Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1874-07-30
The Longest Pile Yet.

| On the line of the Baltimore, Pitts
! burgh & Chicago Railroad courses a
| diminutive stream of water, sometimes
| called . river" This curling little cur
! rent Crossesthe right of way of the road
| in Indiana, near the Ohio State line, and
! has been about as troublesome to civil
engineers as it could we'll be 1t was of
a character to forbid embankment, yet too
narrow and shallow to justify the con
| StruCtion Of a substantial and expensive
| permanent bridge; therefore the only
practicable and feasible method of eff
tecting a crossing seemed to be by means
of piled trestle. So, therefore, the
contractor was instructed to bring his
pile-drivers, and under the direction of
| an engineer employed on the work CD
erations were begun. Nothing so
very wonderful occurred until a short
time ago, when it was found that an
ordinary pile was not of sufficient length
to form a foundation of requisite firm
ness, so, of course, the engineer recon-
mended Splicing" And therefore
"sphcing" was adopted Pile No. 1 pene-
trated nothing but DOGGY crust; Nos.
and met no different strata, and not
until No. 4 had been driven almost its
entire length was bottom" reached
But one or two blows from the ponder
Gus cube apparently forced this timber
through the crust, which was about
seventy-five feet below the surface, so
additional splicingS were cOnsummated,
the erudite engineer meanwhile assuring
the contractor that a solid bottom could
soon be reached. But alas! V hat uncer-
tainties attend the calculations of the
most infallible pile-driver. The operation
was continued till eight splicings had
been made, each twenty feet or so in
length, and still the engineer said
"whack 'em in" AS the contractor
is paid by the foot, he did "whack
'em in" and was undoubtedly glad
to do it. Then twelve splicings were
effected and the depth reached was re-
corded at 240 feet and over. Then came
Is, 16, II and 10, but there was no bot
tom in that direction. The distance
driven was now 450 feet, and all won
dered why @ this was thus" Then num-
bers 10, 20, 81. 90 and % were driven, and
a small boy was dispatched to the other
side of the globe to see If the point OBJ
truded. When the unprecedented depth
of $50 feet had been reached, the fact
was transmitted along the entire line till
it reached the ears of Assistant WEIGH,
who Immediately remarked Inat a strata
of rock had been met, and, the splicings
being defective, had failed to hold But
nevertheless numbers "a and % were driv-
en-, making the total distance penetrated
the extraordinary one Of SIR hundred md
Twenty-Five feet. The engineer in charge
still advised a continuance, even II it
took all summer and several forests of
piles, and operations would have pro
ceeded had not telegram been received
from Chief Engineer Randolph, dated at
advising a cessation of labor.
He had heard of the big feat away off in
Baltimore, and, being a sensible, prac- |
teal engineer, had formed the same con-
clusion Mr.. WEIGH had. a "bore" was
transported to the scene of operations, |
and on drilling it was ascertained that at |
the depth of seventy-five feet bed of |
solid rock had been reached, through |
which no passage-way could be forced. |
The explanation of the 625 feet is APP
parent enough. On striking the strata |
IF stone the piles had broken, and Il, 900 |
could have been driven in the same way.
Chicago Times. !