20 Transactions.— Miscellaneous. 
clearing away the ground under the sleepers. The mode of raising the earth 
was by means of a shallow iron box, which was pushed out under the bottom 
edge of the bell as soon as tilled, the box being lifted on to the punts, and the 
material thrown into a boat and removed. A rope was attached inside the 
bell to enable the box to be pulled in to the bell again when emptied and 
lowered to the bottom ; and a trigger, or piston, passed through the top of 
the bell, afforded means of signalling when it was necessary to raise or lower 
the bell with the rise and fall of tbe tide. 
So soon as a length of 18ft. of ground had been cleared and levelled by 
means of the bell piles were driven in their proper positions under the 
sleepers ; they were cut off to the length required, and driven down their full 
depth, in order to save the expense of cutting off the piles under water. To 
drive them, a dummy pile, of the requisite length of the same section as the 
pile to be driven, was used ; strong angle irons were placed on each corner, 
projecting about 3 ft. beyond the lower end, and were secured with iron straps 
and bolts. The angle irons being loosened, the head of the pile to be driven 
was inserted between them, the irons, or guides, being serewed up tight, thus 
securing the head of the pile in its proper position. The pile was then dropped 
into its place, and driven down to the required depth. When driving piles, 
two pile-engines were kept in use; the pile being fixed into the dummy 
one, while the other was being driven down. When down to the required 
deptb, the dummy was lifted off with the steam-crab, which was then available 
to proceed with the pile on the second engine. As the water deepened it was 
found necessary to provide some means to guide the point of the pile into its 
proper place, and this was effected by means of L iron frames placed on the 
small carriage used for lowering out the ways. These frames were made to 
run on wheels bolted to the sides of longitudinal beams, cross pieces being 
fixed 3 ft. apart on the frames, through which a bolt was dropped into a hole 
in the beam to keep it to its proper gauge. When it was required to drive 
piles, this carriage, with the frames on, was lowered out to the end of the 
ways already laid, the diver being stationed below at the same place ; a pile 
being ready to drive was then lowered down to the diver, who, having placed 
the iron frame to the required distance, guided the pile in between rollers 
provided for the purpose at the end of the frame, and then dropped it slowly on 
to the ground ; on one blow being given to it, the rollers were removed and 
the iron frame pushed back clear of the pile, the diver then proceeding to 
place the next pile in position. ` 
On the completion of a length of piles sufficient for 18 ft. in length of ways, 
the carriage was pulled up out of the water, and a section of the ways and 
sleepers built together on it ready for lowering into its place, the sling chains 
being fixed in place and buoyed with a small rope and buoy to enable them to 
