Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1908-08-14

there is hole that strikes down into
the ground some three hundred and
fifty feet for the purpose OF entrap
ping a river and competing 1t to do
. strange new thing. e
In an underground chamber III inc
bottom Of this hole the piunging wa
ter, once caught, Ii held up and rob-
led Of very precious possession.
which II Is tricked into bringing dowf
with it, and which, oddly enough, be-.
comes more precious the farther down
from the surface 1t is carried. FOL
the treasure Is air, which become
compressed air, as the river carries
1t down into the underground cham
Der. and when it is released in tn
rocky cavern. cut in the solid heart o.
the mountain for It's purpose, 1t Is uh
der such pressure that 1t Is reada
and eager to act, and so is valuable
indeed for power In the neighb"rin:a
mines. ,i-,..rt-@. J:
The Jump which the river makes
not at all spectacular. because 1t n
all hidden inside of great steel tubes,
FIVE feet In diameter, and, to be exact
343 feet long. 1t does not make n
ing start, but flows TO It's tremendous
leap as quietly as any other unsuspi
cious, untrapped thing might approach
a pitfan. But once launched ON IT,
downward course, It becomes SUB
terranean cataract Of more than twice
Niasara's height. 1t Is no wonder
that the air, caught in millions o.
minute bubbles from the lips OF spe
cici feed pipes which touch, the now
ing stream ut the top Of its leap,
helpless to escape till the bottom Of
no plunge Is reached, and it finds 1t
self imprisoned in the dark. with es
cape blocked everywhere by the In
water, and its freedom onl,
in exchange for the ener
Ky its fall has developed.
1t Is a wonderful air compressor
that the inventor, H. C. Taylor, ha'
produced and applied to the needs o.
the Victoria mine, at Victoria. Mich
where the air ens1aved by its mean!
runs every machine in the who'll
great plant. The underground prison
for the air Is 281 feet long, Is feet
high and Is feet broad. .,. >
The Intakes, Of which :nere arc
three, for this hole In the earth b
hole, and each arc five
feet in diameter, At the top OF each
are number of tubes, which brfnt
the air In touch with the streams o
water as they commence their des
cent. The rushing water sucks the
air through these tubes, breaks 1t VI
into bubbles and sweeps It down tt
the chamber below. Here, as the IN
take pipes have their lower ends sub
merged. the air is carried below the
surface OF the confined body Of water
and forced to come to the surface
within tho. cavern. All outlets through
which the water leaves the cavern are
90 that the air cannot es
cape except through valves in control
Of the mine engineer at his censra
sta ton. ~.
The tailrace. through which the
greater part Of the water Is carried
away, leads to the surface OF the
ground ut a point lower than the riv-
err, so that the water naturally finds
Its way out OF the prison by that exit
Four pipes, with mouths under the
surface of the water In the cavern,
lead to the surface. Three OF them
small pipes of two inches diameter
lead each up to . tell or section o.
an intake. When pressure in the ar
chamber reaches q sufficient degree.
the air, pressing down on the surface
Of the confined water, forces the lat
ter mp through these email pipes anc
under the bells. raising the latter and
20 shutting OF the dow from the nv
e.. The fourth pipe which leads GU!
Of the cavern is q safety blow on pipe
which the water Is forced IN
exactly the same manuer. but only to
relieve q pressure which cannot be
taken care OF In other ways. /
II ID the escape OF the water rom
the safety blov-o6 pipe that causes
exhibition. The water
comes out Of high pressure and shoots
TO . height Of seventy feet In the
this great stream OF water,
II inches in diameter. makcs hne
sight and its spray b brilliant win
rsInbows. In the winter the spray
ireezes and. falling dOwu In the form
NJ sleet, GAUGES . small glacier to
torn near the moutb q the PIPE
This lttle iceberg sometimcs grow
~ high as the stream throws fs
spray.
The outict Of the tatlrace Is 21i
feet above the normal level Of the Va
ter IN the air CHAMBER. The pressure
Of the air in the caAnbcr h due TO
the hack pressure In the tat
race. While tie distance from the nor
NAL water level In the str ehambc:
to the top of the intakes. 3s5 feet,
gives a working bead Of sevca:ytwo
feet. Each Of the tarce intake pspcs
will develop I7ee horsepower. 50 ina
when aN three are IN wse total ~