The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1893-10-24
THE MAKIKl PUMPS STOP
DEFECTIVE BRICK WORK IN
THE BORE.
A Large Piece Of Rock Which was
Pumped Out Of the Well Caused
all the Damage.

Many people have wondered why the
Makiki pumps have not been working
for the past two days and when Super
intendent Brown was asked about the
matter this morning he explained that
it was all owing to piece of rock which
had been drawn up and into the
cylinder of one of the pumps, smashing
Nhe valve and rendering the pump USE
less. AS it was only by an accident
that this was found out the reporter
obtained the following details.
On Saturday evening the pumps were
stopped and man sent down the well
to oil them. On arriving at the pump
ing station in the we'll he noticed that
the brick casing was cracked in places
and he at once notified Superintendent
Brown. The latter made personal
examination, which resulted in brick
layer being sent for. On his arrival
portions of the cracked wall we're pulled
down, disclosing hollow cavity be-
hind which should have been a filling
of concrete. The wall itself was only
four inches thick, just the thickness of
one brick instead of two, as it ought to
have been. Mr. Brown concluded that
the best way to repair the wall was to
rebuild it, and the bricklayer was at
once started on the job. As only one
man could work at time in the con-
fined space 100 feet below the surface,
the work has been necessarily slow, but
it was all finished last night. The well
was excavated sufficiently to allow of a
double brick casing instead of the single
one as before, and all the cavities be-
hind were carefully filled with cement
some twelve or thirteen barrels Of the
latter article being used in the job.
In the meantime Alexander Young
of the Honolulu Iron Works thought
the stoppage afforded an excellent OPP
portunity to examine the pumps and
accordingly sent man to take them
apart. The first two examined were
found in perfect condition, but the
valve of the third one was broken in
half besides being badly battered. A
large piece of very hard rock in the
cylinder told the tale at once, besides
the presence of several smaller pieces.
The jarring and vibration Of the pump
caused by this piece of rock caused the
casing of the well to crack. Some idea
of the force of the pump may be gath
cred from the statement that the valve
is a solid circular piece of tough brass
about nine inches in diameter and hall
an inch thick, the connecting rod being
an inch and half in thickness. This
rod was broken eff short and the valve
itself broken in half, besides being
badly battered. 1t is source Of con.
graduation that the damage was nc
worse, as it would have been if the
pumps had continued to run. The
continued Earring would have beer
sufficient to knock down all the
brick casing about the bottom of the
well.
The defective brick work was put ir
years ago and no one seems to recol
lect who did the work. Everything
was in perfect order this morning, bu
Mr.. Brown will not have the pumps
started until it is absolutely necessary
as it is desired to give the new cemen
work time to thoroughly harden first
1t is supposed that the powerful suction
of the pump loosened some pieces o
rock at the bottom of the well ant
thus caused the trouble.