Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1857-06-23
NOTES BY THE WAY.

Efrm misunderstanding South.
In too light a coat and thin pair of brooches
Qor 1 thoughtlessly checked my baggage
through to Albany. last night was OF at 81
a. m, to walk over the other great wonder OF
the vieinage, almost rs far surprising any other
work of art as that described above every other
of nature. The Suspension Bridge is, to be
brief, railroad track carried over the madly
rushing and unfathOmable waters of Niagara at
apoint about two miles below the cataract, and
of course, without support other than its moor
ings to the bold faced rock-elifs through which
the river has been so many centuries gradually
wearing down its channel until its surface level
is about 200 feet below On the cliffs, on each
side, are erected pair of towers; on the Amer
lean side 9S and the Canada side IS feet
high, ten feet being the difference in the level
of the rock on either side. Passing over and
firmly secured to and supported by these towers
are immense ropes of wire, which seem to spring
out Of the rocks a few hundred feet behind
each (tOwer) Upon the graceful arch made by
their weight hangs suspended a single track
railroad, secured Ito these pendant arches of
wlre) by network of smaller iron so arranged
rs to achieve the greatest possible strength and
lnhexibility, lateral and perpendicular with
the least possible weight of metal. Still nearer
the waters surface hangs suspended from the
rail track an ordinary roadway for vehicles
and foot passengers. As an engineering feat,
this bridge Is most interesting its graceful and
airy proportions being its chief attraction in
the eyes of most beholders In truth, it struck
me as dream of a pathway created by Genii,
for fairies use, over the yawning chasm below.
German engineer named Robbling con-
structed the present bridge on the basis and
with the help Of a similar bridge lin point of
scientific principles reSorted tol for vehicles and
foot passengers, previously constructed by Mr.
Chas. Elicit, the 50 distinguished American en-
glneer- How to make his first connection be-
tween the cliffs was the original difficulty solved
lie (Mr- Ellet flew kite over the river by
light but very strong string; suddenly giving
the kite entire play, il fell to the ground at
point so far back of the cliffs face. on the lee
ward side, az that the assistants standing ready
10 that end had time 10 secure the string ere its
weight overhanging the chasm, drew it back
into the foaming depths below. Once thus Sc
cured, IT was an easy matter to draw over at
tached TO the string, stronger cords, one after
the other, until ropes, and then wires of in
oreasing weight and strength were dashed in
thls manner from cliff to cliff, sufficient to sus-
tain the vast work / have been describing The
trains running over it travel at a snal's pace
and cause no perceptible vibration of the vast
work; nor are they heard upon it, owing to the
din of the roar of the ever pouring cataract two
miles above.
To continue my journey homeward ] took
the cars of the New York Central Railroad at
the American village of Niagara, situated at
nd Of tba briJ
menced to travel across one of the finest acri-
cultural regions in our vast country Here every
thing appertaning to farming is conducted more
generally with skill, neatness and thrift, than in
any other section that l have trayersed The
soil Is certainly equal in fertility to any in Mi
souri, or Illinois, while the location combines
more substantial advantages than that Of any
other farming territory so far from the centre of
American cODmerce-New York city It-"the
tennessee country begins on the line of this
railroad where it crosses the Tonawonda creek.
and continues to Rochester, the easternmost
point OF western New York 1t is the land of
tnominally) an average Of thirty bushels of
wheat to the acre. L am no believer in such crops
In this country; never yet having seen a single
crop that turned out so large, though often hear
ingof them However, nature having lavished
blessings (agriculturalj on the magnificent val
ley, man has ayailed himself more thoroughly
of them than L ever before saw done. As a
general axiom, where nature has done most for
man, ne seems to feel upon him the slightest
Ooiigauon to help himself. Such is human ma
ture, the world over, except here
From Niagara TO where am now writiny-a
few miles west of Utica-we have passed vii.
lagos towns and cities so rapidly as that the
whole vicinity Of this road is made, to the trav
eier, to appear TO be through a continuous
stream or line Of houses as il were
AT Lockport we struck the Erie Canal. which
since lts late enlargement, is certainly the
greatest and most complete work of the kind
in America The railroad passes through that
town, 50 as from the car window had a fuIl
view OF the operation Of its double series Of
stupendous locks, in one of which ascending
ooats are being locked up. while DESCENDING
ooats are being locked down to the lower level
ihey are twin locks, as il were-side by side
and IN all, 1t struck me. there were eicbt NJ
them.
In passing through the city of Rochester we
eourSed within, perhaps, hundred yards of the
beautiful falls OF the Genesee river ldroppinu
down eighty feet which furnish the power turn.
ing the immense Touring mills located there
At Syracuse the point Of interest was the
salt works.
The State owns the salt water in the bowels
Of the earth there, and taxes the privilege Of
pumping it up for salt-lnaking both by boiling
and evaporation. The wells are bored, as the
staple lies deep-very deep-below the surface.
and their contents are pumped up, by steam
INTO shallow wooden watts, elevated, perhaps,
Two feet above the ground, with shifting plank
eoVers-roof- shaped-to be drawn over them in
case OF ram The sun is relied on to evaporate
'ne water, and:leave the salt residuum in these
watts. When boiled, the water is pumped di-
rectiy INTO immense boilers and is eyaporated
oy aruhciai heat At Syracuse, this is a very
large business Indeed, it is at the foundation