Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1891-08-04
HYDRAULIC MONITORS.
THE INCREDIBLE FORCE or THE
STREAMS THEY THROW.
Msas,aiss uss. Bess Moved. valleys
Dag Ost asa the whale Fsse sf Natsrs
Changed .. r.r,. .f Csilf.r~ls by s..ii
Streams ef F.iii.s Water.

Dag oa, ..a the whale F.se sf Mature
Changed is r.rts .f Caiif.s~is by s.ssii
s,r..~s es FAii,.s ws,s.
One % the most noteworthy features
In many portions of the gold rcgion is
the elaborate system Of water supply Tor
the usc % the hydraulic mines and the
tremendous changes which were the re-
sui, Of the few years during which hy-
drAulicking was y, it, height ~ great
have been these chans~-hills washed
away. valleys hlled up. Others GRATED
,ha, Ia many localities the entire land.
scaIs has le.n altered.
The old Iroyerb ascrib.ng the power
10 remove mountains 10 snchas had faith
only 10 the amount % agrain % mus
,ari se,sl ha. never BEEN cS,mplif~l.
but the hydraulic miners have afforded
IN. most ample demonstration u their
ability 90 move mountains In the scarch
81 wealth Lofty mountains have In
fact lscn brought low through no other
agency than the pils line. the monitor
and the sluice. AMI the tremendous Pow.
cr - water never r,oeiy~l such an cxcm.
rliicaiion a. Ia the history q the hy-
dranlic mines 20 California
Ihcrc ar, inlcs,l ~ many rvinaikabls
facts connected Herewith that, were
they no, abuulantly subs,antiatc,i. one
nigh, well h. parloncl for rccciyins
their relation with incrcduli,y. On.
mIg ght not believe that q sirvam - water
issuing FROM nozzle ~ pipc sik inches
Ia diameter. anl with no other turv- but
gravity behind Il. would have much II.
feet al any c0nsilcrab ble distance trOm the
aIsftur. y,t such an apparently insig
uiiicant s,rylm. with fall behind u 10
a.i feet. will carry away solid boulder
weighing q ton 80 mor- at a disianc. ~
fifty o. loo fcci. while at a les distance
IL will toss such bowlicr abou, as boy
vonli ihuw aI-bblc.
TuwTR oF WATER
The velocity aud turc,of such str.am
~ u issncs frDm the nozzle ~ the mon.
i,or I. something terrific. TIE column
% water IL snlid-so solii that II one
wcro io undertake o. thrust any object
into u u would make ~ inorv impr,s.
siou than N u were iron Instead II
liquid n CrDwlar 90 other heavy ob.
Jet D. thrust against the stream !,
would D. sulichrd frum the hand and
thrown o. great distance a. u u werr
feather weight, while the man who
should firmly grasp an an and aiicmp,
g. cut thrush the sir,am would un'lcr'
80 an experience that be- would rrtncn.
bcr fur many a lAy
N anan WIZ a. rrCyiye the full force
~ such q sir-am az distance ~ q couple
~ huulrvl fy~i. cYsn though the impact
L. inumsn,afy. Il. would H. killvl a.
quickly a. though struck by cannon
b-ll. H. might cscapr b,ing msngls-l.
bat the hraih would l- mos; ciicciually
ani suddenly expelled frOm his b.ly.
At 500 f,gt frum the nozzle o.inch
sirsum. with 3;5 let fall. swung mo.
n-nianly against the trunk of tire
will dcnudo u iu u s.yund ~ the heaviest
bark a. cl,anly NJ N au AK hal b'cn
usssl Whenever sucl a siram Il tnru-i
against "a gravel hank u cuts AMI bur.
ruys into u In every dir,ytiun. FUng,ng
oct grcat caves. causing thousands II
tons ~ earth io fall, which In turn l.
quickly disiutc cyn,c,l anil wash"d into
the sluic,-l
BnwldcS - L"ayy that a mAn can
scafcrly lft them ar, tossed about like
Chad. stumI~ anl trunks u tps, are
thrown o. one side like siraws. AMI the
work ~ destruction gu-s CA at a lacc
that l. appalling II onc who ha. never
se,n a monitor m Or-raiioa under full
h.al could imagur the ordinary stream
irum a iirr ho,s lnhguiiicl about u thou.
saui times b. would IT, able Ia form some
conception ~ iis power
uiE MONITOR ~ ACTION.
The water i, brought In oI-u ditche-
% tlum'-. s1meiiIns, from grca, dis
tanc.. aruund muantain sides AMI acru.s
valleys anil rJ.yines When the vicinity
q the mine l. r,achcl box j. pa, Ia,
from which a pip, conducts the water 10
the point where IL /. a. b. usei I, l.
tho distance between this box and the
level Of the monitor that gives the pr~s.
urc With frun JJO to 80 feet fall the
execution ,lonr l. tremendous
~ the monitor the water l. conducted
into It'll smaller pipe. with nozzle
about ihirl the siEs ~ the supply
rip-. the compassion giving II s,ill
gry7,icr force. The monitor Is construct.
cl something like the ordinary h0>- n.z.
ale. bu, has ball joint that Permits u
to D. swung in any direction. Almost
the weight of n finger will suffice % di-
rect the movement
Easily a. II u managed. however. the
monitor sometimes b-com-- uncontrol.
lallr. and when this hspiens a scene Of
destruction and even death ensues. Tn.
pipe sways a. aud fro at it, own yolition.
anl the strcan fiics first Ia one direction
aud then IN another II the miners
are not warned In time to get out of
range they may IT, moved down ~ II
hy the discharge ~ yolley % grapr.
Sometimes the runaway monitor seem.
~ II manipulated 10y some bloodthiriy
monster. AMI appcIrs 10 be deliberately
turned upon the fleeing men, following
them a. they fy In every direction and
oycFtakiug them before they can reach
plac. Of safety.
When a monitor gets away from con
irOl In this manner there arc two things
that can h, done. The water may be
shut 81 a, the headgate. proccss In
volvins much delay aud perhaps los, or
souic brave man may rush in and get Ia
the monitor without being struck 10y the
stream. To Do this r,,luires agility and
pluck. The s,rcam Is liable 10 box the
c0mpaSs inside Of minute. and its
.ourss must h. watched and the probable
direction noted. Then over the rough
surface the man must hasten. careful
not Ia make nissiep. and at the same
time reaiy to H., should the cratic
stream betray = tendency ~ change its
course - ~ to endangrr life.-San Fran
ciico Chronicle.
wabs.h's itastiisg K~pertss
I