The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1901-10-04
Enterprise Of the United States

There seems to be no SPOT in the world
into which American enterprise Is not
penetrating, The way I'm WHICH the United
states ~ building great steel bridges in
far-on lands IL something which brings
a wall of woe from the bridge builders OF
England who have untii recently had a
monopoly OF this sort OF thing How many
neople ever heard OF the Shan State of
rhihsw? asks the New York Press lt
is region Wing between Upper Burmah
ana Southern China and through II runs
the old caravan route from china 60
Burmah the trade OF the Far East altered
through Mandalay by slow stages, up amt
down the rugged hills and Valleys
lhronsh the thiGk iungles and over The
mountains ana emerging on an open plain:
Now all this Il changed. aud railroad
Winds up the hills and over the plateauN
be tween MandaiaN ana Thibaw.
American skin. American ingenuity and
American enterprise make this possible,
sor by means Of sSeat American steel ,hd
great mountain gorge OF the Goitiek
NalleN-an obstacle which AT hrst seemed
able-has been successfully
overcome. This Goktiek valley slQoes
from the mountains on one side 20 a
canyon 800 feet deep. at the bottom OF
which rushes a turbulent river. Across
the river precipitous cliffs tower high M,
forming the further wall OF the valley,
Across this canyon the caravans used To
cross by natural bridge, causeway
under which the river had tunneled, Now
over the valley and canyon stretches "A
spider-lke structure OF steel. crossing the
river $50 feet above it's surface and strik-
ng - rieS OF tunnels and artificial lodges
I'm thc face of the opposing cliffs, by
which the railway makes it's way through
10 the slopes of the next valley.
In building the bridge use was made Of
the old natural causewaY for a foun Ia
ton for some of the bridge piers, so thas
the despes. pier of the bridge Is only 20
as IL would have had to be had not the
old cnuseway been there This Yankee
bridge is 2000 feet long and 4oo0 tons OF
steel enter into it's construction u was
built Ia sections I'm the United states.
carried with infinite care and difficulty
10 this far-ofr region and there set IN.
every bolt. bar rivet and truss finding
It's place and fitting into each other Win
the utmost nicely.
Such things are the very magic or me-
chsnics and more wonderful they seem
than any of the stale old exploits Of King
Solomons Diins. \ man in Pennsylvanis
takes q piece OF paper and makes lot
of figures on n. He then takes another
piece Of paper and draws lot OF ines
on it--his calculations and his plans-the
weavlng Of the magic spell Tnen hau-
naked figures I'm the lights OF flaming
pieces OF steel as this master magician di-
rects. they are his gnomes working out
the spell These pieces OF steel are pack
ed in boxes and shipped to ,ors a far,9T aps,T
caravans wind through the hills laden
with the products OF Cathay. and the
grave white-turbaned merchants ten
each other tales Of the wonders ~ Ori-
entail socery as they Journey The mas
ter magician from Pennsylvania waves
his magic wand his subordinate magi-
clans spring 10 their work and To- before
the astonished eyes Of the people or the
caravans appears a light and airy way
OF steel springing across the valley and
over IL rush the iron devils, spoutng
smoke and fire-which means that the
$3.50 IRAN on the road 10 Msndalay Is
passing.