. St. Nicholas [serial]. , the strengthdepends upon the strength of the suspendingfibers. Monkeys, in making use of a grape-vineover a stream, as travelers affirm that they do,are practically using a suspension-bridge. But the first bridge to give young people trou-ble is described in Csesars Commentaries DeBello Gallico. The building of this bridge,Csesar says, was of the greatest difficulty. And Iknow young people who wish that he had neverattempted such a feat, but had stayed where hewas. He tells us, after describing the breadth,depth, and rapidity of the river Rhine, that hethought he oug
. St. Nicholas [serial]. , the strengthdepends upon the strength of the suspendingfibers. Monkeys, in making use of a grape-vineover a stream, as travelers affirm that they do,are practically using a suspension-bridge. But the first bridge to give young people trou-ble is described in Csesars Commentaries DeBello Gallico. The building of this bridge,Csesar says, was of the greatest difficulty. And Iknow young people who wish that he had neverattempted such a feat, but had stayed where hewas. He tells us, after describing the breadth,depth, and rapidity of the river Rhine, that hethought he ought to cross it, and he devised thisbridge. Then trouble began, not only for him,but for the young student, as he threw in the bigtimbers, and the big words, and the long sen-tences, ending with an explanation of his devicesto prevent the enemy from sending down the 1036 NATURE AND SCIENCE FOR YOUNG FOLKS [Sept., swiftly flowing current trees that might carryaway his bridge. Our young people, I think, will be glad to have. CyESAR S VEltY SIMPLE FORM OF BRIDGE us not only illustrate this bridge, but also givethem a simple translation of the text explainingthe construction, as follows: He joined together, at the distance of two feet,two piles, each a foot and a half thick, sharpeneda little at the lower end, and proportioned inlength to the depth of the river. After he had,by means of engines, sunk these into the river, and fixed them at the bottom, and then driventhem in with rammers, not quite perpendicularly,like a stake, but bending forward and sloping, soas to incline in the directionof the current of the river,he also placed two (otherpiles) opposite to these, atthe distance of forty feetlower down, fastened to-gether in the same manner,but directed against the forceand current of the these, moreover, werekept firmly apart by beamstwo feet thick (the spacewhich the binding of the pilesoccupied), laid in at theirextremities between twobraces on each side; and incon
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Keywords: ., bookauthordodgemar, bookcentury1800, bookdecade1870, bookyear1873
