The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1870-01-18
Il GREAT MECHANICAL EEAT.
The Removal of Hotel Pelham, in
Boston.

description of the great me 2hanical feat per-
formed lately in Boston in the removal oi
Hotel Pelham, a building weighing 5000 tons,
some fourteen feet, in order to widen Tre-
mont street The removal was done by the
Boston city authorities, as being cheaper Than
cutting Off portion of the building, and the
owner gave his consent to the work. AS 1t is
of great interest to mechanics, and, indeed,
all classes of readers, we condcnse the follow
ing from the account given of the work:
The Hotel Pelham is situated on the south
west corner of fremont and Boylston streets,
Boston, and is what is commonly called free-
stone building; thai is, the two principal fronts
are faced with Connecticut freestone. backed
up with brickwork from twelve to sixteen
inches thick, and the other walls are OF brick.
There are two brick partition walls running
from north to south. but none of the partitions
from east to west (thc direction In which IL
was to be moved) go through, though there
were three extending from fremont street to
the first division wall. The side Of the build
| ing is not at Il right angle with the front, but
the cross partitions are at right angles with
the side, and are, therefore, not parallel with
the front wall, thus increasing the difficulty OF
moving.
The hotel was somewhat irregular in its cX-
terror, covering about hfty-eight hundred
square feet of land, having frontage on Boyl-
sion street ofsiXty-ninc feet, on fremont street
of nncty-siX feet, on its southern line OF sixty
two feet, and on the western line OF eighty
eight feet, with break on the southern side
of tour and one-half feet, and on the western
side of three feet. The front wall on BOylston
street was supported on eight massive granite
posts twelve feet high, four of them four feet
square, the others three feet square. The Trc-
mont street front had, In addition TO the cor
ner post two similar piers, and the remainder
was built up with rough block granite filled in
with chip stone, and so poorly constructed
that it was thought best to tic 1t thoroughly
together with iron rods and timbers The Tre-
mont street face and the south wall were
cracked In several places owing to careless
ness in its original construction. Paper was
carefully pasted over these cracks to see If
they increased, but no change could be dis
covered after the removal.
The basement is occupied for storage. heat
ing apparatus, fuel, &c. The ground floor lor
shops, offices and entrances to the apartments
over, and the six floors above are arranged IN
suites of rooms for the occupation OF families,
there being seven storiec above the sidewalk.
The total height, from the level Of the tram
WAYS on which it was moved, is ninety-siX feet,
and the weight Of the whole structure was es-
timatcd by u careful calculation at five thOus-
and tons, without The furniture or other arti-
cles which remained in 1t during the removal.
All the stores, Offices, and several OF the suites
of apartments were occupied, and the occu-
pants were not disturbed in the process, rs
the water, gas and other pipes were Kept IN
working order by means Of flexible tubes.
To prepare the building was an undertaking
recurring to be well considered and thoroughly
understood before the work was commenced.
Models were made showing how each part
could be securely loaded, ana then a full
model Of the whole basement. work was
commenced on June l, 1860, by clearing the
basement of all the wooden partitions, and eX-
cavatng TO the level of the foundations.
After this was done, heavy block granite
Jewellers were laid westerly from the front,
rear and partition walls 10 q distance OF four
teen feet from each, and similar Jewellers every
four feet between, TO receive the walls running
north and south as the building progressed,
making four rows Of eighteen traverscs each,
all laid solid in cement thoroughly rammcd
down to avoid any dagger OF settlement, as
they bore the immense weight passing over
them. Those under the front piers were six
feet wide, and the others three feet, all being
three feet below the surface. On the top of
the granite, Except those under the posts,)
O brick wall was laid in cement twenty inches
wide Those under posts were lcvelled up
with North River tagging and slate: On the
top Of each Of these traYerses, four iron rails,
three and one-half inches wide under the piers,
and three inches wide under the walls, and
one-half of an inch thick, were bedded In
cement, and made perfectly level, and eight
similar rails under the front piers. Between
these iron tramways, under the fremont street
wall, creased ways were laid to assist the
moving Of the rough granite wall before men-
toned.
The process of loading the several piers and
walls on the iron rollers by which II was 10
move, was Us follows: Rollers an inch and
half in diameter were laid one inch apart under
each brick wall on the iron rails a. right an
giles with the front wall on BOylston street
This was very important, rs the building was
to be kept In It's new position on straight
line with this wall, and any variation from
right angle would change the direction.
square piece Of hard wood Was put between
each roller 10 act as guide, and also to aid in
replacing the same when thoy came out from
behind as the building went forward, al! hay
ing to he constantly watched, TO keep the roll
crs In position. over the rollers similar iron
rails were placed, and on these rails North
River tagging stone, the latter being thorough
ly wedgeu with slate, pointed with cement, 10
take the bearing Of the wall above. This pro-
cess was repeated under all the brick and
stone walls on the lines OF the several trav-
erScs.
The most difficult part Of the undertaking
was the loading OF the Ecavy stone posts on
the front and y portion Of the side, 10 accoEl-
plish which it became necessary to lower the
jewellers eb0ut eight inches TO get sufficient
space to put the rails and rollers under them.
To do this these posts were clamprd by beams,
screwed together with inch and thrce-Qnartcr
iron bolts, six to each post, and under these
beams We're placed white oak tiln6ers OF sulil-
cicnt length TO reach outside the Jewellers,
resting on from twelve 10 twenty-five bed
screws, which were turned just enough to hold
the weight above, bat not to raise 1t in the
least. This was ascertaincd by ccmenLing be-
tween the post and the Jewellers and also be-
tween the latter and the ground, as sometimes
the lcyeller went with the post, and at others
separated from it, and when the smallest crack
was discovered in either place, no more force
was used.
The leycller was then lowered and beddcd
in cement, screws being applied between 1t
and the post overhead to press it down, after
which the rails and rollers were putin place
as before described, aud between the upper
rails and the bottom Of the stone posts strips
OF North River tagging, four by six inches.
were placed the centre one being set first, and
wcdgrd sufficiently 10 take the bear NJ, then
the others put in one by one ILL the whole sur
face was covered, each being carefully wedged.
The screws were then. removed, End this pro-
cess was continued under each post without
tho least damage to the BUILDING. This opera
ton required more skill, and, in fact, was more
di1liell; and dangerous than the removal Of
the building itself.
IN order &c q. 10 lover part Of the building
together rs firmly as possible, so lhsttne
power, when applied To the exterior, should
operate equally on the interior walls, tim6crs
eight inches square were placed on each side
Of The walls running north and south, and over