Miscellaneous Items

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The block of marble for the Washington Monument, ordered by the Common Council of New York is now finished, and is larger than any that has yet been sent, being eight feet wide, and five feet six inches in height. It weighs about four tons. The design is the arms of the city of New York, cut in very high relief, surrounded by a beautiful wreath of oak and laurel leaves. The whole is sur mounted by a large eagle standing on a globe. The block bears the following inscription in raised letters:—"Corporation of the City of New York." The border is composed of bundles of rods, encircled by a ribbon, to de note that in union there is strength. The cost of the block will be about $2,500. The Pacific Railway in Missouri, has one of the most remarkable (though not the long est) tunnels in the world. For 930 feet in one part, and 400 in another, it is cut through the solid rock. The approaches to it, for long distances are cut fifty feet in depth, faced with the rock. The tunnel itself is sixteen feet high, arched over. No less than 40,000 pine logs have been cut, and 25,000 have been put Into the river at a point sixty-five miles from Potsdam, St. Law rence Co. A quantity sufficient to make 25,-000,000 feet of lumber, which, to be brought to market, will pay a toll of $9,000 to the State. The annual amount of lead produced from the Wisconsin Lead Mines, is about 40,000,-000 pounds, which, at five cents a pound (a low enough estimate now,) amounts to $2,000,000. The Pennsylvania Railroad Company have reduced the rate of freight on bacon, beef, pork, whiskey, lard and lard oil, to 50 cents per 100 lbs. from Pittsburg to Philadelphia or Baltimore. The Manchester (England) Chamber of Commerce have advanced a loan for experi menting in the culture of cotton in Trinidad, for which purpose a model larm is to be laid out. The deliveries of tea recently in London, for one week were 509,218 lbs. The ice merchants say there will be a large deficiency in the supply of that article the coming summer. Only about half the average annual crop has been stored. But about 100, 000 tons are said to be stored. Last year it was 200,000 tons and over.

Scientific American Magazine Vol 8 Issue 29This article was published with the title “Miscellaneous Items” in Scientific American Magazine Vol. 8 No. 29 (), p. 230
doi:10.1038/scientificamerican04021853-230e

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