Waihi Company's Big Pump.

Waihi Daily Telegraph, Volume IV, Issue 1034, 7 July 1904, Page 2

Waihi Company's Big Pump.

—i—^_ — Arbitration Case

The Evidence for Hie Plaintiff. - We continue our repot t, from the point of leu viii(? off yesterday, of Ihe arbitration case (Mining Inspector versus the Waihi Goldminiug Company) beforo a Court consisting of Sir. Frank Roche (for tbo Company), Mi. Joseph Brokensliiro (for tlio Minim; Inspector) ami Mr. H. W. NoL'lluToil (President), THE EVIDENCE James Coutts, Mining Inspector, the first wi'uess. examined by Mr, Miller, said his utten ion was drawn to tlie bunting of pipes at the Company's No. 5 shaft by a rrport in the newspapers. Ho afterwards vis;cd the mine, and, in company with Mr. Gihnour, inspected tlio shaft. Mr, Gilmour told liiui that on two occasions pipes had burst. The bursting look place in the first 200 feet of the shaft, Ho examined tlio shaft. He v/m not satisfied with tbo way tho pipes wore put in. They had not sufficient bearers ami yokes to keep tho pipes in their places, A good deal had been done to tho shaft since ho had been there, The ordinary working of tho pump would not cause the columns to burp', iiecauso tho columns were strong rnou" 1 - to stand the pressure. The cause would bo duo to there not taing n sufficient quantity of wiilor and to tlio pump, drawing in air, The effect wai pressure of ait on tho water, which would cause tlio pipes to blow out, _The pump rods, he understood, weight 'BO tons, Wittya draw lift they always tried to keep tho water in tho bottom of tho shaft as low as possible. A piece tit stick might at any time get into the valvo of the plunger, which would causo it to draw in air, Putting in a plunger at midway in tho shaft would lessen tho if air were drawn into the pump. He knew of no other shaft in the colony that raised water direct from & depth of 700 feet, without an intermediate plunger. I/o did not think that an inter* mediate plunger would add to tho cost of pumping. He knew a COO feet i>haft at the Thames which had two draw lift pumps, ono abovo the other, and two plunger pumps. In the ■ Queen of Beauty shaft thero were two plunger pumps at intervals of 320 feet. In tho Kaipangu mine four or five plunger pumps wero in use, Hn requisition was to install an intermediate plunger pump at Ihe tiaO level, which would lossen tho risk. Ho did not think the inereaso in thickness of the pipes as proposed by tho Company would lessen tho risk to the satno ej> lent as tho installation of an interrnodiato plunger, The proportions of the thicknessof the pipes would not bo tho same, The proposal of the Company was to incroaso the thickness of tho pipes from the 400 feet level upwards, but below that to tho bottom of the shaft the pipes wero to remain as at present., His motive for taking these proceedings was. to make tha shaft safer for the men engaged at work in it, If no men wero working in tho shaft, there would bo no necessity to alter the present means of pumping, There would bo no danger of tho mine being flooded' by 'lhq pipes bursting. Examined by Mr, Tunks: He wns not satisfied with the manner in which the girders or bearers wero placed. Instead of resting on tho limber sets they should bo lot into the sides and four feet into the country, Even if this was done ho would not consider the shaft safe, Nothing that tho Company might do would satisfy him unless a second plunger was put in, He would not ask men to work in tho shaft under tbo present conditions. In addition to tho intermediate plunger, proper bearers would have to be put in, The causo of tho blow out of the column k a sudden shock or jar of the compressed air mooting the water, If the pump did not get a full supply of water in the bottom of tho shaft air was sure to got into tho pipes, with the result that n bursting of ono of tho pipes might ocrur, If the columns wero div dod, even if the ait was sucked in the division of columns would bo tho moans of steadying the columns, Putrng in plungers in a shaft was b-ifcil on the consideration of tho safety of the men working in the shaft, In tho Cornish system of incket and lift pumps,- a greater depth than 250 feet could not bo worked, Mr Tunks argued (hat the reason why tho draw lift pumps wero not used at greater depths than 200 or 250 feet was not out of consideration for tho safety of the men engaged in tho shaft, but in reality tho reason was that it was not practicable lo work tin's class of pump at a greater'depth than 250 feet, Counsel substantiated his argument by quoting from Davoy, tho designer of tliu pump. Mr, Northcroft; Was the designer, Mr, Davoy, informed that it was the Com* pany's intention lo sink deopor than 700 foot'?

