New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-04-04
A BIG HOTEL ON WHEELS.
THE BRIGHTON BEACH PLAN A SUCCESS.


AK LOCOMOTIVES PULL THE ENORMOUS HOUSE
OVER A HUNDRED FEET
Yesterday morning the surf was b.ating loud
tstto0 beneath the Brighton Beach Hotel Last
night the big hotel rested over 100 feet distant
frsm the highest point reached by its insidlous
Zoe Once more science had conquered, and the
Brighton Beach Hotel for some time to come at
least is likely escape the fate which, according
to the Scriptures usually ovcrtakes houses built
ON the sand. There is every probability that
the hotel win accomplish the remainder of It's
novel journey safely. Then it will be sos feet
further inland than it was yesterday morning
but the completion of the work is nkely 10 oc-
cupy ten days or more.
When built the hotel was 700 feet back from
high water mark and fer few years thereafter
the sand gained the sea. But the sea IL
Hckle as well as treacherous 1t took to COB
bling up big mouthfuls Of Coney Island Oppo-
site the hotel the encroachments amounted to
something like 100 feet year. The progress OF
last season the proprietors OF the hotel found 60
their dismay that at high water the surf was
that if the hotel were not to be abandoned it
would have to be moved It, was DECIDED 10
move il, not piecemeal, but wholesale Houses
have been frequently moved this way success
fully as everybody knows, but never pelOre
anything approaching In size the Brighton be5cn
Hotel The experiment Therefore, was rega ,rae
tors n q Miller & Sons regarded it only as
question Of adjusting means to ends and expressed
entire confidence that it could be successfully
accomplished. The work was begun about the
end OF last October, and pcrsevered with Us
weather permitted
The big structure, weighing over 1000 tons.
WINS raised by Jacks 1wenty-four parallel tracks
of rails twenty feet apart, were built under the
hotel and extended few hundred feet Inland
On these rails beneath the hotel were placed llS
flst-cars of the strongest character. On the"
were placed heavy wooden beams, and on these
the hotel rested. This was the situation yester
day morning The hotel, AGO feet long and 100
feet wide with four extensions, four stories high
with five towers added, resting apparently as
firmly as though Embedded In brick and mortar
On the big josts that laid over the cars
Never before have cars been so slngularly frelgh<
ed The six engines that were pulling some as
snce from the Sqdns of OSg
such a mass But as with lever, SO WIN 4loc ~
and pulleys, the engineer can multiply ms ei-
zines with the ears so as to increase the pulling
power and at the same time equahze the strain
Mt all points, two miles OF S1nch tb hi hlocs
of prodig ious size -.
An experimental haul was made at few min m
utes before o'clock. AT given signal the SIN
engines started simultaneously. There was q
breaking and straining of ropes and then slowly
and without q tremor the building moved forward
seven feet. Then a brief halt was called An;
other pull carried IL shoreward an adoluonai
eighteen and ono-half feet and third, twenty
fonr feet. Then the engines moved OH ana prep-
arations were made for longer maui I'D tne siitcr
noon for all this was before the crowd had COZ
down Many people experienced the delights ana
inconvenience of moving in and out OF hotel
but few people can boast Of having seen ho!ei
big hotel move with the assistance OF speclSa a
trains Nearly 1900 people were brought 20 the
grounds before 3 o'clock and with them cam
swarm of photographers, amateur and proIesslona.L
who proceeded forthwith to ssze er upon n SUBJ
Hme disregard for their own personal saleSS; III, Inc
weather was perfection the air genial ana Daimiy
che sky clear and the wafer sparkling IKE
dewdrops in the sunlight 1t was day on
which Coney Island was worth yislting 59f us
own sake But the prospect Of seeing in addition
TO ali this. something that had never been seen
before and which would serve TO talk ABOUT loii9
efterward made the crowd enthusiastic anu rco>-
less The peanut man, the banana and hot Sau,
sac man did a thriving business while the erowa
was waiting. In the meantime the rlsgeis anu
Others were so Dusy he hotel and the lOso
motives like network, the blacks blocks looFIhe
like huge spiders " ,S iP Som nee peop friends
~ Mr. Miller obtained seats on one vi the cars
that projected in front of the hotel
GIVING THE SIGNAL TO START
Tho locomotives novel into line little after
q o'clock. A man waved his arms like
windmill II was the signal to start The loco5
motives moved slowly forward. The ropes creaked
and strained and then stretched taut Inc "Ilees "a
the cars under the hotel began to revolve. The
big building was moving. Then came report
Ike n mufed pistol shot. Something had snapped
IL was chain. The engines stopped Dut lhe
damage was soon made good In ten minutes
two arms were again seen waving like wind
mill simultaneously the six engines began 70
move Again the ropes crcaked and stretched
until they were rigid as bars of iron. The car,
wheels turned slowly. The building moved
forward without u perceptible shake or tremor'
AS steadily as though the whole solid earth be-
meath il were carrying it forward The move
ment continued Enthusiasts placed pennies
and coins under the car wheels and picked Them
up when fattened out to serve AS souvenirs Some,
more meroenary than enthusiastic subsequently
sold their fiattened coins at double ana ifeole
their face value The movement OF the buhdmY
was exceedingly slow, and after the hfSt staIt
there was nothing exciting about IL. IL TOOK
about five minutes to move slXty-seVen ana hall
feet Then the locomotives, having reached u1e
end OF their tethers. let loose combined shrlek
OF triumph and when the crowd RESPONDED Win
applause turned more steam into their whlsues
and shrieked diabolicaly
But they had done well: everybody connected
with the work had done well The great build
ing was beyond the grasp of the sea, ii iee1
inside of the hgh-water mark The work VIII
90 ON until the distance is sos feet. The pro-
0rietors promise that the hotel will open on the
Both of June and with the hotel far out OF the
reach of the hungry sea expect 10 do rushing
business.
Az EAPTHQUAKE SHoO AT SEA.
Can ain Crassc Of the British brig Dladem, reports
having experienced an earthquake shock on the night
OGC