Untitled

Thames Star, Volume X, Issue 3108, 3 February 1879, Page 2

The Big Pump has stopped, and it maybe some time before it is set going again. Very few people hare a correct idea of the magnitude of the operations involved in that work. They only know or hare heard that something like £150,000 has been spent on machinery, sinking, driving and all the accessories, and that no commensurate benefits hare been derived. The scheme, however, was a good one, and it seems a pity that the projectors who first invested their money were not enterprising enough to carry it on further. One thing, they got demoralised by that £50,000 grant of public money, and then by the paternal care which the local bodies displayed; and now it seems probable that the United Pumping Association will have to be left till resuscitated by a new company, who, we hope, will reap substantial benefit. The figures representing the expenditure on this work would be interesting, but we are not in a position to furnish them. With regard to the work done, we heard it stated the other day that the Pump had been going on an average six strokes a minute for the past twelve months, and that each stroke lifted 136 gallons of water. Multiplying 136 x6x6ox 24 it is easy to arrive at the number of gallons of water lifted every twenty-four hours. Having figured this out, we find the quantity to be 1,175,040 gallons.' The standard weight (avordupoii) of a gallon of water is 10 pounds; so that in weight the Big Pump has lifted every twentyfour hours a total of 11,750,400 pounds, or 5201 tons of water from.a height ol 660 feet. That is, 36.407. tons of water each week of seven days; and this has been done on a consumption of 70 tons coal" weekly The—powatLjrequired-to.do the work can only be correctly ascertained by a consideration of the height the water has been lifted, which wo leave to mechanics or others to work out for themselves. The expenditure on the Pump has been heavy, but the work performed has been extensive. / :r: