143 



REPORT 1866. 



and interesting, the writer offers the following description of the process by which 

 this object w.as successfully accomplished under his directions. 



The factory which required one row of cast-iron columns in each story to be cut 

 out and removed to a distance of 2 feet 8 inches, is a fireproof building, eight 

 stories high. It extends for 1(30 feet along Union Street, Manchester, fronting the 

 Rochdale Canal, and runs parallel with it as far as Murray Street, where it termi- 

 nates with an angular wing to a further distance of 80 feet. The width of the 

 mill is 45 feet, divided by two rows of columns of three equal spans of 15 feet each, 

 as seen in the annexed sectional diagram, which shows the position of the columns, 

 those cut out being represented by the dotted line n (fig. 1 ), and those which re- 

 placed them by the black line b. The columns indicated by the line c were not 

 disturbed. The figures d, e, f, g represent the position of the mule spinning-ma- 

 chinery, for the admission of which the original columns in the position of the dotted 



Fig. 2. 



line had to be removed. The other mules next the side walls had quite sufficient 

 room with the addition of the passage o, which extended along the side wall for 

 the whole length of the mill. 



In can-ying out the process by which these alterations were effected the first con- 

 sideration was, how to support the ends of the middle beams and arches during the 

 process of removing the columns from under them ; and also how to support the 

 middle beam permanently after the columns had been removed. This could not 

 be done simultaneously throughout the mill when at work, as it would have involved 

 a very heavy expense to support the ends of all the middle beams at once, with a su- 

 perincumbent weight on each of 90 tons of brick arches, and machinery. Moreover 

 it was essential that only one pair of the old mules in each room should be stopped 



