Show 1 UNUSUAL engineering WORK the successful mine manager shows great ingenuity in solving the various problems with which he comes in contact an instance is related in a recent issue of the standard anaconda montana in which the mine superintendent saved the company a considerable sum this i is the story as clipped from that paper in the un watering of the butte zenith city mine in the west butte district an unusual piece of engineering work was carried through successfully at a saving of fully in addition to the time saved the duplex sinking pump that was on the foot level was allowed to remain in the station in a horizontal position when operations at the mine ceased two years ago the purpose was to have it there for any emergencies to act as a station pump the shaft filled with water up to a point within feet of the surface when the watering unwavering un of the shaft was decided upon superintendent W D gibson decided to try out the duplex pump although it was under feet of water it was connected onto the main air line in the pump shaft the air connections were found to be all right and the air was turned into the air column and the pump started in less than five minutes although it had been down for fifteen months it ran steadily until the water had been lowered sixty five feet and then trouble with the compressor caused the pump to stop it looked for a time as if further efforts to start the pump would be useless they got the air going again but the pump refused to work then gibson hit on a plan of backing the thing up or shoving the plunger back he turned pounds pressure on the air column and released the pressure on the water column in less than ten minutes the pump started and was kept in continuous operation until the station was uncovered and the entire shaft the pump was found to be in good condition and it will be kept in continuous operation to keep the shaft free of water until the motor on the new electric pump is set and put into service |