Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1895-08-07
Hydraulic Caisson Sinking.

We were honored by an invitation to be
present in New York City, IN the 18th OF
July, to witness a system now being used for
the first time in the construction of founda-
tions for buildings, an invention of Col. W..
de Il. Washington, a native of this county,
and regret we could not be there. From the
New York and Chicago Mercantile and FL
nancial Times we make brief extracts from
an extended description of this hydraulic
csissOn sinking
"On the afternoon of Thursday, July Is,
a distinguished and important gathering OF
architects, builders, contractors, engineers,
property owners and reporters gathered at
the corner of Exchange Place and Broad
street, New York City, for the purpose OF
making a critical examination of a new Sys-
tenn of sinking foundations for buildings,
which is being used for the first timei in con-
nection with such work on the site OF the
proposed sixteen.story Johnston Building
to be there erected. This system was origl-
mated by Mr.. w. de H. Washington, Assoc.
NJ. Soc. G. E., one of the most brilliant and
successful representatives of the engineering
profession to be met with at the present day.
The system itself is controlled by the by
draulic Construction Company, Of l45
Broadway, New York, under whose auspices
the exhibition or private view was given
The contract of the Hydraulic Construc-
ton Company covers the furnishing of forty
four caissons, the sinking of them to the
solid rock, and the removal of the earth and
water inside them. The sinking of the en-
tire set of c~aissons is to be completed in fifty
days. The interior Of each is to be exca'
waited, q concrete bottom put in and the rest
filled with brick masonry to the level OF the
grillage supporting the column. The cais-
sons themselves are described as being lap
iointed steel cylinders, built up in telescope
sections, each about six feet high, and COM
posed of two, three or four sheets. The to-
tai height averages about twenty-seven feet,
and the diameters are from about FIVE to
about thirteen feet. The proper function OF
the c~aissons is to act as shields during the
construction of the foundation proper, and
they have nothing to do with carrying the
ultimate load.
"Mr. Washington, it should be said, is
general manager of the Hydraulic Construc-
ton Company. Mr.. H. w. Brinckerhof is
consulting and supervising engineer.
"The load which is to be placed upon the
foundations now being constructed is stated
at 10000 tons, varying from 342 tons to
1,O44 tons per column. The cylinders are
proportional to give a pressure of about
Is! tons per square foot on the brick work
and about 10 tons per square loot on rock.
Competent authorities present at the trial
view were unanimous in declaring that Mr..
Washington has given to the world one OF
the great inventions of the age, and one
whose destiny must be to reyolutionize ex-
listing methods. 1t is a system that is capa-
BILE of a great variety of applications. as the
professional reader can readily perceive
One Of the points which was specially com
msnted on is The fact that by this method
neighboring buildings are not endangered,
as they are by the methods heretofore en-
ployed. This is because the earth, etc, re-
mains in place until the caisson is sunk
The excavation of the soil within the cylin-
der involves no displacement of that which
is exterior to it."
The Scientific American of August 3 has
an illustrated page concerning this inyen-
ton.