Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1853-12-16
From the American Rail Road Journal.

And have to meet the cost.
From the American Rail Road Journal.
Wilmington and Manchester Rail Road.
We are indebted to an attentive correspondent for
the following description of the operation of sinking
iron piles by the pneumatic process, employed by
the above company, for the bridge over the Great
Pedee river This river is the great obstacle to be
snmounted in the construction of the road as it flows
over bed of loose, shifting sand, and is subject to
great and sudden floods The construction of piers
by the ordinary process or Golfer dams. a matter
Of great difficulty especially the unhealthiness of
the climate allowed of operations only during the
.riner months, which is the rainy season For these
reasons Mr.. Fleming the companys engineer, deter
mined 10 adopt what is called the pneumatic process
for sinking cast iron tubes which are 10 be filled with
concrete and firmly braced together. We are glad to
hear that he has now nearly completed his task. We
shat! soon expect to see the cars running over the
whole line OF a road which is to unite the Northern
and Southern systems of railway. There is no road
n the United States, in the early completion of which
the public are more interested, or which has better
prospect of lucrative business.
Below Will be found the communication alluded 10.
[For the Rail Road Journa]
SINKING PILES BY PNEUMATIC PROCESS
Mr.. Editor: Having been much interested in re-
cent visit 10 the site of the Rail Road Bridge now be-
ing constructed on the Wilmington and Manchester
Rail Road across The Pedee river, in Marion District,
South Carolina, send you short account of it, as
may be interesting 10 some of your readers
The difficulties encountered in building q perma-
nent bridge across large streams in the Southern coun
try very great. Frequently there is no building
stone convenient; the foundations are had and in
many instances the bed of the river is shifting sand
or gravel enermlxed with logs and drftwood Even
II the foundations good, and stone convenient,
the expense and risk of constructing Golfer DAMS
from the great and sudden eshets the rivers are sub
eCt to- render the construction of stone piers extreme
ly difficult and hazardous Hence, most of our Bird
ges are built wooden piles very unsubstantial
and Objectionable mode.
The managers of this road with an enterprsing
and perseverance deserving of success, and which
they have shown in all they have undertaken were
induced TO adopt the plan of sinking cast iron cyn-
des for the piers OF the bridge, using atmosphere
sue by process known as DR.. Potts. patent. The
cylinders used six feet in the outer diameter and
inches thickness of shell, cast in sections of nine
feet in length, with an inner fange by which they
are bOted together with movable air tight tops. Each
section weighs about 81 tons, and was cast al the
Vest Point Foundry ". T.
A small steam engine Of eight horse power was
used for working the pumps The process of creating
vacuum in the cylinder and sinking it by atmos-
pheric pressure found TO be Intellectual after the
cylidder sunk 10 have about five feet of
sand within it; hence arose the necessity of resortng
TO other means, and the following was adopted:
BY an India rubber tube leading from the air pumps
attached TO the engine air is forced into the cylinders
until pressure of Is lbs. to the square inch is OBJ
tanned within. The effect of this is 10 eXpe all the
wafer, not only from the interior of the cylinders but
from the sand several feet below its surface By
means of lock, described below,) the workme n
then descend into the cylinder and excavate the sand
logs etc, removing them by of bags through
the air lock and wasting them into the river After
exCayatng within foot two of the lower edge oil
the cylinder, until the air begins to escape below
several cocks opened at the same moment, and
the condensed air within the cylinder being allowed
10 escape rapidly, the cylinder sinks gradually by its
weight
An air lock is contrivance by means of which
communication is established between the open all
and the interior of the cylinder, without permitting
the surplus air to escape 1t is made follows:
Through the cap of the cylinder pile cast iron
somicylinder six feet long and four feet in diane
ter, is inserted two feet being above. and four feet
below, the plate head or cap. In the top of the
lock is a man hole with valve opening downwards
In the plane side of the lock, the bottom, is
other man hole, with valve door opening into the
cylinder. 1t is used follows: The workmen tools
and bags, are first passed through the hole into
the air lock chamber, and the valve door closed
The cock into the pile cylinder is then opened, the
dense air PUSHES into the air chamber, closes thu
outer door valve firmly, and causes the door into thu
cylinder to open. The workmen then descend b,
ladder to the bottom of the cylinder and shovel thu
pile sand into bags, which, when full, passed in
to the air lock chamber The door thereto bein!
shut, the signal is given to the the outside
who opens the cock from the air lock to the Opel
air, permits the dense air to escape and the upper
valve door falls open. The bags then taken out
emptied and returned, as at first described. Tn
pumps are kept constantly at work to supply fresl
air the surplus air escaping by siphOn tube TIL
Workmen remain several hours within the cylinder
working in the dense atmosphere without inconven
fence Although the sensations on first going il
and coming out are unpleasant they soon becom
accustomed to it.
The work is under the charge of MIR j. Elem
ing the accomplished and enterprsing engineer o
the company, assisted by Mr. Alexander Holmstrom
from the West Point Foundry. Great praise is du
to all concerned, for the perseverance and success il
this novel undertaking. Five cylinders have bee
sunk seven being the whole number required.
Gloveless and Ringiess.
Effects of singular elegance sometimes produce
by means simple and obvious. The reader who ha
seen young lady in full dress, with her hands un
gloved and ringess, has behed an effect of this ma
ture One ring polls it. The hands must be quite devoi
Of ornament or covering And the reason is eviden
The hand is one of Natures beautiful things, anC
r,ll4 H. r