The Wyandot pioneer. (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 1853-1868, 1866-11-22

over their work, which no one can ap-
preciate without having travelled over
the same road
To Mr.. Amasa Stone, President of
the Cleveland, Painesville & Ashta
bula road, perhaps more than to any
other man, are we indebted for this
great public work. While much praise
is due him for agitating the question
and giving his personal attention to
all the details of it's construction and
arrangement, scarcely less may be
said of the Presidents of the other three
roads-Messrs. J. N. Mccullough, c.
q P; John Newell, G & T.; and L.
NJ. Hubby, C. C. & c., who, in conjunc-
ton with Mr.. Stone, formed the Build
ing Committee.
In planning and carrying out the
work, Mr.. Stone was ably assisted by
Mr.. B. F. Morse, an Assistant Engineer
on the lake shore road. Mr.. Morse
was indefatigable in his labors and
proved himself highly competent for
the responsible position in which he
was placed by the Building Committee.
Messrs. Forbes and Sackett, carpen-
ters; Mr.. 'Congdon, Master Machinist
Of the iron truss work and Mr.. Rogers,
Foreman in raising the trtsses to their
places, were also highly competent
men in their places, were also highly
competent men in their respective po-
sitions.
The first pile beneath the foundation
on the north side, which is the only
part of the structure resting on piles,
was driven on the 7th of April, 1864
two years, seven months and three days
before the superstructure was opened
for business. twenty-five days later,
April I'd, 1864, the excavating party
commenced work, using during their
labor, which lasted over year, a steam
excavator, removing vast qualities OF
earth at time. The amount of soil
removed to make room for the depot
would embrace millions of cubic feet
On the 7th Of April the first founda-
ton was laid on the piles covered with
concrete, on the North side The first
foundation stone was laN June 90, 1864
and the last one August 8, 1S66-two
years, one month and fourteen days Ia
ter. During that time an average Of
ITO men were constantly employed
making the aggregate number of days
upon the work, one hundred and four
teen thousand. Nearly five thousand
car loads of material were used in its
construction. If the material was plac
ed on cars made up into trains with
sufficient propelling power to each ,and
were placed in line they would extend
thirty eight miles, OF. from the depot to
a point five miles beyond Oberlin.r
The walls are built of sand stone
from Mr.. John Worthington's quarries
at Brownhelm, two miles from Amherst
where the stone were shipped. The
masonry alone cost $780, O,0OO,the owner
of the quarry, Mr.. Worthington, being
the contractor The walls are two fee
in thickness and contain $4,000 cubic
feet of stone The foundation contains
Al 900 cubic feet, and retaining wal
to prevent the washing Of the bank
contains Al ,OOO,more making the whole
number of cubic feet of stone used up
on the outer walls, the remainder OF
the surface being what is termed crock
face,' i. e. just as the blocks are brok
en- at the quarry.
The most, we may say the only re
markable, feature Of the depot, aside
from it's size, is the roof, covering al
area of one hundred and eight thou
sand five hundred and forty square fee
! without the aid of pillars 1t is sup
ported by forty-nine iron trusses, weigh
ing nearly four hundred tons 1t il
anchored down by means of strong
iron rods firmly fastened in the wall:
below. About 1S6, 900 feet of lumber
! and ten tons of spikes were used il
forming the surface on which to lay
the states. Of these $4,000 were lait
under the superintendent eff Mr.. job,
Huntington. They were furnished b!
the Eagle State Company of vermont
. and the entire products of the work.
E for several months, was necessary tt
supply the immense quantity required
. the words Union Passenger Depot,
are ingeniously laid with light coloret
! states on the southern slope of tn,
i, roof-the letters being ten feet il
length.
1t is a matter worthy ofnote and on
: rejecting great credit upon all connect
o ed with the construction of the roof
! to say that it was all planned, designe,
n and made by Cleveland men. 1t is
e. Cleveland roof, out and out, coverin,
c the most gigantic building in the Unit