El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1911-09-09
MONSTER BLAST At
DAMs|TE TEARS
HILLSIDE
Work of Chemist Coughlan
Saves Much Money
For Government

Elephant Butte. n. 81. Sept s.-The
event of tht week at Elephant Butte
vary. but probably 5000 yards were
nection with the excavation for the
1lume. 1t was what is known as cSy
ote shot A tunnel was driven pdch II
the hillside for 40 feet ana tnen W.
drifts both about five feet In Iengtn
were run at either SIDE Inls was "
provide additional space for the eA
piosives. Two thousand POUNDS %
plosiyes were placed in these recesses.
The tunnel was then refllled TO us
mouth with earth and rock- An eiectILc
battery exploded the charge snolus
after 1889 The shot was success.
There was dull sound and great mas
ses of rock arose a few feet IN the ar
and fell away from the steep hiusloe-
The estimates of the amount looseneo
vary. but probably 500 yards were
moved. Derricks No. and Will nave
plenty of muck for a month
One Of the busy men OF camp Is ra
pier r. Coghian. the chemist VINO
began work on the Rio Grande pro!ect
in january OF this year and for tnree
months was employed in specia1 inses-
rigations in connection with the ueat-
ment of water for boiler purposes; the
advisability of using the coal found on
lands belonging to the reciamaeaon
service and several other proposleio Us
table water of good QuatHy, put OF va
riable composition A system OF troat
ing was designed and q plant cneapdy
constructed for treating the Wa IL
which is used in the boilers for the
five derricks and in the two locomo-
xsves on the work on the hume InlS
ss.25 per 100, 900 gallons Boilers uslEg
the treated water produce put It's
scale, and that is soft and can De easily
removed An efficiency OF % peIcens a
fhe water treated fnSures the oepoSl-
don of no scale. Once week COM
plete analysis OF the river Water =
made. Daily tests are made OF me
treated water and Of the untreate9
water in order that the efficiency OF
the plant may be determined
Mr.. Coghlan finds that the coLnpo-
sition of the river water varies . l1DI
supplies the camp Is situated near the
river and secures Its supply from nat
ural inffltration from the river lne
In camp likewise varies The water u
the river here contains no alkali- Inc
river water here IS better than at 81
Two cars of coal are received here
weekly. These are thoroughly sam
pied and accurately tested Tor neaung
value. In the condition in which they
are received Another test Is made to
ascertain the heating value when the
coal Is rendered free from moisture;
A high grade Of Gailup coal is used
Gune and is sold to employees for do
mestic use. Later when the power plant
Is In operation and more coal is needed
1t wiz be purchased on the, heat Unit
basis.
From an analysis of the coal and
from the price paid per ton the cost
for each 100000 heat units per Ton
delivered coal shows chat the cost per
/ 600 600 heat units is more than the
guaranteed cost. the dealer pays pen
atty but Z the cost Is less sne asd1i i1
better quality Of coal being deiiv-
cred Nearly all departments Of the
government are now buying coai IN IA
most Invariably that the dealer Lur-
fnishes good grade OF coal and secures
the premium offered
The office is equipped with Parr
Standard Calorimeter for making All
sxuel tests
Receiving Cement From Ell Paso.
csiy ds about about two carloads OF cement
per week from FL Paso; Each car Is
Carefully sampled and rigidly tested for
oneness. setting rune ana nj, te Sasiv.
cred is being used on the power house
and for various smSll Jobs,
Beginning about October / nearly one
car per day will b6 required as the
concreting OF the nume viii start then.
Mr.. Coghlad makes the tests on
sands and grayels for use In the con-
these are tested for yoids. silt. fine
ness Tests are also made using these
in morter ef q ratio of three to one.
The laboratory was designed py MN and
rs very probably the most compact lab
fora tory In New Mexico. The building
is 20 feet square. The exterior walls
are Of adobe, plastered within and peb-
concrete foundation. The interior
walls are OF wood There is small office
. cement testing laboratory thoroughly
equipped for the testing or dement's,
.cortars and concrefes, q chemical Iab-
ratory containing all apparatus and
chemicals necessary for the complete
ANALYSIS Of water, OF cement ana OF
hood which withdraws all fumes from
the room One OF the finest pieces Of
equipment is high grade chemical
pier which rests on native rock IN
der the building anu is set free from
any vibration Of the floor. This ball
ance is also located in dust proof
A notice which shows the cost Of the
excavation accomplished on the flume
for the week ending September has
drilling of rock before blasting is done
ry hand All costs are given in cents
The cost per cubic yard for drilling
was s-55c. The cost for blesting this
includes labor and powder was 1850
per cubic yard: the cost for hauling
TO the dumping grounds about a quar-
ter Of 9 mile away was is7c per ous
keeping the dump in order was 2.51c
per cubic yard. The cost Of loading the
muck into cars was kept for each der
2. day shift so.25c per cubic yard,
night shift 1880 Derrick No. 8, day
Whit 55.50c per cubic yard. night
shift 3.40c- Derrick No. 4. day shift
35.25c, night shift 26.2oc. Derrick No.
8, day shift 28.00c per cubic yard, night
shift 23.55c Derrick No. 9, day SHIFT
1880 per cubic yard and night shift
.2S.50c. The average cost of loading
into cars Is therefore about oslo per
cubic yard, taking, all items together
the cost of removing the materials was
1850 per cubic yard. This does not
include any charges for pliant or for
services higher than foreman,
Stuart K Baker has lately. been en-
ployed by construction engineer Beatty
ION the power house as concrete inspec-
tor and instrument man.
Miss Lenora Martin, of Ell Paso, is 8
visitor at the home OF superintendent