The morning times., 1896-06-05
WHAT MOVED THESE STONES
Masonry Work Out of Plumb on
the City Pcs;oflcs.
superintendent Kinsey Explains 1t
Scientifically, but Many People
Credit It to the Storm.

To all appearance to the eye of a layman
severa! OF the handsome finals on the
eastern side OF the new postofflce building
are very much out OF joint. II was learned
yesterday that this was noticed after the
storm by people who were curious enough
10 take look at the massive pile to see
how, III its unfinished, condition, it had
stood the gale OF seventy miles an hour.
They believed they had noted some dam
aging effects and they reported IL to the
superinte ndent.' Vest erday the atten-
ton OF a TimessTeporter was called to the
condition OF two OF these finals. These
little structures are opposite the dOrmer
windows and are intended largely as ornd-
meats. They hook quite small from the
ground hut they5 are made OF great stones,
big enough TO be OF their own weight proof
against any ordinary storm.
In the two cases pointed out the stones
appear to have been forced out toward the
east aud give the impression OF oyerla piping
the under stones with which they should
be in the same perpendicular plane. IT. is
this curious effect that attracted the
attention OF the visitors and which is
very apparent when pointed out.
superintendent Kinsey was called on
Yesterday afternoon to explain this. He
said that last week persons had come TO
the office and told him that the stones
were ont of plumb and credited 1t to the
recent storm. He does not believe that
this was the cause. The stones he said
which are Thought to be out OF place, and
which look So are fastened to the stones
below and above by iron rods imbedded
above and below.
For the stones to have been moved by
any cause it would have been necessary
not only for the whole weight to have been
overcome, but for the strong iron rods TO
have been bent. Superintendent Kinsey
IN fhn effect IL
| posed the whole building would have to
| lie moved and that the stones could not he
| C:islocated by team OF horses. His eX-
PLANTATION is that the stones which look
| out OF place have not been fitted to their
proper place yet: and this will explain it
| because in those finals which have been
| completed by this fitting, there is no ap-
| pearance Of derangement by the storm or
| any other cause
| II does look, however Il little curious
that some of the finals sEolId have been
| completed and Others left in such shape
| a s to produce this curious effect. In cue
| case the structures on either side of one
| which looks outof plumb have been finished
| and the stones fit into each other like
| pieces of mosaic. Mr.. klnsey. however, says
| that the same thing could have been ohsarv-
ed before the storm as after it. Mr.. KinSey
said that there is also a curious effect
| to be observed when one looks at these
| functions in a line nearly perpendicular with
| the thing observed. The effect is produced
| OF a projection of the upper stone which
! is, OF course an optical deusion, if the
| junction is approximately we'll made.
| One OF the discoverers of the misfit stones
| is not at all satisfied by the explanation.
| He still sticks to the storm theory of dis
| placement The opinion of Superintendent
| Kinsey is, however, that of an expert, and
| is in al probability the correct one.