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Show SWAMP BUGGY PUT TO WORK BYKENNECOTT A wheelless swamp buggy has gone to work ahead of schedule on the huge tailings pond of the Utah Copper Division Arthur and Magna Mills. Unloaded from a railroad flat car late last week, the unique vehicle made trial runs over the surface of the tailings pond the same day, said P. H. Ensign, mills superintendent, and then went to work. Although not expected to engage in actual dust abatement work until around May I, Mr. Ensign said the swamp buggy has already been used to plow dry areas of the pond, open lateral irrigation furrow and carry men and equipment to difficult to reach areas for maintaining the inter-connected rotating spray system. sys-tem. "The vehicle has performed very satisfactorily so far, and we have high hopes that it will prove an effective tool in solving the problem prob-lem of dust during high wind storms," said Mr. Ensign, Later, the swamp buggy may be equipped with tanks and used to spray crusting agents over dry areas not lending themselves to irrigation with wet tailings. Various Var-ious known crusting agents are now being tested. When a satisfactory satisfac-tory agent is found, this phase of the work will get Underway. Although the frame and cab are similar to a conventional truck, the swamp buggy travels on six large, sausage shaped pneumatic bags. The bags float the vehicle, even with heavy loads, over normally impassable land. Modifications to meet the peculiar pecu-liar needs of dust abatement work include a three-point suspension hitch, standard hitch and front and rear power winches. "Purchase of the buggy is part of the Utah Copper Division's continuing con-tinuing effort to solve the dust problems at the tailings pond," said Mr. Ensign. The Division has spent several hundred thousand dollars on dust abatement work in recent years This unique swamp buggy is presently engaged in dust abatement abate-ment work on the Utah Copper Division's tailings pond near Magna. Mag-na. It is being used to plow dry areas, open lateral irrigation ditches and transport man and equipment. t |