The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1875-04-27
A Crisis in Holland.

In the erection of the buildings for the
other machines, the "Lijinden" and Cru.
quius," the contractor found so firm a
foundation and such good material at the
site Of the former. that small pump
worked by two horses was sufficient to
keep the bed dry. AT the "Cruquius, "
at depth Of nineteen feet, be struck a
bed Of shells from which water and quick
sand poured in on every side as through
a sieve. He established and maintained
in action, night aud day. three pumps
with sixty horses, and six horse. power
steam pump. The deeper they sank the
greater became the difficulty, until the
caviDg in of the whole bank beca ne i'm
mineut. Finding the case hopeless, he
announced to the president of the COM
mission that he had ceased work which
nsurmountable obstacles rendered impos.
sible, and asked discharge from his
contract. The reply was .All means
are not yet exhausted; there is room on
your encircliDg bank for fourth horse.
pump and second steam pump. The
caving in can be prevented by sheet pill.
ing. Until these means have been tried
and found insufficient, then, apd then on.
ly, will force majeure be established
Until these have been tried the commits.
sion cannot discharge you, and you will
be Immediately prosecuted for an aban.
donment of the work but we will come
to your aid. and will add 10000 guden
to your compensation if ycu Immediately
apply the means indicated, especially the
sheet. piling" An agreement was at once
signed. and the next day work was re.
sumed with unconquerable force and ten
acity. The burgomaster OF the city of
Levden furnished sixty additional men
the fourth horse-pump and ten horse.
mower steam pump were added. All this
pumping apparatus. twelve immense pile.
drivers. $50 workmen aDd eighty.three
horses were in full activity in and about
the excavation. The top and slope OF
the bank were covered with sheds, shan
ties stables, materials forage everything
in movement-carting wheeling, turning,
drawing, and working and all amidst the
most cheerful songs and cries. While
they gained slowly, inch by inch, on the
rushing water, the twelve pile.drivers sunk
the enormous piles of pine and oak. All
this activity OF movement, persistent, OBJ
stinate, appai iently iucoherent, yet per.
fectly regulated-this mass of men and
animals gathered iD so narrow a space in
the midst of water and mud-all worked
together for the sole end Of conquering.
for few moments, the effects of the nat
ural law of water to seek its level. The
skill and energy of man triumphed over
nature. Soon 100 piles. 1000 of them
of oak, we're covered with their heavy
floor the foundations we're laid upon this,
and the walls rose above the waves Of the
lake
The construction Of these two engines,
with their pumps. varied in no material
point from that OF the successful Leegh-
~ater, but some minor notifications de-
layed their completion, so that only in
April. lS49. did they commence their
work.
Every part of the machinery. as well
as Of the buildings to receive them, had
to he originated and constructed from
theoretical plans only. Some parts were
made in Amsterdam, and others in Eng.
land. and the erection was done by me-
chauics of both countries, who had great
difficulty in understanding each other un'
til they had invented a Dutch. English
patois, unintelligibe to others, but quite
effective for their own purposes. and
which is still the language of the pump
ing stations. -Scyibner for Man.