Hello and some trip reports Jan 22

[DAW89446]

A hoist! No idea what it was used for, looks steam powered, has a piston and its in amazing condition.


We see this pile of iron dumped below the terminal, what on earth is that...huge bunch of cans!!! Guess the early 19s are not renowned for waste management...

The motor was likely gasoline. Fairbanks-Morse gas engines were common in the days that the Keane Wonder operated, especially after Homer Wilson took over operations. Steam powered equipment would have been cumbersome, especially in water distribution. Water was obtained from Keane Spring, up top just off the road to Chloride City, as well as additional water from Monarch Canyon, but quantities weren’t consistent nor in great quantities. Fairbanks-Morse gas engines were the Briggs & Stratton of the day. I have a friend who lives near Death Valley that has one in running condition. It’s a treat to see and hear it run. A camshaft opens the intake valve, the exhaust is simply a compression opened poppet valve with a spring to close it. With no exhaust system whatsoever, the engine is quiet enough that you don’t need ear plugs standing next to it. Just don’t get close to that flywheel, though! Even at only 450 RPM, if you get a hand or arm caught in it, it will launch you to the moon.

Can dumps are a great aid in locating habitations. Ghost towns and mining camps have great quantities of cans. The Tin Age had its peak in Death Valley. Even if there’s not a shred of wood, you’ll always find tin. A hungry miner could get anything in a can in those years. Imagine being a single miner at the camp at the Keane Wonder Mine or down at the mill. He might be from back east and his family back there. A can of Billy Point Blue Oysters would be his version of soul food, helping him connect in a small way with the life he left behind to seek his fortune.