Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1901-07-19

heavy air-pressure was admitted from
the caisson, and the temperature rap
idly increased 20 degrees or more.
"The experienced ones took long
breaths, closed their lips, and pinched
their nostrils tightly together, at the
same time making strong efforts te
blow through them, and thus tending
to balance in the lungs and head the
increased pressure outside the body
After few seconds the engineer closed
the valve, and every one rested a mo
ment. Then the process was repeated
again and again. The least unpleas
ant sensation experienced was similar
to that felt by a diver when the water
has penetrated his ears, and the more
disagreeable ones were very severe
pains through the head. Finally, af
ter about five minutes the pressure be
came equal to that in the working
chamber, a trapdOor in the bottom OF
lock was opened, and swinging down
ward, permitted the visitors to crawl
singly through small circular hole in
the floor and descend ladder in a
three-foot shaft to the bottom of the
working chamber.
Here the thick foggy atmosphere
was saturated with moisture and faint.
ly illuminated by incandescent lights
Overhead was the solid roofs support
ing thousands Of toms Of masonry. On
either side massive timber walls divid.
ed the great chamber into long gal.
leries whose extremities were lost in
the darkness, and which were crossed
here and there by great beams and
heavy iron rods. Some distance be.
low the bottoms OF the walls, which
really looked like huge ceiling beams,
was the irregular surface of the pit,
dug into all manner OF hills and val
leys. projecting masses and deep holes.
Here were large boulders, and there
beds of solid clay or pools OF thick
muddy water, and everything was dark
and grimy and oozing with water and
slime. No distinct noises could be
heard from the surface OF the river
nearly 100 feet above, but the air
seemed oppressive, voices were thin
and weak, and it was difficult to hear
distinctly. The temperature was over
80 degrees, even in cold weather.
When o dynamite charge was ex-
ploded it was only necessary to retreat
few steps behind a timber wall. Per-
haps some one attempted To whistle,
and found that with the utmost effort
it was impossible on account of the
tremendous pressure to blow against.
To leave the caisson, the party entered
the air lock, pulled up the trap-door
with a small set OF pulleys and rope
and opened another valve which very
gradually released the air pressure.
"On leaving their work, the Sand
Hogs as the caisson men are called,
enter lounging room, which is steam.
heated to high temperature, and are
literally provided with strong black
coffee. Every provision is made for
their comfort and welfare, and when
they are temperate and careful, few Of
them suffer seriously from their dan.
gerous work, but as their wages are
very high and leisure abundant, temp
tations for dissipation arc correspond
ingly great.
1t is often impossible TO persuade
them to take sufficient care and rest,
avoid stimulants, and have proper
diet, 90 that frequent cases of the
bends, or caisson disease, have oc.
CURED. This sometimes takes the
form Of q collapse, paralysis, or faint.
ing fits when the man emerges from
the caisson, or it may be cramps or
resemble rheumatism, and cause great
pain in the joints. II it is a serious
case, the sufferer is Immediately taken
to the hot.room, and treated by stimu-
lants, massage, and the methods en-
ployed to restore animation to partly
drowned person. The patient usually
responds to this treatment, and is able
to continue his work after q short
time. No fatal cases OF the bends
have occurred on this work. but they
frequently do in deep caisson work.
"As the compression OF the air
which is forced into the caisson devel.
ops an enormous amount of heat, it is
necessary to cool it artificially so as to
make the temperature endurable for
the workmen. In cold weather this
has been effected by discharging jet
of water into the air-pipe so as to
evaporate in fine spray, but in the
summer this did not suffice, and so
the air supplied was carried after COM
preston through coil, nearly . mile
long. of small pipes suspended below
the surface of the river.
"When the caisson leaned little
from the vertical, it was easily righted
by excavating more under one edge
and increasing the load there. When
solid rock was reached it was cleaned
off and the surface approximately
leveled in steps, then buckets of con-
crete we're lowered through the shaft
and emptied and rammed in solid lay.
ers. filling the caisson and shafts.
The concreting work was particularly
severe and disagreeable, both because