Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1854-05-25
Novel and interesting Process.

We perceive by the report of the Wilmington
and Manchester Railrond. submitted 10 the Com
panY ut its general meeting in January last, that
a very emarkable and successful method mas
been adopted by Col. Walter Gwynn, the distip-
guished Chief Engineer of the Company. To over
come the extraordinary difficulty of crossing the
Great Pee Dee river The difficulty arose from
tho fact that the bed of the river proved 10 be an
nnbroken strata of sand, into which piles could
not be driven to a sufficient depth 10 ensure Their
permanenoy. The difficulty might have been n
yoided by n bridge Of n single span. stretching
entirely across the river, but for the necessity OF
making drnw for the passage OF steamers In
this dilemma, Col. Gwynn, whose attention Ind
been drawn to the subject by publications in sci
entife journals, examined very particularly the
novel and interesting process Of DIR. Potts OF
England, for sinking hollow piles by the pressure
Of the atmosphere In this process, which, Co
lionel Gwynn observes is one of the most beaut-
fnl and simple applications of "A natural element
to the uses Of man yet discovered ian air pump
is employed. which being connected with the
head Of the hollow pile, the air Is exhausted, and
a stream of water, sand, shingle aud gravel,
sucking up from below, the pile sinks gradually
into the Displacement. It's, theref re, kind of
-lb.aquatc excavation, the lower end of the hol
low pile becoming converted into n kind Of SCOOP
worked by the air pump on the platform above
After mature consideration and thorough invest.
CATION. Col. Gwynn became convinced that the
process could be successfully applied in sinking
hollow piles or cylinders III such materials as
compose the bed of the Great Pee Dee. In en-
deavoring to accomplish this object numerous
and yexa:ious difficulties were encountered and
alter these had been overcome and the apparatus
put in operation, it pronounced by many n
future, SO that at one time Col. Gwynn stood al
most alone in the support of the plan. With his
characteristic frmness and determination he
persevered, until his efforts were finally crowned
with complete triumph, and the process of DIR.
Potts applied 10 the sands of the Pee Dee with
the most signal success
This is great achievement, and places new
feather in the cap of Col. Gwynn, whom we have
always looked upon ~ one of the first engineers
on this continent. The stockholders of the Com
pany to whose work he has rendered this distin-
guished service, passed resolution Mt their last
meeting declaring that the construction of the
bridge across the Great Pee Dee, upon pieces
resting on and mainly composed of cast iron
tubes, Ia work which the Company now regards
ns of undouhted success,) marks great step in
the progress of American enterprise and skill i'll
the art of Civil Engineering, and has exhibited
mastery professional ability, energy and perse-
yerance. To manifest their appreciation of these
qualities, the President and Directors were order
ed to procure suitable medals Of gold, to be pre-
scented to the principal and Resd mt Engineers,
with proper inscriptions, upon the completion of
the bridge ndthe first transit of the cars across
it.-Richm0Hd Dispatch