| Show SALT lAKE THEATRE AFTER 66 YEARS OF WEAR BEING WRECKED TO MARE MAlE WAY AY FOR NEW NEV BlOG when built Timber Timber Tim Tim- i be solid as Pro Proves es to as ber bet in ancient building of Red Pine and s sno shows no sign of rot i 1 Salt Lake Tribune Stubbornly Stubborn the old Salt Lake theater theater theater the the- ater the onslaughts of the wreckers After 66 y years Scars rs of t f the hardest kind of wear It was found to b be app app- as solid as the day It was built and C. C J. J Ketchum who has charge of the wrecking believes it would have stood for 66 68 more years It Is the most obdurate foe he has hasmet hasmet hasmet met during his many years ears as a professional professional professional pro pro- building wrecker Mr Ketchum said They dont don't build them that way now he added voicIng voicing ing ng great respect for the pioneers who reared the structure After a struggle with interior framework solid timbers bound together In a time-defying time manner with square nails and wooden wood wood- en pegs the pegs the wreckers are now read ready to tackle the outside walls It has been found that the walls are six r-ix feet thick at the bottom tapering to four feet at the top and that large stone blocks were ere used for the third The fact that the building Is plastered led most people to believe that adobes were used exclusively Whoever said that nails nans were scarce when the the theatre tre was built bunt was sadly misled Mr Ketchum said In In a one-by-eight one plank 16 feet long I found nails nalls and in the floor floorboards I hoards boards we found from four to six nails over each Joist joist so so many In fact that the boards were almost sawed In two by the nails The huge spans over the roof presented presented presented pre pre- an Interesting detail of con con- Each span was made up rf of seven two fourteen stringers 85 ft long bound together with wooden pegs These pegs according to the timers old were whittled by the pioneer women the work being done mostly at night after the household duties were finished The nails and bolts used in the building also are made hand having haing been pounded outon outon out outon on anvils The floor of the parquet was supported supported supported sup sup- ported by rough-hewn rough logs All AU the timber is of the red pine variety sawed sawed sawed saw saw- ed in City Creek canyon canon and Is now in perfect condition with no signs sign'S of rot the wreckers say The clay for the adobes adobe was dug near where the Denver Denver Denver Den Den- ver Rio Grande Orande Western station now stands and many Salt Lakers re remember remember remember re- re member that the depressions were filled filled fill fUl- ed with water and allowed to freeze in the v. v winter inter for skating When the tle wrecking began Mr Ketchum says sas he was besieged with souvenir sou hunters most of whom wanted wanted wanted want want- ed nothing more than a block of wood an adobe or a tile the by which to re remember remember remember re- re member the old playhouse The furniture furniture furniture fur fur- and stage properties an all have ha been disposed of and the bust of Brigham Young the builder which reposed above the proscenium is now being saved sa to place In whatever new building may be erected on the historic historic historic his his- site site site- |
