, 1859-09-16

OtutI SIOuC uICn III tue worn, anu Is mort
= beautiful in proportion that the arch oyel
e the Geo, so long celebrated for its magnif
cence.
The tunnel built by Mr. Haupt, on the
summit Of the Pennsylvania Railroad wa,
a more difficult work than the tunnel an
der 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, built by Julius Adams
are equal in m0gnifcence and excellence
of workmanship to any thing Brunei ever
did in England, or Moran in France.
d, The Suspension Bridge over the Niagara
river at Lewiston, built by Major Serrell,
is l,O42 feet 10 inches in one span, and is
43 feet greater than any other single span
in the world, being nearly twice as great
and quite as strong as Telford's celebrated
bridge over the Menai Straits in England.
The United States Dry-dock at Brook
lyn, is the largest dry-dock in the world by
many feet. The workmanship, done under
the direction of Mr.. McAlpine aud Gen.
Stuart, is equal, if not superior, to any.
thing of the kind anywhere 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 flight Of combined locks on the Erie
Canal at Lockport, built by the State En-.
gineers, are equaled only in one other place
in Christendom
/ Tha pailroaI
by Roebling, over the Niagara, is within
few feet of twice the span of Stephen
sons great Tubular Bridge in England,
the largest structure Of the kind. 1t is 800
feet in one span and is two stories high,
the railroad being above the public high.
way. Nothing like this exists anywhere
else.
The Lighthouse on Minots Ledge, be-
ing built by Capt Alexander, is in more
exposed situation, and ns far us proceeded
with, is more securely bolted together than
the famous Eddystone Lighthouse in Eng
land. ...
The Bridge at Wheeling, built by Chas
Ellet, is exceeded only in span by the Lew
iston Bridge, and is heavier than it ; it is
the second largest span in the world, and
is mnch more beautiful than the Fribourg
Bridge, its European rival,
In carpentry we are unequalled in the
world. Such structures in timber as the
Dry Docks at San Francisco and Philadel-
phia-McCullum and Colonel Seymour's
bridges on the Erie Railroad and branches
the timber yiaducts on the Catawissa
Railroad, built by StanclifF-Col. Longs
bridges on the various New England Rail
roads, and Howe's trusses at Harrisburg,
have not their equals across the Atlantic.
Then, again, 10 Europe, many structures
are built that might have been avoided-a
few hundred rods OF detour wOnld have
saved the great Box tunnel Now we
maintain that the location Of Slidell's di-
vision, for example, on the Erie, evinced
more skill in avoiding the necessity Of
great structures, than could DO shown in
building them.
The stones on either corner Of the Ex-
change in Boston, built by Rogers, are
larger than any single stone in Cleopatra's
needle, and those now being put into the
United States Treasury at Washington, are
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 skin
have been brought to bear than in ours,
and it is a 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 pril-
cipal lines with theirs, while the shares on
the American lines were but little over
half the English rates
The reason why these things are not
generally known is, that here We build q
great work, announce its completion in the
same advertisement that heralds the open
ing Of the road, and no more is said about
it, except, perhaps, what may appear in
one or two scientific periodicals, where dry
feet aud inches, strain and tortion are dis
cussed, and are never read except by the
professional engineer. While on the con-
trary, in England aud France, us soon as
a great work is built, and while il is being
erected, pictures by thousand are published,
medals are struck aud circulated, glass
models are made and the illustrated news
papers show it in every stage Of progress
and from every point Of view the engi-
neer is knighted, IL he is not already Of the
nobility, and the fame Of the structure is
sent frOP land to land; while with us, as we
have shown, may he found some Of the
most gigantic works ever undertaken, that
are passed and over without hardly any
notice. 1t is remarkable that the best
popular descriptions Of our own public
works of great magnitude are to be found
in the journals Of France aud Germany.
/ SERIOUS CHARGE AGAINST PUBLIC OFF
IcER-The Boston Journal publishes a