﻿108 PICTORIAL MISCELLANY. 



to maintain it in that position, while the levers were arranged for a 

 second lift. To assist the action of the levers, large iron rings were 

 soldered into the upper corner of the rock, from which small cables 

 were passed to four capstans, each turned by 36 men, thus maintain- 

 ing a steady strain ; while the stone was prevented from returning 

 to its original position when the levers were shifted. These opera- 

 tions were repeated until the rock was raised nearly to an equipoise, 

 when cables from six other capstans were attached to the opposite 

 side, to guard against a too sudden descent ; and, as a further pre- 

 caution against fracture, a bed, six feet in thickness, of hay and moss 

 intermingled, was placed to receive the rock, on which it was hap- 

 pily laid at the end of March, 1769. As it was of great importance 

 that all the workmen should act at one and the same time, two 

 drummers were stationed on the top of the stone, who, at a sign 

 from the engineer, gave the necessary signals on their drums, and 

 secured the certainty of order and precision in the various opera- 

 tions. 



Meanwhile, the machinery for the removal had been made. Of 

 the lower grooved beams already described, six pairs were prepared, 

 so that when the rock had advanced over one pair, they might be 

 drawn forward and placed in a line in advance of the foremost, with- 

 out interrupting the movements. The balls were laid in the grooves 

 two feet apart ; the upper frame, intended as the bed for the rock, 

 placed above ; the mass, weighing in its original form 4,000, 000 Ibs., 

 was then raised by means of powerful screws, and deposited on the 

 frame, when it was drawn up the inclined plane by the united force 

 of six capstans. The road did not proceed in a direct line to the 

 river, owing to the soft state of portions of the marsh ; in many pla- 

 ces it was impossible to reach a firm foundation with piles 50 feet in 

 length. This naturally added to the difficulties of the transport, as 

 the direction of the draft was frequently to be changed. Piles were 

 driven along the whole line on both sides, at distances of 300 feet 

 apart; to these the cables were made fast, while the capstans 

 revolved ; two of which were sufficient to draw the stone on a level 

 surface, while, on unequal ground, four were required. The rate of 

 motion was from 500 to 1200 feet daily, which, when regard is had 

 to the short winter days of five hours in that high latitude, may be 



