, 1882-06-02
Seven Wonders of the World.

The seven wonders of the world, as
they have come down to us through
the annals of time, do not gain upon
our wonder in the light of the
achievements of the present age.
The physical triumphs of science in
this day so far excel such as were the
marvel of the time in which the seven
wonders of the ancients filled the full
measure of their imagination as to
give us visions of that perfection
which has been predicted by the
poet of the coming race. The
achievements of engineering skill,
aided by vast accumulations of capi-
tai, are demonstrated in works whose
imposing physical features are even
over-shadowed by their benifcence
and utility. OF bridges, tunnels and
canals the present day is prolific of
conceptions and performances of be-
wildering magnitude.
The wonder in the way of suspen-
sion bridges in America, of course is
the structure over East River, con-
Meeting New York and Brooklyn. 1t
is 3,472 feet long between the an
chorages with clear span of 1,595
feet, the bottom chord being 135 feet
above the water. 1t was designed by
Roebling, and is now nearing com
pletion, at a cost of S15,000000. The
roadway, eighty feet high, is sus-
tanned by four galvanized cast-steel
wire cables, sixteen inches in diane
ter, having a strength of 10000
pounds per square inch of section.
One of the monuments of this age
of mechanical and engineering tri-
umphs is the grand structure span
ming the Mississippi in front of st.
Louis. Its distinguished designer,
Mr.. James b. Eads, is a citizen of
st Louis but his fame is no longer
bounded by the continent. The gran
ite piers of this structure, four in
number, were built and sunk to solid
rock at a depth of 120 feet by pro
cesses carried to perfection and
pushed to an extent not before
deemed practicable. The two road
ways-one for carriages and one for
railways-are sustained by arched
steel tubes, sixty feet above the water,
on three spans, one of $40 and two of
515 feet each. Its cost-with the
tunnel leading to it on the west-was
something like $12,0000O0.
The great st. Gothard tunnel
through the Alps is nine and one
fourth miles in length. It.was begun
in 1872, and was but recently finished.
The contract cost was $l5,960,450.
This is the longest tunnel in the world.
Work on it was prosecuted from each
end with constantly improving meth
ods and accelerating speed, and at once
annihilated many of the great obsta-
cles separating nations.
The Mont Gents tunnel was inaug-
urated August 81, 1857, the king. OF
SARDINIA firing the first mine at Cascia.
The work was prosecuted from both
ends by the French and Sardinians,
and was opened to railway travel
September IL, 1871. Its length is
nearly eight miles and its cost was
about SI5,OOO,00O These tunnels
through the Alps are the grandest
works of their character which human
character has yet achieved.
The Hoosac tunnel in Massachusetts,
is by far the most extensive and ex
pensive work of the nature yet at
tempted in the United States. The
original conception of it dates more
than fifty years ago. 1t has but re,
Gently been brought to completion
BY mismanagement and delays it has
cost near S1S,000,000, more than either
of the tunnels through the Alps
though scarcely more than half theii
length. The original estimated cost
was only $1,94S,557. The first work
was done on it in 1855, and the long
delay in its completion accounts fol
the enormous cost of the enterprise
beyond what its dimensions and the
early estimates indicated, The full
length of the tunnel is 2,4OO feet,
little less than five miles.