The Sumter banner. [volume] (Sumterville, S.C.) 1846-1855, 1853-11-02
From the Wilmington Commercial.

poSeu 10 ueprcclate tllat which is not
the creation of his own mind, or that
which is beyond his own comprchcn
sion. This is human nature MS met
everywhere, the exception, if there be,
only confirms the rule. This introduc.
tory remark is suggested by the OBJ
scrvations that have been frequently
made, even by intelligent men, with
respect to the bridge contemplated on
the Great Pee Dec river by the Viii.
mington and manchester Rail Road
Company.
The locality where the bridge was
to be built presented many difficulties
that would have rendered its being
built, by the mctho IS long adopted,
very insecure. 1t was determined to
give Il trial to a novel method that had
proved successful in Europe, in all
similar cases, to the locality Of the one
contemplated on the Pee Dee.
The difficulties to be met with were
a shifting bottom, Il rapid current, and
irc>lcts rising twenty feet in few
hours, and their consequences.
The new method adopted of con.
s,ruc,ing piers for the support Of the
rail road was, that Of sinking hollow
iron cylinders, made up OF sections of
nine feet long, six feet in diameter, and
one inch thick, with proper internal
ilauchrs fastened hy screws.
The power to be used and con.cm
plated by the patent in order to fore.
the cylinders down, was the prcSs.rc
OF the atmosphere on the closed head
Of the cylinder, after vacuum was
produced III it. by means of cXhauS,ng
pumps moved by Il small steam en-
ginc.
This plan docs vc~y we'll as long as
the cylinder has to pass simply through
beds of mud, clay. diff of sand and
gravel and the like; bit il it meets
will,a solid obstacle, such rs logs, large
stones, and the like, the edge of the
cylinder not being able to cut the ",
like it does the sand, it comes to stand
still, though it has not ms yet arrived
to the solid stratum that has been pre-.
vi"usly aSccrtaincd +" exist by boring,
and on which the cylinder is ultimately
to rest.
Such obstacles presented themselves
III The way of the very first cylinder
that was attempted TO he forced down
1t was therefore necessary to 90 down
to the bottom of The cvIindr aud to
remove the Instructions, of what
ever nature they might prove TO
be. To do this, it was ncccs sary to
empty the cylinder OF It's contents OF
water, mud, sand, &c
II was soon found that they toul,l
not proceed much lower than the sur
face "i the water of the river outside.
without being Inundated Inside hv ;he
pres urc of water "t the river tMcnu
the water through The bed of The river
under, and thence into the cylinder.
In order to he able To proceed fur
thcr down in the removal cf the ob.
stac!cS, it was indi~pcn>ably necessary
to oppose this force and stop the leak.
age.
The principle Of tho patent, Of
course, could not avail, for the greater
the vacuum inside, the greater WAS
the rush Of water into the cylinder.
The talented and ingcniuus engineer
Of the Railroad, l.. Il. Flrmming, soon
saw that unless lIc employed ii power
dian etrically opposed to the one al
ready used, that he would be com
rlrlrIy i"ilrd iii The undertaking. He
therefore, reversed the whole action of
his machinery, and 10y forcing air into
the cylinder, equal to twenty pounds.
or less, I" the square inch, lie forced
the water out Of the cylinder, and
afterwards, with less pressure. con
tinncd t" keep the cylinder perfect
~ dry-rmahiing men TO stand on the
bottom, and remove every obstacle in
the way.
In this Indispensable condition Of
affairs, the lahorcrs with the c,!inder
are all the time under pressure Of
ton to fifteen pounds to the square
inch. as indicated by mercury gnayc.
--lh!s state of pressure on the tvm.
panuni OF the car, and surface OF!
The eyes, causes some pain: but: Il
bcnlablc on" under Il pressure Of
twelve ar fifteen pounds to the square
inch; for, | went myself, in the cylin
der, under these circumstances, and
experienced no Inconvenience for the
space OF two hours that remained
in it.
BY this time, the third cylinder
is fairly and soIidiy resting on firm
foundation, completing the western
pier. There are four more cylinders
t" form the eastern pier, and The
great difficulty of establishing this
bridge will be over: for the mere filling
the cylinders with concrete, hydraulic
cement, and stones, present no diff
Guilty, and the good work Of the plat