The Van Buren press., 1859-07-20

" SVAPetc uuIoSOf8Diy the works
OF this country with those Of Europe. Te
such an extent has this been carried that Il
is not unfrequentlys said that we have to
look to England or the Continent for mos,
Of our examples. We are continually told
by travellers Of the great extent, beauty and
durability OF the continental works. and Of
the enormous strength Of the English struc.
lures. Now it is perfectly true that Europe
can boast OF railroads, canals, bridges. and
aqueducts unrivsled in the world for heautv
and excellence of workmanship and design,
but it is equally true that America can point
to works Of utility that, in the magnificence
OF their proportions, are not exceeded any
where
The Julian Aqueduct OF Rome is two
miles longer than the Croton Aqueduct OF
New York, built by John b.. Jervis and
Horatio Allen, but the Croton carries more
water than all the seven aqueducts of Rome
put together, and more than any other aque-
duct in the world, and longer than any
ether excepting the Julian.
The Illinois Central Railroad, built bv
Col. Mason, is the longest line ever con-
structed by one company, and in point OF
workmanship is equal to any European
road.
The Na.icual Road. over the Cumberland
built by the United States En-
gineer Corps, is more extensive and durable
by far than the Appian way.
The stone arch over Cabin Johns Creek,
on the Washington aqueduct, built by Capt.
Meigs, is about fifty feet greater span than
any other stone arch in the world, and is
more beautiful in proportion than the arch
over the Oca. SO longcelebaatcd for its mag
ni6cence.
The tunnel built by Mr.. Haupt, on the
summit of the Pennsylvania Railroad, was
a nsore difficult work than the tunnel under
the Thames.
The structures on the Baltimore and
Ohio Railroad at Harper's Ferry, and be-
yond the summit, built by Latrobe, and the
Starrocca Viaduct, on the New York and
Erie Railroad, but by Julius Adams, are
equal in magnifcerce and excellence of
workmanship to anything Brunei ever did
in England or Moran in France.
The Suspension Bridge over the Niagara
river at Lewiston, built by Major Serrcil, is
1,O42 feet 10 inches in one span, and is 43
feet greater thap any other single span in the
world, being nearly twice as great and quite
as strong as Telford's celebrated bridge over
the Menia Straits in England.
The United States Dry-dock at BROOKLYN
is the largest dry y-dock in the world by ma
ny feet. The workmanship, done under
the direction of Mr.. McAlpinc and General
Sturat. is equal. if not superior, to any
where. The plates of iron used in the
gates of this dock are the largest that had
ever been made up to the time they were
rolled.
The fight of combined locks on the Erie
Central at Lockport. built by the State En-
gineers, are equalled only in one other place
in Christendom-(S Sweden.
The Railroad Suspension Bridge built by
Roebling over the Niagara is within few
feet of twice the span of Stephcnson's great
Tubular Bridge in England, the largest
structure Of the kind. 1t is 500 fet in one
span. and is two stories high. the railxoad
being above the public highway Nothing
like this exists anywhere else.
The Lighthouse on Mirot's Ledge, be-
ing built by Capt. Alexander, is in a more
exposed situation, and as far as proceeded
with is more securely bolted together than
the famous Eddystone Lighthouse in Eng
land.
The Bridge at Wheeling. built by Charles
Ellet, is exceed only in span by the Lewis
ton Bridge, and is heavier than it it is the
second largest span in the world, and is
much more beautiful than the Fribourg
Bridge. its European rival.
In carpentry we are unexcelled in the
world. Such structures in timber as the
Dry Docks at San Francisco and Philadel-
and Col. Seymour's
bridges on the Erie Railroad and branches,
the timber viaducts on the Catawissa Rail
road, built by Stancliff, Col. Longs bridges
on the various New England railroads, and
Howe's trussee at Harrisburg, have not their
equals across the Atlantic.
Then again, in Europe many structures
are built that might have been avoided, "a
few hundred rods of detour would have
saved the great Box tunnel. Now we main
tain that the location of Sidell's division,
for example, on the Erie, evinced more skill
in avoiding the necessity of great structures
than could be shown in building them.
The stones on either corner of the Ex-
change in Boston, built by Rodgers, are
large than any single stone in Cleopatra's
needle, and those now being put into the
United States Treasury at Washington arc
much heavier than any stone of Pompey's
pillar, or the Pyramids of Egypt.
AS to the difficulties of location, there is
no country where more science and skill
have been brought to bear than in ours, and
it is remarkable fact that, in point of
time, last year. our average travelling was
faster by two and a half miles per hour
than in England, comparing our principal
lines with theirs. while the charges on the
lines was but little over half the
English gates.
The reason why these things are not gen.
erally known is, that here we build great
work, announce its completion in the same
that hcralds the opening of
the road, and no .aore is said about it, ex-
,ept, perhaps. what may appear in one or
two scientific periodicals, where dry feet and
inches, stress, strain and tortion are discuss
ed, and are never read except by the profess
sional engineer. While on the contrary, in
England and France. as soon as great
work is built, and while it is being erected,
pictures by thousands are published, medals
are struck and circulated. glass models are
made, and the illustrated newspapers show
it in every stage of progress and from every