Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1864-05-19
me pIasu,tvdo or Our pubIIo worLs.

The Magnitude Of Our Public WORKS.
It has been fashionable to compare un-
favorably the works Of this country with
those Of Euroce. To such an extent has
this been carried, that it is not uDfre-
quently said that we have to look to Eog.
| land or the Continent for most Of our ex-
amples. We are continually told by trsV-
elers Of the great extent, beauty, and du-
| rability Of the continental works, and Of
the enormous strength Of the English
structures. Now it is perfectly true that
Europe can boast Of railroads, canals,
bridges, aqueduets, unrivaled in the world
for besuty and elegance of workmanship
and design, but it is equally true that
America can point to works of utility that,
in the msgni6cente Of their proportions,
are not exceeded anywhere.
The Julian Aqueduct at Rome is two
miles longer than the GrotOn Aqusduot Of
New York, built by John B. Jarvis and
Horstio Allen, but the Croton carries
more water than all the seven sdqueducts
Of Rome put together, and more than any
other aqueduct in the world, and is lon.
ger than any other squeduct excepting the
Sultan.
The Illinois Central Railroad, built by
Colonel 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 Cumber-
land Mountains, built by the United
States Engineer Corps is more extensive
and durable by far than the Appian
Way.
The sto arch over Cabin Johns Greek,
on the Washington Aqueduct built by
Captain Meigs, is about fifty feet greater
span than any other stone arch in the
world, and is more beautiful in proportion
than the sroh over the Dec, go long cele-
brated for its msgpifcencs.
The tunnel built by Mr. Hsupt, on the
summit Of the Pennsylvsnia Railroad,
was q more difficult work than the tunnel
under the Thames
The structures Of the Baltimore and
Ohio Rsilrosd at Hsrpers Ferry, and be-
yond the Summit, built by Latrobe; and
the Stsrroces Visduot, on the New York
and Erie silrosd, built By Julius Adams,
are equal in magnifoenoe and excellence
Of workmanship to snything Brunei ever
did in England, or Moran In France.
The Suspension Bridge over the Niagara
river st Lewiston, built by Msjer s,rrell,
is l ,042 feet 10 inches in one span, and is
43 feet greater than any other single span
in the world, being nearly quite as great
and quite az strong as Telfords cele-
brsted bridges 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 and
General Stuart, is equal, if not superior to
anything Of the kind any where. The
plates Of ir;n used in the doors Of this
dock are the largest that had been made up
to the time they were rolled
The flight Of combined locks on the Erie
Canal at LoekpOrt, built by the State En-
gineers, are squsled only in one other
place in Christendom, Sweden.
The railroad suspension bridge, built BY
ROebling over the Niagara, is within few
feet Of twice the span Of Stephens great
tubular bridge in England, the largest
structure Of the kind. IL is 500 feet in
one span, and is two stories high, the rail-
road being above the public highway. No
thing like this exists anywhere else.
The light house on Minots Ledge, being
built by Captain Alexander, is in a more
exposed situation, and as far as proceeded
with is more securely bOlted together than
TIE famous Eddystone light house in Eng
land.
The pr1dge ~ ThssIS.1s sy.s41I---r1L..
Eilet, 10 exeet ded only in span by the
LeWistoWn bridge, and is heavier than 1T;
1t 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
I IL -
dry docks st San Francisco and Philadel-
phia, McCullsm's and Colonel Seymour's
bridges on the Erie Bailroad and branches,
the timber visduots on the Cstswisss Rail-
road, built by Stsnolif, Colonel Longs
bridges on the various New England rail
roads, and Howe's trusses ct Harrisburg.
have not their equals aefos- the Atlantic.
Then, again, in Europe, many struc.
lures are built that might have been avoid
ed-s few hundred rods Of detour would
have saved the great Box tunnel. Now we
maintain that the location Of SlidelP
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 Rogers, are
larger than an single stone in Cieopatra's
Needle, and those now being put into the
United States Treasury st Washington are
much heavier than any stone Of PomHey'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 1t 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, vhile the
charges on the American lines we're but
little over half the English rates.
The reason why these things are not
generally known is, that here we build
great work announce its completion in
the same advertisement that herslds the
opening Of the road, and no more is said
about it, except perh ps, what may sp-
pear in one or two scientific periodicals
where dry feet and inches, stress, strain,
and toreiOn are discussed, and sre never
read except by the professional engineers.
While on the contrary, in England and
France, as soon ss q 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 stsge Of progress and from every
point Of view; the engineer is knighted,
if he is not already Of the nobility and the
fame Of the structure is sent from land to
land while with US, as we have shown,
may be found some of the most gigantic
works ever undertaken that are passed by
and ever without hardly any notice. 1t
is remarkable that the best popular de
-cripiions of our public works Of great