Their profile is of this
form. And this knife-like edge cuts the ice through as it passes down
the river, enabling the blocks to divide at the piers and pass under the
bridge on each side. The piers are built of limestone, in blocks varying
from eight to ten feet high: but in sinking a foundation for them,
springs are frequently met with under some large boulders in the bed of
the river, and this causes great delay, as the water has to be pumped
out before the building can proceed. The bridge will be an iron tubular
one; the tubes come out from Birkenhead in pieces, and are riveted
together here. We first rowed across the river with Mr. Hodges in a
six-oared boat; and the day being warm and very fine, we enjoyed it
much. This gave us some idea of the breadth of the river and of the
length of the bridge, of which it is impossible to judge when seen
fore-shortened from the shore.
[Illustration: Bridge piers]
We then mounted the bridge and were astonished at the magnitude of the
work. There is an immense forest of woodwork underneath most of it at
present, but they are glad to clear this away as fast as the progress of
the upper work admits, as if left till winter the force of the ice cuts
through these enormous beams as if they were straw. We could only
proceed across two piers at the end furthest from the town, but here we
had a very fine view of Montreal, lying at the foot of the hill from
which it takes its name.
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