By Mike Smith | Artesia Daily Press
A large amount...
Tom Cockrell sprays dirt and debris out of cracks between stones at the base of the Derrick Floor fountain. According to Cockrell, if the wind is blowing, it can deposit debris into the fountain and clog the 1,800 gallon-per-minute pump in a matter of minutes. Cockrell said he chose to clean the fountain and perform general maintenance during the mild weather Thursday afternoon. