The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1888-10-06
SOME LARGE THINGS.
an Interesting Compendium of Facts
Gathered From Everywhere.


Gathered From Everywhere.
The largest @esert is that Of Sahara,
vast regionof 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 3.090 miles, its average breadth
about 800 miles, its area 2,OOO,00O
square miles. Rain falls in torrents in
the Sahara at intervals of five, ten and
twenty years. In summer the heat
during the day is excessive, but the
nights are often cold. In winter the
temperature is sometimes below freez-
ing point.
The most remarkable natural bridge
is probably the Jisrel Hajar, which
spans a gorge not far from the ruins oil
the Temple of Adonis, in the province
of the Lebanon in Syria. 1t is a fiat
piece of limestone rock, from ten tC
fifteen feet thick, perfectly arched or
the under side. The gorge is about l5C
feet across, and the bridge is about l0(
feet from the bed OF tine torrents = ssdTt-
The bridge is so broad and level that a
good carriage road might be made over
it. This bridge is surpassed in height
by the natural bridge in Rockbridge
County, Va. about 125 miles west OF
Richmond and about two miles from the
James river. 1t extends over Cedar
creek. The height of the arch is 200
feet, and the upper surface of the
bridge is 240 feet above the stream.
The largest suspension bridge in the
world is the New York and Brooklyn
bridge. 1t was commenced under thedi-
rection of j. Roabling in 1870, and COM
p,a.ed in about thirteen years. The cost
OF building was 100000 Construc-
ton commenced January 3, 1870; size
Of New York caisson, 172 by 1Oz
feet; size of Brooklyn caisson, 168 by
1O2 feet; timber and iron.in caissons,
5,253 cubic yards; concrete in wen-
holes, chambers, etc, 1863 cubic feet;
weight of New York caisson, 1000 tons;
weight of concrete filling, 5000 tons
New York tower contains 46, 945 cubic
yards masonry; Brooklyn tower con.
tains 3S,2l4 cubic yards masonry
length of river span, 1896 feet inches;
length of each land span, $50 feet and
and l, $50 feet; length of Brooklyn APP
proach, 97l feet; length of New York
approach, 1852 feet and 6 inches; total
length of bridge, $3.50 feet; width Of
bridge, IS feet; number of cables,
diameter of each, 15} inches; height Of
tower above roadway, 159 feet, weight
of each anchor-plate, % tons; height o.
bridge above high-water. 1876 feet.
The highest tower in the worA will
be the Eitfel Tower when completed
The iron tower which the engineer
Eiffel proposes to erect on the banAsSf
the Seine, opposite the Trocadero
Palace, as a feature of the Paris Ex-
position of 1889, will if completed
dwarf all other structures yet reared
by human hands. It's height is to be
nominally 1000 feet-actually about
$50 feet. The commission controlling
the finances of the Exposition have
voted the subvention of l, 125,000 francs
asked by the inventor. The tower has
been actually commenced.
The largest church in the world is
the basilica of st. Peters in Rome. It's
dimensions are as follows: Length Of
interior, 613 feet; breadth of the nave
and aisles, 1879 feet; height of the
nave, 1852 feet; length of the transepts
4464 feet; diameter of the dome, in
Guiding the walls, 1875 feet, or nearly
two feet more than that of the Pantheon
diameter of the interior, 1879 feet; heicbt
from the pavement to the base of the
lantern. 405 feet; to the summit of the
cross outside, AS feet. The whole NJ
st. Pauls Cathedral in London miobt
stand within the shell OF St. Peter, q
with room to spare. The towers of tbe
Cologne Cathedral when completed will
be the highest church towers in the
wold-511 feet--which is the length ri
the Cathedral. The breadth of tbie
edifce is PSI feet. -,- San Fraaciseo
G,r0pjcIG