Cedar Falls gazette. [volume] (Cedar Falls, Iowa) 1860-1895, 1860-06-08
Magnitude of Public Works In America.

We shall be truly feel
Magnitude of Public Works In America.
The following birds eye view Of number
of great public works Of the United States,
which surpasses anything Of similar char.
acter to be found in any other part of the
world, is worthy of particular notice:
The Julian acqueduct Of Rome is two miles
longer than the Croton acqueduct Of New
York, built by John B. Jervis and Horatio
Allen, but the Croton carries more water
than all the seven acqueducts of Rome put
together, and more than any other acqucduct
in the world, and is longer than any other
except the Julian. The Illinois Central Rail
road, built by Colonel Mason, is the longest
line ever constructed by one company, and in
point Of workmanship is equal to any Eu-
ropean road. The National road over the
Cumberland mountains, built blythe United
States engineer corps, is more expensive and
durable by far than the Appian way. The
stone arch over Cabin Johns Creek, on the
Washington acqueduct, built by Captain
Meigs, is about fifty feet greater span than
any other arch in the world, and is more
beautiful in proportion than the arch over the
Oca, so celebrated for its magnifccnce.
The tunnel built by Mr.. Haupt, on the
summit of the Pennsylvania railroad, was a
more difficult work than the tunnel under
the Thames The structures on the Balti-
more and Ohio Railroad at Harper's Ferry,
and beyond the summit, built by Latrobe,
and the Starrocca Viaduct, on the New York
and Eric Railroad, built by julius Adams.
are equal in magnifcence and excellence of
workmanship to any thing Brunei ever did in
England or Moran in France. The Suspen-
sion Bridge over the Niagara river, at Lewis
ton, built by Major Serrel, is 1,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
Tclford's celebrated bridge over the Menai
Straits in England.
The United States Dry-dock at Brooklyn
is the largest Dry-dock in the world by many
feet The workmanship, done under the di-
rcction of Mr.. McAlpine and General Stuart,
is equal, if not superior, to anything 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 fight Of combined locks on the
Eric Canal at Lockport, built by the State
Engineers, arc equalled only in one other
place in Christendom-(Sweedcn.)
The Railroad Suspension bridge, built by
Roebling over the Niagara, is withina few
feet Of twice the span of Stcphcnson's great
tubular bridge in England, the largest struc-
ture of the kind. 1t is 500 feet in one span,
and is two stories high, the railroad being
above the public highway. Nothing like this
anywhere else. The lighthouse on Minot's
Ledge, being built by Capt. Alexander, is in
more exposed situation, and as far as pro-
ceeded with, is more securely bolted together
than the famous Eddystone lighthouse in
England. The bridge at Wheeling, built by
Charles Elliot, is exceeded only in span by
the Lewiston bridge, and is heavier than it
it is the second largest span in the world,
and is much more beautiful than the FribOu-
rge bridge, its European rival
In carpentry we are unexcelled in the
world. Such structures in timber az the
dry-docks at San Francisco and Philadelphia
l-McCullum's and Col. Scymour's bridges
on the Erie railroad and branches, the tim.
bcr viaducts on the Catawissa by Stanclef,
| Col. Longs bridges on the various New Eng.
land railroads, and How's trusses at Harris.
burg, have not their equal across the Atlantic
Then, again, in Europe many structures
are built that might have been avoided,-a
few hundred feet of detour would have saved
the great Box Tunnel Now we maintain
that the location Of Slidelps division, for ex
ample, on the Erie, evinced more skill in avoid.
ing the necessity of great structures, than
could be shown in building tnem. The stones
on either corner Of the Exchange, in Boston
built by Rogers, are larger than any single
stone in Cleopatra's needle, and those now
being put in the United States Treasury, ol
Pompey's Pillar or the Pyramids Of Egypt
As to the difficulties Of location, there is nc
country where more science and skill has been
brought to bear than in ours, and ii is a re.
markable fact that, in point Of time last year,
our average travelling was faster by two and
a half miles her hour, than in England, com.
pairing our principle lines with theirs, while
the charges on the American lines were but
little over half the English rates.