BIG THINGS.

Patea Mail, Volume VIII, Issue 1035, 16 May 1883, Page 2

BIG THINGS.

The largest suspension bridge will bo the one now building between Brooklyn and New York. The length of the main span is 1,595 ft Gin. The entire length of the bridge is 5,989 ft. Fortress Monroe is the largest single . fortification in the world. It has already cost the American Government over 3,000,000d01. The water battery is considered one of the finest military works in the world. The loftiest active volcano is Popocatepetl (Smoking Mountain), thirty-five miles south-west of Pueblo, Mexico. It is 17,784 ft above the sea-level, and has a crater three miles in circumference and 1000 ft deep. The largest university is that of Oxford, England. It consists of twenty-five colleges and five halls. Oxford was the seal of learning in the times of Edward tho Confessor, It claims to have been founded by Alfred. The largest ship is the Great Eastern. She is GBoft long, 83ft beam, and 60ft deep, being 20,927 tons burden, 18,915 gross, and 13,444 net register. She was built at Milwall, on the Thames, and waa launched January 31, 1857. The most extensive park is Deer Park, in the environs of Copenhagen, Denmark. The enclosure contains 4,200 acres, and is divided by a small river. The largest pleasure ground in America is Fairraount Park, Philadelphia, which contains 3,740 acres. The largest body of fresh water on the globe is Lake Superior. It is 400 miles long, 160 miles wide at its greatest breadth, and has an area of 32,000 square miles. Its mean depth is said to be 200 ft, and its greatest depth about 900 fathoms. Its surface is 635 ft above the sea. The largest tunnel in the world is that of St Gothard, on the line of railroad between Lucerne and Milan. The summit of the tunnel is 990 ft beneath the surface at Andeimatt, and 6,600 ft beneath the peak of Kastelliorn, of the St Gothard group. The tunnel is 264 ft wide, and 19ft lOin from the floor to the crown of the arched roof. It is 9f miles long, If miles longer than the Mont Gem's tunnel. The most extensive cavern is the Mammoth Cave, in Edmonson County, Kentucky. It is near Green River, six miles'* from Cave. City, and 28 miles from Bowling Green.* The cave consists of a succession of irregular chambers, some of which are large, situated on different levels. Some of these are traversed by navigable branches of the subterranean Echo River. Blind fish are found in its waters.

The largest trees are the mammoth trees in California. One of the grove in Tulare County , according to measurement made members of the State Geological Survey, was shown to be 276 ft high, 105 ft in circumferance at the base, and 76ft at a point 12ft above the ground; Some of the trees are 376 ft highland 34ft in diameter. Some of the largest that have been felled indicate an age of from 2,000 to 2,500 years. The largest inland sea is the Caspian, lying between Europe and Asia. Its greatest length is 760 miles, its greatest breadth 270 miles, and its area 180,000 square miles. Great Salt Lake in Utah, which may be properly termed an inland sea, is about 20 miles long, and has a varying breadth of from 20 to 25 miles. Its surface is 4,200 ft above the sea, whereas the surface of the Caspian is 84£ l below the ocean level. The largest empire in the world is that _ .of Grout Rritnin, comprising 8,557,658 square miles (more than a sixth part of the land of the globe), and embracing under its rule nearly a sixth part o'f the population of the world. In territorial extent the United States ranks third, containing 3,580,242 square miles, including Alaska ; in population it ranks fourth with its 60,000,000 people. Russia ranks second, 8,352,940 square miles. The highest monolith is the obelisk at Karnak, Egypt. Karnack is on the east bank of the Nile, near Kuxor, and occupies a part of the site of ancient Thebes. The obelisk is ascribed to Hatasu, sister of Pharaoh Thothmes 111., who reigned about 160G B.c. Its whole length is 122 f t; its weight 400 tons. Its height, without pedestal, 180 ft lOiu. The height of the obelisk in Central Park, New York, without pedestal, is 68ft llin; its weight about 168 tons. The Chinese Wall is thelargest wall in the world. It was built by the first of (he Tain dynasty, about 220 8.c., protection against Tartars. It traversei - ’ tiro northern boundary of China, and is carried over the highest hills, through the deepest valleys, across rivers, and every other natural obstacle. Its length is 1,250 miles. Including a parapet of sft, the total height of the wall is 20ft; thickness at the base 25ft, and at (he top 15ft. Towers or bastions occur at intervals of about l n o yards. The largest library is the Bibliotheqno Nation?! in Paris, founded by Louis XIV. It contains 1,400,000 volumes, 300,000 pamphlets, 175,000 manuscripts, 300,000 maps and charts, 150,000 coins and medals. The collection of engravings exceeds 1,300,000, contained in some 10,000 volumes. The building which contains these treasures is situated on the Rue Richelieu. Its length is 640 ft, its breadth 130 ft. The largest library in New York, in respect of separate works, is the Astor. About 190,000 volumes are on its shelves. The largest cathedral in the world is St Peter’s in Rome. From the laying of the foundation in 1450 until its dedication,l7o years were consumed in its erection ; and if we include the work done under Pius VI, three and a half centuries passed before it was completed, during which time forty-three popes reigned. The dimensions of the church are :—Length of the interior, 6134 ft ; of transoms from wall to wall, 4464 ft ; height of nave, 1524 ft ; of side aisles, 47ft ; width of nave, 79.89 ft ; of side aisles, 33fft ; circumference of pillars which support the dome, 253 ft. The height of the dome from the pavement to the base of the lantern is 405 ft ; to the top of the cross, 448 feat. The dome is encircled and strengthened by six bands of iron. A stairway loads to the roof broad and easy enough to allow a horse and team to ascend. The annual cost of keeping the church in repair is 30,000 scudi. The largest bell in the world is the great bell (f Moscow, at the foot of th« Kremlin. Its circumference at the bottom is nearly 68ft, and-its height more than 21ft. In its stoutest part it is 28in thick, and its weight has deen computed to be 443,7721b. It has never been hung, and was probably cast on the spot where it now stands. A piece of the bell is broken off. The fracture is supposed to have been occasioned by water having been thrown upon it when heated by the building erected over it being on fire.