The Sun.
London, England, 1870-01-11 00:00:00

A MECHANICAL MARVEL.

The details of the manner in which the extraordinary
enterprise of removing the Hotel Pelham in Boston a dis-
tance of 14ft. was carried out have just been published in
America. The house is seven stories high above the
pavement, the total height above the tramway on
which it was moved being 96ft., while its
weight was estimated at £5,000 tons, independently of the
furniture and other articles that remained inside. The
shops and offices on the first floor and the apartments
above were occupied during the removal, and
the occupants were undisturbed, gas and water
being supplied by flexible tubes. The preparations for
the grand undertaking occupied two months and 20 days,
and employed 400 perches of granite, 3000 ft. of flagging,
over 46,0001 b. of iron, and 49,000 of timber. Heavy block
granite levellers were laid westerly from the walls
and repeated at certain distances, making fou
rows of eighteen traverses each, laid in cement
and thoroughly rammed down. On the top
of the granite a brick wall was laid, and on the top of it
iron rails. Rollers 1 inch in diameter were laid 1 inch
apart under each wall, over them iron rails again, over
these flag-stones. There was great trouble and danger in
getting the traverses and rollers in position, and great pre-
cautions were taken to hold the lower part of the
building together as compactly as possible. Seventy-two
screws were required to start the building, the number
being afterwards reduced to fifty-six. There were 904
rollers. A man was stationed at every four screws,
and twenty men along the lines of the various
walls to watch the ratters as they came out,
and replace them in front. This had to be done every taro
inches that the building moved. At a given glen& every
man at the screws made one quarter turn, whisk carried
the building westward one-eighth of an inch. The average
speed was an inch in five minutes, the greatest
speed being two inches in %lir minutes. The screws were
twenty-one inches long, and it took an hour and
three-quarters to nun° the length of the screws, when the
work had to be respended to read jest the blocking. The
first day the hens° was removed aft., the seoond day sft.,
the third day 3fv. 10in., and so on. The removal was ac-
cemplished with perfect success, and the people
of Boston are justly proud of the achievement.
The removal was rendered necessary by the resolu-
tion of the City authorities to widen and straighten
some of the principal streets, Tremolt- street, wLsch the
Hotel Pelham fronted, being widened 60ft. The City
tarieentiom undertook the responsibility of the removal.

LONDON AND SUBURBAN CHURCHES.—Mackson's
"Guide to the Churches of London and its Suburbs" (for
1870) gives the following interesting particulars respecting
the churches situated within a radius of twelve miles from
the General Post-office:—The "Guido" contains in-
formation as to 651 churches, but for statistical
Purposes tho number is reduced to 630, correc-
tions tiarla not haviu; been received from the clergy of the
remaining
the Rol _2l, churches. There is a weekly celebration of
v t.Yonimunion at 169, more than one-fourth ; daily
celebration at
at 20,, nearly' oe-thirtieth ; e_arly. mornins,
one-fourth; evening celebration at
nearly
°onneelstilxiitrlidl9; '
bration at afternoon celebration at 5; choral co e-
-63, one-tenth ; service' on saints' days at 193,
daily service at 132 more than one-
fifth; no week-day service at 101, one-sixth; fully choral
service at 123, more than one-fifth; and partly choral
lirC nearly one-fifth, giving a proportion
of nearly Ihla sif where the psalms are chanted;
surpliced choirs at 137, more than one-fifth; paid choirs
at 88, nearly one-seventh; voluntary choirs at 231, more
than one-third; Gregorian tones are exclusively used for
chanting at 43, one-fourteenth : the weekly offertory is the
rule at 123, ono-fifth ; there are free but appropriated
seats at 141, nearly one-fourth ; free and open scats at 65,
more than one-tenth; the eucharistic vestments are worn
at 20, ono church in every thirty-one ; incense is used at
7, one-ninetieth ; the surplice is worn in the pulpit at 83,
more than one-eighpj aril 40 01Ausiglqq....0014.41,for
SiTIO PrAYeTt ' •