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of cast iron, or solid wrought iron, steel pointed at bottom edge, so as to give clearance for upper sections of 
tube. 11 made ol wrought iron, the cylinders will be constructed with one or two thicknesses of wrought 
iron plates. \\ here one thickness is used the plates may be joined together inside with fish-plates, allowing - 
the cylinders to be perfectly plain and free from projections outside. Where two thicknesses are used, each 
thickness to overlap the other about three inches, forming spigot and lancet points for coupling tubes 
together. All the rivets countersunk inside and out. The inner and outer thicknesses are quite parallel, 
and free from inequalities, the lowermost cylinder to bo of solid wrought iron, steel pointed at bottom edge, 
so as to give clearance for upper sections of tube. When required, the tubes will he cast or fitted with 
internal segment flanges, leaving a rectangular opeuing and way or skids for the working up and down of 
cages or other rectangular means cf conveyance (method shown on plan No. 6). All the cylinders to be 
lined (when the condition of the surrounding strata requires it) with brickwork, laid in cement, so as to 
form a substantial shaft. At the top or head of the tubing is an entrance and equalizing chamber (herein¬ 
after called the entrance chamber), the bottom of which rests on the top of the uppermost cylinder. Tim 
entrance chamber is to be made of cast, or wrought iron. It is to be provided with a stuffing box or flanged 
joint fitted inside of the tubing, so as to make the joint between the tube and entrance chamber perfectly 
air-tight. The entrance chamber is also to be provided with air-tight entrance door on the side, and com¬ 
munication door on the bottom between the entrance chamber and tube, also with windlass working through 
stuffing boxes as shown on plan, mullock tip holding about ten cubic feet for tubes of four feet in diameter, 
deadlight fitted on the sides of entrance chamber; spring-balance, safety-valve pressure gauges, one for the 
tube and one for the entrance chamber. Also two air pipes, one for the chamber, and the other for the 
tube, each pipe to be provided with two high-pressure steam valves inside entrance chamber, for the purpose 
of filling the tube and entrance chamber with compressed air, and releasing compressed air from the tube and 
entrance chamber. The entrance chamber will also be fitted with a water-pipe leading to the bottom of the 
tube for the purpose of blowing out any water or soft material that may accumulate in the tube when the 
workmen are below. The pipes to be provided with steam-tight valves. The entrance chamber will also 
be provided with telephones for communication between persons inside it and those outside. The head of the 
entrance chamber is acted upon by hydraulic rams placed immediately above. The entrance chamber is 
movable, and can be shifted from over the excavation beneath it, so as to allow of the sections of the tube 
being inserted from time to time as required. When a section of tubing is in its proper position, and the 
entrance chamber in its place above the tubing, the hydraulic rams force the entrance chamber and all the 
tubing below it downwards. When the tubing has been forced down far enough to permit of another section 
of tubing being introduced, the entrance chamber is drawn up again, moved to one side, another section of 
tubing introduced, the entrance chamber placed in position, and the operation of forcing the tubing down¬ 
wards is by these means repeated from time to time. In the event of any obstruction to forcing the tubing 
down, workmen are admitted to the entrance chamber through the air-tight door. Compressed air is then 
admitted into the chamber and tube as by an outside attendant required until the pressure of the atmosphere 
within the tube exceeds the resistance of the water therein, and forces it to the bottom of the tube, and out 
under the bottom edge of the tube. 
The current of water passing outward under the bottom edge of the tube will force minor obstructions 
from it and allow it to descend rapidly. If there should be any large obstructions in the way, workmen 
descend the tube by means of ladders and remove them. If the descent of the tube should bo obstructed by 
any permanent obstruction not removable by the means aforesaid, an inner tube to be inserted at the locality 
of the obstruction, leaving an annular space of about two inches between such inner tube and the outer one. 
The space to be filled with cement and caulking, and fibrous material which will find its way under the 
bottom of the outer tube, making a water-tight joint betweeu the drift and the permanent obstruction or bard 
country. Where the use of hydraulic rams is unnecessary, the sand drift or other strata within the tube 
would be removed by means of a dredger. The dredger to be cylindrical and of any required diameter and 
length or depth, constructed of wrought or cast iron or steel, fitted with inlet scoops or scrapers and valves, 
and is to be worked by the application of wrought-iron hanging rods made in suitable lengths, and coupled 
together aud driven by bevel or mitre gearing, either by manual labour or steam power. As the tube descends 
into the sand, drift, or other like strata, the tube will be filled with water (by means of pumping) to a level 
equal to that of the water outside the tube. The water in the tube will prevent the sand or drift from 
rising up in the tube from external pressure, and the dredge will work at the bottom of the tube under the 
water. 
The plans accompanying the specification are as follow :— 
No. 1 plan shows sections of shaft and strata, with hydraulic rams, entrance chamber, and wrought or 
cast-iron tube in position. 
No. 2 plan is general plan showing triangular systems of tube sinking, with poppet-heads and 
gearing. 
No. 3 plan shows half section and elevation of entrance chamber and details. 
No. 4 plan shows half section and elevations of tubing and stuffing box. 
No. 5 and 6 plan shows half section and elevation of cast-iron tube. 
No. 7 plan shows dredging apparatus. 
The inventors make a special claim for novelty in the design and construction of entrance chamber 
and tubes, and for the method of the application of hydraulic power in forcing the tubes through the loose 
sand, drift, and the like Strata without the necessity of pumping the water out of the shaft, and in the design 
and construction and application of dredging apparatus, and in the application of telephonic communication 
between interior and exterior of entrance chamber. 
Respecting the difficulties of sinking through drift in the Smeaton district,. 
Mr. Mining Surveyor Stevenson has, at my request, furnished the department with 
the following report, dated 17th July, 1884 :— 
The Berry Consols is the only company that has failed in sinking its shaft. The shaft was sunk to 
a depth of 315 feet 6 inches when the drift commenced to boil, rising 39 feet in the pump shaft and 8 feet 
in the windiug shaft. The shaft was then cleaned out and sunk to a total depth of 317 feet, when a drift 
