Engineering Wonders of the World
Volume I

THE STORY OF THE SEVERN TUNNEL. 83 ground where was to be the bottom of the pumping-pit, excavated a space, and bricked it round. A bore hole was then sunk from the workings into this space, which served to carry away the water encountered as the sink- ing of the shaft proceeded from above, into the winding-pit, whence it was easily pumped to the surface. While these works were in progress the big pump for the Iron Pit had been put in posi- tion with much difficulty, and at last started. But, alas, for the hopes of Pump the engineers! A few hours Accident. after the pumping had begun the new pump burst, the beam of the engine “ ran loose ” for a time, making a tremendous racket, and the work of months was undone in a few moments. However, undismayed by this further disaster, Mr. Walker lost no time in getting out the pump rods—great baulks of timber 15 inches square and 45 feet long, with heavy iron mountings— and the rising main, which consisted of 9-foot lengths of 40-inch wrought-iron pipes. It need scarcely be said that this was a slow and laborious task. A new pump was ordered and installed, and a fresh attempt to empty the workings was made. This time no failure occurred, and the water was lowered 154| feet. Mr. Walker j now decided to close the door in the long drainage heading under the river, which had been left open when the Great Spring burst in. The great difficulties attending the task were, first, that the work would have to be done by a diver, as it was impossible to empty the heading ; and, second, that the door was 1,000 feet from the shaft. Three divers were engaged for the job. On the leader, named Lambert, Divers devolved the responsibility for employed, walking up the heading, draw- ing 1,000 feet of air-hose after him, closing the door in the head wall, and screwing down a 12-inch sluice-valve, so as THE LATE MR. T. A. WALKER, Contractor for the Severn Tunnel Works. to stop all communication with the farther part of the heading under the Shoots. To use Mr. Walker’s own words, Lambert “ started on his perilous journey armed with only a short iron bar, and carefully groped his way in total darkness over the debris which strewed the bottom of the heading, past up- turned skips, tools, and lumps of rock, which had been left in the panic of 1879, until he reached within 100 feet from the door, when he found it was impossible to drag the air- hose after him, as it rose to the top of the heading, and its friction against the rock and the head-trees offered greater resistance than he could overcome. He, however, would not give up without an effort, and he pluckily sat down and drew some of the hose to him, and then started on again; but after one or two vain efforts he found it impossible to proceed, and was obliged to return to the shaft defeated.”