20 Transactions. — Miscellaneoiis. 



clearing away the ground under tlie sleepers. The mode of raising the eai'th 

 was by means of a shallow i)'on box, which was pushed out under the bottom 

 edge of tlie 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 the tide. 



So soon as a length of 18 ft. 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 ofi' to the length required, and driven down their full 

 depth, in order to save the expense of cutting off the ])iles under watei*. 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 stra])s 

 and bolts. The angle irons being loosened, the head of the pile to be di-iven 

 was inserted between them, the irons, or guides, being screwed 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 dxiven down. When down to the required 

 depth, the dummy was lifted off with the steam-ci'ab, which was then available 

 to pi'oceed 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 di-opped 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 diop])ed 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 



