Beauty in art
The International Mosaiculture of Montreal employs some of the best landscape architects, engineers, horticulturists-mosaists, and sculptors-welders to develop and maintain mosaiculture exhibits and gardens. Founded in 1998, the organization promotes garden art and horticulture and its importance in the development of a city landscape. Here are some examples of their work from the Montreal Topiary Gardens.
82 years and running
Two pumps that have been running since 1928 — that’s 82 years — have won the Oldest Pump Contest sponsored by Gardner Denver Nash. The pumps are part of the operations of the Sewerage and Water Board of New Orleans, Drainage Station #6.
The Sewerage and Water Board has a number of drainage stations throughout the city. Each station has Nash vacuum pumps serving as priming pumps for their huge horizontal drainage pumps. Many of the pumps (including the two winners) are driven by 25-cycle motors (Other Nash pumps are diesel-engine driven). The S&WB produces the 25- cycle power because the normal 60-cycle power produced by the local power company cannot be relied upon during hurricanes.
The two winning chain-driven pumps were installed in 1928 when the station was built. During Hurricane Katrina, the station where these pumps are located was submerged. Once the water level dropped below the station-floor level, the pumps started up to prime the drainage pumps, which then ran for several weeks draining the city.
Other entries included two Nash pumps that have been running in a Florida water district since 1953; a Nash H-9 used in the manufacture of molded-pulp products since 1962; and a Nash H-5 working at a paper mill since 1979.