The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1882-07-21
SOME OF THE BIG TREES.


The highest range of mountains is the
Himalayas, the mean elevation being es-
timated at from 16. 600 to fS. 900 feet.
The largest ship in the world is the
Great Eastern. She is six hundred and
eighty feet long, SO feet broad and 90
feet deep, being p. .828 tons builders
IS, 915 gross, aud 1884 net register.
She was built at Millwan, on the
Thames. and was launched January 4.
1875.
The largest university is Oxford. in
England, in the city of the same name
90 miles from London. 1t consists of
twenty one colleges and five halls. Ok
ford was a seat of learning as early as
the time of Edward the Confessor. I'm
iveTsitv College claims to have been
found by Alfred.
The largest body of fresh water on the
globe is Lake Superior, 400 miles long,
16O miles wide at its greatest breadth,
and having an area of 81 600 miles. It's
mean depth is said to be 900 feet. and
its greatest depth about 200 fathoms.
It's surface is about 635 feet above the
level of the sea.
The biggest cavern is the Mammoth
Cave, in Edmondston county. XIV. It
is near Green river, six miles from Cave
City, and about twenty three miles from
Bowling Green. The cave consists of a
succession of irregular chambers. some
of which are large, situated on different
levels. Some of these are traversed by
navigable branches of the subterranean
Echo river. Blind fish are found among
its waters.
Among the most remarkable of uatur-
al echoes are that of Eagles Nest on
the banks of Killarny, in Ireland. which
rnnQafS a hrrnI1 -
sounded from a hundred Instruments
and that on the banks of the Naha. be-
tween Bingen and CoblitZ, which repeats
the sound seventeen times. The most
remarkable artificial echo known is the
Castle of Simonetta, about two miles
from Milan. 1t is occasioned by two
parallel walls of considerable length. 1t
repeats the report of pistol 60 times.
The biggest in the world. if
indeed, it be diamond, is the braganZa.
which forms part of the Portuguese
crown jewels. 1t weighs LOO carats.
However. not a little doubt exists of its
being diamond, as the government.has
never allowed it to be tested. 1t was
found in Brazil in 1740, The largest
tested, but uncut diamond is the Mat
tam, in Borueo. 1t has been the cause
of sanguinaTy war. Before it was cut
the Koh-i-noOr, which was one of the
English crown Jewels, was the largest
tested diamond. 1t then weighed 794
carats. When in possession of the EN-.
peror AIrengebe it was reduced By un-
skillful cutting to 1S6 carats. During
the Sikh mutiny it was captured by Bri-
tish troops, and presented TO Queen Vic
tOria. It was re-cut, and now weighs
LOG 1-16 carats.
The greatest active volcano in respect
of eTuptive force is probably Hecla. on
the southwest coast of Iceland. though
Nesuvius on the east side of the Bav of
Naples, may be said to dispute the palm
with it. Hecia rises to a heigth of 5.11O
feet above the sea, and is surrounded by
many higher mountains. 1t has three
peaks, and along it's side numerous era
ters, the seat of former eruptions. The
crater of its principle peak is a little over
100 feet in depth. Since A. d. 900. 43
of its eruptiOns have been recorded. five
or six of (which were simultaneous, or
nearly so, with those of Vesuvius, and
four with those of Etna, and one with
those of both Vesuvius rise 3, 900 feet
above the sea level. It's crater is [, 500
feet in diameter, and 1000 feet deep.
The craters of both these famous volca-
noes are far exceeded in dimensions by
that of the Mountain OF Fire. whose
crater is estimated to be four miles in
and eight hundred feet
in depth.