Ranger Headquarters

Ranger Headquarters
Big Pine National Forest, Knotty Pine

Sunday, September 11, 2011

Knotty Pine GAZETTE

Sand Hogs Invade Knotty Pine !

Sand hogs have come to Knotty Pine and they have brought a TBM with them. No, everyone, don’t run and hide. Knotty Pine is not being overrun by some strange breed of wild pigs. In fact sand hogs are men, miners to be specific and special miners at that. Sand hogs are miners who did the water tunnels that bring fresh water from distant lakes and rivers to large cities. The term sand hog was first used to refer to the miners who dig New York City’s water tunnels.
So what are these tunneling miners doing here in Knotty Pine? They are here to dig a new water tunnel for Central City. Central City’s population has grown so much larger in the last ten years that city water supplies can’t keep up with demand. The city fathers have hired some of New York’s finest sand hogs to dig a new 9-foot diameter tunnel from the Shady River to Central City.
The sand hogs have brought a friend to help them with this massive undertaking, a Tunnel Boring Machine or TBM for short. The TBM is a giant rotary cutting machine that cuts through rock and earth to produce a nice round tunnel.
Work has already begun just a few miles south of Knotty Pine.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Please keep changing the stories weekly. We (3 brothers ages 4, 6, and 8) check almost daily to see if the Ranger Bill story changed yet. We love the stories and Ranger Bill! Thanks!