Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1892-06-09
Remarkable Water Power.

Altogether the most extraordinary
water power lnstallation-so far as
head is concerned-ever known has re.
Gently been made by the Pelton Wat.
er Wheel Company, in one OF the
famous Comstock mines, at Virginia
City, Nevada. The wheel is SO inches
diameter made OF a solid steel disk
with the buckets riveted on to the
periphery in q way to offord absolute
security, weighing complete $50
pounds.
1t is running under vertical head
OF 2,lOO feet, equal to Oil pounds
pressure, AGO feet of this head is OBJ.
tanned from the pipe line OF the Gold
Hill Water Company and the remain.
ing $40 feet from the California and
Con. Virginia shaft, down which the
pipe line is run to che Sutro tunnel
level, where the power station is locat-
ed, and through which the water dis.
charges alter passing over the wheel.
The wheel runs at 1,15O revolutions,
with q perlpheral speed OF 10,SO5 feet
per minute, or about 100 miles per
hour.
The construction OF the wheel amply
provides for the centrifugal strain the
velocity OF the water gives it, running
without load, when 1t would attain
the enormous speed Of 21,6OS feet
per minute, equal to about 24O miles
per hour. A nozzle tip one.half inch
diameter gives under above conditions
100 b. p. Every miners inch Of wa.
ter, equal to flow of l.6 cubic feet
per minute, gives h. p, while 2 h. D.
is given for every 2 10. OF metal IN the
wheel. 1t is only by comparison that
an idea Gun beobtained OF the height
OF column OF water due tosuch pres.
ure. 1t is more than tour times as
high as the Washington monument
and considerably more than twice the
hight OF the Eiffel tower. 1t is safe to
say that no water wheel has ever be.
fore been operated under any such
head, nor any such demonstration
afforded OF the velocity and power of
water under such an extreme pressure.
The installation made by the Pelton
Company some two years ago in the
Chollaf shaft on the Comstock lode is
IN some respects no less extraordin.
airy. This consisted of six 40 in. Pei.
ton wheels, which run under vertical
head OF 1880 feet, driving that mum.
Der OF electrical generators, the power
from which is conveyed up tie shaft
to the Nevada mill, some 1000 feet
distant. These wheels only weigh 22O
10. each, and with nozzle tips 5 8 OF
inch diameter develop 1875 b. p. each.
The water is first run over q Pelton
wheel on the surface under 400 feet
head, and is then carried down the
shaft by q pipe to the Sutro tunnel
level, where the underground station
is located, the power from the electri.
cal generators being conveyed to the
countershaft of the mill with which
the surface wheel is connected, thetw
distinct forces working together in per-
feet harmony.
A most interesting illustration of
the donble use of water is here given,
some 400 h. p. being produced in this
way from what may be termed waste
water. This station has now been
running more than three years with.
out interruption and practically with
out expense in the way of repairs, as
well as without any appreciable loss
OF efficiency, afording q most strikin I
example OF the advantages OF water
power, both direct application and
electric Transmission, as we'll as the
reliability Of such q plant under such
extraordinary conditions.