El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1898-06-18
GREAT SlpHONS
Used In California for Irrigation and
MINING purposes.

Mining Purposes.
A correspondent of the New York
Independent writes: Our old natural
PHILOSOPHERS used to tell US that the
siphon was tube bent in the form of
the letter U, having one arm longer
than the other. The siphon has be-
come In California q very mighty tube
indeed, something more than the
siphon's Greek name, "a reed" would
dream of such forms Of the siphon as
California possesses today. The huge
inverted siphOn, perhaps nearly one or
over two miles long, made OF steel
tubing sometimes 80 inches in diane
ter, has become in the mountain re-
gions OF this state the answer to the
probl m of how water can be carried
in greatovolumes across deep canyons
and up wild. precipitous places to the
mines beyond. Where once it would
have been said that it was imposs BILE
to carry water, the siphon principle
will work as it might in the little tube
of the classroom.
One mining company in Trinity
county of this state, has three inverted
siphons that unitedly have length
OF over 500 feet-more than q mile.
year had an accident to It's siphon, rat
ed the largest on the coast, thessiphon
measuring two and o half miles long
and having in the lowest part of the
siphon q vertical pressure OF nearly
900 feet. Pipe for such siphons is
tarred inside before using. Twenty
two hundred inches of water were car
ried by this giant Butte county siphop.
A nav in the tubing OF the siphon wss
supposed to be the cause of the &C.
cident. One morning q family heard q
loud report, and hurrying to see what
was the matter, they saw that hole
had burst 10 the side of the great
siphon, aud that the volume of water
was roaring out of the hole. Word
was sent to the ditch tender, who turn
ed the water of. But in q great
binding as in little siphon, and the
water ascending this big siphon on one
side of the river was left without sup
port by the break, and, rushing down,
q vacuum was created that broke the
steel pipe in two places on that side.
So tremendous was the power OF the
water that the pipe 10 said to have
ripped like paper and trees were torn
up.
And now began the dangerous work
OF repairing the siphon To rivet the
steel pipe within, q special car was
made on which two men sat, and. we're
let down the steep inside of the s'phon
by means OF q rope The men hung
there, and, taking turns, did the rivet-
ing. II the rope had given way or
they had lost their hold of the car dur
ing their work in that hot, close place,
they would have plunged down inside
the great siphon several thousand feet
and been killed.
The entire work OF repairing the
siphon so that the water could be turn
ed on again was accomplished by |one
crew of men, who, because of the scar
city Of experienced pipe men, could not
be relieved, and 60 worked for nearly
seventy hours with rest of but four
hours for sleep during the seventy.
Such break as this demonstrates
the necessity for absolute souuduess in
the steel pipes of which a siphon is
made. An inverted siphon recently
put In by the Trinity County Mining
company before mentioned has pipes Of
the best steel, which were tested be-
fore being put in place. This siphon
carries water across q valley HOO feet
deep and ut the lowest point of the ST.
phon . gate valve is placed to provide
for any time when the siphon may have
to be emptied. This siphon's length 10
1852 feet. A great portion of it is bur-
led in the ground.