The Iowa transcript. (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1858-1866, 1860-04-12
The Great Building Raising.

solid front nf FIRST class business blocks
comprising the entire block ON the nnrth
eide oi Lake street, between Clark aud
la Selle streets. u length Of three hun
drcd and twenty feet, bein. raised four
fret BY The almost rcsistlcss lifting force
Of six thousand screws.
The block comprises thirteen first class
stores and large double marble s,ruct
ur., the marine Bark building. Its sub
divisions are FIVE story marble front
block Of three stores u four story block
of three stores; an4 Il second fonr story
block OF three stores, and five story
block OF four stores, at the corner o.
Clark street these all presenting an un
broken front, in the he:rt nf our city
and filled With occupants. Ii presents
some Of the best retail establishments in
the city, and some Of the heaviest stocks
Of Drugs, and Dry Goods, &c Its up
per stories arc full of Offices, and contai"
millinery rooms printing establishments,
binder;es, &c. &C., and yet 50 ad d.airab;y
has the work been conducted, the cease
less daily tide Of pedestrians ha: not been
impeded, but rather increased, fror the
novelty Of the sight, nnd the merchants
aud Others even speak Of an imrrov. d
trade, though they will welcome he com
plction of the work aone the less.
This absence from annoyance to the
merchants aud the public, is due L,
the skill with which the contractors
have hung the sidewalks to the block
itself, and carried up the same with the
rise Of the building. The block has
been raised four feet eight inches, the
acquired height, in five days, ending
with Friday last, and the nasons are
now busy putting in ,ae permanent sup
ports. The entire work will occupy
about four ~eeks.
An e.,imatc from a reliable source
makesthe entire wei sht thus raised, to be
about $4,000 tons. So carefully has i,
been done that not a pane Of glass has
been broken nor crack in masonry ap
pesrcd. The interna! order Of the block
has prevailed undistur,ed.
The contract was taken not Jointly
but SO carried out, by the several firms
OF Brown l. H.llissworth, Pullman 4
Moore, and Fly 4 Smith, and for an a.
grcsase price Of SIT 900. That sum vii
be nearly doubled BY the entire improve
men.s contemplated on the block.
The process Of raising, as indicated
above. is by tho screw 1T Elk thousand u
which three inches in s.ia,neter and ol
"ihrcc riyhfhs Mrrnd, SIX hundred work
men have been employed. each man il,
charge "f from eight to ten screws. 4
complete system oi signals was kept il
operation, and by these the workmen
passed, each through his series, giving
each screw one'qnarter turn, then re
turning to repeat the same. Five day.
labor saw the immense weigh. rise
through FOUR feet and eight inches t.
where it now stands on temporary sup
ports rapidly being replaced by perma
ncnt foundations
The work ss it stands, is worth going
miles to see, and has drawn the admi
ration ofthousands within the week past
Il is Of q class Of improvements peculiar
to our city, in the change Of grade adopt
ed, and the block in qnestion will stand
a. a marvel for years to come, monu
ment to this gigantic enterprise of our
young city.
Probably only two cities on this con
tinent will have = similar record, Chica
90. and -prospec'ively We learn New
Orleans, extensive portions Of which il
is said will be- submitted to this process,
to the improvement "f the health and
and welfare OF it, citizsns. We arc. Il
will be seen. educating men and firms
here who will do the work af the Cresen /
City, but We are not ourselves quite done
with them yet.
A sketch Of this great work, and pho.
tographs have been taken for tho Lon.
don iH1stratsd News, also for our own
Illustrated weeklies. 4 tine litho.raph
Is also under progress. rs a faithful souve
mir Of the work. The contractors de
serve all praise FOR the skill and faith
fullness with which they have bronyh,
tho great undertaking 70 near it, end