Collection: Books and Periodicals > Nevada County Historical Society Bulletins

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Title: Volume 033-2 - April 1979 Collection Type: Books and Periodicals Collection Name: Nevada County Historical Society Bulletins # of Pages: 10 Download PDF: User Login Required Download OCR Text: User Login Required

Date Scanned: 2014-01-26 15:31:56 OCR Software Version #: tesseract 5.4.1 Item Sourced From: PDF First Created: 2025-03-17 04:05:55 Last Updated: 2025-03-17 04:05:55

Original Held At: Searls Historical Library Location: 161 Nevada City Hwy, Nevada City, CA 95959

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This last desertion of the pump led Glenn Jones of the Nevada County Historical Society to take action. Jones worked closely with Bill Wilbur and Dick Towle to begin planning for various steps which would be necessary to complete the removal and restoration of the pump at the Museum. “™ Heavy equipment to move the pump ‘parts was arranged for by Jones. Labor to assist in the removal came from myself and a number of students enrolled in a special class at Sierra College, which met under my direction. Class members included Mary Hale, Michael Hale, Tim Tennold, Rusty Cline, Jack Jaccino and Ed Echeverria. On the seventeenth of September, 1977, the major pieces of the pump were loaded upon heavy trucks and moved. At this point, the group involved in the project, divided into two parts. Jones and Wilbur were joined by master mechanic Hartley Oates and began the laborious task of reconstructing the pump and restoring its rotted wooden parts. At this point their effort has led to reconstruction of the bell crank or “bob” and it has been mounted at the reconstruction site close by the mining exhibit. Visitors and members are invited to see the “bob” and the work as it progresses. According to Jones the arrival of good weather will allow for pouring of cement footings and the mounting of the other component parts. Restoration work has led also to the fabrication of a special valve to be attached to a pump rod. It will allow for water to be pumped by the engine on special occasions from the creek nearby. The long postponed goal of a restored and e™ functioning pump is now seemingly being reached. The other part of the original group, those involved in the special Sierra College class, began preparing site reports on the Sneath-Clay/Phoenix Mine for the California State Office of Historic Preservation. Much of the work on this portion of the project was carried out by Mary Hale. Other class members performed important work of a different sort. Michael Hale and Rusty Cline photographed the site and the removal operation. Ed Echeverria used his talents as a draftsman to draw up a plan to guide the pouring of cement footings. Jack Jaccino and Tim Tennold gathered valuable historical information on the Sneath-Clay/ Phoenix Mine. The work of summarising this information in a report to Society members and the final preparation of the site reports and documents for the National Register nomination was done by the author. II. A BRIEF HISTORY OF CORNISH PUMPS AND THEIR APPLICATIONS. According to writers who have applied themselves to the topic, the om operation principles which lay behind the Cornish pump are very simple. A reader with no scientific training will however find these claims somewhat ~ dubious. I did however find two writers whose accounts of the development and application of the Cornish pumping system are very clear and readable. CROWN WHEEL MOUNTED ON AN ECCENTRIC TO THE WALKING BEAM. PHOTO BY BROOKS BEESLEY. WALKING BEAM CONNECTED TO “BOB” AND THEN TO FIRST PUMP ROD WHICH DESCENDED DOWN INTO THE PHOENIX SHAFT. PHOTO BY BROOKS BEESLEY.