The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1911-05-05
Few Leaks Develop When
Water Is Lowered
in Section.
PUMPS ON ELEVATOR
Concrete Work to Begin
This Week---Sheet
PiIing Holds.
lTrom Thnsday 8 Advertiser.l

(ETOm 1nuISudy . fA0NOAtASOA.J
Millions of gallons of water were
pumped out of the first caisson section
of two hundred feet of the Pearl Har-
Dor drydock yesterday and by night
fall the contractors were enabled to
appreciate that the sheet piling which
surrounds the section has been well
placed for very little water penetrated
from the harbor.
They were anxious hours for the con-
tractors, for this is the very crux OF
the entire work of building the dry
dock. But there is no failure in the
work attempted by Contractor Smith,
who has completed many government
Jobs in the past twenty years. By to-
night the entire section will be pumped
out and then there will be exposed a
hole sixty feet deep in which will be
revealed the framework of what APP
pears to be five-story building. With
the water entirely pumped out the
work of filing in the bottom with con-
crete will be started and the hole
depth will be reduced to thirty-fve
feet.
The drydock base is to be over 800
feet long. The work of Concreting it
will be carrier on in two-hundred foot
long sections. Each section is fitted
with false crib work, in stories, max.
ing Ave for the whole excavation, and
each section is then enclosed in
tOngue-and,groOve sheet piling.
A Mighty Work.
This alone has been a mighty work.
Great sticks of lumber have been put
end to end to form pile SIXTY nees
lol.g. The bottom end is shod witn
iron. Each piece is fitted on one slde
With groove and the other side has
a tongue. In this way the pieces are
fitted to the ones already driven Gown
nv the nile driver. forming a tight
wooden wall around the section. But
even then the contractor knew small
leaks would develop The diver has
been sent down to inspect every crack.
few days ago the pumps were set
to work to tryout the sheet plhng.
After working for some time 1t was
fonnd that there were leaks. The con-
tractor collected all the sawdust which
has accumulated about the yards and
while the pumps were going the saw
dust was thrown into the water sur
rounding the outside of the walls The
snetion of the pumps caused the saw
dust To be drawn into the cracks and
this has served as caulking material
The diver has also used saileloth
against cracks.
Yesterday morning at nine o'elock
the two electric pumps erected on the
outer end of tho eribbing were set az
work in earnest The water was pump
ed out at the rate of about half
million gallons per hour. Two feet o.
water was pumped out every hour ane
in the afternoon the entire upper story
of the false crib work was exposed
Only one pump was kept going las
night, as one had to be lowered dow
closer to the surface Of the remaining
water.
Ingenious Methods.
In the arrangement of the pump
the contractor has shown the same in
genious methods as in other parts o.
his work. The two pumps are placed
q on platforms which are really eieva
tors. The whole structure, pumps
pipes, dynamos and all, can be lowered
or raised as required. Both pump
will be going in full blast today 81
that by this evening the excavation
may be empty of water, save perhaps
what may develop from springs.
When working on the Mare Island
drydock the contractor found tina
when all the water was pumped on
that the false crib work had duty Il
perform. The immense pressure of wa
ter from the outside strained at tn
sheet piling walls until the heads o
timbers were crushed and broken. Il
the bottom of the excavation tn
straining of timbers resembled tn
shooting Of revolvers. That is tn
reason why 80 much labor, material
energy, engineering skin and axiety
conferred on the inner construction
The false crib work holds the wall
firmly against entertainments OF waite
from the outside.
All by Machinery.
The contractor has prepared for tn
moment when the excavation is dry
On the land md Of the dock grea
bins have been built for the reception
OF the two or three classes Of Foel
which are being Quarried in the eanyoi
leading 10 Wahfawa One thoasanl
IONS OF rock per day Is TO be dsliverei
Into the bins. The Oahu Railroad com
pany has the contract for anpplyinl
the rock from the new quarry and th
company Il using new steel dump ear
for the purpose. The cars ere run d
en inclined railroad over the bins int
which the rock Il dumped.
From this bin section q railway, ~
der the hFat one, runs out 70 8 big she
ia which Is Heated the mixing hoppHl
Thla d 8 gigantic machine IA uhish ~
krnhas ana erithsa afa.s.a T. ..I...If IL