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#FlashbackFriday 1967: What was that?
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This article first appeared February 10, 1967, in the publication Mayovox.
What's the thud? It’s Blasting at Franklin
A few weeks ago Clinic people heard a series of dull thuds and felt subsequent tremors. Not unnaturally many thought these reverberations were coming from construction atop the Mayo Building.
In case you don’t know already, the booms came from blasting operations far underground at the Franklin Station. You may hear more of the same in coming weeks.
Kenneth Linwick, Franklin Station Superintendent, explains what’s going on this way.
“We are extending casings in our deep wells to 320 feet below the surface and in the future will be pumping water only from the Jordan sandstone and the rock formations below.
“With the new casings in place the upper water-bearing rock layers have been sealed off and water production of the wells has been substantially reduced. We have subsequently blasted with dynamite to crack the lower rock formations and create a cavern below the casings, which in turn will increase the water yield.
“A total of 500 pounds of dynamite, in 10-pound charges, was used in the first well and approximately 50 cubic yards of sand and rock have been removed. Blasting in the second well will be carried out in coming weeks.”
So when you hear what sounds like an explosion, it is an explosion, but one carefully calculated to produce specific results.
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