statements as to the "bearing value and friction on piles," but believes
that he is indulging in pure theory in some of his succeeding remarks,
wherein he ascribes to arch action the results which he believes would
be observed if "a long shaft be withdrawn vertically from moulding
sand." These phenomena would be due rather to capillary action and the
resulting cohesion.

Naturally, the writer doubts the author's conclusions as to the pressure
at the top of large square caisson shafts when he states that "the
pressure at the top * * * will * * * increase proportionately to the
depth." Again, the author is apparently not conversant with experiments
made by the Dock Department of New York City, concerning piles driven in
the Hudson River silt, which showed that a single heavily loaded pile
carried downward with it other unloaded piles, driven considerable
distances away, showing that it was not the pile which lacked in
resistance, as much as the surrounding earth.

In conclusion, the writer heartily concurs with the statement that "too
much has been taken for granted in connection with earth pressures and
resistance," and he is sorry to be forced to add that he believes the
author to be open to the criticism which he himself suggests, that "both
in experimenting and observing, the engineer [and in this case the
author] will frequently find what is being looked for or expected and
will fail to see the obvious alternative."


FRANCIS L. PRUYN, M. AM. SOC. C. E. (by letter).--Mr. Meem
should be congratulated, both in regard to the highly interesting
theories which he advances on the subject of sand pressures--the
pressures of subaqueous material--and on his interesting experiments in