Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1858-05-07
,uee.,. OF v,rs,n,an. Foreign Lands.


We are always gratted To mark the sue
cessful career OF NIrginians who have gone
into foreign lands 70 pursue high and honor
able calliugS, and thus to reflect renOwn upon
the old mother State. While the reVilers of
the South are constantly pratlng oil the de-
yeneracy of Virginia, aud asserting that she
has fallen from the exalted position she once
occupied before the world. II delightful
thing 70 see these ISLANDERS retuted IN the trl
umpbs of her children III various depart
mepts of labor under distant skies. The
credi, which the Old Dominion has continued
to gain through her representatives III the
Army and Navy, We have frequently had &C.
casion II mention, and never more proudly
than when the Legislature recently voted a
sword TO Lieut.. Pegram, the modest hero OF
the Chinese Seas. But with other and more
peaceful weapons than the sword have the
sons of our soil virdicatad the fame Of the
commonwealth of late beyond her borders.
We have more than one artist IN Italy, puF-
suing the studies Of painting and sculpture,
the efforts of whose pencils and chlsels Will
soon redeem Us from the stereotyped reproach
of sterility in the Fine Arts. And at this
very moment Virginia Engineer is carry
iny on great work under Imperial patron
age, when will compare, when finished, with
some of the finest railways in Europe.
correspondent of the PliIadelpnla Evening
Bulletin, writing from Rio de Janero, thus
refers To the line OF railway which Col
Charles f. NJ. Glrnett, Is now engaged IN
constructing for the Emperor OF Brazil:
The great railroad Of the country Is the
/ Don Pedro the Second, the first division OF
which SO miles to Beei (prDnouucen 10,
/ Laag,) is iuet going into operation. The SO
cond sectiou vi II m.le- is to be let on the
Goth If this month. From Rio Janeiro u
/ Belem, this railroad passes over nearly lev
/ ell region. although 1t is among the MOUNTAINS
/ and the work upon II was light, scarcely any
rnck and very little deep cutting or h,AIng.-
| But the second section, except miles neal
| Belem, lie entirely mUuntaln work OF the
! heaviest character, very costly, but iayorablJ
| situated for the country, consisting OF steel
! silehills, presenting alternate cuts and fills
with short intervals On this distance o
/ II miles. there are twelve tunnels. The lot
gest tunnel Is seven thousand and two hun
dred feet, and Of the remaining eleven ton
uels, the longest is about two Thousand teet
! The rock is granite, tuerably hard, but no
harder than may be found in the Unltet
States Some OF the tunnels will be harder
than others. Tue region through which the
second section passes is perfectly healthy
Astounding in springs Of purest cool water
as healthy as the Allegheny Mountain be
tween Altoona and the Summit, and not uu
IKE 1t Ia appearance, only ihat the aIil siGG-
he:e are sleeper, and the spurs add gorge:
are sharper, hence 50 many tunueIs 10 Keel
a COON alignment.
Cd. Garnet the Chief Engineer, aided by
biz Chief Assistant, Major Ellison, has pei
severed in his examination aud GeVrIJpuicn
If this most difficult ground, uuui he ha
succeeded III establishing a gooa lane through
out, with no gradient above niuc;y tive fee
per mile, the same Us over the Pennsylvania
Railroad from Altoona 10 the tuuuei,) anC
no curve exceeding u deg. Considering th'
peculiar character vi the topography, ! IT
gard this as remarkably successful engi
neeTiug"
Col. Garnet belongs to family which
ha, already won great distinction IL the per
sons Of several Of lts members, che Hon. Il
VI. 7. Hunter and the lion. NJ. II. Ii. Gar
uctt are his near kInsmen,) and his sO!ectou
by tho + nperor Of Brazil, 10 snpcrlntcnd
the construction of the Don Pedro Railway
| is an hOuor OF no mean sort, when we con
slider that the Engineers who carried the
Austrian line over the Semmering Alps, aud
made the road through tue Apprentices from
Genoa to Turin, would most gladly have ac'
cepted the position be now so ably fills
We tru-t DC may win abundant laurelS and
duublouns in his South American enterPrl'
so~, and return to Nirguia to enjoy them
| RtcrsJmy Erp.