In reply Mr. Tunics said that docuuiem tary evidence could bo producod to show that tho designer had knowledge of this. By Mr. funks: Ho would repeat again that he would not bo satisfied unless" an intermediate plunger was put in. Even if tho pipe* that wore in the shaft wore fully tested by hydraulic pressure, with in* sort-ion of valves or any other moans ho still would not bo .satisfied. , Mr. Roche: If the Company used tho present pump as a permanent pump, and used another pump for sinking ilia shaft, would bo have any objection ? Witness, in leply, said that ho would. Henry Batten, mino mainger, oxaminod by Mr. Miller, said (hat he had boon connected wiih mining 'or 20 years. Ho was now manager of tho luipanga. Tho depth of tho mino was 1000 foot, He used a bucket lift pump and 4 plungers at intervals of '2OO foot, Had beoti engaged in a mino in Cornwall which was 1350 feet dcop. A bucket lift and plungers wero used. No accidents similar to that which occurred at-the Waihi uiinoa No. 5 shaft, happened to any mines ho had to do with, It was customary to havo a plungor to every 300 feet of pipe columns, Mr. Norlheroft: "What caused tho pieco of pipe to blow out." Witness ro« plied that it was caused by tbo pump " running into fork," Tho air getting into thojipo would cause what is tormed " water lianimoring," tho air in a coin* pressed state boing forced through the pipe with a sudden jerk. By Mr. Tnnks: His reason for not pumping direct from say 700 feet would be that thero would be loss wear and tear on tho buckets and less strain, Ho had conduoted tho installation of plunger pumps in several shafts, Tho main roa« son for putting extra plungors in was not out of consideration of the safety of the men working in tho shaft, but the ques. tion of safety was considered. On nno oo> casion a " fork " occurred in the pump of a mino ho was in charge and the valve box burst, Tliia occurred in 300 foot' in columns, Mr Northcroft: Yon have been working in mines for yearly twenty years, then ynu think that that mino is sai'o at the bottom of the shaft ? Witnoss in reply said lm would not care to' work iu tho shaft bccmiso tho pump was liable lo" rim into fbif That was the only j danger ho knew of, SETTLEMENT ARRIVED AT Prior to the Conr; resuming this morning a conference of the Waihi Company's counsel and counsel for tho Inspoctor of Mines was held-in one of the ante-ronns, of the Court, with a view of arriving at a settlcmoiit'.'o obviate prolonging tho case. On the Cnnrt m nibliiig Air, Tu.iks, couneel for said that the mult with

Bring Inspector had obviated tho iieces|Bbr tolling furthor evid 4 5, ice. Ho ■Hhad been agreed upon HHonpny a,&i luapeotoi! of Minos, ■f nl " tho Vroa3 tho following :- H°°, Co !3|pany fully recognises that |^P IDln is actuated by tho motives only, viz,, tho oonHHfuon of tho safety of tho men who Hy be working in tho shaft. The oMoia's the Company quite agreo will) Mr Coutts that tho safety of human life is tho first consideration; this principlo they claim to have always recognised and acted on, and not less in this caso than in any other of their operations. Tho pump in question is known as mo 0 pnrap, and, as has been stated, was designed by Henry Davoy, tho greatost authority ou mine jjuriping in England. Tho necessity for the pump bccaiiio apparent in 1902, and full information was supplied to Mr Davey; in fact, a full scheme in dotail of pumping and shift sinking to a depth of 1944 foot was submitted to hinvwhioh be approved, and designed this pump accordingly, 11 The installation of too pump was completed in l%i, and duriug llio preliminary trials ot tho plant, two pipes in tho upper portion of tho column, which wero most probably strained in transit irom England, failod, Hrdtheso pipos been sound the officials of tho initio and their advisers feel certain that the causo'for this oi/qmry would never have arisen, as tho pump has worked as well from tho beginning as it is working now. " Too officials and their advisors still think that the fl pump is of tho very best and most modem design, and thoroughly safe and suitable for a lift of 700 feci, " In riew, however, of the stand taken' by the Inspector of Mines thut nothing short of a second plunger would meet his roquiromontß for tho safely of men sinking tho shaft, tho managemont have decided to adopt his method rather than continue to contend, even successfully, for what tboy bolievo is amply sufficient. "No doubt the Inspector will accopt tho twsutanco of tho managemont that a lecond plunger will be immediately ordered, and that meaulime, whenever tho 0 pump is being used, men will not be employed in the shaft." Mr, Miller, counsel for the Inspector of Mines, intimated that Mr. Coutts was willing to accopt a settlement in accordanos with the conditions raontioncd by tho dompauy, and also was willing to ncCopt the nssurpneo of the Company that tin alterations in the shaft would he made in duo coU'Se, The Court then rose.