The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-07-06
BIG ARCH'S JOURNEY OVER.
END OF Az INTERESTING ENGINEER-
ING WORK IN JERSEY CITY.
A Wind Truss sS Feet High and Having n
Spnn of $50 Feet Showed and Pulled
Eastward 1875 Feet SO as to LenEthen
tho Transatlantic Rnilrond's TrRinshed.

A Wind Truss sS Feet High and Having n
Span of $50 Feet Showed and Pulled
Eastward 1875 Feet So as to LenEthen
tho Pennsylvania Railroads TrRinshed.
The work OF pushing the eastern arch Of the
hg Pennsylvania Railroad trainshcd in Jersey
City toward the river distance OF 100 feet was
completed Yesterday afternoon Tho massive
steel structure was moved forty-Seven feet
yesterday aud at 4 y. NJ. was resting on the
broad stone and brick foundations prepared for
It. 1t was remarkable engineering feat and
Assistant Chief Engineer Lewis H. Barker.
who prepared the plans; Assistant Suuerin-
tendent Martin l. Gardner who personally
supcrintended tho work, and Andrew Brann.
the contractor. were warmly congratulated.
A crowd of interested persons watched the
slow progress OF the arch yesterday The men
perchcd on and near the crown were objects OF
great curiosity. looking like dwaris and occu-
pying position that seemed to the spectators
to be perilous. The ioremen on the platform
below shouted orders to them which thoy
seemed to understand. although nobody else
could comprehend what was said. When tho
engines were put in motion the arch
moved along at slower pace than the
record time for a snail. stopping at intervals
while the supervising engineer and the con-
tractor made observations. In about six hours
its journey was over. and in another hour it
was resting on the foundations ready to be
anchored with big iron bolts. The entire work.
which has occupied about four weeks. has
been accomplished without any mishap or de-
lay. except the interruption OF three days
caused by a strike OF the workmen for higher
wages and shorter hours
When the officers OF the railroad com any.
after tho ferryhouse and large part OF the
waiting room had been destroyed by fire. de-
cided to erect new PENTHOUSE OF steel and ex-
tend the trainshed. the most dificult problem
that confronted the engineering department
was the moving OF the eastern arch. or wind
truss. as it is technically termed. The arch is
~ feet high at the crown. IA feet 6inches thick
feet In U order at" to move NOV it it Il was neces
ssary to cut it loose from the main build
in s Of movne 70 Sad
against this danger, a strong wooden tower
wns constructed under 1t with base sixty feet
wide. The tower was suspended from the arch
80 that its base could not touch the ground un-
less the arch topped over in which case it
Fortunately, there was no occasion to test its
GG i as during TIE entire tourney the arch
After the arch had been separated from the
main building steel rails were placed under
SasH 111 IL m span S hydagr sESf
ata given signal the Jacks began to push. The
arGh glided slowly and safely along the creased
were substituted for the creased rails. the
Jacks were discarded as motive power. and
two stationary engines. one on either side OF
the arch. took their place. A system Of uulleys
was arranged so that when the arch was start
I'D on the second stage of its Journey 1t was
pulled instead of being pushed. On the sec
mnd attempt it was moved II feet inches.
Then It was utilized as centre for putting in
place the new trusses required for the extern
sion of the shed and was 80 used mt subsequent
stages Of itS progress. The third move was
40 feet After the strikers had resumed work
the arch trayersed u distance of Il feet q
inches, Another halt vas taken for the pur-
pose OF putting up the intervening trusses.
The fin al stage otthe journey was accom- plishcd
yesterday
II will take about three days to do the rest Of
the iron work, such as putting the remaining
trusses in place and boiling and bracing the
structure. After that the sheathing and root
ing will occupy about two weeks. and Con
tractor Brann will have completed his work
There are only two similar structures In this
part Of he country. the Reading terminal sta
ton and the Pennsylvania station at Broad
street Philadelphia.