The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-06-13

OF moving required month
HOW A HOUSE IS RAISED.
The process of raising house is inter-
esting- II Il is a frame house the CHM
neys are given special attention. Two
holes are cut through the base of each
chimney, and beams are pushed through
anc allowed TO extend ali the way across
the house and in such position that the
cellar ceiling joists will cross them.
Enough beams are Dut through in this
manner to thoroughly support the joists.
Then two heavy tiInbers are crossed I'M
der the beams so as TO catch up the ends.
/ Under these again more tfmbe-s are
crossed. and the latter again are made to
rest on long. straight timbers. which are
to be used for tracks all this if the
house is at the proper level If not
1ackscrewS must be employed to raise or
platforms. which are made by taking
short lengths of timbers and piling them
in pairs croSswiSe on one another until
the desired height is reached. Two tim
bers are then set close together and a
hole in them is fitted to the end of the
screw. The other end of the screw bears
up against the joists Of the building
Thus. II the bearing of the screw is not
great enough. ii is only necessary to add
more cross timbers underneath. Now, TO
raise the building. Screws will lift. say
10 tons each, and will be placed at dis
tances of five feet apart all around the
building Each screw carries q slow
thread and has two holes in it near
the top crossing each other. Into these
are to be inserted the crowba-s which
turn the screws. When all is ready men
starlon themselves at every other screw
and, inserting their crOWbars. give the
screw = quarter turn Each man then
passes on TO the screw next ahead of him
and gives that quarter turn. They
keep on doin~ this. working around and
around the building and raising or lower
ing II gradually until it is on the required
level. The timbers are then inserted as
explained above and the house made
ready to move forward.
COMMON Cn<D nn-c
The lubricant generally used by house
movers is common soap. II contains the
best kind of grease for the purpose. The
wooden tracks are thoroughly rubbed
with II, and, as il squeeZes its way into
the Orders, resting on the tracks and
does not easily evaporate. ii makes a
very slippery path. In moving frame
houses, a single horse is used to pull ii
along. not as he would pull wagon ex-
actly, but by means of a windlass. AS
hGs been pointed out. the girders which
support the house are not even chained
together; the weight of the building holds
them sufficiently rigid. To one of them
pulley with several sheaves is attached.
Another pulley is attached to the track
% eeet or more ahead of the house. and
through these ro0e extends to wind
lass The horse simply winds up the rope,
and the house being on runners. becomes
for time floating or wandering palace
One house was actually hoated 20 new
destina ton 1t originally rested opposite
Hollands station. Jamaica bay. L. !. 1t
was raised from its foundation and float
ed a mile down the shore. and now rests
on Diling in front of Hammell's station.
One house mover in upper New York
state attempted to move a house across
a LAKE. but with disastrous results. The
lake was frozen over. and the design was
To take advantage of the ice. which was
thought to be sufficiently strong TO bear
the structure In course of transit All
went well until the middle of the lake
was reached. Then night came on and a
es-f r.2l<S Z
light. however. the house was found to be
resting on the bottom of the lake. The
lake was not very deep. so that the great
e. part of the house was St.I above the
surface. But a thaw took place during
the day. and the house. careening 20 one
side BEGAN TO float in earnest. 1t was
afterward ffoated to the destination at
first designed for il. but a new house
might have been built at less expense.
MOVING PYRAMIDS AND OBEL1SKS.
The house mover who declares he could
move skyscraDer provided he could
keep it level. says there is nothing very
extraordinary in the building of the pyra-
midS. The stones of the great piles could
easily be- and probably were. conveyed
along in the very manner in which houses
are now moved. If the anc!ents had no
jack screws to lift up the great weights,
they could have accomplished their pur-
pose by means of the simplest kind OF in
clined planes composed of Orders. The
rolling tree trunk proposition was also
advanced as plausible Following the line
of balance. the obelisks could have been
set in position from huge truss ways.
composed of girders. The ancients may
have understood the use of cantiievers.
The stack recently moved at Manhanset
weighed 100 tons. Ii was 50 feet high: and
it was conveyed distance of $50 feet
quite a feat compared with obelisk NOV
ing. This is the opinion of house mover
who has achieved a wonderful contempt
for great weights. But. as no skyscraper
has ever been moved. and as he probably
never will be invited TO move one. his
opinion will have to be accepted for what
it is worth .,