Evening star., 1902-08-20
WORK OF DEMOLITION
REMOVAL OF BRICK STACK FROM
MUNICIPAL BUILDING SITE.
Terra Gotta Top Taken Down-Various
Methods Employed in SINH
lar Work


on the site of the new municipal building at
1872 and streets, is now being torn down
by force of laborers, who began the work
yesterday. The terra Gotta top of the CHM
ney has been thrown down and the work.
men have begun removing the bricks. The
bricks are loosened by hand and lowered
to the ground in large buckets. This plan
of operation will be continued until sixty
feet of the structure have been removed
and the remaining eighty feet will then be
thrown to the ground with the use of dyna-
mite placed In holes drilled near the base
of the chimney.
The Commissioners were inclined to think
that the removal of the entire structure Of
i4o feet by dynamite charges would have
resulted in no damage to adjacent property
but in view of the fact that the bricks of
the chimney laid in cement whereas
most of the old-time chimneys and most
of those recorded thrown down by dyna-
mite. were held together by mortar, it was
thought best to take the extra precaution
Contractor James l.. McCarrick, under
whose supervision the work is being done,
promises 10 have the chimney down and the
entire site cleaned of brick, stone and all
other material within thirty days
The men who are doing the work made
Ihe ascent to the top by means of a scaf-
folding within the chimney. The scaffold-
ing was put up four years ago to enable a
bicyclist who was giving daily exhibitions
on stationary wheel to reach the top. 1t
took the wOrkmen six minutes to make the
ascent yesterday
Interesting Piece of Work
The telling of tall stack is an interesting
piece of work to say nothing of the hazard
Gus chances connected with the work In
late years 1t has become an art with some
steeplejacks, who devote their time to
this particular branch of work and the
telling of an immense chimney always be-
comes a source of attraction for great
number of curious spectators.
method used many years ago when the
stack was to be brought down promiscu-
ouSly and without rN,ard to any definite
space which the debris should cover was
TO fasten long hawser about midway up
the chimney. The bricks from the base of
the chimney on the side facing the space
INTO which it to fall were then cut
away, and an engine was brought uDon
the scene. The other end of the haWser
was then fastened securely to the locomo-
tive and the engine set in motion nuIIfne
the rope taut The severe strain on the
rope soon had the desired effect on rhe
structure and presently the chimney top
pied over with loud crash and Law y
broken mass of bricks upon the ground
The bricks, however. fell in no certain place
ana that method was regarded as a crude
A Successful Method.
One of the most successful methods Of
razing tall chimneys in this day is to cut
away nearly two-thirds of the base and
substitute thick wooden props These are
afterward set on fire, and directly they are
consumed the chimney, deprived of its
foundations, comes down with a run The
space IN which the chimney is to fall is
calculated, and the steeple teller begins
ms ms WORK The props are placed under the
IN, yx-t,,
Is desired to fall. The workmen then re-
move a wide portion of the masonry in the
center OF the section facing the direction
OF descent into this space a long thick
IimDer beam is placed to support the side
The reason for making this enlarged gar,
IN the base of the chimney is to insure it's
telescoping-tha is. breaking into two or
three pieces as it falls over. If only a
narrow cut were made the chimney would
topple over In one huge mass measuring tho
same length on the ground as it lowered
into the air. The work is by no means
iacking IN the element of danger. as in the
great care must be used to
prevent the mass of brick and mortar from
tumbling about the heads of the workmen,
in the case of old and decrepit
stacks.
Reduced by Fire.
After the underpinning has been success
lully accomplished great fire is built
under the chimney and around the props.
: ' ia < iiiust oe cdreIully watched in order
that the wood may burn evenly and the
props may collapse at the same time. and
t is necessary that the person in charge of
the work shall stand near the fire with
water so as to keep an even blaze When
the chimney begins to settle and groan. as
1t Is called, the person experimenting the
razlng seeks a spot out of danger and .ne
great mass of masonry falls to the ground.
ouckling up into several pieces like card
board.
The fire started at the bottom of the
STACK, OF course. causes a great volume of
smoke to pour from the top of the chimney,
and 1t is an impressive sight to see the
hnal destruction of the tall shaft A case
is known where a chimney 27O feet high
ana w feet In circumference at the base
mas been brought to the ground within an
area OF 20 feet long by 40 feet wide.