The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1901-01-29
Is BEING USED TO CUT THROUGH
CORAL
Work on OutfaIl Sewer Likely to Pro-
coed at RAPID Rate With New APP
planes

Unless the plans of E. b. Edwards the
expert engineer of the sewer system,
and g. n. Smith of the street depart
ment misCarry the outfall sewer will
soon be finished. The gentlemen have
caused to be rugged up several very in
genlous COntrivances to aid the work
IN laying the outfall. Up to date one
of them has proved highly successful.
Strange to relate it is the identical
apparatus which was predicted would
prove impracticable. The contrivances
are y coral cutter and portable
uredger.
Mnen the former contractor was lay
ing the line of pipe he had the greatest
uiiuCuity in drllnng down through the
hard coral and it was the inability to
handle this material which led to his
failure to complete the contract. The
construction naturally fell back upon
the government and Engineer Edwards
was directed to proceed with the work.
The actual building was awarded to
Vincent and BelseT who laid the sewer
system but Edwards has charge of the
work. The first and main obstacle to
be overcome was digging q trench in
the coral in which to lay the pipe for
the outfall The old hand drilling pro-
cess was too SLOW so something speed
Ter had to be substituted.
Some time ago the government con-
struCted two immense iron chisels with
the idea Of digging coral with them. 1t
was decided to try to cut down the pipe
way by this means. Accordingly from
the point where the sewer pipe has
been laid, a double line of piers was
built. These piers run parallel and on
each was laid a track. A large car eX-
tending over both piers was built and
placed on trucks and on this car was
rugged up the coral cutter. The two
ChiselS which weigh about l4OO pounds
piece were fitted on the ends of two i'm
mcnse beams bringing the total weight
of each to nearly a ton and half.
These two shafts were placed upright
in a frame work in order that they
could be raised and lowered at Will.
Then with the aid of donkey engine,
they were raised to a heigh of per-
haps twenty-five feet above the water
similar to the means of handling pile
driver and then released. Inc result
was that when the 5000 pounds of tim
Der and keen bladed iron dropped
straight down into the water and
struck the coral the impact was suti1-
Cicnt to cut away the coral TO a depth
of several feet. The principle is SINH
lar to that of the guillotins where the
heavily weighted knife descends and
sewers the head of the victim, while
these heavy iron pointed shafts fall
onto the coral and cut it away.
These blades are shaped similar to
a carpenters chisel and taper from
foot square to q narrow blade a tOOJ III
width. The trench for the sewer pipe
is excayated exactly between the two
piers to a depth of at least four feet.
The width is about the same. These
cutters are operated one at a time,
the result being that each blade cuts
away space, foot square and at
least four feet in depth. The frame
work is adjustable so that the operator
can move it and at will and cut the
tn hn
the apparatus was first started it cut
only 10 and 10 feet a day but now the
average is much better, as high as -
feet having been made in single day.
In addition to the cutter the old gov
eminent dredger which holds half
cubic yard has been rugged up by Mr.
Ward of the government dredging de-
partment. and this will be put into use
this week throwing out the debris as 1t
is cut by the cutter. This dredger is
also rugged upon two trucks and can be
run backward and forward as occa-
sion requires The truck extends over
both tracks which are 15 feet apart:
It's combined weight is about 80 tons
and while at work the trucks are Sc
cured to the track by king bolts thus
giving a stronger brace to the truck IN
order that it can Withstand the strain
and not loose it's balance by the jar
ring of the dredger. About l,3OO feet
still remains to be laid and unless
very heavy strata of coral is encounter
ed the work should be completed with
in a couple of months.