The Saline County journal. [volume] (Salina, Kan.) 1871-1893, 1886-11-04


lnio 81 Argument
From ~ Phiiaielphia BdlletIn-
The largest thealer 10 the world Il
the new Opera House In Paris. II
covers nearly three acres Of groand;
tt cubic mnss Is 4, 81, 600 feet; it cost
about lO0. .OOa, ,6Oe francs. The largest
suspension bridge @ the one between
New York city and Brooklyn; the
length Of the main span is ,595 feet
6 inches: tie entire length Of the
bridge is 9. ESQ feet The loftiest active
volcano is POpocatapatl-''smOking
mountain - thirty-liYe miles south
west Of Puebla, Mexico; Il is l7,748
feet above the sea level and has .
crater three miles IN circumference
and 900 feet deep. The olongest span
OF wire In the world is used for tele-
graph In India over the river Klstnah.
II is more than 5000 feet IN length
and is 200 feet high. The largest
ship in the world is the Great East
ern; she Is $50 feet long, So feet broad
and 90 feet deep, being 2,627 tons
burden, 1875 grcss and 1884 net
register.
The greatest fortress, from q STRAIT
egiell point Of view, is the famous
stronghold Of Gibraltar. lt occupies
q rocky peninsula jutting out into the
sea, about three miles long and three
quarters Of q mile wide. One central
rock rises 70 the height OF !, ,435 feet
above the sea level. Its northern
face il almost perpendicular. while
is east side Is full Of tremendous
precipiees. On the south Il termin
ates 10 what is called Europa Point
Tue west side IL less sttep than the
east, and between its base and the sea
Is the narrow, almost level span on
which the town Of Gibraltar Was
built. The fortress is considered i'm
pregnable-tO military assault. The
regular garrison in time OF peace
numbers about seven thousand.
The biggest cavern IL the Mammoth
Cave In EdmOnsOn County, KY. It
is near Green River, about six miles
rom Cave City, and tWenty-eight
from Bowling Green. The cave con-
sists Of q succession OF irregular cham
bers. some OF which are large, situat-
ed on different levels. some Of these
are traversed by navigable branch
es Of the subterranean Echo river.
Blind fish are found In Its waters.
The longest tunnel In the world Is
that Of the st. GOthard, on the line Of
railroad between Lucerne aud Milan.
The summit Of the tunnel Is 900 feet
beneath the peak OF KastelhOrn OF
the st. GOthard group. The tunnel
Is 26l feet wide snd is IS feet 10 inches
from the floor to the crown Of the
archedl lrOOf. It ls 81 miles long, 1s
miles longer than the Mount Cents
Tunnel.
The biggest trees in the world are
the mammoth trees Of California.
One in q grove IN Tuiare county, &C.
cOrding TO measurements made by
members Of the State Geological Sur
Yey, was shown 20 be 276 feet In
height, los feet in circumference at
base, and 76 feet at q point II feet
above ground. Some Of the trees are
376 feet high and "a feet in diameter.
Some Of the largest that have been
felled indicate an age Of from 1900 to
$500 years.
The largest library is the BlbIiothe.
que National In Paris, founded by
LOUIS XIV. IL contains ,4O0, 900
volumes, 300,O 600 pamphlets, LA, 900
manuscripts, 800, 900 maps and charts
and 10000 coins and medals. The
collection Of engravings exceeds
], 5000, 900, contained in some 10000
volumes. The portraits number
about 100000.
The largest desert is that Of Sahara,
a vast region of Northern Africa, ex-
tending from the Atlantic Ocean on
the west to the Valley Of the Nile on
the east. The length from east TO
west is about 5000 miles, its average
breadth about 900 miles, its area about
1900, 900 square miles. Rain falls IN
torrents In the Sab ara ct intervals of
FIVE, ten and twenty years. In sum-
mer the heat during the day Is ex-
cessive, but the nights are often cold.
In winter the temperature Is some
times below freezing point. The
greatest pyramid is that of CheOps,
one Of the three pyramids formiRg
the Memphis Group, situated on q
plateau about lS7 feet above the level
Of the highest rise In the Nile. It's
dimensions have been reduced by the
removal Of the outer portions TO furn-
lsh stone for the city Of Cairo. It's
masOnAry consisted originally Of 90,
OBS. 900 cubic feet, and still amounts to
81 Ill 900 feet. The present vertical
height is $50 feet, against 479 feet
originally. The total weight Of the
stone is estimated at 6, $4,000 tons.
The largest bell in the world Is the
great bell Of Moscow, at the foot Of
the Kremlin. Its circumference
at the bottom is nearly So feet
aud its height more than q feet. In
its stOutest part Il Is . inches thick,
and its weight has been computed b.
be 443, ,T22 pounds. 1t has never been
hung.