St. Isaac's Cathedral. Questions on construction.

Studying paintings of the 19th century saw the drawings of Auguste Montferrand which depicted the stages of the construction of St. Isaac's Cathedral in St. Petersburg.
Let me remind you that Montferrand was Glavnym architect in the construction of St. Isaac's Cathedral.
I already wrote that have extensive experience in STONE construction and for 7 years worked with their hands. By profession granitic - stonemason. So the basics of working with granite and marble to me are well known from practice.
What was pictured, I was somewhat surprised.
Well, like the picture Montferrand called "a fragment of the disassembled Saint Isaac's Cathedral," in 1845. (the Cathedral was dismantled in 1845?)

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Immediately struck by the man with the AXE confidently splitting GRANITE stone.

Well, the limestone I would have understood, but granite? Ax?!!!

Actually for a long time (since Egypt) there is a method of split granite

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However it is necessary to first drill the hole drill with pobeditovym a tip. But that's another story.

And it draws from nature the Chief architect. By the way next to the man lies a very strange fragment of a column, which is in the Cathedral there (well, maybe I'm wrong).

Here's an example very similar fragments column the picture of Robert.

Istochnik

The picture Montferrand surprised by the masonry above the arch. It is made without a ligation. The brick only "spoon", and "bonded" series are nowhere to be seen.

Here is an example of bandaging of a bricklaying. "Bonder" is the number usually laid out five "stretcher bond".

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At any "drawdown" of the building outer row of bricks just fall off.

So I was struck by the figure "Unload columns for St. Isaac's Cathedral on the Admiralty embankment" 1830.

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Well, firstly, why a boat and not a ship. Because the boat is more powerful and not dependent on the wind.
The first steamship in Russia appeared in St. Petersburg and was used for towing barges.
It is surprising the inclination of the barge. Both her banked if on the raised Board it lies colon weighing more than 100 tons? And why is it done? Indeed, in this position pull the convoy is much more difficult, because the barge was the additional slide and the colon is clearly on her side.

But then even worse.
Here is a picture of Montferrand "Unloading and rolling the column on the Admiralty embankment." 1845

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Again a sailboat. Surprised by the fact that we Montferrand represent the engine of innovative ideas, competent engineer and a pioneer. Why is it so hard to not use the steamer? But the weird thing is that the column is BEHIND the masts.

If there is a barge, why didn't her to the shore to moor? Why make unnecessary movements. To assume that colon lies on the deck of a sailboat, I'm afraid. Did Montferrand, able to paint the projects, could draw such a nonsense.

Now I'm unloading.
Somewhere around thirty people stubbornly pulling ropes column down the flooring of logs.
And four with some sort of crowbar trying to hold her that she would not have sunk.
FOUR. One HUNDRED FOURTEEN tons. Twenty-eight tons for one.
That is, each of them trying to stop a couple of truck trucks in the bundle slipping on the slope.
And if this column is to roll down ( and roll) will crush all by far. Montferrand did not understand it?
Go ahead. The edges of the flooring visible scattered stones. Some even lie on the other.
Their crane was unloaded?
After all, if you believe another picture of Montferrand them dragged dragged.

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Why are they DRAGGING so to take away, and then to drag in the opposite direction. Do not put these stones to place along the sides of the deck to the side of the Cathedral. And even better not to combine the unloading of stones and columns.
By the way every stone judging by the size weighs about two tons. As two cars.
It is doubtful that six people will be able to move these stones by sticks.

I decided to more closely examine other pictures of Montferrand, so to be continued.