The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1904-05-19
NEW CITY HALL
HAS BEEN BEGUN
FIRST OF THE FOUNDATION
BEING LAID on NORTHERN AND
EASTERN SIDES OF SITE.

All the Work Heretofore Has Been
in Getting RID of the Old EN-
change and in Making ExcaNa-
tions. hut the New Building Is
Now BEING Worked Upon-ShiftinS
Of sand Makes The Work Rather
nifHcuIt.
Work on the City Hall began yes
terday immediately after the MONDAY
rest hour for the wurkmen.
The work was commenced on the
north side of the building and some
eight or ten feet of the foundation on
that side, and six or eight, on the east
was laid.
No trace Of the corner stone has been
found and all hope of locating it has
now practically been abandoned.
The work on the foundation is to be
pushed as rapidly as possible now. I'm
Ill the one wall is level with the eXca-
walton the work viii necessarily be
slow, as the sand shifts rapidly. The
great trouble in getting the founda-
lions started has been in keeping the
sand out of the way.
AS fast as one portion of it is moved
another shifts in its place. Even where
the trenches for the foundation have
been planked in on either side, the
sand slips in and they have to be lev
eled just before the cement is dumped
in.
Architect Was on Hand.
Architect II. w. Witcover was on
hand to see the work started. The
foundation is first laid in concrete
mixed with small stones The stones
from the old building are being used
in the foundation, a crusher having
been erected.
Sand, cement and the crushed stones
are mixed together to form the fOun-
dalton. This within a week or ten
days will become as hard as adamant.
The very best cement chat can be OBJ
tanned is being used and great care
is being exercised in the mixing.
The poorest material well mixed is
superior to the very best improperly
mixed, says Mr.. WitcOver. The mix
ing is being carefully watched not
only by Contractor Stewart, who has
the contract for the foundations, but
by Architect Witcover and his repre-
sentatives, one of whom is on the
grounds during every minute of the
working day.
The Work of ExcnVatiUg.
Though a large force has been at
work on the old Exchange site for
about six weeks now, all the work
heretofore has been in removing the
old structure and in excavating.
There is still a great deal of work to
be done in excavating and moving the
old material. After one wall Is built as
high as the surface Of the excavation,
the work will be comparatively easy,
as there will be something that the
sand can be thrown against and
stopped.
Heretofore in making the excava-
lions, temporary barriers of planks
have had to be erected to keep the
sand from shifting. Much of the debris
that is now seen on the site of the
building will be used TO fill in on the
outside of the walls on the eastern,
southern and western sides.
shifting of the sand.
The entire site for the new building
has been excavated to a level with
the floor of the basement of the new
building. The foundations are, of
course, being laid lower than this,
trenches being dug for the founda-
tons.
1t was found impossible, though, to
dig trenches for any very great length
at one time, as the sand shifts rapidly.
A short trench on a part of the north
ern side of the building, and a trench
for almost the entire length of the
eastern side, has been dug, and the
foundations are being laid in these
now.
After a first few layers of the con-
crete, iron is also to be used in the
foundation This iron, and some of
the steel work for the new building,
has already arrived. Several carloads
of brick are also on hand. From now
on work on the new structure will be
advanced as fast as possible.
Architect Witcover is very much
gratlfied that the new building has at
last been started. Heretofore we have
just been preparing to get TO work. .
he said. but from now on the work
will be on the City Hall"