The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1894-05-19

Contractor McMullin of the San Fran
cisco Bridge Company will try his triple
cofferdam next week, when the concrete
piers of the south section Of the new ferry
depot foundation are laid. Mr.. McMuIlin
originated the dam. and his idea is an ex-
cellent one if it only proves practicable by
actual test
The dam has been in course of construc
ton for about two months and is now
ready for use. 1t was invented with
view to aYO ding the trouble and great ex
pense of sinking a separate cofferdam over
every pier.
There are eight rows of piers in the
south section, three piers in each row.
The southern wing of the big depot will
rest upon them.
Great care has been exercised by the
contractors in the selection of material. as
it Is of the utmost Importance that the
piers shall be as we'll constructed and solid
as possible. Eighty-foOt piles are used in
each pile cluster The plies are driven
until they are nearly twenty feet below
high water mark. They are then sawed
off evenly by a circular saw operated
under the water at the end OF revolving
shaft.
There is 20 feet OF distance between the
piers aud a total distance of about lis feet
from the outer edge Of the western piers
to the outer edge of those at the eastern
line of the foundation.
The triple dam Is built in three sections
and fitted with a false bottom that can be
detached from the upper framework by
unscrewiug set Of iron braces. The
false bottom is made to rest on The pre-
liminary foundation of piIing, tie dam is
secured, pumped out aud the concrete
1,1 h. ton, nlersrc
this leaves a layer of heavy timberS be-
= tween the piling and the concrete when the
piers operated upon are completed.
When the dam is to be removed and pre-
pared for work on another row of piers,
two small and two large pontoonS ara
brought to use. The rods and bolts that
hold the framework of the structure are
.l0Osened, the pontOOnS are t0wed along
side and the hole affair taken apart in
sections. Then the work OF building an
other false bottom and putting the big
dam together again Is gone through with
in the building of the second row OF piers.
and SO on until the task is finished.
The new slip, No. >. together with a
hydraulic apron, The invention of Chief
-: Engineer Howard c. Holmes of the Har-
Dor Board, will be ready for use the early
part of next week. When 1t Is IN working
orier the brOad-gauge ferries will use
slip 4 and the narrow-gauge ferries slip 5.
A temporary approach is now being built
to the latter.
The south wing Of slip will have TO be
removed for a distance of about thirty feet
TO admit OF a plledrlver passing through it
into the basin al the north section of the
depot. Work on section of the seawall
will then be started.
The German bark Philip Nelson has
been chartered to carry nearly a full cargo
of California wines and brandies to Ger
many. 1t is not unusual for our wines TO
be shipped to Europe, but it is not often
that they are shipped in such bulk as the
charterers of the Nelson propose to trans
port them.
The Nelson is chartered by Schacht,
Lemcke d Steiner, but the firm is only act
ing for up-country vineyards and distiller-
les and refuses TO diYulge the names OF its
customers.
:. I'VE have been shipping wine to Ger
many right along" said a member of the
firm, 'and our venture is not new one
But we are, however. sending a pretty
large cargo out this time"
e. The Nelson will carry phosphates and
canned goods in addition to her several
hundred tons of liquors.
A gentleman named Cohn, who halls
: from San Diego and who was al one time
Chief Of Police of that city, has been ap-
pointed, unknown TO press or public, to ill
the position of night Waterman al Wash
ington-stIeet wharf, vice George Gibson,
term expired. The appointment was made
ny tOluuloolOubI OHdu III lace OF
the. TACT that there were about SIX appll-
cants for the position deserving of recOgni-
ton by the Republican party.
The appoln lment Of outside men to fill
places on the San Francisco wafer front
has. raised much discussion among inter-
ested parties who think that persons ac-
quaiDted with the city and the front
should be given the preference.
About one year ago a certain gentleman
was brought out from the East to fill
whariager's position, and it is stated that
two more Eastern gentlemen are en- route
to receive favors at Mr.. Chadbourne's
hands.
The Hartley is again Laid up for re-
pairs" This is about the fourth time in
as many months She is having new bul-
wsrks forward built. The tug Mile has
been hired as a substitute.
BOatmen Ed Petersen and Tom Null
laney were out all day yesterday looking
Tor their stolen boats. Mullaney found
his boat al Harbor View tied to the wharf,
but Petersen's boat is still missing.
A Queenstown cable reports the British
ship NJ. h. Watson as having arrived on
the 18th from San Francisco. The Watson
lost three men Of her crew during the trip
They were washed over board.
Mat +. Smith and Thomas Hogan fought
on the front yesterday morning, were ar
rested and charged at the North Harbor
station with battery.
The British ship Somali is at Howard
wharf 1. She towed over yesterday morn
ing from Oakland Greek. where she has
been discharging 1000 Ions of Japanese
coal.
The Ranger has left for the Boring Sea.
The brig Galilee is on the drydock, being
recoppered.