Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1851-06-25
HRfDGING THE NILE.

The editor of the Boston Medical and
Surgical Journal, now on visit to Egypt
and Nubia, gives the following account of
the bridge in progress of construction across
the Nile, near Cairo:
A French engineeris constructing astrong,
beautiful bridge across the river, where the
water is both deep and swift. The arches
are oflarge brick. Anotfier appears tS be
building over the Damietta branch, as seen
in the distance. Mud machines, all iron,
worked by steam pile drivers, and ma
chinery of all kinds suitable for carrying on
heavy business besides immense piles of
stones, brick, timber, and other materials,
independently of labourers, soldiers, carts,
horses, boats, aid mules, give the sport, for
six miles round, an active and bustling ap-
pearance. Six years; we are informed, have
elapsed since the piers were commenced
This is the first bridge, it is tslie7ed, over
the Nile. 1t was c6namenced by Moham-
med Ali, some years since, and fear is en-
tertained that it will never be finished. The
diting-bell is an extraordinary machine,
with which sixty men are Ut once sunk to
the river-bed TO drive piles, lay the founda-
tion stones, SC. The water, at the lowest
point, is thirty feet deep, and the mud thir-
ty below thai, down through which the foun-
dation of the pillar is stink, in iron boxes,
till its weight lodges on the firm botton-
The whole length of piers, ready for receiv-
ing the arches, is ninety feet-thirty above
high-water. Last SESSION %, 900 men were
employed at present only 1000, the Pacha
having used up his funds in Building aid
furnishing costly palaces in all directions.
Every three months the Governor Of a dis
trict is called upon for certain number OF
villagefs for this public wotk.
CORRUPTION OF WoRDs.-Take, for ex-
ample, the word kerchief. There is nc
doubt that this word is derived from the
French eo,prs Chef and obviously meaht a
covering for the head. Brevity converted
couure chef into kerchief. This was well
enough for colloquial purposes, and no great
harm done. By degrees, however, having
occasion to enlarge the application of the
word for our convenience, we flung etyniol-
ogy to the winds, and coined the word
handkerchief, which, broken up in its con-
stituent parts, means literally head cover
for the hand. The force of absurdity would
seem to be incapable Of going beyond this
but worse remains behind. Having recon.
ciled our consciences to handkerchiefs
there was 10 difficulty IN finding kerchiefs
in like manner for all possible purposes
and accordingly we have manufactured g
pocket handkerchief, which means a heac
cover for the hand to go into the pocket
and a neck handkerchief, or head cover fol
the hand to be tied round the neck.
@- Few persons, say the Newark Adver
tiser, have an adequate idea ofthe extent
and value Of the jeweIry manufactured in
"A recent estimate puts the number o.
manufactures at 1s, employing 5000 hands
whose average wages, including boys
amounts to $12 week. The weekly pro-
duct of manufactured articles is. about $685..
900 or 1, S20, 900 year. In the manufac.
ture of watch cases alone, about so hands
are employed. In some manufactures
chains are made, in others, principally rings
while in others, almost every. article yet in;
vented for the adornment of persons of botf
sexes, are manufactured. The gold usec
for year past, has been mostly the produce
of California; brought here assayed, and ir
bars the precious stones forming part o.
the ornaments are imported from Europe
ready cut for use. An erroneous idea, We
understand, is prevalent in relation to thu
increase Of value of all gold manufactured
into jG#elry., A large number of articles
prove to be unsaleable and out of fashion
and when that occurs, they are remelte,
and sent to the mint for coinage"
GSe One of the most siffgular mechanica
inventions displayed at the Worlds Fair
the model of man by Count DAMN. 1t re
presents the fgue of a man five feet il
height, in the proportions of the Apollo ant
from that size the figure can be increased
in all it's compartments to six feet eigh
inches. 1t is intended to facilitate the cloth
ing Of an army: and it is SO ingenious tina
the Emperor pardoned and recalled DCoun
DAMN, who is a Pole, on seeing the resul
Of many years labor and ingenuity. Tn
number Of pieces composing this model
1000.