The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1843-08-28

mon) annually; the annual consumption of butter IS
estimated at 46O00,OO0 lbs, and the price varies
from is to Is sd, or from two to three shngs our
currency; OF meats one get estimate, but there
are brought annually to Smithfeld market alone $780,
900 oxen, 100000 hogs or pigs $4,000 sheep or
lambs and 25,O 900 calves; Of milk it is said that ii
900 cows supply the metropolis with S030OO0 gal
Ions annually, at an average price Of Is lOd per
quarts. Eggs are sent here in sreat quantities in
crates, by water, from Ireland, Belgium Holland
and France and sometimes sold low as Sd per do
zen, but generally from Is to Is Cd. Hogs are atted
here in the yards of breweries and disieres for
while every thing of the grain kind is called corn"
that product is not grown here Hams sell at I'D,
shoulders at Sd, and smoked side pork at Cd in the
retail stalls and shops. This is just double the price
with US.
A visit to the Thames Tunnel is thus recorded
Monda July II.
have been through the Thames Tunnel This is
to Lendoa what the Croton Water Works are to New
York, the great achievement of the 10Th century,
There is nothing at either entrance of the Tunnel
which indicates that you in the vicinity of this
traordnary improvement We passed over it in
steamer in the morning, without being aware that
other masses of fellow beings were quietly walking
through subterranean passage below us The visi-
ter is directed ''Ihis way the TunnelSI5-'' by
board on the of a street You descend wind
ing stone stairway Of 100 steps, ard enter into the
Tunnel, which is well lighted with gas, and afforded
us COOL pleasant walk after four hours exposure
to the sun
The Tunnel has two avenues, each wide enough to
allow II or l6 persons TO walk abreast. Half way
through, Printing Press is stationed "By Royal Au-
thority" which is throwing off sheets containing an
account of the Tunnel. told the man would pur-
chase two of his Sheets provided he would allow me
to pull" them myself This, upon learning that 81
knows the ropes" they say sea- he consented to-
have therefore, an account of the Thames Tunnel,
printed by myself, standing midway between the Lon
don and Surry sides of the river seventy feet below
tic hid with ctn al,.
my head
The Tunnel is two miles below London Bridge,
where another bridge, which was much wanted
would have proved seriously Injurious to the immense
commerce of the metropolis In 1929 after the fail
ure and abandonment Of several plans for tunnelng
the Thames, one was submitted by (now Sir J. M J
Brunei, which received the confidence of capitalists,
and in 1926 he commenced his operations But he
encountered difficulties and obstacles, for years at
every step of his progress that would have dishear
ened and appalled, any man but whom the emer
gency had produced to accomplish this mighty enter
PRISE. Quicksand beds among the most pcrilous
obstacles met with The top Of the tunnels arch,
about the middle of the river, approaches within ten
feet OF the bottom of the river. Four times during
its progress, the tunnel and shafts were filled with
water and the Eruption of 1927 threatened to destroy
the enterprise but, by the incredible efforts all
was overcome by its ndomtable architect, and in
1888, seven years afterwards, Sir J. Nj. Brunei was
enabled to resume tie work.
The progress of this great work was necessarily
very slow. Sometimes with favorable excavations,
two feet would be accomplished in "a hours working
as they did, with changes of hands, day and night
where the excavation was difficult ONLY feet would
be done in week and for the last three months so
great was The labor and so formidable the obstruc-
tons, that only 3 feet and 4 inches progress was
made In August, 1871, Is years after the ground
was broken on the London side of the Thames Sir
J. Nj. Brunei descended shaft from the Mapping
side and passed through small drift-way through
the shield into the tunnel" Less than two wears
thereafter, in March, 1S43, the magnificent work was
completed. The whole expense of construction is
stated at &6i4,OOO sterling. The toll is only penny
Tor passing through the tunnel and but for the get
tin up stairs " ii would pay well. Until passengers
are let down and taken up by engine it will not
take loot passengers from the bridges.
His visit to the Bank of England thus described
we availee ourselves this morning of the permis-
sion obtained 10y MIR Wiggin to visit the Bank of
England. An official (hlaccr or Usher) with laced
dress coat and hat escorted us leisure
~ through an Institution that is potent in contro
ing and regulating the money pusatons Of Europe
1t Is situated on Threadneedle-st., but fronts upon
halt dozen others, and occupies irregular area
OF eight acres. There no windows through the
exterior of the building light being supplied by sky
lights and open courts within. There Is a clock by
which Bank time is kept, with dias indicating the
time in sixteen different Offices. The Bank with its
various oilces are open from a. Nj. till Z. Nj
The Bank has IFS Prnting-ofice Book bindery, En-
&c.
&c all are printed within the Bank as are the Bank
Notes. In the toom where the circulating notes arc
printed there are eight Presses, all constantly en-
pIoyed, and which throw off about 5000 impressions
daily
We saw two presses rolling off five pound notes
and others upon the various denominations up to
1lOOO which Is the largest note the bank issues
The dates and numbers of the notes supplied by
smaller presses IN another room. The paper is de-
yered to the presses counted IAN hundred sheets at
when worked nd RET hun
dred sheets are given. Freshmen work five hours and
earn from two to three guineas a week In the of.
hce where redeemed notes examined, cancelled
SC, l36 clerks are constantly employed. When we
entered this room attendant was sharply repri-
manded for bringing strangers there but on being in
formed that II was "the Governors ordern we were
allowed TO pass Forty thousand different notes are
frequently sent to this Office, to be cancelled, in
day.
The bank, you know, never reissues a note
When returned to the counter for payment note is
cancelled, filed away, to be burnt at the expiration
OF ten years. The armory of the bank contains
hundred stand of muskets, with pistols, cu,lasscs
hand grenades, &c, &c, and has night watch 80
strong. In the office where the bank notes are
counted into parcels, tied with line and placed in
pigeon holes, found five stad methodicai matter
oi-iact looking clerks, whom you would trust for
their faces. One of these old chaps with the pre-
cison Of "OLD OWEN" aud the good nature of Grim
Lhkenwater,' took his keys and unlocked the depo.
STORIES of paper wealth The "rags" Of each dc.
nomination were, in SCI arae parcels When we
came TO the thigh NUMBER he placed four packages
in my hand, and remarked, you noo hold ca 900 600
sterling in your hand, SIR. Yes was actually in pos
session OF TWENTY MILLIONS or DOLLARS, sum much
larger than the whole estate Of John Jacob Astor -
But 1T all returned to its pgeon-hole, and left me
far happier man than those who are encountered with
oyergrown fortunes.
Another Of the old Clerks opened the golden dor
mitories, where reposed endless number of baos
each containing eight hundred sovcreIgns We were
next and finally conducted to suberranean region
enriched by gold and silver bullion Here bars ofthe
precious metals were as pentiiuly heaped as those
OF iron and steel in tn stores of our friends Re
nedict, Townsend and Corning. The silver we did
not NEEDLE with, but we handled bars of gold. each
weighing eight thousand pounds sterling, that were
piled in barrow loads of seventy thousand pound
sterling each Much Of this bullion recently re-
celyed from China, as an instainenf upon the sum
John Bull makes the Ceesas pay for their obstinate
refusal 10 .take oninmM Ihn RarI. Of E..zl...l -