The Buchanan County guardian. (Independence, Buchanan County, Iowa) 1858-1864, 1860-06-20

Wlle, tnOuSn ne never could make ou
exactly whether she humbugged him OF
not.-Knitting Work.
Magnitude of Public Works in America.
The following birds eye view of a
number of great public works of the
United States, which surpasses every
thing of similar character to be found
in any other part of the world, is worthy Y
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 car
ries more water than all the seven acque-
ducts of Rome put together, and more
than any other acqueduct in the world,
and is longer than any other except the
Julian. The Illinois Central Railroad,
built by Col. Mason, is the longest line
ever constructed by one company, and
in point of workmanship is equal to any
European Road. The National road over
the Cumberland Mountains, built By the
United States engineer corps, is more ex.
pensive and durable, by far, than the A p
plan way. The stone arch over Cabin
Johns creek, on the Washington ac-
queduct, 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 magnih-
cence.
The tunnel built by Mr. Haupt, on the
summit of the Pennsylvania railroad, was
a more difficult work than the tunnel un-
der the Thames. The structures on the
Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, at Harper S
Ferry, and beyond the summit, built
by Latrobe, and the Starocca Viaduct,
on the New York and Erie Railroad
built by julius Adams, are equal in mag
nlfcence and excellence of workman
ship to anything Brunei ever did in Eng
land or Moran in France. The Suspen
sion bridge over the Niagara river at
Lewiston, built by Major Serrel, is ,04e
feet lO 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 Eng
land.
The United States Dry-doek at Brook
lyn, is the largest Drydock in the world
by many feet. The workmanship, done
under the direction Of Mr.. McApine 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 flight of combi ned locks on the Erie
Canal. at Lockport, built by the State
Engineers, are equaled only in one other
place in Christendom-( Sweden).
The Railroad Suspension Bridge,
built by Roebling, over the Niagara, is
within a few feet of twice the span OF
Stephenson's 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 highway. Nothing like this
anywhere else. The lighthouse on Mi
not's Ledge, being built by Capt. Alex
ander, is in a more exposed situation,
and. as far as proceeded with, is more
securely bolled together than the famous
Eddystone lighthouse, i'll England. The
bridge at Wheeling. built by Charles FL
Iiot, is exceeded only in span by the
Lewiston bridge, and is heavier than it
II is the second largest span in the world,
and is much more beautiful than the Fri
bourg bridge. its European rival.
In carpentry we are unexcelled in the
world. Such structures IN timber rs the
dry docks at San Francisco and Phla-
phia-Mc Cullum's and Col Sey
mour's bridges on the Erie Railroad and
branches, the timber yiaducls on the Cat
awissa by Stancletf. Col. Longs brid ges
on the various New England railroads,
and How's trusses AT Harrisburg, have
not their equal cross the Atlantic
Then. again. in Europe many srue.
lures are built that might have been
avoided few hundred feet Of detour
would have saved the great Box Tunnel
Now we maintain that the location of Sli.
dell's division, for example, on the Erie,
evinced more skill in avoiding the neces.
ty of great structures. then could be
shown in building them. 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, OF Pompey's Pillar or the
Pyramids of Egypt. AS TO the Difficult
ties of location. there is no country where
more science and skill has been brought
10 bear than ours, and it is a remarkable
fact that. in point OF time last year. oul
average travelling VAS faster by two aud
a hall miles per hour than in England
comparing our principle lines with their.
while tho charges on the American line:
were but little over half of the Euglist
rates.
STuPESDous RAILWAY PRoJEcrs.-Ii