Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1849-12-13

that had contained sandwiches and other
scraps indicative of an intellectual feast that
was over, we observed, reclining entirely by
himself, a person in tie easy garb of gen
tleman, who appeared to be in the exquisite
enjoyment of cigar, whose white smoke
in long expirations, was periodically exud-
ing from his lips, as with unaverted eyes, he
sat ndolently gazing at the aerial gallery
before him. 1t was the father looking at
his new born child lie had stroled down
from LlanlarpwlIgwyngilegyll, where undis-
turbed by consonants, he had soundly slept,
10 behold in sunshine aud in solitude that
which during weary period Of CESSATION
had been either mysteriously moving in his
brain, or like Il vision, sometimes of rood
omen, sometimes of bad-had by nirht as
well as by day been fitting across his mind.
In viewing this long narrow passage,
only fifteen feet by thirty, which, without
cuneilorm support was stretching half way
across the Menal Straits, it seemed surpris-
ing 10 us that by any arrangement Of ma
terials it could possibly be made strong
enough to support even itself, much less
heavily laden trains of passengers and goods
/ flying through it, aud actually passing each
other in the air at railway speed. And the
more we called reason and reflection to our
assistance, the more incomprehensibe did
the mystery practically appear; for the plate
iron of which this aerial gallery is composed
is literally not 50 thick as the lid, sides and
bottom which by heartlcss contract, are re-
quired for an elm coffin, l-2 feet long,
= l-2 feet wide and = feet deep of strength
merely suficien, to carry the corpse of an
emaciateG, lriendlcss pauper from the work
house to tie gravew
The next operation was to lift this stu
pendous mass about 100 feet directly in the
air and place 1t upon the top of the towers
prepared for lis reception. This was to be
done by hydraulic press, of which the CYL
indcr was 8 feet 4 inches thick, and feet
10 inches in diameter, made Of cast iron | |
inches thick, and weighing is tons. The
lifting power of this machine, worked by
two 40-horse power steam engines, was
l622 tons, while the tube to be raised weigh
ed but 1900. The press was fixed in the
upper part of the central tower, aud immense
chains, which alone weighed 100 tons each
were passed from the neck of the piston
down to and around the tube. When all
was ready and the steam engines were fore
ing the water into the cylinder, the piston
was raised, of course drawing the tube up
with it, In this way, in about half an hour
the tube was lifted about six feet, when it
was securely fastened. The water was then
let off, the piston descended to renew its
work and the tube was again lifted 8 feet
more. BY a repetition Of this process, the
tube in all was raised about 30 feet, when
by the cylinders of the hydraulic press, the
immense mass suddenly fell through space
of seven inches, until it was stopped by the
brick work which had been carefully built
under it during its ascent This accident
however, would soon be remedied, aud the
work will be continued until the whole
bridge shall have been completed. Its cos
is stated an 81 100000 1t will, when fin
shed, unquestionaby be the most remarka
Bile structure Of its kind in the world.