The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1888-04-18
A NOVEL UNDERTAKING.
A Huge Hotel Moved Back from
the Sea at COney Island.
The Structure Travels on 100 Flat
Cars, Drawn by Six Locomotives

The Brighton Beach Hotel at Coney Island,
New York's great seaside resort, has JUST
been moved back from the sea distance OF
$50 feet in a novel manner. The Brighton
Beach Hotel is 46s feet long and $50 feet
wide, and is estimated to weigh s,OOo,0OO
pounds A half mile of manila rope, weigh
ing ?n00 pounds was used in the work OF re-
moval.
The hotel cost $500, 900 and was furnished
at an expense Of 100000, but if permitted to
remain where it was it would have been un.
dermined and engulfed by the encroacnlng
sea probably within the year. :,
A large number of flat cars-l2O in all
were built specially for the work, and the
hotel was raised from is foundations ana
placed on the cars, the wheels OF which rested
on twenty -four tracks. Eight powerful TO-
comotives were attached by strong caoles
to the twenty-four trains of fat cars on wnlch
the structure rested.
The twenty-four tracks were very short
ones, and as the cars passed along the rear
rails were taken up and relaid ahead. Ihls
process was continued till the $50 feet were
covered. If the total length Of the twenty
four tracks were stretched out end to end IL
would form three and half miles Of single
track. 1t was estimated that it would take
ten days to finish the journey of o5O
feet, and that the expense would Do
100000. The New York Post gives
the following account of the way IN winch
the removal was begun: :.
At 9oclock A. N. everything was in readi-
ness to move the big hotel back out OF the
clutches of the sea. The pul!eys were all IN
place and the ropes were all taut. Everybody
had been driven away from the neighbor-
hood Of the hotel, and at quarter past nine
o'clock the order to start was given. SIX
engines were on the two inside tracks, and
they started well together. They moved
along over the tracks slowly, and the n, o0S o1S
hotel, which has superficial area OF 92,OOO
square feet, being 4C0 feet long and 200 feet
wide, with calculated weight of 5000 tons,
followed slowly. After six feet of progress
had been made, in about two minutes, the
order to stop was given. An inspection was
then made by Mr.. Miller, who, with Superin-
tendent Morrow of the railroad company, has
the work in charge. The ropes were found
tn be all right the cars were moving
which supported the hotel on the 120 flat cars
had not shifted from their positions, and
there seemed to be no question of the success
of the plan. The order to start was again given,
and after the next move, twenty -four teet
further inland, halt was again called.
During this move there were numDer Oh
people around the hotel, who had been en-
boldened by the success of the first expert
ment A short time for examination OF the
running gear and all was in readiness for the
next effort. This time many wanted to ride.
All danger was over, and the novelty OF
ride Of that sort was great attraction, for
the ladies especially In the car in front OF
the main entrance Of the house some chairs
were placed, and few ladies, relatives OF
Mr.. Miller, were given seats. Several people
were in some of the other cars, and others
were on the sand under the hotel. Another
start was then made, and twenty live feet
brought the blocks together, and halt was
called, with the hotel fifty-five feet further
inland than it was yesterday.
The moving was a complete success There
was no vibration in the house. and the cars
moved as easily over the rails as though they
were empty. Standing under the hotel and
resting ones hand upon the joists which sup
ported it, no jar could be felt. Everything
seemed to 20 along together as easily as if it
was common thing to drag hotels around
the country on cars The riggers were soon
at work again, and the big blocks were
moved 100 feet further ahead, preparatory to
q longer mill