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Report by Dennis Casebier
Tuesday
I talked with Raymond Ward this morning. It was the first chance I've had to hear what actually happened when the rig broke down last week. They hit some really hard stuff and had gotten down to about 420 feet when they broke through into clay. So
he turned the speed up.
After about ten feet the Rotary Table broke. This is the topside mechanism that runs everything - transfers power to everything. He is having trouble getting parts. At this point it is open-ended - he don't know when he'll have the parts.
Turns out that unless he gets the parts before the 11th of November, it isn't likely he'll be back out here until after Thanksgiving ... that because he'll be gone from the area for a few weeks.
Report by Dennis Casebier
Saturday
We have water! The well drillers had plans to stay into the weekend. But they left early. They got down to 400 feet and something broke in the rig (topside). So they pulled all the pipe out and took the broken parts with them for repair. Supposed to be back Monday.
Report by Dennis Casebier
Tuesday
The drillers (Raymond Ward and one other) came back at about 3:00 p.m. this afternoon. They are hopeful of drilling through the week. I won't be here so I have introduced the driller to Carl Weikel.
Raymond brought us a huge antique pump with engine for our garden display. Something he and his father before him used in the business for many years. It matches our decorations. Dennis
Report by Dennis Casebier
Saturday morning
Turns out the drillers were down 315 feet when they had to quit because of approaching storm yesterday evening. That was the first storm. During the night we were hit by three other storm cells. Lots of lightning and thunder AND the total for these storms is about one inch.
Lots of water in a short time. And some hail. Water running everywhere. I've been out this morning repairing waterways with a shovel while it is still wet. The drillers were up and had the rig going by about 8:00 a.m. They got down about 100 feet yesterday and hope for at least that much today. I expect they'll go home this afternoon.
And there is the continuing concern of more storms, although it looks clear to the west. Anyway, we definitely got a rain storm ... not just a duster. We really needed it. When we went into this storm we had just a little over an inch for the entire year ... now we are over two inches. Goffs Road is washed and flooded in both directions.
Report by Dennis Casebier
Friday
Drilling was slow today. When the drillers were forced to shut down at about 7:00 p.m. by an approaching storm, they were down about 300 feet.
There were storms all about during the day today but all we received was sprinkles. Then a real storm approached after dark from the south at about 7:00 p.m. Had major lightning overhead by about 7:30 p.m. We received 16/100ths of an inch in a short time. Could have been as much as 10/100ths since the rain gauge clocks 4/100ths at a time. Anyway, it was enough to make rivers and streams around the premises. It was more than a dust settler!
Report by Dennis Casebier
Thursday
The drillers (three men) arrived late yesterday evening and got started early this morning. Since they feel confident they know what is down there, they are drilling with mud from the beginning. That requires lots of water. They have a truck with a
big 1,500 gallon tank.
They have brought a travel trailer for sleeping. We've got it hooked up to electricity and water. It is parked next to the double toilets on the Boulevard of Dreams. Phil Motz is on top of all that.
A huge pile of gravel was delivered yesterday so it is at the ready.
They were able to start drilling mid-morning. They went down 60 feet and stopped. This is standard practice. This first 60 feet is then lined with a large steel casing. Once that's installed things will go faster. The whole thing won't take long UNLESS something goes wrong - and something usually does go wrong. Progress will depend upon how bad any mishap will be.
Report by Dennis Casebier
Wednesday evening
For the past several days - beginning last Saturday the 7th of October - Eagle Well Drilling and Pump Service of Newberry Springs has been moving equipment out here in preparation for drilling the new well. This evening after dark they arrived pulling a travel trailer that they use for living quarters on the job. They intend to begin drilling tomorrow morning.
Report by Dennis Casebier
Wednesday
Building Designer Paul Geissinger and wife Shari were here for three hours. After lunch John Harrington and I met in the Schoolhouse with Paul and went thoroughly through the draft of Library/Depot plans that Leggetts prepared and which Chris forwarded to us a few days ago.
Without going into specifications, the bottom line is that this isn't going to be difficult. Mr. Geissinger plans to have a revised form of the plans ready to discuss by Friday 13 October 2006. They will be reviewed by John Harrington and any Board members that want to join in.
There'll be a fee for certification by an engineer he works with. Also there'll be a fee for someone to do the heating and energy calculations.
Once the plans are completed, we'll have to take them to a truss manufacturer (one of the few things they have in Needles - I've done this before) and get truss calculations.
Then the plans go to the building inspector and he reviews and approves them and issues a permit.
John Harrington has decided to delay his trip to Michigan so he can participate in the plan review that will result in completion of the next draft by Friday 13 October 2006.
Report by Dennis Casebier
