Photograph as originally submitted to this page in the Historical Marker Database www.HMdb.org. Click on photo to resize in browser. Scroll down to see metadata.

Photographer: Barry Swackhamer
Taken: August 15, 2012
Caption: The Buena Vista Marker
Additional Description: [Photo captions: Top row; left, center, right]
The Cornish pump’s flywheel measured 24 feet in diameter and weighed 25 tons. In 1887 the pump raised 86,000,000 gallons of water.

Six coal-fed boilers in a brick-lined room supplied steam power for pumps, hoist and air compressor engines.

A dual-hoist system raised and lowered cages carrying miners and ore cars into the descending shaft.

[Bottom Photograph]
The Buena Vista pumphouse, with its red painted fancy cathedral windows was allegedly placed to be visible from San Jose, 12 miles away. It was intended that this attractive building nestled in New Almaden’s hillside would draw wealthy investors to the mining company.
Submitted: August 30, 2012, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California.
Database Locator Identification Number: p217667
File Size: 2.467 Megabytes

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