The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1901-04-30
WILL PUMP SAND
Steam Pumping Plant Installed
on Big River,
IN OPERATION TODAY
Wichita Firm TO Organize a
Novel Business Proposition.
TODAY
IN OPERATION 7

Wichita has today the only steam sand
pump in the west Messrs. Ross & Coheld
Of this city have installed an oscHlating
cylinder steam sand pump at the foot Of
the Second street bridge and viii com
mence this morning, If some little neces-
sary pieces Of casting arrive by express,
to hike sand out Of the bed Of the Big
Arkansas river by the car load. The
steam sand pumps long suit is two s.
! inch pipes which rln out into the river
from a floating pier and penetrate to the
bottom Of the channel. As fast as the
changing, drifting sand is carried down
the river by the current and deposited in
little banks and hills the business end Of
these big suction pipes sucks up yards
of it and together with the water ii is
carried through the pipes high up into
the air and on the banks and dumped
into a drying shed. There is no danger
of pumping the river dry in this process,
however, for what water is taken up
falls into little channels that are cut into
the bank and which lead to the river,
and runs back TO join the few channel
catfish that are on their spring tour down
to the Gulf Of Mexico. The sand drawn
up by the pump is deposited on the river
bank where the gentle Kansas zephyr
can permeate through it, and assisted by
the sun, draw all excess moisture from
the picturesque sand heap It is then
sifted and graded ready to put on the
market. Wichita's new sand pump VIII
have a capacity Of 800 yards a day.
or about two hundred wagon loads, and
viii furnish employment for a dozen men
to start with. and more viii be added as
the business grows. There IS an immense
amount of sand used in this city and ad-
Jacent territory. and a good deal more
shipped out of here than any one has
any idea OF unless they are interested in
the matter. Heretofore when there has
been any need Of sand for building or
filing purposes it has been customary for
men to go down onto fat sandbar with
a team and wagon and shovel a load into
the wagon and haul it away. In the past
few years there have been great changes
going on in the river bed, people con
stantly Milling in and narrowing the chan
mel of the river, dumping stuff IN low
places and making ground. This has nat
urally confined the volume Of current to
q SIndIleT WluLn OF CndnlFl IiEdn IN Gays
of yore and some sand banks and beds
that have been easy Of access are now
covered by water and wagon sand men
have had to hunt new pastures, and in
some instances go a great way out of the
city for a little load OF sand. The pro-
jectors Of the steam pump enterprise
have realized that this condition exists
and that the situation VIII probably get
no better. and they have laid plans to
take advantage OF the increasing demand
for sand in large lots. They are very en-
thusiastic about the future Of the steam
sand pump plant and say that they viii
put on all the working force necessary
to handle the business.
The firm is composed Of SIessrs. George
Ross, Jr., and NJ. R. Cofeld. gentleman
from the east who has had much expert
ence in operating and managing steam
sand pumps. In the near future engine
houses and sheds viii be built and the
plant fully equipped with the latest ma
chinery for operation. The big suction
pipes have been made by the Walter
scheid Bros. of this city, and are IN
place ready to connect with the engine.