THE GLOBE COMPANY.

Inangahua Times, Volume VIII, Issue 1306, 5 October 1883, Page 2

THE GLOBE COMPA NY.

+ The principle object of the Company in fixing upon the present site for their crushing plant was in order to secure the great advantage of water power as a motor. The battery is situate on the right hand bank (ascending) of the Inaugahua river, about a mile andaha^aboy.ejOrusbjngton^ and the water suppiyihg' 5 it % ,*•' liftedl - from the Inangahua river at a point one mile and three quarters above. The race was a rather iig undertaking, as it had to pass through private land for a considerable distance, necessitating the payment of a substantial sum iv compensation to the owner. It moreover involved the erection of 35 chains of fluming, and being one of the largest, if not the very largest work of the kind yet attempted in the district, had to be constructed under veiy careful supervision The survey was performed by Mr It. J. Johnston, the company's engineer, and the work was let in April last. Its dimensions are sft x. 2ft, with 6 -40 ft of fall par mile, arid has a carrying capacity of 34 statute heads of water. The work was carried out in a thoroughly satisfactory manner, and so perfect were the levels and working plans supplied by Mr Johnston that, although commenced in several sections, by different contractors, the race when finished and first flooded gave the full specified flow of water at the required elevation and without the necessity of the least alteration. When in full flow the race would carry a good sized canoe or boat, and might be not inappropriately termed a young canal. Its cost has been something over £900, and in spite of the natural difficulties encountered on the route, it is one of the cheapest works of the kind accomplished in the district. AlthougtrWly required to supply the motive power to drive 20 head of stampers, its capacity is equal to double that volume, so that should the company at a future time decide to add an extra 2 •> head of stampers to their plant, the cost would be comparatively light. The battery is driven by one of Whttelaw's turbines, which, as it stands works up to 30-horse power, and with slight alteration will roach to 50---horse power. The principle of.' the turbine is very simple. In Hie batfceryhousc there is a pit about 20ft deep, in

he centre of which the driving- shaft j f tands eroct, projecting about sft above j \ lie surface. -VTo the bottom end of this t ihaft is attached the >■'.' chest,"> a. conirivanbe:* hmch't of th&shape ( >f the letter . 5 flatways, fjt ia atjirtit 6 mches-d^ep'by ' ibout 3ft ,hti diajiieter •.and-.;; ; hoilyw v J )f course, ;"wlih an V aperture fat, afcy* Mich point of the letter. The water s fed into the •' cheat " from uudorleath at the pivot upon which it works, md by the mere out-rush of the water at ;he two apertures mentioned the motive power is obtained, shortly, it is the principle of tho common "Catherine wheel," substituting, of course, the analogy of water for the combustion of gunpowder. The "chest," fed with 12 heads of water at a pressure of forty feet, is made to spin round at the rate of eight hundred revolutions per minute, and a drum on the top o f the shaft, and belt thence to the battery transmits the power. Looking down tha pit when the turbine is in full motion the "chest" is seen whelmed iv a circle of spray caused by the terrific rush of water through the valves. Though rusting i >n the solid rock, the very ground trembles under the force of the ru-shing water, which after it leaves the turbine flows gently through a tunnel to the river. Tho speed and power of tho turbine is governed by the volume of water supplied, and the appliance for regulating this ia, both simple and effective, being worked by a screw The pipes leading down from the race to the turbine cheat are of three sizes, those at the top being 3ft in diameter, those in the middle section 2ft Girt in diameter, and those connecting with the turbine. 22 inches in diameter, the fall throughout being 41ft 9 incites. The piping is therefore something in the form of a funnel, and a grating at the Ixidlith prevents the inlet of any hard substance calculated to obstruct the free passage of the water. The whole is unquestionably the best application of the turbine principle yet devised, and affords a lesson iv hydraulics well worth learning. * THE B ATT FRY. Properly speaking there are four batteries of five Bcwt stamps each. They stand in.:a rojr, the f driving power being communicated from the centre, where there is an appliance for throwing the batteries in or out uf gear. Cone n-ning the latter, little remains to add, further than that they are of the very best workmanship, and embrace all the latest improvements in that, class. The amalgamating applianceb consist of a short few go of upper plates, ' followed by an improved form of ripple, and after that a goo I stretch of blanket surface. The berdan is- placed at one end of the battery, and in a conT9iiient situation for receiving the blanketings. The whole is comfortably ■and .substantially housed in. with, -sawn iim» v ef,thtl building covering an area bf-at a guess, 40ft x 60ft. * short distance away is the blacksmith's shop, manager's office, and a kind of sentry-box containing the telephonic apparatus. The telephone whje.is carried jbn short, rods attapbedjto the tramway trestles, and connects the mine and battery. The wire was erected by the company, the Telegraph Department providing a supervising officer, the work of adjusting the batteries being performed by Mr W. 6 Sampson, officer in charge of the. Reef ton' office. Whtsn the mine managqjr ; wishes to cominj.mjicate ; with the " boss " at the battery, lie sets' an electric bell ringing, and the bell at the other end .being rung in response the parleying commences The speaker places his lips to a small aperture in the wail and utters his sentences in an audible voice, as though talking through tho koyhole of a door to a person in another room. Having done this he takes up a small semi-circular cup, which is suspended on a thin copper wire, and places it «*ver his ear, when the reply is heard, as of a person speaking in his ordinary voice at a distance of thirty or forty feet. Tha sound is, however, much softened and subdued, but still sufficiently clear and distinct to indicate the person speaking. I was courteously invited by the manager to "have a try," but felt some ditHdenco in doing so. In tho first place, I had " never been introduced " to the gentleman at the other end, and further I had had no previous experience at talking through . a hole jn the wall. Talking "over" a wall, ahd especially a .garden wall, if there happened to be an interesting Maud in the Vicinity, is simple and agreeable enough, but this was' a new departure. However, I resolved to "have a try," and to my lfiodeat question " How are you off for soap ?" came the brusque rejoinder " Who the h — aro you ?" followed as it was tty the sound of loud guffaws, as of soirie half dozen persons laughing at -the- other- -end. This was what might be called the retort circuitous, and had a rathe^ depressing effect., so I didn't reply to the man at the other end of the Globe. Telephones are splendid things to talk vith a man specially if he's got a bad breath. The paddock at the machine housis is a capacious one, capable of holding :rom 80 ito 100 tons, so that altogether t|ie plant ia about one of the best found and most complete on the field. -The tot^l cost of .the whole of; the works is something like £75 >i>. The contractors for the supply and erection of the battery were Kiucaid and McQueen, foundrymen, Dunedin, and they, as well as Mr M'Gregor, their local representative, deserve the very highest possible praise for the manner in which they have completed their work. The directors of the company are Messrs M. Levy, 0. Clifford, E. Solomon, T. Collins, and W. Irving, and to their energy and unremit ting attention to their duties the shareholders are greatly indebted for the despatch and economy with which everything has been carried out The battery was started at noon on Monday last, and if ever enterprise deserved to succeed this assuredly does, and the directors may truly say — ' ; 'Tis not in mortals to command success, ■♦ But we'll do more, Saniproniua ; we'll deserve it.