OOOOOPS! I need to be careful with my words. Cables is probably the wrong
word. These metal pieces are stiff, single pieces of metal that "rod" would
better describe. They are not flexible or stranded like a cable.
Therefore, the Water Tower has RODS! Sorry about that!
Roland, what is a schist building and what is a BOF?
David Fairall
----- Original Message -----
From: "Roland Elliott" <rolandelliott(a)inreach.com>
To: "David A. Fairall" <fairall(a)psyber.com>;
<NORCAL-L(a)rootsweb.com>
Sent: Sunday, March 25, 2001 10:18 AM
Subject: Re: Dating an Old Brick Building
cables are relatively new,they first use rods in the teens and
twenties to
straighten out schist and brick bldings,then after the war in the late 40s
and to the 60's cables were used.We have them on 1852 brick and schist
bldngs,also rods.In Columbia it is still rods and in our 1850's bldngs in
BOF rods are used.R
----- Original Message -----
From: "David A. Fairall" <fairall(a)psyber.com>
To: <NORCAL-L(a)rootsweb.com>
Sent: Sunday, March 25, 2001 10 04 AM
Subject: Dating an Old Brick Building
Hello fellow researchers!
Anyone out there like a mystery? As part of my history research, I am
trying to determine the construction date/era of a building. It is a two
story brick structure that has an item I believe might be datable. The
construction people inserted three heavy cables that run from one side of
the building to the opposite side. Attached to each end of the three
cables, which are threaded only at the ends, are metal plates and nuts. I
have seen these on old brick buildings in Coloma, Old Sacramento, and
Columbia, and their purpose seems to be to hold the building together ,
arresting sagging or possible shifting of the building. The metal plates
are not perfectly flat but have a kind of wave in them that is 1/4 inch
deep. The metal is 1/4 inch thick and the plate is almost square in
shape,
with the sides being 8 and 8 1/2 inches in length. The square nuts
are 1
1/4 inches per side in length. At one end of the cable the nut was
threaded
on, then it and the end of the cable were hammered on so it formed a
bolt
head. The other end of the cable has the same metal plate but the bolt
hasonly been threaded onto the bolt, not hammered or finished. This
second
bolt was the one tightened by wrench.
The overall building's first floor, which is 8 feet 8 inches high, is
square in shape, with the length of each side being 14 feet one inch. The
walls depth is universal, the width of three bricks 4 inches each, plus
the
mortar. The ceiling of the first floor is divided into two equal
sections
with each section an exact duplicate of the other. The ceilings are all
brick and are arched, so that they can help bear the load of the second
story. There originally was a doorway but it was almost completely
destroyed at one time so was bricked over. How I could tell the doorway
existed is there are still three bricks placed perpendicular to the rest
of
the wall and they start what used to be an arch of bricks over the
doorway.
The second story is round, yes round. and its diameter extends to
the
first floors edges. The circular walls are the same depth as the first
floor and the height is approximately the same height. There is no roof
on
the second floor.
What else do I know of the building? Well, the structure is a water
tower and was built in an area of Sacramento County that, up to the
1970's,
was ranch land, with some farming occurring. There was a railroad
that
ran
through the area, with the tracks plotted to 100 to 150 feet from
the
structure. There is a creek running about 500 feet away, and the water
tower is on the top of a small rise, about 30 feet higher than the creek.
Questions.
1. Does anyone know when cable/plate structure supports appeared and/or
disappeared in building construction in general?
2. Which industry built the structure? The structure is fairly
substantial
and expensive to build. Would a farmer or rancher go to the expense
of
building it? Did ranchers or farmers even build water towers? I know
railroads built water towers but they were usually built of wood and later
metal. I have researched in Connecticut, New York, and Illinois for
similar
structures. Only in Connecticut were there enclosed brich water
towers,
but
they were taller, had a different first floor floor plan, hexigonal
is
shape, and very, very rare, occuring on only one railroad in only one
section.
3. How old is the building? Someone I know who knows a lot but not
everything, estimated in 1978 the building was a good 70 years old.
4. There was an old way station house built in the early 1850's that,
according to both oral and written local history and old maps, was away
from
the water tower I estimate to be 1/2 to 1 mile. I do not know when
this
old
way station house disappeared. Could the way station owners have
built
the
water tower? Both freight and passenger wagons/buggys stopped at
this way
station alot every day and they had to water the horses. I have been told
that this way station was also used as a boarding house of sorts.
Well, I guess I have wetted your appetites enough with my mystery
building. If anyone knows or knows of someone who might help, I would
love
the information. Thanks to all!
David Fairall
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