THE GREAT PHILADELPHIA CENTENNIAL TOWER.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume IX, Issue 155, 2 July 1874, Page 2

THE GREAT PHILADELPHIA CENTENNIAL TOWER.

The Scientific American con tain's a sketch or engraving of a centennial tower I,oooft high, with which it is proposed to celebrate the hundreth anniversary of American independence, in connection with the Great Exhibibition of 1876. This sketch or engraving stands ia the foreground of the picture, and is grouped with, the Pyramids of Egypt, iStrasburg Minster, St. Peter's of Rome, St. Paul's of London, the Capital of Washington, Trinity Church of New York, and other large edifices, a view showing their relative 'heights. The tower of Babel is not there, probably owing to the uncertainty of its architectural construction, hat we aro approvingly reminded that its builders said, " Let us go and make us a name," aod that it is in every way fitting for the Americans to imitate the example of the immediate descendants of Noah.

What befel this pile of brick- and mortar when it reached the height of 156 ft, gives tbe projectors of the Philadelphia Centennial Tower no great, concern. They rather glory in the fact that they will be able to carry their structure 850 ft higher towards heaven tban what wo have been taught to regard as a stupendous piece of folly, and that tbey shall be able to substitute iron for bricks in its construction, and bolts, and screws, and girders for mortar or Hoie. I _deed, they seem to make it their boaet that the Centennial To wier , although small as compared with the mighty works of nature — the vast peaks of the Himalayas, for instance — will as far overtop the loftiest spires or domes on earth, as the giant trees of California overtop the tallest maples or elms, and that they shall gain as much in their structure as others iv durability as in height, on account of the material employed. Its great liability to be struck by lightning does not appear, to have occurred to them j or is not at any rate hinted at.

Messrs Clark,- Reeves, and Co., are the designers of the proposed Centennial Tower, and it is to be executed at their Pbceoisvilla Bridge Works, Philadelphia, and 'American wrought iron throughout. It is to be 520 ft higher than the great pyramid of Cheops; 532 ft higher than Strnsburg Minster; 543 ft higher than, the dome of St. Peter's, Rome, Michael Angelo's greatest work; 546 ft higher than the Chepren pyramids, the successor to that of Cheops; 635 ft higher lhat St. Paul's London, Christopher Wren's masterpiece; 713 ft higher than the Capitol of Washington, and it is to ba circular in its form, with a base of 150 ft in ditimeter diminishing to 30ft at the top. Through Us entire. length , there is to be a central tube, r with four elevators capable of carrying 590 persons up and down per hour, at the rate of three minutes up and five; minutes down, aiid around the central tube there is to be a spiral staircase for such as prefer that mode of ascending and descending. The estimated cost of the fabric is 1,000,000 dols., say £200,000 to £250,000 sterling, and the time to be occupied in its construction, one.year.: Its' location is to be Fairmount park; in close proximity to the grounds on which the bui)dia<* for the Great Centennial Exhibition' are being erected. Sections of the work, illustrate of its mode of construction, given in the Scientific American, are not likely, to be of much interest to the general reader. .They tend to show, however, that proper care will be bestowed on the bracing of the work, and that due atteot'ion has been paid to the probable force of the wind on in If constructed it will be as rigid as though 7bu.iU_;:of stone, and will, from its circular shape expose very little surface to Jhe v wind.. It will be the loftiest structure ever built by man,.' designed by American engineers, reared, by .American, mechanics, constructed of material, purely the produce of American soil.'! But, cuibonof - Their answer to that question, by anticipation, is that the Americans may •-" make themselves a name." Nothing more.