Pit Workers in the Old Days #9 (4) (Removing Bolts Connecting Drainpipes)
1958 - 1963

Mukashi no Yamabito #9 (4) (Haisuikan no Boruto Hazushi)
[Pit Workers in the Old Days #9 (4) (Removing Bolts Connecting Drainpipes)]
21.1 x 30.2 cm Ink Painting

Since washers used between the joints of force pipes (drainpipes) were made of wood, they often blew out. If a washer blew out, water rushed violently against the nearby roof and walls of the slope, which became rugged after being washed out by the flooding water. The bolts connecting the flange joints of the pipes were so greatly corroded that they would not loosen only by being turned with spanners. Therefore, repairers had no other way than to cut the bolts or break off the nuts with chisels.
As a matter of course, the drainpipes and bolts were heated up because the steam returning through the pipeline was not stopped. It sometimes took them dozens of minutes to remove only one bolt. Though they took turns in doing the work, the skill of each repairer was what counted, making expert repairers especially valuable.

Text at the Top (From Right to Left)
1st Figure: This large-size washer for steam pipes and the ones for water pipes were made of steel and lead respectively.

2nd Figure: These flat and tapered washers were also made of cedar.

3rd Figure: This rubber washer was used for steam pipes and water pipes.

4th Figure: This tin washer with asbestos pasted on it for steam pipes was introduced in the end of the Meiji era (1868-1912) or Taisho era (1912-1926), which was later replaced with one made of aluminum.


Translation Assisted by Mr. Nathan Johndro

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