The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1854-06-29

10 lay te disaster 10 the purely accidental affair OF the
breaking of certain rope brace, guyas if mighty
structure subject TO the ercest blasts of heaven should be
dependent the integrity of bit of wire rope cannot
believe that suspended wire bridges will be found to
answer across very wide rivers where the bridge is re-
quired to be very high with moderate width Their
elasticity is great that where they much subject to
Winds the vibration in heavy gale is such that from
small beginning the swinging motion will so increase with
the pressure of the wind and the weight Of the fabric
tear down the strongest material Not frame of iron
an arch of stoneke the famous railway bridge over
the Mena Straits the London and Waterloo bridges
over the Thames II we once compare own bridges
what few we have got-ether in number qualitywith
the bridges in Great Britain what palry showing do
make? 1t will be said that the bridges in Great Britain
erected at cost All true; and what do
they get for their money! Why, structure that is good
for thousand years. and then material enough to make
two ordinary American bridges Well might London or
Menai bridge say to ours at Wheeling Niagara Otta
wa in the language Of Burnss "Auld Brig" at Ayr while
accosting the 'New Brig
"But gin ye be a brig as aulds as me,
There II be, If that date come, III wad boddle,
Some fewer whig meleriss in your noddle
And tho VII crazy eild Pm sair for sairn,
III be brig when ye're shapeless cairn!
We do everything in hurry and the consequence is
things rarely half done If could be permitted to
steal coupet from another poet and after the "fat bur-
gary, or raner te larceny ada 10 III the crime OF f0rye
by little, very little, alteration, would say;
Brother yona,hon builds for day;
But Mr.. Bull for all time!
Aside from erecting important works in such hurry
too anxious to have everything done cheaply All
the money laid out cheap pstructureparticulay in
bridge buildings usually lost whereas a sufficient sum-
and rightly expended, would be good investment
know benches of magistrates and congressional commit
tees often decide the precise that bridge shall
cost and he way shall he and pf cnnr tlev
ought to know what is best | well aware too that
running full tilt against the national pride of my
countrymen by drawing comparison Ito their dsnd-
vantage) with other nations hope esvers will turn
the tables by quoting back my favote Scotch poet
Lest they think claim much for Englishmen too
little for Americans that assume TO be wise
venerable traveller will get the Of them and quote
what they would be very likely TO;
s'But under favor Of your langer beard,
Abuse o magistrates might wee be spard
To liken them to our auld warld squad,
- must needs say, comparisons are odd"
But poetry aside the facts hard to get over II can
be denied that the network of railways in Great Brit
ain is connected by bridges tunnels and aqueducs to an
extent and with efficiency that viii bear no com
pason TO- We not only do not build bridges that will
stand but have not balf-no one-tenth-as many
as want We may come TO IL by and by-"fivc and
learn" But why not begin rght2 In Great Britain, a
traveller wishing to travel between London and Edn-
blanket and using his carpet-bag for oosoo pil-
low rides the the whole distance Of 400 miles
and only stops two three times for refreshments BY the
express-tran he from London Edinburgh in less
than eleven hours-abou forty miles hour-and with
changing cars being obliged TO leave his seat
Take about the distance in the United Sta,es-say
from New York, through Washington, to Petersburg, yir
gina and what do find Why, the traveller in that
journey has fourteen separate distinct vehicles and
obged change his mode Of Conveyance thirteen ssi And
what is thereby gained by such Of wear and
tear suffering delay inconvenience and loss of baggage as
the disjonted system entails Why, the free and in
dependent inhabitants OF Snooksvile NEARLY every
town Of any size and every river crossing that he
mee) enabled TO pedde few pies pieces Of
gingerbread support few hacks, omnibuscs grog-
shops and steamboats, than IL the railroad unbroken
the whole distance Except the crossing of the Hudson at
New York-and not positive but that could be tun-
nelled brdgcd-there is not particle Of for
single gap in the railroad between New York and Charles
ton or New York and Mobile The patry and con-
cmptibe gainif there is any gain to place at ain
carrying passengers luggage and freight through town
steamers omnibuses carts, while compared to the
depreciation Of railroad stock the immense delay and at
endant expenses and losses in transporting goods and the
loss Of time suffering and danger TO the travelling
munity is q drop Of water to bucket Our mails that
we have such screotyped and ncessant complaints about
are than half tho time delayed from these very
We have however one standing remedy or rather COM
pensaton for all the evils suffered under the delay Of the
mails wetake pay abusing he Postmaster General
Oh IL Is wonderful privilege sirunder free govern
ment1-to have one-some tangible, get-at-abe per-
son-whom abuse heartily for delays and inoon-
venence that somebody has caused and by which su
fer You may depend sir that the good people Of Erie are
not the only that act out the old fable of the canine
quadruped refusing devour the dried grass and the
time preventing his neighbor Taurus from enjoying
the same
Without offering the slightest for conduct that
win admit Of no defence whatever win say that the Erie
people-excep in going to acts Of vioence-are more
to blame and selfish, nor do they stand in
their light any more than the communities Of many
other places Of greater note
"0 wad some power be used to build bridges where
necessary, and lay down railroads IL through around
aud clear out Of the way Of every town and city and
every river in the Union that mails freight and passen
gers be transported from end Of the land the
other, without grievous tar time patience and
money every selfish village and every stream Of
that present obstacle difficulty But am
away from my subject tho fact Is have fallen Of Of The
@or os good