By Anupum Pant
The story of the largest rock ever moved by man goes back to the year 1768 – A time when even ball bearings weren’t around. It’s hard to believe that no one has topped it after that. Not even after immense technological advancement of the twenty first century has man moved a rock larger than that one.
In 1768, in order to build a huge statue for Peter the great, a three million pound stone was required to be moved into St. Petersburg. This would later serve as a platform to put up the equestrian statue on it. But before everything, a rock that huge needed to be found. An award was announced for anyone who could do that. The perfect rock was thus found when a peasant claimed he knew where it was. The problem was it was 8 miles away from where it needed to be. No one had moved anything so huge before. Still, Catherine the great, not knowing if her order would get fulfilled, ordered it to be moved.
Someone had an idea of how to do it. This is what the proposal said. Cut a tree trunk into half hollow both the parts from the inside and place brass balls inside and close it like a sandwich. Now the upper slice of the trunk could slide with minimal effort. Several suck contraptions were made and the stone was moved on these. Ball bearings were being use before anyone even had an idea that ball bearings were something that needed invention.
via [Futility Closet]