IMPROVING THE GEYSERS.

Timaru Herald, Volume L, Issue 4843, 14 May 1890, Page 4

IMPROVING THE GEYSERS.

A Rotorua man, Mr Malfroy, is "doveloping " tha " resources " of that hot-watery die- . trict io a practical fnshion. A few yearn ago I the present writer after a visit to a goyoor field published this opinion. "It was impressed upon me that tho real power of the geyserß is not fairly measured by tho displays they now make. Their basins aro too wide aud funnolshopßd, so that tho escaping steam spreads itself and expends its energies on too wide a base. If the proprietors were to fix suitable pipes m tho lower portion of the baßins, and pack them m properly so that the steam could only escape through them, the ' crows ' and ' eagles ' would achieve much higher flights — (' crow's nest ' and ' eagleß nest ' being names of geysers m that looalily.— ) Why ahould not a goyaer be improvable it well a» a locomotive ?" Mr Malfroj has adopteJ or independently hit upon thia idea, An Auckland paper states that he has operated upon a spring which formerly was a' epouter, but of late years has not played at all. "The manner by which Mr Malfroy has succeeded m again causing it to play was by drawing off the water lodging m the cemont basin that surrounds it, and placing on the mouth of the cavity or sprine a six-inoh drain pipe" through whioh the water now flowa. Tht> geyser risos to a height of about 30 feet when m full action, and it is almost constantly m motion, excepting for a few minutes at a time when the basin fills and ohokes the pipe, but immediately the water runs away the goyser again' starts. Mr Malfroy is making furthor experiments with the main Oruawhata spring, where he hopes to have two more geysers m f ull actioujshortlv." . --- .