MAKING ARTIFICIAL GEYSERS

Press, Volume LXII, Issue 12498, 8 May 1906, Page 9

MAKING ARTIFICIAL GEYSERS

AN INTERESTING EXPERIMENT.

Dr. A. S. Wohlmann, Government Balnoologist, visited the Exhibition grounds yesterday in cotinection witli tJio proposal to reproduce, on a small scale, wine of the wonrlers of the thermal rogion in tho North Island, for the entertainment of visitors to the Exhibition. Dr. Wohlmann has jvust returned-from Hanmer, where he wen,t to make a report on the springs for the Government. Speaking to a "Press" reporter last night, lie said:— "Wliat wo want to do in the Exhibition grounds is to reproduce exactly in their natural surroundings a geyoier, conic hot springs, and possibly a mud volcano. I propose to do this by taking a. plaster oast of a- small geyser, and building up a model of it here, and we can bring down some rocks and stones from Kotorua to give it the proper surroundings. It is only an experiment, and it niay prove impracticable, but we shall do our best. It wUI be difficult to get a piaster oast of a geyser, because you never know what these things aro going to do, and it may start to play quitf. unexpectedly. "The height to which the artificial geyser will play depends entirely upon the amount of boiler pressure and tho volume of hot ivviter available for the purpose. It is simply a question of expenditure, and it is only fair to sny that the Exhibition Commissioners liave mefc mc vei-y lilnjiially in the matter." As to tho reproduction of hot springs with tinted water, Dr. Wohlmann explained that these pools would have to be mado of concrete, and that chemicals would be ueed to get the desired colour. Tho mud volcanoes at Rotorun varied in size from a few inches in height to ten or twelve feet, and it might bo more difficult to reproduce them than it would bo to mako an artificial geyser.