The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1889-11-02
The Big Things of this World.
From The statistician.

The Big innings OF TINS Woflu'
From the statistician.
Fortress Monroe is the largest single
fertilization in the world 1t has already
cost the American Government over 3d.
100000. The water-ba' terry is considered
one of the finest military works in the
world. The loftiest active volcano Is
Popocatapetl Smoking Mountain, thirty
FIVE miles southwest of Pueblo, Mexico.
1t is 17,7S4 feet above the sea level, and
has a crater three miles in circumference
and l 900 feet deep. The largest univer-
sitv is that of Oxford, England. 1t con
sists ofetwenty-fve colleges and five halls.
The most extensive park is Deer Park, In
the environs Of Copenhagen, Denmark.
The enclosure contains 1900 acres, and is
divided by a small river. The largest
pleasure ground in America Is Fairmeunt
Park, Philadelphia, which contains 3,74O
acres. The largest body Of fresh water
on the globe Is Lake Superior. 1t is 400
miles long, loo miles wide at its greatest
breadth, and has an area of $4,000 square
miles. Its mean depth is said to be 200
feet, and lis greatest depth about 900
fathoms. Its surface is 635 feet above
the sea. The largest tunnel in the world
is that of St. Gotbard, on the line of rail
road between Lucerne and Milan. The
summit of the tunnel is 900 feet beneath
the surface at Audermatt, and 5000 feet
beneath the peak of Kastelhorn, of the St
Gothard group. The most extensive cavern
is the Mammoth Cave, in Edmonson
County, Kentucky. 1t is near Green
River. six miles from Cave City, and
twenfy-eight miles from Bowling Green
The largest trees are the mammoth trees
Of California One of a grove in Tulare
County. according to measurement made
by members Of the State Geological Sur
vey, was shown to be 276 feet high, l0o
feet in circumference at the base, and 90
feet at point 2 feet above the ground.
Some Of the trees are $40 feet high and
81 feet in diameter. Some Of the largest
that have been fclled indicate an age from
1000 to > soc years, The largest inland
sea is the Caspian, lying between Europe
and Asia. Its greatest length Is 760
miles. It's greatest breadth 2I0 miles, aud
its area $4,000 square miles. The largest
erapire in the world Is that Of Great
Britain, comprising {, 1851 sos square miles
fmore than a sixth part Of the land Of the
globe), and embracing under its rule nearly
a sixth part Of the population Of the world.
In territorial extent, the United States
ranks third, containing $3.50, 242 square
miles, including Alaska; in population 1t
ranks fourth. with its 65,000,001 people.
Russia ranks second, S,352,940 square
miles. The highest monoiith is the ODE
lisk at Karnak, Egypt Karnak Is On the
east side Of the Nile near Luxor, aud
occupies part of the site Of ancient Thebes.
It's whole length is l22 feet; its weight 4e0
tons. It's height, without pedestal, Is $50
feet 10 inches The Chinese Wall is the
largest ID the world II was built BY the
first Emperor Of the Tain dynasty, about
220 B. c., as a protection against Tartars.
Its length Is $50 miles Including
parapet Of FIVE feet, the total height Of the
wall is twenty feet; thickness at the base
twenty-five feet, and at the top fftegn feet.
The largest library is the Biblsotheque
National in Paris, founded by Louis XIV.
Il contains / 400 900 volumes, BOZ, 600
pamphlets. 1T5, 900 manuscripts, 300 900
maps and charts, 100, 900 coins and medals.
The collection Of engravings exceeds 800
600, contained 10 some 10000 volumes.
The largest bell il the world is the great
bell Of Moscow, at the foot of the Kremlin.
Its circumference at the bottom Is nearly
sixty-eight feet, aud its height twenty-oue
feet Its weight has been computed to be
443,772 pounds.
LARGE BRIDGES
The largest suspension bridge in the
world is that crossing East River between
New York City and Brooklyn; the total
length Of the bridge is $3.50 feet; length
of main span, ,595 feet and six inches,
and of each land span, $50 feet; length Of
the three spans, >, 455 feet and six inches
The length of the Brooklyn approach is
97f feet, and of the New York approach,
! ,562 feet and six inches. 1t was begun
january 30, 1870, opened to the public
MAY 24th, 1888. Total cost, sl5, 900, 600.
The largest stone bridge on the face of
the earth, is that finished in May, 1885, at
Lahang, China. Chinese engineers had
sole control Of its construction. 1t crosses
an arm of the China sea, is nearly six
miles IN length, is composed entirely Of
stone, and has 800 arches each seventy feet
high. It is the most colossal structure
ever reared by man, yet We sheer at the
"Heathen Chinee."
The largest truss iron bridge in the
world crosses the Firth of Tay, Scotland.
1t is 1862 feet in length and composed
Of IS spans
The longest wooden bridge in the
world is that crossing Lake Pontehartrain,
near New Orleans, La. It's a trestle-work,
twenty-one miles in length, built of cypress
piles which have been saturated with
creosote oil to preserve them.
The highest bridge in the United States
is over Kinzina creek, near Bradford, Pa.
1t was built in 1885, has a total span of
2,O51 feet, and is 301 feet above the creek
bed.