The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1882-10-27


reigned about 1900 b. C. It's whole
length is 122 feet, its weight 400 TONS
Its height, without PEDESTAL is 108 feet
10 inches. The height of the ooelisk in
Central Park, without pedestal, is GO
feet ii inches; its weight about 16e
tons.
The Chinese wall is the largest wall
in the world. 1t was built by the first
Emperor of the Tain dynasty, about 220
b. c., rs protection against Tartars.
1t traverses the northern boundary of
China, and is carried over the highest
hills, through the deepest valleys, across
rivers, and every other natural obstacle.
Its length is 1850 miles. Including a
parapet of B feet, the total height of the
wall is 20 feet, thickness at the base rs
feet, and at the top 10 feet Towers OF
bastions occur at intervals of about loo
yards.
The largest library is the Bibliotheque
National in Paris, founded by Louis
XIV. 1t contains 100000 volumes,
100000 pamphlets, us, 900 manuscripts,
100000 maps and charts, and 10000
engravings exceeds 800, 900, contained
in some 10000 volumes. The building
which contains these treasures is situat-
ed on the Rue Richelieu. Its length is
$40 feet, its breadth $50 feet. The
largest library in New York, in respect
of separate works, is the Aston. About
10000 volumes are on its shelves.
Among the most remarkable natural
echoes is that of Eagles Nest, on the
banks of Killarney, in Ireland, which
repeats bugle call until it seems to be
sounded from hundred instruments;
and that on the banks of the Naha, be.
tween Bingen and Coblenz, which re-
peats sound seventeen times. The
most remarkable artificial echo known
is that in the Castle of Simonetta,
about two miles from Milan. 1t is &C.
casioned by the existence of two par
allel walls of considerable length. 1t
repeats the report of pistol sixty
times.
The largest bell in the world is the
great bell of Moscow, at the foot of the
Kremlin. It's circumference at the bot
tom is nearly sixty-eight feet, and its
height more than twenty-one feet. In
its stoutest part it is twenty-three inches
thick, and its weight has been comput-
ed to be 443,772 pounds. 1t has never
been hung, and was probably cast on
the spot where it now stands. A piece
of the bell is broken off. The fracture
Is supposed to have been occasioned by
water having been thrown upon itwhen
heated by the building erected over it
being on fire.
The big bridge across the Kinzna-
chasm on the Erie extension, fifteen
miles south of Bradford, Pa, was COM
pleted about two weeks ago, and trains
will soon be running over it. The bridge
is q symmetrical iron structure, and is
the highest in the world, the center span
being 30l feet in height, and the length
of the structure is 1000 feet. 1t was
built by the Keystone Bridge Company,
of Phenixville, Pa. The completion o.
this bridge gives the New York, Lake
Erie and Western Railroad direct COM
munication to the coal fields of Western
Pennsylvania.
Mr.. Y. o. Talmadge, of Jefferson,
Morris county, N. j., has plant in his
garden which contains ffty-fve sun
flowers in full bloom. This is believed
to surpass anything of the kind in the
State. He also has three plants over
nine feet high. The most successful
sunflower raiser in Patterson is Captain
HI. M. Bennett, of Hamburg avenue.
| The other day he showed the writer a
stem six inches long that bore ten fully
developed flowers. He has flowers in
bloom varying in diameter from the
size of q trade, dollar to the largest
sized dinner-plate. All the Captains
flowers are from seeds that he brought
from Mexico.
The largest cathedral in the world ia
st. Peters in Rome. From the laying
| of its foundation in 1850 until its dedi-
cation, 40 years were consumed in its
erection; and il we include the work
done under Plus W., three and half
centuries passed before it was COM
plete, during which time forty-three
Popes reigned. The dimensions of the
church are: Length of the interior,
6134 feet; of transom from wall to wall,
4s63 feet; height of nave, 1921 feet; OF
side aisles, AZ feet; width of nave, 1879
feet; of side aisles, 33a feet; circumfer-
ence of pillars which support the dome,
253 feet. The height of the dome from
the pavement to the base of the lantern
is 405 feet; to the top of the cross, 448
feet. The dome is encircled and
strengthened by six bands of iron. A
stairway leads to the roof, broad and
easy enough to allow a horse and team
to ascend. The annual cost of keeping
the church in repair is $4,000 scudi.
Mr.. Joseph Baker, of Lancaster, Pa,
has tomato that measures seventeen
inches in circumference, five and a hall
inches in diameter, and weighs two and
one-fourth pounds. Four tomatoes
very nearly as large as this one have
grown on the same stalk, and the uni
ted weight of the five is 103 pounds.
They are of the Paterson variety.
--NeW York Sun.