Newbern weekly progress., 1860-11-13

RAILROAD BRIDGEs-The Romans built
bridges which are now sound after twenty cen
turies. We presume few would wish to trust
the ordinary class of railroad timber bridges
for twenty years. The period is, indeed, about
the limit ASST Gned by Mr.. Post, the former en-
gineer on the Erie Railroad, for the duration Of
wooden bridges of the first class. A first class
bridge, in Mr.. Posts classification, is one the
superstructure of which is composed of white
pine, white oak, and iron; one Of which the
joints when fitted are inlaid with white lead
| and oil paint, and of which the exterior is pain
ted as soon as the timber is perfectly seasoned :;
the seasoned checks cemented, and other eX-
posed points protected. so as almost completely
to secure the timber from the effects of the
weather and preserve it from premature decay.
Bridges built, as they often are, of inferior tim
Der, with little or no mechanical skill and of
light proportions, may exc out from eight to
fifteen years, according to circumstances and
the care bestowed in repairs. Trestle bridges,
costing on an average, and aside from their
foundation masonry, about eight dollars lineal
foot for singt track. are found to hold out for
about six years only. Stringer brdges-large
timber girders supported at the ends by ma
sonry and at iterrnedate points by braces be-
lOw resting upon the abutments-cost about
tive dollars a running foot and appears to last
about eight years. All these estimates are ir-
respective of the contingency of fire, to which
all wooden structures are constantly exposed
A WHISPER FROM FANNY FERN.-Fanny
Fern winds up her letter to the New York
Ledger about her summer visit to the lakes
with the following whisper to landlords gen.
orally:
First, don't always fasten the lady's look
ing glass in her bedroom in the very darkest
corner, or attach it to some numbering piece OF
furniture incapable of being moved, save by an
earthquake secondly give ladies four bed
pillows instead Of two, until geese yields more
feathers; thirdly, Danish forever, with other
tortues of the Inquisition, that internal gong
(eXcuse the eXrressionD y which has had so
much to do in filing our lunatic asylums.'
GREAT YIELD OF CoRN.-We have before US,
says the Wilmington (N. O. Daily Journal, the
veyor, stating that he had surveyed and taken
off one acre Of land for E. D. Hall, Esq, on his
plantation, in Holly Shelter District New Han
over county, and also the certificate of Messrs.
r. T. Williams and j. P. Bannarnlan, stating
that they had measured the corn gathered OF
the above acre, and that it yielded one hundred
0nG tacenty-taco bushels and three pecks, fair
measure.
The yield is so large-so very large-that
we have thought it best to give the authority
upon which we make the statement. The
Messrs. Williams and Bannarman are so we'll
known as to leave no doubt of the accuracy of
the staInent. The certificate is in office.
SECESSION PREPARATIONS IN hIIssIs slPPI.-
Governor Pettus stated a short time siree,- that
the Legislature had passed a law auihorisng him
TO purchase arms for the State and had made an
appropriotion for that purpose. but that there
but little money in the treasury. and he WAS de-
termined that it shonid go towards paying for tie
arms even if the officers of the State had for a
tims. e &c Ttthca. their salaries