The Progress of Invention in the Nineteenth Century.

by Edward W. Byrn

Eiffel Tower.—Loftiest among the high structures of the world, and significant as indicating the possibilities of iron construction, the Eiffel Tower of the Paris Exposition of 1889 was a distinct achievement in the engineering world. It is seen in [Fig. 238]. It is 984 feet high, and 410 feet across its foundation, and has a supporting base of four independent lattice work piers. In the top was constructed a scientific laboratory surmounted by a lantern containing a powerful electric light. The total weight of iron in the structure is about 7,000 tons, the weight of the rivets alone being 450 tons, and the total number of them 2,500,000. The level of the first story is marked by a bold frieze, on the panels of which, around all four faces, were inscribed in gigantic letters of gold the names of the famous Frenchmen of the century. The summit of the tower was reached by staircases containing 1,793 steps, and by hydraulic elevators running in four stages. The cost of this structure was nearly $1,000,000.

FIG. 239.—WASHINGTON’S MONUMENT. HEIGHT 555 FEET, 5¹⁄₂ INCHES. HIGHEST MASONRY STRUCTURE IN THE WORLD.

Washington’s Monument.—Next in height to the Eiffel Tower, and being, in fact, the tallest masonry structure in the world, this noble obelisk, by its simplicity, boldness and solidity, challenges the admiration of every visitor, and gratifies the pride of every patriot. It is seen in [Fig. 239], and is 555 feet 5¹⁄₂ inches high, 55 feet square at the base, and 34 feet square at the top. The walls are 15 feet thick at the base, and 18 inches at the top, and its summit is reached by an internal winding staircase and a central elevator. At the height of 504 feet the walls are pierced with port holes, from which a magnificent view is had of the capital city and surrounding country. The summit is crowned with a cap of aluminum, inscribed Laus Deo. The foundation of rock and cement is 36 feet deep and 126 feet square, and the total cost of the monument was $1,300,000. The corner stone was laid in 1848. In 1855 the work was discontinued at the height of 152 feet, from lack of funds. In 1878 it was resumed by appropriation from Congress, and completed and dedicated in 1885, under the direction of Col. Thomas L. Casey, of the United States Corps of Engineers.

The Capitol Building.—Representing the heart of the great American Republic, and overlooking its Capital City, this grand building, shown in [Fig. 240], is a poem in architecture. Massive, symmetrical and harmonious, its highest point reaches 307¹⁄₂ feet above the plaza on the east. It is 751 feet 4 inches long, 350 feet wide, and the walls of the building proper cover 3¹⁄₂ acres. Crowning the center of the building is the imposing dome of iron, surmounted by a lantern, and above this is the bronze statue of Freedom, 19 feet 6 inches high, and weighing 14,985 pounds, the latter being set in place December 2, 1863. The dome is 135 feet 5 inches in diameter at the base, and the open space of the rotunda within is 96 feet in diameter and 180 feet high.

The corner stone of the original building was laid in 1793 by Washington. The first session of Congress held there was in 1800, while the building was still incomplete. The original building was finished in 1811. In 1814 it was partly burned by the British. In 1815 reconstruction was begun, and completed in 1827. In 1850 Congress passed an act authorizing the extension of the Capitol, which resulted in the building of the north and south wings, containing the present Senate Chamber and Hall of the House of Representatives. The corner stones of the extension were laid by President Fillmore in 1851, Daniel Webster being the orator of the occasion, and the wings were finished in 1867. Since this time handsome additions in the shape of marble terraces on the west front have added greatly to the beauty and apparent size of the building.

FIG. 240.—THE UNITED STATES CAPITOL. LENGTH, 751¹⁄₃ FEET; WIDTH, 350 FEET; HEIGHT, 307¹⁄₂ FEET; BUILDING COVERS 3¹⁄₂ ACRES.

It is not possible to give anything like an adequate review of the engineering inventions and achievements of the Nineteenth Century in a single chapter, and only the most noteworthy have been mentioned. The modern life of the world, however, has been replete with the resourceful expedients of the engineer, and the ingenious instrumentalities invented by him to carry out his plans. There have been about 1,000 patents granted for bridges, about 2,500 for excavating apparatus, and about 1,500 for hydraulic engineering. In mining the safety-lamp of Sir Humphrey Davy, in 1815, has been followed by stamp mills, rock-drills, derricks, and hoisting and lowering apparatus, and lately by hydraulic mining apparatus, by which a stream of water under high pressure is made to wash away a mountain side. Apparatus for loading and unloading, pneumatic conveyors, great systems of irrigation, lighthouses, breakwaters, pile drivers, dry-docks, ship railways, road-making apparatus, fire escapes, fireproof buildings, water towers, and filtration plants have been devised, constructed and utilized. Many gigantic schemes, already begun, still await successful completion, among which may be named the draining of the Zuyder Zee, the Siberian railway, the Panama and Nicaraguan Canals, the Simplon tunnel, the new East River Bridge, and the Rapid Transit Tunnel under New York City; while a bridge or tunnel across the English Channel, a ship canal for France, connecting the Bay of Biscay with the Mediterranean, a tunnel under the Straits of Gibraltar, and a ship canal connecting the great lakes with the Gulf of Mexico, are among the possible achievements which challenge the engineer of the Twentieth Century.