Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1905-09-23
FAMINE OF SPUDSI GIGANTIC TASK

ONE OF BIGGEST ENGINEERING
FEATs EVER PERFORMED IN
IOWA NEARLY COMPLETED.
Science Hall OF State University Of
Iowa on New Foundation-Studen
| at Iowa City College Do Most Of the
Work-How 1t Was Accomplished.
Iowa City, Sept. 81 = One Of the
biggest engineering feats ever per-
formed in Iowa and what is said to be
the largest job of moving ever carried
out west of Chicago, has nearly been
/ finished in this city. The opening OF
the state university will see the hall
OF natural science of Iowa university
on its new foundations, 200 feet north
west of its old location on the front
campus, where it has stood since 1882.
| The science hall is three stories
high. Stored in these three stories is
the almost priceless museum of nat
ural science, geological specimens
which could not be replaced for any
amount of money if once destroyed.
Besides these there are the labora-
tories of geology and botany, with ex-
tensive collections in these branches
of science.
The building has been lowered to
the level at which it will remain per-
manently. Workmen are now engag-
ed in building up the new foundations.
None of the collections have been
moved. The tiers of birds are still in
their glass covered cases, and the
mounted animals have not been re-
moved The only protection afforded
them is by a light covering to pre-
vent loose pieces of plaster. that
should chance to fall off, from break
ing through the cases and injuring the
snecimens.
The contract for the moving Of the
building was let in March of this year
and actual work commenced on April
i ". Since that time the big structure
has been on it's slow journey. When
one days work is compared with an
other, the progress seems infinitesi-
NAL, but when viewed in it's entirety,
the magnitude of the work is appre-
ciated.
A Big Undertaking.
The building was moved upon 1900
rollers, placed upon a framework OF
timbers, which filled twenty-seven cars
when it was sent to Iowa City. These
timbers were as cribbing, built up
from the ground to the level of the
building. AS the building moved
along they were taken from behind
and placed in front. The building was
moved from two to six feet day.
The slowest part of the work was at
the beginning. The first thing the
, workmen did was to cut holes in the
! foundation, just below the main floor
Cribblng was built up in the basement
, under the entire structure and then
jacks were put in place, resting upon
the cribbing and supporting heavy
. beams which were placed through
! holes in the foundation. The build
:, ing was raised about foot, and
almost solid mass of timbers placed
, against the main floor. Further sup
port was given by heavy steel beams
, Below this framework were the roll
! ers which rest upon bed of heavy
) timbers on top of the open cribbing
= The timbe.s of this bed all pointed
! in the direction the building was
taking.
Work of Moving.
When this much had been done the
, work of moving began. Dozens OF
! jacks were put in position at the real
y of the building. They are eight feet IL
$ length. The bracing of these jacks
!. formed the most difficult part of the
work The building itself held them IL
position They were held in hollow
!, timbers about twelve feet long. At the
t butt of this timber a short crosspiece
: was placed. This was on projecting
Y beam, which gave en- opportunity tc
coil heavy wire cable under the bean
: to bring both ends of the cable up ovel
= the cressbean, against which the jacl
was placed The cable was long enough
: SO that the two ends could be fastened
: to the heavy beams, which formed 6
part of the cribbing over which the
building rolled. and the weight of the
!. building itself was sufficient to keer
: the timber from slipping when the
jacks were turned and the strain com
menced
I Building is lurned.
The building in it's new position
faces the same as formerly to the
south, but in moving it it was seer
that it would strike the edge of the
dental building, so it was necessary tc
turn it about a quarter Of the way
around. and in this way missed the
t other building by about six feet.
4 was brought back to its original posi-
ton as it moved onto the new founda
q ticns. By a careful survey the radius
/ was discovered by swinging on whose
e circumference the building would ent
e it's journey square with the world.
At the center of this imaginary circle
t a surveyors pole was driven into tht
= ground, a red handkerchief was tiet
to it. and it served as e guide. Thu
"roller mens employed themselves see
ing that the rollers were kept in lin'
= by the us of sledge hammers. On,
man had charge of as many as "a