French geologist Jacques Triger invented the pneumatic caisson in 1839, using compressed air to excavate underwater shafts. This technique, first used in mining, revolutionized underwater construction by allowing workers to operate in dry, pressurized conditions, and was soon adopted for bridge and tunnel foundations worldwide.

Triger's pneumatic caisson, a triumph of engineering over the watery elements, became a symbol of the industrial age's ability to reshape the landscape. This technology, and the 'caisson disease' it sometimes caused, entered the public consciousness and inspired poets and writers who explored the human cost of progress, from the works of Émile Zola to the socially conscious poetry of the Victorian era.