Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-05-23
HYDRAULIC MONITORS.
me Ainese Incredible Force q t. Screams
They Throw.


me Ainese Incredible Force q shs Screams
They Throw.
From the San Francisco Chronicle.
One OF the most noteworthy features in many
poruons OF the gold region il the slaborats
syssem OF water supply for the use Of the hy-
drauiic mines and the tremendous changes
Wnien we're the result Of the few years during
"nien nydraulcking was ct its height So
great have been these changes-hills washed
away, valleys filed up, others created-that In
many localities the entire landscape has been
ai'ered. The old proverb ascribing the power
70 remove mountains to such as had faith only
70 the amount Of . grain Of mustard seed has
never been exempli6ed, but the hydraulic
miners have Afforded the most ample demon
strafion OF their ability 70 move mountains in
the search Of wealth. Lofty mountains have,
In fact, been brought low through no other
agency than the pipe line, the monitor and the
Aiuice, and the tremendous power Of water
never received such an exempliacatiou a. in the
history OF the hydraulic mines Of California
., ese are, indeed, 90 many remarkable facts
oounected herewith that, were they not abund-
sntiy suostantiAted, one might we'll be pardoned
tor receiving their relation with incredulity
one might not believe that Q stream of water
Issuing from q nozzle or pipe six inches in
SSlsnme,er, ana with no other force but gravity
oenina II. would have much effect at any con-
siderable distance from the aperture, yet such
an apparently Insignificant stream, with q fall
behind it Of 375 feet, will carry away . solid
boulder DC lo Weighing ton or more at q distance
OF % to 100 feet, while at less distance il will
toss such boulder about a . bow vould throw
pebble.
The velocity and force of such stream a. IL
issues from the nozzle Of the monitor 10 some
ming serrinc: The column of water il solid
30 SONG mat II one were to undertake TO thrust
any OBJECT into 1t 1t would make no more i'm
preston than il it were iron instead of LIQUID
Ii crowbar or other heavy object be thrust
against the stream il would be snatched from
the hand and thrown to . great distance q il
It were feather weight, while the man who
should nrmly grasp an ak and attempt to cut
through the stream would undergo an export
ence that he would remember for many Q day
III man were to receive the full force Of such
. stream at a distance of a couple Of hundred
feet, even though the impact be momentary,
he would be killed rs quickly as though struck
by cannon ball. He might escape being man.
gled, but the breath would be most effectually
and suddenly expelled from his body.
At 400 feet from the nozzle a six-inch stream
with S'S feet fall. swung momentarily against
the trunk Of tree will denude it in q second
OF the heaviest bark clearly as il an az
had been used Whenever such . stream 10
turned against q gravel bank il cuts and bur-
rows into 1t in every direction, gouging out
great caves, causing thousands Of tons of earth
to fall, which is in tuSn quickly disintegrated
and washed into the sluices. Boulders 90 heavy
that man can scarcely lift them are tossed
about like chat, stumps and trunks of trees
are thrown to one side like straws, and the
work Of destruction goes on at q pace that is
appalling. II one who has never seen o moni-
TOR In operation under full head could imagine
the ordinary stream from fire hose magnifed
about thousand times he would be able to
form some conception of its power.
The water is brought in open bitches or
numes, sometimes from . great distance.
around mountain sides and across valleys and
ravines. When the vicinity of the mine is
reached q box is put in, from which pipe con-
ducts the water TO the point where il Is to be
used 1t is the distance between this box and
the level Of the monitor that gives the pressure
With from 800 to $50 feet fall the execution
done is tremendous. At The monitor the water
Is conducted into q still smaller pipe with
nozzle about one-third the size OF the supply
pipe, the compression giving il still greater
force The monitor is constructed something
like the ordinary hose nozzle, but has a ball
joint that permits il to be swung in any direc-
ton. 1t is balanced with weights, and by
means OF an ingenious device known as q de-
Hector the tremendous stream can be turned In
any direction by the slightest force. Almost
the weight of finger will suffice TO direct he
movement.
Easily IS ii is managed, however. the moui-
tor sometimes becomes uncomfortable and
when this happens Q scene Of destruction and
even death ensues- The pipe sways TO and fro
at Its own volition and the stream flies first in
one direction and then in another. II the
miners are not warned in time TO get out of
range they may be moved down as il by the
discharge Of volley Of grape. Sometimes
the runaway monitor seems a. il manipulated
BY some bloodthirsty monster, and appears 70
be deiiberatsay turned upon the fleeing men,
Following them % they ny In every direction
and overtaking them before they can reach .
place OF safety. In one case q sluice tender
hearing an unusual noise, raised himself above
the edge OF the cut in which the sluices ran
jus: In time to receive the full stream square in
thrown into the sluice and washed away. When
found his body had not . stitch Of clothes
upon 1t, and apparently every bone in it was
broken.
When monitor gets away from control in
TINS manner there are two things that can be
done. The water may be shut of at the head
gate, process involving much delay and per-
maps loss, or some brave man may rush In and
get to the monitor without being struck by the
stream. To do this requires agility and pluck.
Inc stream Is liable to box the compass inside
OF minute and its course must be watched and
the probable direction noted Then over the
rough surface the man must hasten, careful not
to make a misstep, and at the same time ready
to nee should the erratic stream betray a ten
dency to change its course so as to endanRer
nav hSic AoNo oceu many Dalr-DreaQth es-
capes and some thrilling exhibitions Of bravery
under such circumstances as this, and il has
been only by the exercise Of the greatest COOL
ness and bravery that great loss Of property
and life has been prevented.
A. j. Bowie of this city in his work on hy-
draulic INNINGS states that the stream from n
six-inch nozzle, with $50 feet vertical pressure.
delivers blow equal TO SIS, 735 foot pounds per
second, equivalent to l,070 horse power. When
one comprehends this fact he will be abund-
antly prepared to believe almost ANYTHING that
could be said about the power exerted BY such
q stream.
With q force such as that exerted by the
stream from a monitor, it 10 apparent that a
tremendous amount OF material can be washed
away in q very short time. The quantity re-
moved depends, of course, upon its nature,
whether loose soil, ordinary gravel or cement
gravel In some places, under favorable cir
cumstances, as high as thirty-six cubic yards
to each inch OF water have been removed in
twenty-four hours. With flow Of 500 inches
the bulk removed each day is thus seen to be
enormous. In cement gravel the amount
handled daily is as little as three cubic Yards
per inch. The quantity handled daily il, how
ever, almost entirely dependent upon the grade
Of the sluices. In the case of the highest
amount just mentioned the stream had fall or
head OF $50 feet the banks were 100 feet high
and the sluices had grade Of one inch to the
foot, while 1000 inches Of water were used.
Under such conditions and with such results it
must be apparent that the removal Of noun
tains is only question of time-snd not very
long time, either.
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