The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1886-10-22
The Biggest Things.
INTERESTING FACTS USEFUL WHEN You
GET INTO AN ARGUMENT.


GET INTO AN ARGUMENT.
The largest theatre in the world is
the New Opera House in Paris. II
covers nearlyithree acres of ground
its cubic mass is 4,2s7, 900 feet; it cost
about 100,000,0OO francs. The lar
gest suspension bridge is the one be-
tween New York city aud Brooklyn
the length of the main span is 1896
feet inches the entire length of the
bridge is $3.50 feet. The loftiest ac-
tive volcano is Popocatapetl-''smok
ing mountain"-thirty-tive miles south
west of Puebla, Mexico it is 17,748
feet above the sea level and has
crater three miles in circumference and
a thousand feet deep. The longest
span of wire in the world is used for
telegraph in India over the river Kist-
nah. 1t is more than 6,000 feet in
length and is 1,200 feet high. The
largest ship in the world is the Great
Eastern. She is $50 feet long, SO feet
broad and 60 feet deep, being 2S,627
tons burden, 1915 gross and 1884
net register.
The greatest fortress from a strate-
gical point of view, is the famous
stronghold Of Gibraltar. 1t occupies
a rocky peninsula jutting out into che
sea, about three miles long and three
quarters of mile wide. One central
rock rises to height Of 1,435 feet
above the sea level. Its northern face
is almost perpendicular, while its east
side is full of tremendous precipices.
| On the south it terminates in what is
called Europa Point. The west side is
less steep than the east, and between
Its base and the sea is the narrow, al
most level span on which the town of
Gibraltar is built. The fortress is con-
sidered impregnable to military assault,
The regular garrison in time of peace
numbers about seven thousand.
The biggest cavern Is the Mammoth
Cave in Edmonson county, Kentucky.
1t is near Green river, about six miles
from Cave City, and twenty-eight
from Bowling Green. The cave con-
sists Of a succession of irregular cham
bers, 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 in its waters.
The longest tunnel in the world is
that of the st. Gothard, on the line of
railroad between Lucerne and Milan.
The summit of the tunnel is 900 feet
below the surface at Andermatt, and
$500 feet beneath the peak of Kastel-
horn of the St. Gothard group. The
tunnel is 264 feet wide, and is 1S feet
10 inches from the floor to the crown
of the arched roof 1t is 81 miles long,
IL miles longer than the Mount Gents
Tunnel.
The biggest trees in the world are
the mammoth trees of California. One
of grove in Tulare county, according
to measurements made by members of
the State Geological Survey, was shown
to be 276 feet in height, lOS feet in
circumference at base, and 76 feet at a
point 12 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
,, 1000 to $500 years.
The largest library is the Bibliothe.
que National in Paris, founded by
Louis XIV. 1t contains 1,40O,OOC
: volumes, 100000 pamphlets, l75,OOC
! manuscripts, 100000 maps and charts
and 100000 coins and medals. The
, collection of engravings exceeds 1900,
900, contained in some 10, 900 volumes
= The portraits number about 100000.
= The largest desert is that of Sahara
. vast region of Northern Africa, ex
: tending from the Atlantic Ocean on tn,
y west to the valley of the Nile on east
The length from east to west is abou
q 5000 miles, its average breadth abou
. 900 miles, its area about 2,000,00t
6 square miles. Rain falls in torrents il
. the Sahara at intervals of five, ten AM
twenty years. In summer the hea
n during the day is excessive. but tn
nights are often cold. In winter tn
: temperature is sometimes below freez
a ing point. The greatest pyramid is tha
q Of Cheops, one of the three pyramid
!, forming the Memphis Group, situated
on plateau about 1877 feet above tn,
h level of the hig CHEST rise in the Nile
. It's dimensions have been reduced b,
the removal of the outer portions t
furnish stone for the city of Cairo. 1t
masonry consisted originally of 80,
028,OOO cubic feet and still amounts
j." to 900 feet. The present verti
v cal height is 45O feet, against 479 fee
originally. The total weight of tn
IS stone is estimated at 6,316,OOO tons
> The largest bell in the world is tn,
y great bell of Moscow, at the foot o
+ the Kremlip. Its circumference at tn
vt bottom Is nearly 6s feet and its heigh
n more than 2l feet In its stoutest par
r i. is 23 inches thick and its weight ha
= been computed to be 445,722 pounds
e. 1t has never been hung.