Almaden in San Jose in Santa Clara County, California — The American West (Pacific Coastal)
Cornish Pump
Photographed By Barry Swackhamer, November 17, 2011
1. Cornish Pump Marker
Click on photo to view the illustration of the Cornish Pump.
Cornish pumps were costly and required a unique mineshaft with separate pumping compartment to accommodate piping and a massive reciprocating timber pump rod.
A Cornish pump system consisted of three main components: (1) Plunger pumps placed at intervals in the mineshaft, (2) A pump rod moving up and down to operate the pumps, and (3) A steam engine on the surface to set the pump rod in motion. A Cornish pump raised water in stages. Lift pumps and station pumps received power from the timber rod moving up and down in the shaft’s pumping compartment. Each pump overcame only a small head as it forced water upward to the next storage tank, and so on, until the water reached the surface.
Erected 2011 by The California State Society, Daughters of the American Revolution abd New Almaden Quicksilver County Park Association.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Industry & Commerce. In
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Location. 37° 10.406′ N, 121° 49.572′ W. Marker is in San Jose, California, in Santa Clara County. It is in Almaden. Marker can be reached from Almaden Road. The Hacienda Mining Display is a short walk on the Deep Gulch Trail from the Almaden Quicksilver County Park parking lot. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 21731 Almaden Road, San Jose CA 95120, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Hoeing Table and Cleaning Tank (here, next to this marker); Hacienda Mining Display (here, next to this marker); Mercury Storage Vault (here, next to this marker); Shaker-Concentrator (here, next to this marker); D Retort and Condensing System (a few steps from this marker); Gould Rotary Furnace and Condensing System (a few steps from this marker); Skip Loader (a few steps from this marker); Mine Air Compressors (a few steps from this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in San Jose.
Photographed By Barry Swackhamer, November 17, 2011
2. Cornish Pump Marker, secont from the right
Photographed By Barry Swackhamer, November 17, 2011
3. Cornish Pump Relics
Photographed By Barry Swackhamer, November 17, 2011
4. Cornish Pump Relics
Credits. This page was last revised on February 7, 2023. It was originally submitted on November 26, 2011, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California. This page has been viewed 1,027 times since then and 58 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on November 26, 2011, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California. • Syd Whittle was the editor who published this page.
