Evening star., 1897-06-12

derOus objects exist in the world which
they will not attempt to move intact for a
consideration. In the directory these men
are called house movers but they are en-
titled to designation Of far greater dig
nifty, for some Of their achievements are
numbered among the great engineering
feats of the world. Within the past few
months the house movers have experienced
an unwonted activity. Some really credit
able and in some cases stupendous feats
have been performed. The moving Of Low
ering Hall at Johns Hopkins University
was one of these feats. the moving OF an
upper New York house 18 blocks along the
public highway was another, and the very
recent moving and resetting Of a tall smoke
stack at Manhanset was q third.
One Of these house movers declares that
there is no building, however heavy. how
ever bulky, which cannot be lifted from its
foundations and conveyed any distance
This means, OF course, without any damage
to the building itself: that the very orna-
ments on the mantelpieces, the bric-a-brac
In the cabinets. will in no way be disturbed,
that the window glass will not be even
cracked, that the home life of a family oc-
cupying the moving house will be undis-
turbed. Such is absolutely the fact It Is
not necessary for the occupants Of the
building to temporarily change their quar-
tiers; to take the castors OFF the bedsteads,
the house. 1t is on record that an old tall
clock which was in house that was moved
In Westchester county, N. Y. never stop
ped running all during the progress of re-
moVal. On the other hand, there seems to
be no limit to the movers capabilities as
far as weight is concerned. The Brighton
Beach Hotel. which was placed on $50 fiat
cars and moved 600 feet, weighed 5000
tons. The weight of the recently moved
railroad station at Mott Haven. N. Y, Is
/, 700 tons. This building was composed en-
tireiy of brick and stone and the weight is
very unequally distributed, central tower
alone weighing 500 tons. 10 be frank these
feats take all the wonderment out of the
raising OF the pyramids and obelisks mas
much as the most primitive tools are used
by the engineers, One house mover put the
case very graphically when he said, II
think the recent moving Of that smoke
stack at Manhanset was far more Won
derful feat than the raising or moving of
an obelisk. The obelisk. you know, is in
one solid piece, and all you have to do is to
keep 1t balanced. but the smoke stack Is
built OF thousands Of bricks held together
by cement which might break apart under
the least strain. The difference should be
apparent to everybody"
Greatest Feat ON Record.
moving ever performed was the moving
Of Brighton Beach Hotel. Hhis huge car
avansary. opened at censy Island in 1873.
originally stood 600 feet Hack from the
water 1t cost in the aggregate $2OO.OOO
and weighed nearly 5000 tons. But while
it seemed to be well out of the oceans
grasp. 1t was not long Yefore-the encroach-
ing action Of the wav. brought it to the
waters edge. The band stand which origi-
nally occupied a position on dry land In
front of the hotel, had tp be removed. Fin
ally the hotel itself wits PLACED on spiles,
but this was only temporary precaution,
and the water ate its way far up under the
hotel Then it became apparent that the
hotel must be moved back Or 1t would be
washed away. 1t was something of task
to lind practical man who would even
agree to the fact that 1t could be moved.
b. G. Miller, who performed the feat, was
an engineer with plans Of his own. He
owned the hotel, to raise It up from its
spiies, run nat cars beneath it, and draw
1t 600 feet UP the beach. Every person
except the engineer was skepttcal, but he
was told to &C ahead AZ 1t must amount
TO that, or the loss Of the hotel During
the winter OF 1888 he worked, and though
MS enorts were somewhat retarded by the
memorable blizzard Of that year, he was
ready for the crucial test by May 1. Twen-
ty-tour tracks had been laid under the
bullGng, and 112 fat cars stood waiting to
receive their load Of hotel. The cars were
lacked apart as far as their couplings would
allow Then came the work Of shifting
from the spflea to the cars. It was accom-
plished BY means Of hydraulic jacks each
capable iof lifting from 90 to 90 tons. With
tneae the hotel was lacked up and held
while cross timbers were placed under It.
Wnen the weight Of the hotel finally rested
on t1e fmbers the latter formed . c0ntinus
Gus 1famswork, 20 constructed that no part