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of boy criminals in Edinburgh has been reduced from 745 in 1848, to 95 in 1877. The boy criminals aged between fourteen and sixteen were 552 in 1848, and 48 in 1876, and during those thirty years the population has largely increased.

"From this showing, and the fact that this ship turns out 100 good sailors, or well-disciplined young men, fit for other pursuits, each year, it is evident that the true panacea for embryo criminals is to pick them up-little, ragged, ill-bred, and ready for any vice—from the streets and make men of them. In this way social pests are made good sailors or citizens. What satisfaction, too, it must be to Mr. Thomas Knox and the other gentlemen connec ted with the enterprise, to witness the fine results of their labors and charities. General Grant and Mrs. Grant were quite enthu siastically interested in the matter, and expressed strong hopes that some such institutions would be inaugurated in the large cities of America.

"From the training ship we embarked with the boy band aboard the tug, and went to the Tay Bridge. Here the engineer for the contractors, Mr. A. Grothe, narrated in detail the principal points connected with the erection of the structure, and expressed great pleasure that General Grant should appear just as the bridge was finished completely enough to cross, and the rails were nearly al laid. The last supporting column had been set up the day be fore. Here the General and party were handsomely entertained at lunch by the Tay bridge people. General Grant, being something of an educated engineer, desired to go out upon the bridge, so the whole party were put into a workingmen's car and taken across The Tay Bridge is the longest in the world. It is not as elabo rate or expensive as the St. Louis bridge, only longer. It extends two miles over water, and a quarter of a mile over land. The object of its erection was to avoid the frequent and sometimes very severe storms encountered by passengers on the North British Railroad, as well as to lessen the running time and increase the capacity for traffic over the railroad. At present the running time is three, and sometimes as much as four and five hours be tween Edinburgh and Dundee, thirty miles. The passengers are obliged to change cars twice-once when they cross the Firth of Forth, and once when they cross the river Tay. These and the

storms that beat in from the German Ocean are great inconveniences and annoyances to the traveler. The Tay bridge will, in a few days, remove one great obstacle, and in five years the bridge in course of construction by the same railroad company will remove the other. The Tay bridge was commenced July 22, 1871. It consists of 85 spans, varying in length from 67 to 245 feet. Of the latter dimensions there are 13, which are 88 feet above high water. The rise and fall of tide varies from 12 to 17 feet. The roadway of the bridge is 1 in 73 feet rise from the shore to the centre on the north, and 1 in 356 on the south side. The rapid decline on the Dundee side is necessitated by the low level of the undergrou d station and tunnel there. On the larger spans the train will run on the bottom part of the girders, and the smaller the rails are laid on top, so that, while the line of rail is continuous and apparently on a level, the girders are reversed in position in the centre. In appearance the bridge is light and graceful, and, viewed from a distance, it looks too light for its purpose, but when inspected closely, it is found firm enough for any load that can be taken over it, even in the most violent gale. The foundation for the iron columns rests on rock or hard bottom at an average of 18 feet below the river bed, and they weigh hundreds of tons each. The bottoms of the columns are above high water mark in order that they may not feel the corrosive effects of the water. The columns are braced in every direction, so as to be lighter than, but almost as strong as, solid iron. The method of sinking these bases and raising the columns is remarkable. Every piece of the bridge was made on shore. A portion of the bank on the south side was levelled and the heavy parts constructed on a concrete foundation. Barges were floated under a staging, the immense masses floated out-a single caisson weighing some two hundred pounds-and by the use of hydraulic force, and taking advantage of the tides, the caissons were disconnected and allowed by their own weight to find the bottom. Sand pumps were then used, and the sand pumped out until the iron caisson, with its brick lining, of its own weight, rested upon the hard earth or rock. Then it was filled with concrete, which hardened and became firmer all the time. The iron caisson will corrode away, but will leave the brick and

concrete, which is intended for the entire support of the bridge, as hard and firm as ever. So all the different parts of the spans were laid and so the columns were raised. The rise and fall of the tide greatly facilitated the work, by giving the desired height to the barges from time to time. I would like to go into a full description, but on account of space, will merely give you an idea of its immensity. It cost $1,500,000. It is not covered or ornamented at all. The engineer who designed it is Mr. Bouche; engineers for the contractors who have been in charge of the work, Mr. A. Grothe; engineer, north end, Mr. Rees S. Jones; contractors, Messrs. Hopkins, Gilke & Co, Middleboro.

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"It was the intention of General Grant to visit the jute and flax mills, marmalade factories and the public buildings of Dundee, but time forbade A number of us, by invitation of Mr. H. Stewart Rhind, of David Martin & Co., visited the jute mills of Henry Walker & Sons (the Caldrum Mills) not the largest, but the most modern of all the jute mills of Dundee. There they told us to doff our coats and put on juted dusters and slouch hats. The rattle of the machinery, the twirling of thou

sands of spindles, and flying around of hundreds of girls and men in this immense establishment suggested an activity that did not very well agree with Mr. Walker's statement that Dundee, the jute centre of the world, was losing money in its mannfacture, and that business is awfully dull with the millers. Some of these jute mills are as large if not larger than our cotton mills at Lowell and Fall River, Mass. They make various kinds of bagging, cloth for dusters (sold as linen dusters). In fact, jute fibre enters into nearly every species of mixed goods, even to the adulteration of silks, especially umbrella silks. It is one of the largest manufactures of Great Britain.

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"General Grant especially enjoyed the attractions of Melroseand Abbotsford, the home of Sir Walter Scott, and upon his return to Edinburgh, had very much to say about it. He examined the various objects of interest at Abbotsford with great care."

CHAPTER VII.

GENERAL GRANT VISITS

GLASGOW-AYR-NEWCASTLEUPON-TYNE-DEMONSTRATION ON THE TOWN MOOR— BANQUETING AT BIRMINGHAM-A VISIT TO BRIGHTON EN ROUTE FOR PARIS-INCIDENTS BY THE

WAY

A HEARTY WELCOME-A CALL UPON MARSHAL MAC-
MAHON AN INTERESTING INTERVIEW - THE
"FI-
GARO'S" REPORT.

On the 13th of September, 1877, General Grant was honored with the freedom of the City of Glasgow. Replying to the address of the Lord Provost he said he would ever remember the day, and when back in America would refer with pride to his visit to Glasgow. He was so much a citizen of Scotland that it would be a serious question where he would vote. He thanked the Lord Provost for his kind words, and the audience for its welcome. The parchment was contained in a gold casket. The ceremony was witnessed by a large crowd, and the General was enthusiastically cheered. A banquet in his honor was given in the evening, but was of a private character.

On the next day he was presented with the freedom of the burgh of Ayr. In returning thanks for so distinguished an honor, General Grant expressed the pleasure it gave him to form so close a connection with the land and home of Burns.

On Thursday, the 20th, General Grant and party visited Newcastle-on-Tyne, where they were warmly welcomed, and became the guests of the Mayor. Next morning General and Mrs. Grant, accompanied by the Mayor of Newcastle, General Badeau, Mr. Fairchild, the United

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