Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-08-06

g OF ONE READY TO BE HO1STED
osITIoN.
winch. holes being drilled into the but
for the insertion of hooks on which to
fasten cables. Then as the stone swinga
upward the winch gives and takes. ~ ne
cessity requires, until the stone Is pcised
about two feet directly above the foundh-
ton. 1t took just ten minutes TO get the
first monolith into this position.
While the stone is thus poised in md air
the base is given thick coat Of cement and
sheet lead. about twenty-five pounds of the
latter being used to even the joint. Last
thing of all it is eased into position by low
erfng off on the winch, matter Of Il few
minutes work
The small stones set in practically tho
same method, except that they have no
projection at the end. and what are
known as Lewis irons. instead of tho
wooden clamp, are used in lifting them.
These irons fit into a hole that is larger
at the bottom than at the opening They
consist of three pieces of the width of the
holes bottom. The outside pieces put
into the hole first, then the middle one and
the greater the pull the more secure the
irons in the hole.
Many Preliminaries.
But while very little time Is consumed In
the actual work of setting a column. the
preparatory work seemingly stretches out
Unfortunately. Six weeks were spent in
preparation lot nOlStlng the llrSt column TO
be set, and the men worked steadily every
work day. In view of this circumstance
Mr.. Rowland thinks he will be lucky If he
finishes the job before cold weather sets in,
so far no untoward event has interfered
with the setting but when Mr. Rowland
hauled the columns to the cathedral
grounds he had trouble enough.
They were brought from the uuarries to
within two miles of their destination By
water; no railroad could have carried them.
AS Mr.. Rowland naively puts 1t, they'd
have demoraliZed the roadbed." The ma.
chinery was ripped out of a ferrybost two
OF the small stones were placed in the hold
for ballast, two large ones were rolled from
the water front on to the deck and shored
up, and so they were towed to New York
Here they were rolled out upon the pier.
which had been strengthened and then Mr..
Rowland undertook to transport them to
their destination upon wagon specially
built for the purpose. 1t weighs 125 tons,
Its hind and front axes are S and u inches
In diameter. respectively. The steel tires
are % inches wide and are of two thick>
nesses. The wheels are of blocks of wood
with the end grain on the axle. TO get the
greatest strength The length is 40 feet
and four months and about 5000 We're re-
CURED to build it.
But while the wagon eventually got the
stones to the cathedral grounds, 1SQ
horse power engine hauling it by means 81
purchase blocks there were times when u
for their conveyance.
When a Wheel Sank.
Once one wheel was sunk by the great
weight two feet below the street levsl
and half day was spent in lacking Il
up. The steel tires were frayed and torn
as II they had been pieces of Cardboard
and several thousand feet Of three-ino4
planking, laid in the cathedral grounds foS
a roadway, were reduced to kndling WOOD
by one stone passing over 1t, new road
way being necessary for each block
AS for the two miles of street over whicA
the stones were hauled. they were pup
in highly disreputable condition stone
crossings were ground to powder. Belgian
blocks suffered the same experience, ana
smooth asphalt streets were made to loo4
like a strip Of relief map OF some hghAI
country.
The city of New York has been SO UNI
fortunate as to have to pay the cost Of
repairing. When permission for hauling
the columns through the thoroughfaryS
was asked of the authorities, they readily
granted 1t. confidently adding that the4
streets could sustain any weight, no mat
ter how great. put upon them: They know
should also be grateful to him for his at>
tempts to crease out the ridges made ~
the asphalt and asphalt blocks plugging Up
on either side OF the wheels. whenever \
ridge made by previous passage was
reached Mr. Rowland would run the wagon
over 1t and thus materially lessen Its height
These ridges were often and 10 inches 10
height.
Five DAYS were spent on an average d
moving each stone. The task, however
stretched out over six months, owing 70
the fact that IT was begun in the fall
and could not be pursued in winter. whom
the streets were in bad shape on account
Of snow and ice.
Represented Big Outlay.
When the columns are finally erected
they will represent an expenditure Of
$500, 900, or $4,000 for each column. A
they lay on the ground awaiting setting
they look as II they cost at least that
much: but those already set are ed
dwarfed by the great arch and its flying
buttresses now erected which Will ult1s
mately help support the immense domA
that there seems to be nothing remarks
able about them as to cost or size. The
keystone of the arch stands 10S feet
above ground. and the pillars supporting
the arch are fifty-four feet apart, which
est end, which Is six feet across is not
60 large by several feet as the breadth Of
a side of one of these gigantic pillarA
each destined to bear weight of 37.%
900 900 pounds or one-fourth the weight
of the tower. which will rise to height
Of 425 feet.
The columns are being set in q semi,
circle and the distance between the end
columns will be just the length of one OF
them Even in mass they will still look
dwarfed into the commonplace by the mas.
sjye piles of rough work surrounding them.
They will undoubtedly not look their sis4
in the finished choir, which is to be 10
feet long have an area of 64S0 square
feet and a dome with 96-foot span 1O6
feet above ground. Yet it's columns will b
Of St John the Divine will be famous fo{
many a generation. for none larger are
likely to be auarried for an unconscious
IDLY long time