Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1869-03-19
MODERN B.N'GI.vBBRT.N'G.

on tne hDONebuDlccl ~ otelnWhy man. NeM
York city, on the evening of Wednesday,
Feb. 10th, under the auspices of the Amer
lean Institute. We mako the following
brief extracts
"Among the most important of the dis
coveries and appliances of modern engi-
neering in the locomotive. TWAS invented
at the beginning of this century, but was
not successfully used until 1929, since which
time 1t has increased from to 40 tons in
weight, and from IA to go miles per hour in
speed. Then grades of 80 feet per mile were
the maximum, now those of 440 feet at Mt.
Cents, and 52s on the Baltimore Il ONO
railroad, have been used. Forty years ago
Horatio Allen had to mount the foot-board
of the first locomotive himself; now 10000
are daily whirling over 10000 miles of rail-
WAYS in this country alone. To-day loco
motives are passing over the submits Of
the Rocky Mountains and Sierra Nevada,
and before the year closes will go from ocean
to ocean. From the days of Noah until
those Of the locomotive civilized population
was confined to the water-lines. This one
engine has spread an avalanche of peoples
upon our fertile interior, who now form
more than one-half of our population and
sources of prosperity. The Erie Canal,
originally built for vessels of so tons, has
Just been enlarged for those of 25O tons, and
its increasing traffic already demands an
enlargement for vessels of 1000 tons. OF
the traffic of the great West it now carries
more than all of the great trunk lines Of
railway between the st. Lawrence and the
Potomac. One canal-bo carries more tom
mage than a freight train, and the Erie canal
brings daily to tide-water more than five
times as much tonnage as the New York
Central railroad. Its tonnage exceeds that
of all the foreign commerce of New York
city. The materials used in its construc-
ton exceed in quantity those required for
the 1000 miles of the Pacific railway.
mass OF metal of ton weight was I'M
known before the Christian era. Now those
in cast iron up to $50 tons, in wrought iron
to 40 tons, and in steel or bronze to 25 tons,
are made in any desired form, and turned
or bored with the most perfect accuracy
Two years ago saw the largest lathe in
England, which swings % feet, and will
take in a shaft As feet long. Six months ago
saw one in this country which swings 80
feet, and will take in a shaft of SO feet.
There are planners which will plane iron so
feet in length; others Of IS feet in width ;
others IA feet in height, taking off metal
shavings Of q inches in width and inch
thick.
Not long since 1 witnessed the penetra-
ton Of wrought iron shield of is inches
thickness by an elongated cannon-shot of
u inches diameter. The largest European
gun is OF steel, by Krupp, IA inches bore,
and will throw a ball Of 1000 pounds, but
has never been fired. The next largest Eu-
ropean gun is an Armstrong rifle, which
throws shell Of 610 pounds. The II inch
American Rodman rifle throws an elongat-
ed shot OF $50 pounds, and the 20 inch
smooth bore, spherical shot of 1919 pounds.
The 'swamp-angel' is Parrot rifle, SINGH
es bore, and threw shot of $50 pounds a
distance of 81 miles into Charlestown. Its
ancient rival, Mons Meg is 20 inches bore,
and threw stone balls of 1874 inches diane
ter, but, notwithstanding its quaint legend
its range did not exceed IL miles.
The works of the ancients are often re-
ferred to as excelling in magnitude, accu
racy of workmanship, and beauty Of desigr
those OF modern times. This view is II
part. at least. ouite erroneous. Their work,
were generally for useless purposes, though
there are many exceptions, such as thei
canals. water works. military roads ant
bridges. which show that ithey were occa
sionally called upon for works of utility
The stones in the temple of Baalbec are tn
largest save one of any building in tn
world. They range from 1900 to 1875 tons
The one at st. Petersburg is one-fifth larger
The monolitbs of E9vpt are from 200 to 30
tons, and a few of 700 tons. The obelisk O
Luxor, now in Paris. weighs $50 tons. Tn
'goodly stones of the temple at Jerusalem
weighed $50 tons EACH"
The lecturer then described, from tn
most trustworthy sources, the probabl
method of constructing the great Pyrami
OF Gizeh, including the method of quarry
ing, transporting and laying the stone, an
stated that, instead OF scafiolding, amour
OF esreh and nm inehn"d' e-H~s~Hy wei
usou' A"u "ne" '"o S'iuo'uio was oo''
p'es'u 'ae ea," we" ,ao 900 ' niS pyi
mn o'ou O,o'O'OOO 'on' " oe ooo ~ ~
oO'oo', ~ w
80,
- A. -, ..,o..aa o.. A. n.s,as.l
a. ~. ~. -, 'N1-.S1
a.,,,,,,,. o.. .,,,, .,,-a,,tI +. -
.haIol,or 20 zoo ooo mo-, f,r ,,,r,,, 80. =,
cost AZ 600 600 oo0 A modern engine
,yorId construed sucb a ,vorl, for S,oo ooo M
and nae only n 1.-THE of the man Tho "a