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henny
Social climber
The Past
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Topic Author's Original Post - Feb 19, 2019 - 04:33pm PT
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Marty recently sent me 6 pictures of the ORG, I believe circa early 20s. They are phone photos of scans of the originals that can be found in The Eastern Sierra Museum.
Given how well I know the current Gorge I find them quite fascinating. This set is mostly south end Narrows, at the river crossing looking north. I now have an idea what some of the infra structure actually looked like BITD, and would like to know more. It immediately occurred to me that you are probably quite knowledgeable and might be able to point me at additional resources. I plan to visit the Museum ASAP. Perhaps you have some reference suggestions as well? (Maybe a day climbing down there - long time no see - and you could school me two ways at once.) Due to your job I'm sure you have a lot of what/when/where/why observations. I think I'm mostly interested in the era around the 20s/30s.
I'll share a couple of the pictures.
What the heck??? Did that thing actually run the length? In this picture it clearly goes clear down by Thieves and the DMZ. Did it eventually come all the way down from the trestle under Bazooka Country as well? Maybe so given all the rock wall and terracing built up in between.
Photo for reference to the next one - prior to construction. The large tree center of picture is now a huge pile of dead trunk that is passed while accessing the Barnum wall. I go by it all the time and think it must have been big. Lo and behold, there it is, and yes, it was big. Also, note the two people eyeballing new lines on the East/West Narrows and Barnum. Fortunately they missed a couple of lines.
Basically the same picture as above but under construction. Check out the footbridge going from the central boulder (west side) to the footing at the base of Megalomaniac. Wild!!! Those footings are dated 1920/21 and given construction is active in this picture I assume the pictures are close to that. I suspect this bridge also was access to the flatish ground extending all the way under the Barnum and up to the main mine shaft. As well, there is now terrace/trail under Missing Link that wasn't in the previous picture.
This is fascinating stuff to me. If anyone has more references I'd be psyched to check them out.
Edit: these pics come indirectly from the museum, hopefully it is cool to post them as they are historical archive and they allow at least scans. If not, I'll take them down.
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Bob Harrington
climber
Bishop, California
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Feb 19, 2019 - 08:20pm PT
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Hey Darryl, shoot me an e-mail at bobh93514 at Google’s free e-mail service. I’ll send you a report that DWP did on the historical significance of the two dilapidated power houses in the Gorge. Interesting stuff. They were constructed in 1921 and 1923 by a private power company, bought by DWP in 1933 who operated them into the mid-1950s when they were replaced by the power plants that are currently in operation. The report has some photos of the old plants when they were operating.
That flume in the photo is the diversion that powered the power plant below Staying Power Towers. The trestle in the Upper Gorge below Bazooka Country is a puzzle to me. I think it must have been a flume, but I don’t know where it went or what its purpose was, since there doesn’t seem to have been a power plant up there. An incomplete project I guess. There’s a lot of mysterious work that was done down there. A lot of tunnels to nowhere. I’d love to get down there with you sometime.
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ionlyski
Trad climber
Polebridge, Montana
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Feb 19, 2019 - 09:16pm PT
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Hey guys, make sure (if it pleases you) to share all pertinent history with us, discussed in your email correspondence.
Thanks! And more photos please.
Arne
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henny
Social climber
The Past
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Topic Author's Reply - Feb 19, 2019 - 10:55pm PT
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I'll get in touch. Thanks.
What you say makes sense. For some reason it didn't occur to me that it was feeding the plant by SPT. That seems quite logical.
In the last of the three pictures it does look like the flume might end (really start) right where it is and it would be an odd angle to twist under Narrows East if it were to ultimately link with anything coming down from the north. Plus few remnants of anything between Flavin and the Narrows.
I do wonder about the purpose of the big terrace/wall under Monkey To Monk and that area. Maybe in support of mining? The Bongo Furry shaft, the Barnum shaft, there are a few in that area. According to Mine In the Sky miners were splitting time between PC and the Gorge when both were booming. Interesting local history between the two places.
You're right, some mysterious things to be found down there.
One more of the flume:
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justthemaid
climber
Jim Henson's Basement
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Feb 22, 2019 - 08:50pm PT
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Old timey bump:
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henny
Social climber
The Past
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Topic Author's Reply - Feb 22, 2019 - 10:19pm PT
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Cool. Big flow.
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Bad Climber
Trad climber
The Lawless Border Regions
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Feb 23, 2019 - 12:34pm PT
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Nice, Maidy! That's where they're putting in the fish ladder. Love the old shots.
BAd
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Friend
climber
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Feb 23, 2019 - 01:22pm PT
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Wow. Love these photos and historical tidbits.
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justthemaid
climber
Jim Henson's Basement
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Feb 24, 2019 - 07:08am PT
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Another 1920's picture. Central Gorge Plant (China Wall to the right down stream) Interesting to see there were some extra buildings up there at one point. Housing? Amazing how much infrastructure disappeared in less than a century.
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henny
Social climber
The Past
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Topic Author's Reply - Feb 24, 2019 - 08:09am PT
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I think Marty (?) has a picture of that central housing in the guide? Too short on time to double check at the moment. But I have seen a picture of that - I think there was something like 6 residences there. Certainly explains the large flat area just north of the old central building.
In the last picture what I find interesting is the flume curving down into the plant. That is the lower end of the flume I was posting pictures of as the upper end was finishing construction at the southern entrance to the Narrows. Pretty obvious that as Bob correctly pointed out, that flume was the feed to the plant. Is that because the plant required a less turbulent/concentrated supply of water? Obviously, I if I had to engineer the hydro generation of power we'd all still be in the dark. Haha.
Below (south of) the old lower plant ruins there is also evidence of old infra structure. Large concrete building footings, etc. Some that even extend partially out over the stream - wonder how that worked when the stream (river) was ripping in all it's glory. I'd like to see some old pictures of that area as well.
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