The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1905-11-29
WORK OF AMERICAN ENGINEERS
Hold the Palm for Daring Feats In
Construction.

Although there are many smart en-
eiueers in Europe, there is no country
where they achieve the heights OF lame
thew do in the United States. 1he
naim for colossal daring in construc-
Lion. Whther it be in the line OF shy-
scrapers. bridges or tunnels, certainly
belongs here.
1t is only in the United States that
one can see huge rats going Gown
stream carrying complete houses OF
brick and stone which are 10 Dc
dumped down in some spot more La
yorable than that from which taey hao
beer removed. But the removal oA of-
binary dwellings Of five, six and even
seven stories is so usual sight tnat
10 one save visitor to America "ouiu
now be surprised to meet a mansion
with gardens and nice bit OF snooe-
ing attached, on its way to some o1s-
tant part Of the country.
II Pittsburg, the city OF steel, II was
found necessary to remove the GrSno
0nera House a distance OF 70 feet In
oruer TO admit the widening OF Oia-
paond street. Engineers came anu nao
2 look at tie structure and unanimous
| ly agreed that it would be quite 1easl-
bic to move it intact. The Dulilns 70
not small, measuring 128xS0 feet, ana
weighing about 1000 tons.
Progress was necessarily slow, some
times net more than an inch an hour,
and the work, which was begun on sat
urdav, was not completed until the lot-
lowing Tuesday. Forty-seven men were
engaged on the job night and day. aho
,he cost of removal was S15O,G0O. FOE
the nurpose of transit foundation Was
erected beneath the building and tne
house was then placed on rollers. On
the spot where it was intended 10 erec.
the oce:a house another foundation OF
course, had been built, and here the
big building was successfully placed.
Not a crack in any of the walls was
visible, and as an example CT mouse
moving" it is unique.
At the Columbus Railway Companys
works, at Columbus, o., there are no
fewer than 160 smoke stacks OF vary
ing heights. These answered all prac-
tical purposes until the time came
when. on account of the Introduction
of mechanical stokers and economlzers,
a greater amount of draught was tound
to be necessary, and it was decided 70
add 50 feet to some Of the stacks. Inc
fact that the work was accomplished
| without in anv way Interfering with
the duties of the chinneys renders II
somewhat remarkable. The first stock
was heightened and completed within
a few days, the furnaces being kept
going all the time. The cast iron cap,
| which surmourts each OF the stacks,
was removed, the brickwork cleaned,
| and on it built a new single shell or
brick so feet high, which was support
I ed entirely on the old outer shell. The
biggest water pipe in the world, capa-
ble. 1t is said, of holding an average.
river. was laid by the Ontario Power.
Company en- the Canadian side OF Nj
agara Falls. The gigantic pipe, which
| is made of steel throughout, is mile
and a quarter in length and sixty feet
in circumference The steel plates have
a thickness Of half an inch, and IN put.
ting them together 200 tons OF raYets
were required.
Philadelphia is noted for many dar-
ing engineering feats. One OF the most
daring, perhaps, was when four foot
water pipe was moved distance OF u
feet without interfering in any way
with the water service. It IS said that
no other country offers an exact par
allel to this interesting and great un-
dertaking. To realize the remarkable
nature Of this feat it must be under.
stood that 1000 feet of pipe, weighing,
with the water, about 10000 tons, was
moved out of line II feet and then
lowered IL feet.