Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1897-01-14
A Retrospect of The Year
1896.

1 mbuL5 WulCu udhc haAhON ANS pANcAS"Ni
and as a journal devoted to the arts of
peace we note with deep satisfaction that
whereas the opening of the year was mark
ed by widespread international distrust
and jealousy. and the gathering of omi-
nous war clouds, its close finds the politl-
cal sky growing clear, more reasonable
temper of tolerance and forbesrance mani
Testing itself, and, with the exception oI
three widely separated corners of the earth
o prevailing and apparently long to be
continued peace established. With the
Venezuelan scare replaced by the prospect
of a permanent peace tribunal; with En-
gland. France and Russia united in the
effort to bring about reforms in the East;
with the Boer government promising con
cesssions to the foreign element in the
Transyaal; with satisfactory treaty CON
cluded between Italy and Abyssinia and
the hostages returned-the prospects OF
peace are certainly brighter now than in
the opening days of the year which has
inst drawn to close, The three existing
wars are attendant on the struggle of
Spain to hold what she has in Cuba and
Philippines, and OF England to reconquer
the Soudan.
IL is encouraging to note that in the
industrial work there is evidence of
marked revival of trade, which has been
fert in every quarter of the globe, and IN
this respect is as widespread as the grad
usl depression which commenced IN ls9I.
We we're the last nation to feel the de-
cline, and we haYe been among the last to
show signs of recovery. With the open
ing of the year however, we may congrat-
ulate ourselves that trade is thoroughly
convalescent, and there ls every reason to
look for prosperity which will be perma-
nent, because it is more gradual IN Its re-
turn, and comes in a natural course. One
of tie most notable events of the year
has been the astonishing development OF
Japan, whose victory over her traditional
enemy seems to have awoke in her spirit
of aggressive ambition, which is showing
itself in her evident determination to tske
her place as one OF the leading nations OF
the world.
1t was hoped when the Chinese states
man and ambassador, LII Hung Chang,
made his tour through the western world
at the the time of the coronation oil the
Czar of Russia, that bis return to China
would be marked bG similar activity IN
the ancient empire. There is little doubt
but what Lii Hung Chang himself was
earnestly in favor of introducing modern
Improvement and industries. The tidings
however. that soon after his arrival he had
been again degraded shows that the cor
seryative party is yet all powerful. The
awak ening of China seems to be indefinite
ly postponed.
The most notable event in the tleld OF
engineering was the opening OF the rlVer
Danube to navigation. This event formed
part Of the miliennial festivities in Hun
gary, and as such took rank with the grea'
exposition at Buda-Pesth. The undertak-
ing was intrusted to Hungary by the trea-
ty of Berlin, 1878, and work was COM
menced in 1890 and completed on the. last
day of 1895. The blasting operations
covered distance OF sixty miles and IN
yolyed the removal of 1855, 600 cubic yds
of material. 9I5. 500 of which we're exca-
waited under water. Niue thousand work
men were continually employed and the
total cost was 100000 Previous TO
the opening of the Iron Gates five feet
was the limit of draught for river steamers
for a large part Of the year. The
canal nov affords an unobstructed outlet
from Vienna to the sea for boats drawing
ten feet of water The Nicaraguan Canal
Company states II its annual report TO
the Secretary of the Interior that no work
has been done since August, 1898 Its
rival the Panama Canal, is almost equal-
ly inert, small force being employed
merely to fulfill charter obligatioas IL
is with pleasure we turn TO the Cnlcago
Drainage Canal, which ID being pusheu
with commendable energy. Apart from
it's magnitude, this woIk is remarkable lor
the magnificent excavating machinery
which il has called into eyistsnce and the
novel methods Of handling material which
are employed. The preliminary opera
tions connected with the great Simpion
Tunnel through the Alps are under way
and the tact that this m3nqmsptaal aav %2Es
ian and Swiss governments is pledge OF
its vigorous prosecution, In this country
we have seen the completion of the gres,
dry dock at Port Orchard, 675 feet long
and similar structure at the Brooklyn
Navy Yard, with a length of go feet, Is
within measurable distance of completion.
Work has been carried on without inter.
ruption on the CrOton River Dam, and
this massive structure is therefore, nearer
completion by one more out OF the TOTAL
thirteen years that will have been con
sumed in its erection, Work has been
commenced during the year on the new
East River Suspension Bridge, New YORK.
This structure will rank as the second
longest railroad span in the world, the
clear length between towers being l,bOO
feet. 1t will carry six lines OF railroad
track, two roadways, and Gwo tootwaiks
and will in every way except that of beau
ty, eclipse the existing New York and
Brooklyn Bridge. Mention shoxld be
made of the completion of the great Gas
cade Locks on the Columbia River Oregon
whereby vast area of the interior OF the
State is opened up to river navigation, of
the progress of the great lock Gt the new
Imperial HarbOr of Bremerhsven, Gnd OF
the extensive works at Barry Docks, En-
gland.
In the wide field of transportation, the
most notable undertaking is of course the
great Siberian Railway Work has been
pushed so vigorously that the line will
soon reach IrkuJsk, an event which will
mark the completion of the entire west
ern, and large part'of the trsnsconii-
structlon, The line can be completed in
1898. Considerable activity has been
shown in railroad building in Southeast
ern Africa, and the Congo Railroad is
about half completed. In the United
States, 1,803 miles only we're built last
year, small figure in comparison with
those OF previous years; but it must be
borne in mind that vast amount OF
work has been done in the improvement
cf roadbed and rolling stock, The past
year has not been marked by any such
spectacular railroad runs as distinguished
its predecessor; but there has been 2 tend
ency to accelerate the running speed of
the average train. This has been render
ed possible by the improved condition of
the track and the eyer increasing weight
and power of the engines. The fayorite
type of locomotive for fast passenger traf-
fic, if we may Judge from the recent eX-
amples, has cylinders 19 to 20 inches dia-
meter by "a to 20 inches stroke; $50 to 200
pounds of steam; drivers, 6t to feet in
diameter, and about 1000 square feet of
heating surface.
Electric traction las continued to make
steady progress during the year. Its ulti-
mate application to the trunk railroads
has besn brought step nearer by the ex-
cellent results obtained during the year
on the Nantasket branch of the New
Haven road, which have been 80 good
that the company has determined to lay
third rail on other branches of its sys-
tenn. Of the attempt to apply electric
traction to the main lines by the builders
OF the Heilmann locomotive, it can only
be said that ii it proves TO be successful.
it will be in fiat contradiction co the COM
monty accepted principles of the eouyer-
sion of energy. The company claims to
have been so encouraged by results that
they are building larger AID mora power
tul machines, The successful operation
of the Lenox Avenue underground trolly
lines in New York City daring the SHOWS
of laxt win, or and the determination ai