Story 7; Malcolm the Surveyor.

SURVEYOR.

The years before computerised surveying Lasers were the new innovation.

The entire open cut mine pit was completely surveyed every twenty eight days, this was to allow for an accurate estimation of the actual material quantities moved and allowed for a more accurate data to be used for royalty payments.

Mt Gunson Mine had its own team of surveyors headed by Malcolm a highly experienced surveyor with many years of quantitative surveying.
Malcolm was short round and very much over weight.

The monthly survey required a measurement to be taken every ten or so meters in a grid pattern covering the entire working pit, comparisons deducted from the previous month gave the volumes moved for accounting and legal purposes.

Normally Malcolm would remain behind the theodolite at the top of the pit while an assistant walked the pit grid with a staff, placing it on the ground at various locations to enable Malcolm to take a measurement via a laser fired from the Wild theodolite, this operation often took two days to complete, the assistant often walking ten or more kilometers as they moved about the pit.

Malcolm in a moment of madness decided to do something about his weight and had begun exercising. With the monthly pit survey taking place he decided he would do the job of pit pickup and walk the grid while his much fitter assistant remained at the theodolite at the top of the pit taking and entering the measurements.

To aid communication the surveyors used a separate radio system, this was a small voice operated two piece radio that could be worn on the head with the tiny radio it self being slipped to a belt or placed in a pocket,  by simplify speaking into the head set microphone the radio turned itself on and off automatically via a VOX system (Voice Activated Transmit) freeing up both hands to operate the theodolite or carry a staff.

Malcolm set off along the top of the pit making his way along the edge of the 90 meter high waste dump, stopping every ten or so meters to allow the theodolite about half a kilometer away to take a measurement.

Knowing Malcolm was a much slower walker than his assistant, I had been recruited to do the grid on the floor of the pit at the same time to help speed things up.

With the radio connecting the three of us we were soon making good progress with the pick up.
Although I couldn't see Malcolm, I knew roughly where he was via his radio reports on the top of the spoils dump high above me.

Suddenly a strange noise opened the radio transmitter which picked up a long series of, “oof's, thud, ow, oof, thud, clunck, rattle, clunks, oof's the noise locked up the radio channel as it continued.

Confused and unable to communicate while the radio was being jammed by the on going clanks, clunks and oof's, I looked around the pit for a possible cause, noting the assistant at the theodolite was pointing in the direction where I suspect Malcolm was.

Realising the problem must be Malcolm I ran along the bottom of the pit to a corner in the dump where looking up at the dump slope I discovered Malcolm, oofing, about two thirds of the way down followed by rising dust as he slid, rolled, and bounced down the rock strewn dump, the radio faithfully reporting his ongoing oof's, clunks and ow's.

Although still some distance away I continued to run to the spot I expected Malcolm to eventually arrive, picking up the separate mine radio I informed the shift boss of the problem and where to meet me.

Malcolm eventually slid to a stop near the bottom of the slope, rocks and stones dislodged during his descent continued to trickle down the slope bouncing against his hat and keeping the VOX microphone open, transmitting the resulting clacks, clunks and rattles as they struck or rolled over his hard hat.

Malcolm lay un-moving against the bottom of the dump as the detritus continued to descend from above.

I still had someway to go as I ran toward the partly buried, hulk of the un-moving Malcolm.

As I drew near, the stones eventually slowed to a stop, finally allowing the radio to go silent for five or so minutes.

“Malcolm, are you ok”? the assistant asked over the now silent radio.

More silence followed.

“Malcolm, are you ok”? he repeated.

More silence.

As I neared Malcolm I saw his bright red round face turn slowly toward me as I scrambled over the rocks.

“Are you ok”? I asked the radio picking up my question and repeating it in his headset as I climbed the unstable slope to where he lay partly covered with small rocks and dirt dragged down during his descent.

He nodded, “W..  w.. winded”, he puffed into the radio.

I looked back as the speeding shift vehicle came into view and sliding to a halt just below us. The vehicle had barely stopped when the drivers door flew open and the shift boss leapt out with the large first aid bag in tow.

Malcolm and I watched as a strap caught a door handle and instantly brought the highly mobile shift boss to a complete stop as the bag and his attached arm all jerked to a sudden halt, the shift boss, ending up flat on his back on the ground, raising a small cloud of dust as he landed.

Malcolm began laughing, quietly, deep down, causing a few stones of gravel to rattle against his hard hat and reopen the radio link.

“Looks like our first aider may need first aid”, I said as I made my way back down the slope to check the new patient .