SCHUYLKILL PERMANENT BRIDGE. 



67 



the whole progress of the work. When the dam was sunk, 

 notwithstanding all the precautions we took, it burst open at 

 the South West comer, we then had recourse to clamping it.'* 

 [Mr. i? then proceeds to give a detailed account of the 



means taken, with the advice of the committee, for securing 

 the dam. It, however, burst again, and other remedies were 

 applied, so that they began to puddle. Preparations were 

 made for pumping, and caulkers were employed to caulk the 

 joints of the sheet piling, which was not only weak and with- 

 out substance of timber, but was not ploughed, tongued, or 

 grooved. The leakages increased, and some of the puddle 

 was dug out, and the residue rammed ; yet the leaks conti- 

 nued along" the pile ties^ which upon every trial were found 

 to be the cause in a great measure, of the misfortunes, from 

 the bad construction of the dam. Remedies were applied, but 

 still the evil prevailed. Caulking began to be efficacious, and 

 enabled them to pump out the water, and see the long looked 

 for bottom of the river.] " When the water was nearly out 

 of the lower side, the dam suddenly gave way at the bottom, 

 caused by the pile-casing being cut square, and not accom- 

 modated to the rugged and uneven bottom." [The blowing 

 of the dam and bottom leakages were alarming. Plans to 

 counteract this evil were projected, and applied with great 

 labour and exertions. The chain pumps were worked by 

 horses. Expectation was raised, and suddenly disappointed. 

 The dam gave way, behind the chain pumps, which however, 

 " were kept at work by the labourers with great resolution" 

 until the carpenters had secured this part of the work ; and 

 the chain pumps continvied at work, and the difficulty was 

 overcome. He then states the reasons why the disasters oc- 

 curred ; which are attributed to the radically bad plan of the 

 dam, which was now amended " by throwing off the outside 

 row, and substituting " the stone barrier in its room outside; 

 and the puddle inside, which answered the purpose effectually^^ 

 The report proceeds to state that, 



