, 1874-07-05

I
| riH X. JcsBuIt and Amos Cottiug, al Now York
The officers wero Charles X. I,lckson Troaffinnt
Ro9ors 1.ono1 Kcnnedy, Vice. President: Jn,nol
u, Britton. Trcnsarer; JamesD. Ea1s, Cof En-
ants; John a. Dillon. Boorotarv; q. G. Fabian
Auditor. Construction Conlmittce-dorard II
Allen. John G. Corolin, and John II. Liol,l,orrer
Executive Committee-Wllliam Yaussig, William
hlg1'horaon. aud ]. II. Dritton.
To return,
Aug. 20, 1ae7. ''-' ''''0"''
Thu yellow river strnegled,
And tohHeA ils tawny tnnnc,
and proved by no mcanB a,, oasy odycrsarv to
overcome. Capt. Eatta, III gistng his own cx-
peFlcnce, aays Tint iu 1861 ho lnd occasiou to
oxst:ii'o the bottom Of tho rvor noar Cairo,
.slSty,hYo fcot below tho s1rface," aayH ho, II
fonrd tho bod OF Tho river for at least three foot
in depth, a moving mass and 90 unntablo, that
II ~ etdanTorinH to ilud footing on It beneath my
qivlnE:hol my feet ponstrated through 1t until
conia leol the sant! rushing past my llnnds,
nlthouEl, "ah standing oroot At Tho timo." Tis
same Hard-cusrent proved n aerioua obstacle to
piosress on, at leaBt Two occasiona.--ouco whom
It srousoIl away atItl casoi ta +antl placed ill.,
hilo 10 eqnh 70 the prcnkure to burnt to cAinBun;
once whon, alter tho cslTout hail forco out some
butts, ita friction prevented tho dam frum let
thug.
THERE wAs ANOTHER PECULIAR OBSTACLE
10 overcome ut the weHk nbutnlont. For years.
steamers had been in tho habit Of shedding tlloir
S"oe7th pLA0hG"bll4Ghb AHu EFAIHH a u tHE0N1uH
their refuse stone aud o,u1ofs into tho river bo.
side tho lovoo. Thelo, too, lay tho tulls and
machinery OF two steamers 6rruod at Tho big
lire Of 1Sa9, tho whole presenting nasH of iron
II feet thick. Drobdlngnngian chisols formed
W ar1iing onkon beams with steel cnttiug:-cdses.
woro han'mosed down with pilo-drivors through
tho mass Of ragged motal; a double course Of
shoet..pi|ing followed; tho cot1er-lam was en-
closed; the usual work Of excavation and pump
ing was nero oblEd'a play, and Feb. 70, 1868,
EfHAT RTDkE
Of the abutment Was laid 81 feet below tho city
dfroctrix (ordinary hi1h-wator nark) on the botl-
rock Of tho rlvor. In tho trst COURSE Of tho
burned vessels OF 1910. The railroad Inns mae
ntoppiny-ptono Of its defeated rival tia steam
boat. aud thus the whrllgig Of time las brought
in smother Of his reyol ges.
THE rSEUaiATIC sYeTFM.
After the consolidation snd actual commence.
mcnt OF construction funds ean,e forward freely,
mud the "ork ot the ong1ueera was easy. None
the 1esA wns It Of iutoresl Tho pleanm pncu-
niatc ayatom was adopted, with rudica improve !
original plum, Nhlch was to sink tho foundations |
Of tho pitrs by nenra OF lRtEo casaons, oron at |
top aud bottom. to servo only ths purpose Of al |
lowing tile removal Of the Eaud al tho sits Of tho |
pins duwn to tho bed rock OF tho liver, while |
ltlado Of them wooden calssons containing tho
masonry we're to bc sunk. Alterations wero DO
nandcd nDt only because Of the strong curront |
and treacherous sal!d-btds to bo encountered,
but because Of tho great depth below tue eur-
face a. which WORK mas to 10 prosecuted. Saw
cnty feet had hitherto bcen The limit OF actual
Experience, nio at st. Louis, oven If the oGstern
pier were sunk At the most favorable soaEos, tlo
nen had to work at depth Of from W to 100
Feet below the wnter- line.
III nsuking tho chi nssons, the a{r-looke we're
placed at tho bottom Of The shnft, and partly
"ithin the air chamber, aud central shaft pro-
1lded, with circular atair in lieu Of indtlsrs.
W tlose means, us compared with tho old cuiB-
Hkr mi ~ Ar $l.o f4t+ rt.n
men were exposed for shorter time to the ef-
ect OF the compressed air. i Tatel packing for
he pumps made tue air cooler than Ii usually III
lndor compression, aud q new sand-pump was
rt' cam Of water WAS forced down through one
'!po, aud caused 10 discharge near tho
and into another pipe In an annular jet, and
ii M upward direction. Tho jet created
vacuum Lelow it, BY which tile sand was
over end Of which was In tho sand. The force
t the jet naturally drove the sunl I'm 10 the
nrface as fast az It entered the Hecond pipe.
ne superiority Of this pump CONSISTED In the
Acs that the requisite supply of water for keep
'hilc tho suction-pli,e wau inserted directly IN
ho'Baud. 1t was scarcely possible Tor thu E,lmp
become come Slogged, aud it worried admirably,
ven ,' WIN tue plpe nineteen fest deep tu sand.
nblo yards OF sand in All hour, tak,ug up aud |
llrowng out stunos two aud u quarter inches in
i131Inf nfaF ~. all. fnsxst
sr',e ',', mi', us ca taclty a. bas'a.
e cosa,nh an wos foa1o IL coaeucs aaa shhlng
III o;Ia .S'7''A" ""' ton'"oo III all esaentaal do-
''''' rur .,se,,, VA, z,,,, ,.....,-
eo1ers mi s,nash aTI iia a sasnlhS riEhL
"s n,oi5a n,osn pc1|ge s' a0atments and
40, h., c@ .'i .Inea ~ oes: ~ toso. !, "ns "
49,. 49,. ~ ~, "lo ~ ioet uFAt anu WeIencu Iou
lua. ~ nl.ot!a! i "an MfouBAt-ifnh plates.
W u nsnsu tS oS eself AtEIance' 1he rool or I
10 10 a"snaiioee was nltae lees aooVo tile cutting
ai'a w. " " ,; Hoh. suppe..eu oy t~o Constitutional
hn. ~ IN tpcr t. nnu transverse IRON g!foers
pous o.'o teet from tie Illinois shore, break q
a. a'ef' %nn ico,apton. naa benn QUIT. !" tho
" ~ H. llsn @ Msle ot'son tae snade.p!les Io this
JA ,"a tuu hnt Essoo "Ma mea Uct. 10 iot9. tue
,s,. ,ihe ooason ie1n9soa. !he alt.oham1cr filled
- eo!aplesset Au, anu tue ~ofK OF sinking
sgan, seioms a. hanging from beams rett'nK on
10 guioeipMes hoohlng tne ca'Asoi hteady In It's
,neen1 ,,' s1'oush tno M;atef, and 70 obVlatlnE
niger o. ~ i, ,overbosting. The, ca!Rson was
"ereu saieay <niolSn water varying from 20 to '
4eet III aoPtn hna l.'1o the sa'.t, there over |
wi ley n1 ueel' honfoeK Was reached Feb ",
~, oo iset ,aa lie.es Deow tue auttace Of tho r
yof ,,t ald Tx i2o laet below Agh-water mark Tho
ing OF tno alr-caataaor and shalt with con- i
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