The star of the north. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1849-1866, 1851-03-27
From the Scientific Ameriean.
Progress Of Discovery During the last
Half Century.

III Is related that one OF parry oi UaVehef
while standing on one Of the mountains o
Switzerland, was SO transported with th'
beauties of the scenery spread before him
that in burs, of enthusiasm he declared "ht
never had seen the equal of such scenery
and he was sure there was nothing like it In
Europe, for he had travelled through every
country in it," A German at his side said
che had never seen its like with but a single
exception" and he named certain noun.
tain in the Highlands of Scotland, which he
had visited a few weeks before. The for
mer gentleman hung down. his head, merely
remarking "thai, although he had been on
that mountain often, he never thought much
about it," That mountain was on his own
estate.
There is no common sayings which con-
tains more truth than Familiarity begets in
difference" Otis distance lends enchantm ent
to the view" We live in an age Of wonders
and the last half century has witnessed a
succession of the most mighty events and
the most astounding discoveries which have
ever teen made, at least during any such
period of the worlds history, and yet, living
as we do, in the midst of such develope'
ments, with new leaves of the book OF in.
vention still turning over, we do not wonder
for i, is just like human nature, that the
majority Of mankind are calous to the mer-
its and importance o. the discoveries made
III their own day even although they are
reaping untold benefits from them.
Let US look back 10 the beginning of this
century, and see what mighty works have
been done by inventors since that lime. In
1900 there was not single steamboat in the
world. Our inland seas and noble rivers
were lying grand and silent in primeval lone
illness, except when enlivened by the clum-
sy batteau, or the rude faiboat In 1907
Fulton launched the Clermont, which made
passage to Albany in 80 hours. At that
time the mode of travel was by schooners
and sloops, which were frequently six days
on the passage The improvement was cer-
,ainly great, but what would Fulton now
say, to see steamboats, running the same
distance in hours-and some of them large
enough TO stow the Clermont on their for
ward decks. No steamboat had broken the
waters of the Mississippi previous TO 1915;
the voyage from Cincinnati to New 0fleaas
was Tremendous undertaking, and occu-
pied more time than steamboat would now
take to circumnavigate the globe. At pres
ent it is calculated that there are no less
thau 1900 steamboats, of all sizes in A meri.
ca, and the time saved to travellers, by the
invention of the steamboat, is at least seven
ty per cent. ; that is, peron can travel a
greater distance in 80 days now, by steam
boat than he could in 100 days in 1900. Just
fancy Benjamin Franklin being almost
wrecked in going frum New York TO Amboy,
and the vessel in which he was in, occupy
ing 80 hours on the passage-a distance
which is accomplished every day by our
steamboats, in one and a half hours=a great
change, truly.
In Europe, steamboats, were unknown un-
til 1911, and no sea was regularly navigated
by steamboats, until 1918. The progress Of
Marine Navigation is remarkable. In 1888
no steamship had ventured across the stormy
Atlantic TO establish ocean navigation. Now
we have communication every week with
Europe, by regular steam mails; ard 10
show the advantage Of steam over mere
sailing vessels, within few days from the
present date, some Of our finest sailing pack
cts have come in after passage Of fifty
days, while our steamships have not been
out more than sixteen days. If the last half
century had given ds no other inventiohthan
the steamboat, that alone, considering its i'm.
pouance, is enough to immoralize it II in
1900 there was no steamship in the wide
world, where is the country now where they
are not seen, and where they are not exerci
sing most important influence? No coun-
try in the world.-On the Hudson, Mississip-
pi, on all our lakes, rivers, and seas, ard on
all the oceans Of the world. On that sea
where the waters rolled up in walls 10 allow
Moses and the Hebrews to pass over shod
on the ancien. Nile, where Cleopatra's galley
spread its silken sails 10 the breeze Qpethe
Ganges of Indus in the East, and the Sacra
mento in the West, there may be seen ~.
merons mr.onuments TO .,iy inventor of the
steamboat-the steamship "rules the waves"
The steamboat is not the only important
invention of the last half century-the pro
grsss of invention isjust as marked in other
departments of discovery. Look al the Iron
Horse moving out Of his stable, screaming
AMI panling 10 start upon his journey. That
is the steaia engine in its most perfect state
lit is a near approach 10 the spiritual and
physical combination Behold how easily
he drags the porderous train atihe rate OF thir-
" miles per hour thus conveying hundreds oi
passengers in concert and safety, to dis.
tance in an hour which, but few years ago,
would take them nearly a whole day TO &C.
complish by stages. Within three months
the Queen of England was transported from
the interior of Scotland 10 London, d distance
of 400 miles, in ten hours. In 1900 the
same journey could not be be accomplished
In less than eight days. II the steamboat
has revolutionized INSTRUMENTATION by