether like the ntrcacies OF cane brake which would
endure before this descending attack his must be en-
countered and the commerce OF the river respected
High up above smoke-ppe ana spar and what Is mos.
above all above inc swollen nood Oh tne spring. must
the bridge be placed lt was to work like this that
Mr. Ross summoned his energies and the result OF his
skill Is already In our sight.
long causeway OF earth ana stonels hrst pu reacn
ing lar out INTO the rver very proa ana Win ts side
at such slope as 10 make the advance OF the ice grad
uai Inc cmpankment Is great work IN ITSELF and Is
forgotten only In the next step In the river twenty
four piers are 70 DC buiit II wfs al IN pre.hcuon
'hnK tne toufst wouid se y. he wiu PROMISES oi biie
engineer as at the day aean oi the enthusiast ou' o
tnese plers tnese Iouhdaons or the pruBe sAee are
built and four in progress leaving four for the ensuing
year. There they stand like sentinel towers, like vast
fragments, of an enormous wall ten thousands tons in
weight ninety feet in length at their base and SO
anged that the crushing ice giides up the SLOPE and
broken at the top falls in huge cataract OF massive
hlnclu In Tho JOefc he nil tn
their full height and went over These stones, where
they meet the first shock of the ce are moothed and
boted with great IRONS themselves chnched ny plates
They throw aside the Ice OF the sprg WHICH athough
IT formed late was very massive ana they stahd as near
the inyulnerabe as the human hand can construct.
am glad to have seen them IN TINS unnnished condi
on for arch OF the homan age canhot furnish more OF
the beauty OF the grceu Win he pohdefous tnan tnee
great structures sentinelng this mighty river AT each
end Of the bridge tube is securely placed and Just
)ungment OF the Drdge can DC lorned III an examination
OF these presume the idea OF most OF us concerning
tupe 70 pe USED as Driage Is tht 9! rouno one,
the tube OF telescope, an enormous IRON cynder Inc
reality is that they approach the square, not eney so
but with sides OF height greater tan the Dreadth OF Top
and bottom the IRON OF the Dotto tckenea at the ex
temues .nat Oh the Top hie s.roises1 az 'mo @ een'
10 resst alike compression ana elohganoh Ing ehec.s
OF the heat and frost are oreseen ana inc Is
given room sufficient or its daily sport WIN tne ea py
the use OF rollers ihoroughiy pahteo WIN l's iVes "a
iine, its ridges at intervals Close anu - seems
ike long saAoon Asior lts capacly " pear .nc
OF the locomotive ana ls tram et then roi 'nIougn AZ
the pace OF pedestrian or ron throagh Win tne prd
flight tme the idea Is not ater seeing tne n
Consideration. IL mas but one purtneh i'seii lha'
borne its work Is all done.
-Four more of fhnAa fnhas ,', fn he 9 a' ~ 'n s M
woiK' ~ must nolesoneo.eu 'A. = s 70 = M t,ani n;
70 November 'ha1 WORE ea'i, 70 uonG, t ~ ,r,, t
ter no ume ior upar CO. -
dred men are empoyeo iho apa s sh narn;e f
partmeht OF tne WotR "out sui'0 ... ~ s i5 ~ ~ =
most communitles 40 o.iu ~ faa,,,e 90 r. =; =
oner.dams, IN Wnicn, wolhs =; ,;S y nf IL nnst ar
mountain shaie the inasoh'! - 'iu ,a - =; naccs
duous undertakings Az i1nhel ~ - nd ;,a 1
sary ana WIN these WIN great crips A p, ona re
ever else can p'nu ana hoo, the contest Is n. on1
the pier "lii 80 UP, tne Hver VIII 80 down. ana y !.
the sure supremacy OF patient that brings
tnese great masses OF cenched masonry 70 inc surface
Wnen tne iounuauon stones are once imd, SIX weeks