Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1889-02-22
SOME LARGE THINGS.
An interesting Compendium of Facts
Gathered From Everywhere.


Gathered From Everywhere.
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, it's area 100000
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.
is probably the Jisrel Hajar, which
spans a gorge not far from the ruins OF
the Temple of Adonis, in the province
of the Lebanon in Syria. 1t is fiat
piece of limestone rock, from ten to
fifteen feet thick, perfectly arched on
the under side. The gorge is about $50
feet across, and the bridge is about 100
feet froln the bed of the torrent below.
The bridge is so broad and level that
good carriage road might be made owe;
it. This bridge is surpassed in height
by the natural bridge in Rockbridge
County, Va. about 125 miles west o.
Richmond and about two miles from the
James river. 1t extends over Cedar
creek. The height of the arch is 20l
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. twas commenced under the d.
rection of j. Roabling in 1870, and com
pleted in about thirteen years. The COS
of building was $l5, 100000. Construe
ton commenced January 3, 1870; siz
of New York caisson, 172 by 10
feet; size of Brooklyn caisson, 1853 by
102 feet; timber and iron in caisso1s
5,253 cubic yards; concrete in wen
holes, chambers, etc, 1853 cubic feet
weight of New Y DIRK caisson, 1000 tols
weight of concrete filling, 5000 tom
New York tower cont Tins 1886 cub
yards masonry; Bro )klyn tower con
tains 1924 cubic yards masonry
length of river span, ,595 feet inche I;
length of each land span, $50 feet ana
and 1860 feet; length of Brooklyn ap-
proach, 97l feet; lelgth of New YorA
approach, 1862 feet and inches; total
length of bridge, $3.50 feet; width o.
bridge, 50 feet; number of cables, 4.
diameter of each, 15l inches; height o
tower above roadway, 159 feet; weight
of each anchor-plate, % tons; height OF
bridge above high-water. 1875 feet.
The highest tower in the world will
be the Eitfel Tower when completed.
The iron tower which the engineer
Eitfel proposes to erect on the banks OF
the Seine, opposite the Trocadero
Palace, as a feature of the Paris Elk
position of 1899, will if completed
dwarf all other structures yet reared
by human hands. Its height is to be
nominally 1000 feet-actually about
$50 feet. The commission controlling
the finances of the Exposition have
voted the subvention of 1,125, 900 franc.
asked by the inventor. The tower has
been actually commenced.
The largest church in the world is
the basilica of St. Peters in Rome. Its
dimensions are as follows: Length OF
interior 6l3 feet; breadth of the nave
and aisles, 1874 feet; height OF the
nave, 152 feet; length of the transepts,
4461 feet; diameter of the dome. in
GLIDING the walls, 1875 feet, or nearly
two feet more than that of the Pantheon;
diameter of the interior, 1879 feet; height
from the pavement to the base of the
lantern, 405 feet; to the summit of the
cross outside, 4l8 feet. The whole OF
St. Paurs Cathedral in London might
stand within the shell OF ST. Peter 6
with room to spare. The towers of the
Cologne Cathedral when completed will
be the highest church towers in the
wold-5ll feet-which is the length OF
the Cathedral. The breadth of this
edifice is 231 feet. = San Francisco
Chronicle.