OF

THE FRANKLIN INSTITUTE

OF THE

State of Pennsylvania

AND

AMERICAN REPERTORY

OF

MECHANICAL AND PHYSICAL SCIENCE,

CIVIL ENGINEERING, THE ARTS AND MANUFACTURES,

AND OF

AMERICAN AND OTHER PATENTED INVENTIONS.

EDITED

BY THOMAS P. JONES, M. D.,

Mem of the Am. Philos. Soc; of the Acad. of Nat. Sci., Philad.; the Am. Acad. of Arts and Sci., Mass.; the Nat. Inst. for Promotion of Sci., Washington, &c &c. &c.

AND

JAMES J. MAPES, A. M.,

Prof. of Chem, and Nat. Philos. in the Nat. Acad. of Design; Hon. Mem. of the Scien. Inst., Brussels; of the Roy. Soc. of St. Petersburg, &c. &c. &c.

PUBLISHED BY THE FRANKLIN INSTITUTE, AT THEIR HALL.

JOURNAL

OF

THE FRANKLIN INSTITUTE

OF THE

State of Pennsylvania,

AND

MECHANICS' REGISTER.

JANUARY, 1842.

Civil Engineering.

FOR THE JOURNAL OF THE FRANKLIN INSTITUTE.

Notes on the Internal Improvements of the Continent of Europe. By L. KLEIN, Civil Engineer.

Within the last few years, internal improvements, principally railroads, have made very great progress upon the continent of Europe. The example given first by Great Britain, and later, on a much larger scale, by the United States of North America, could not fail to attract the attention of other people and governments. The important influence of facilitated internal communications upon the prosperity of a country could no longer be doubted; all prejudices against their introduction were gradually vanquished, and the spirit of enterprize and speculation became awakened. We now see extensive lines of railways already completed, and others in progress, in different parts of the continent of Europe, and at no distant period we may expect to see connected by them all the capitals and other important cities of the numerous states and provinces, in which this large territory is divided.

Although the United States are already provided with a system of railroads, the extent of which far exceeds that of all railroads executed in all the other parts of the globe, a notice of the works undertaken and accomplished in Europe cannot be without interest to the readers of this journal, and principally to the engineer, who may find in the history of every railroad, in the description of its locality and construction, and of the difficulties overcome, something new and inVOL. III. 3D SERIES.-No. 1.—JANUARY, 1842.

1

structive. In the following notes, for which the data were carefully collected on the spot, and may be relied on as correct, it is intended to give a short description of the works of internal improvement executed, or undertaken and in progress, in different states of the continent, in the order in which they were examined.

Having during a long stay become possessed of detailed information concerning all the railroads now in operation and in progress in Austria, I am enabled to commence the present communication with a full description of the internal improvements in that empire, though my notes may not be as complete respecting the other European States.

LETTER I.

VIENNA, 1st of September, 1841.

Internal Improvements of the Austrian Empire. Geographical notice-Navigation-Steam navigation upon the Adriatic and Mediterranean, upon the Danube-Canals in Italy and Hungary; the Vienna and Newstadt CanalTurnpike roads-Lintz and Gmunden-Prague and Pilsen railroads-Emperor Ferdinand's northern road-Vienna and Raab railroad-First Hungarian railroad from Presburg to Tyrnau--Milan and Montza--Milan and Venice railroads-Railroads projected; Bohemian coal road, Prague and Dresden, Vienna and Trieste railroads, central railroad of Hungary, Bochnia and Lemberg railroad.-Extent of railroads completed, in progress, and projected, in Austria.

The Austrian empire occupies the central part of the European continent, and covers the one thirteenth part of its surface. In regard to area Austria ranks the third amongst the European States, being inferior only to Russia and the United Kingdoms of Sweden and Norway; in regard to population it ranks the second, as it is surpassed only by the Russian empire. Austria extends from 42° 9' to 51° 2' north latitude, and from 26° 14' to 44° 45' east longitude, (the meridian over the island of Ferro taken as the first,) or over 8° 53' from south to north, and 18° 21' from west to east. It is bounded by twelve different sovereign states, of which, however, some are very small. The longest boundary line is towards Turkey, viz. 1,550 miles, while the length of boundary towards all the surrounding states is 4,166 miles. To this must be added the length of sea coast on the Adriatic, which (the islands excepted,) measures 1,248 miles, making the total length of boundary, or the circumference of the empire equal to 5,414 miles. Considerable as this length of the sea coast may appear, its advantages in regard to commerce are much diminished by the peculiar situation, form, and distance from the main body of the Austrian empire.

The monarchy of Austria is composed of sixteen large provinces, inhabited by nations different in origin and language, viz: of eight kingdoms, one Archduchy, (Austria, of which the empire bears the