The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1897-09-06

Carriages already in Piace-The Big
Gun VIII Reach Its Destination We'd
nesday.
The work of moving the big gun
from Fort Preble to Portland head is
going on quite rapidly, the gun being
now at the foot of the hill near Cliff
Cottage on the Shore road. If the men
employed in the operation have-as good
luck as they have had in the past two
days, the gun will probably be landed on
the ground at the head by Wednesday
night.
Few people realize the enormous weight
of these guns which are being moved,
nor the amount of labor required in the
transportation. This gun is the first of
four that is to be moved to Portland
head by the Portland Sanitary compa-
ny, who received the contract for the
same. The gun is about 80 feet long and
weighs IS tons which, including the skids
on which it rests and the rest of the
rigging, makes total of over Sc tons dead
weight.
The gun started on it's journey about
two weeks ago and it has been hard
pull nearly all of the way, some days
only gain of few feet being made
1t was thought by many people that the
gun could be placed on heavy cart, built
for holding great weights, and in this
way hauled to its destination in very
short time. The men who had charge of
the work did not think the idea, practi-
cable, but finally decided to give it a
trial and procured heavy cart from
Cumberland Mills. 1t took six horses to
move it alone, without any load The
men worked all night last Tuesday with
two yoke of oxen, several horses, tackle
and large anchors, and finally got the gun
onto the cart. A start was then made,
but the cart had not advanced many feet
before the wheels on one side began to
sink into the soft road and halt had to
be made and the cart propped up with
hydraulic jacks. Large planks were then
put under the wheels and all was ready
for another start. The team had hardly
got out of the rut and started again when
it went into another hole.
This is about the way it worked while
the cart was in use, the road not being
solid enough to bear up che wheels. The
cart had to be abandoned and then the
work of getting the gun and skids onto
the ground again began. the job being
completed after a hard nights work
The men are now using the same
method as when they first started on the
work, hauling the gun on large skids and
well creased planks. Large anchors,
weighing $50 pounds each, and driven
into the ground some distance ahead of
the gun, to which are attached large
chains with steel pins four feet long
driven in as intervals to relieve the strain
and help hold the anchors in place. To
these anchors are attached large three
fold blocks with 4 3-4 inch ropes. Two
yokes of oxen and from four to eight
pairs of horses are attached to the tackle,
and by this method the gun Is moved
slowly along. 1t is an interesting sight
to see the work and hundreds of people
are gathered about daily watching opera
tions, while the sidewalk delegation is
in full force with all kinds of suggestions.
Two more gun carriages arrived at the
government wharf at Fort Preble Satur-
day afternoon and these, too, are to be
hauled to Portland head. These carriages
weigh about 81 tons each
The work of removing the guns and
carriages in under the charge of Super
intendent Frank Sargent of the Portland
Sanitary Company.