Cape Breton's Magazine

Pictured at Top Left are Driller Ronald Logan and Helpers Malcolm Dauphnev and Eric ,-- coming . _ , . -Drillers Russ Logan and Randall Archibald. Helpers Ian Wright and Merlyn Carroll. Bottom Right is Mr. Matthev. one of the drill inspectors and Bottom Left are typical rock cores as they come out of the core barrel of the drill, into the core box. The cores are kept in careful order and marked as to the depth they were taken • and thus the geologist can read down the cores. Mr. Poulin. the geologist, is pictured with Mr. Matthev and Christopher Zierasky. Soil Engineer, going through core boxes? hour after hour, foot by foot. Rock Poulin told us; "I'm a philosopher. I'm building my Philosophy. I ask questions. It's the man with his hands in the mud who tells me vdiat I want to know. I get my best information from the driller and the inspector. Is there a core missing? Is that a fault? Say the driller is burning out bits • is he BJad at his wife? Then I'm okay. Is it hard .rock? I've got to know that. All I have is that core to tell me. And I build my philosophy on that. Good red granite here. continents rise and fall • a geologist makes the final decision where such things as the powerhouse will go. The geologist will write the documents for tender on the iob Ultimate cost depends on all these factors. I must include problems in my price. I must put the project on a sound structure for the future • that's my starting poiiit. Then the most inexpensive way of doing it. Ultimately cost is the decider." Mr. Poulin explained to us that years ago the geologist determined vrihiere to place a dam but today a dam gets placed for economic reasons--in order to get the maximum power out of available water. He said the geologists Job is now more sophisticat'ed. as he must make the site acceptable for a dam. "In mining."he said."you are looking for minerals economically valueable. I am looking for things that are structurally weak, things that will endanger the structure that is being built....! think we'll have a good, sound proiect without too much problem. The red granite is good quality • it's not the type of thing you would expect some tectonic activity. I'm thinking more of the safety of the structure, the safety of the men. In red granite you elm blast, you can work very fast, it's economic.*' ' Cape Breton's Maga2ine/7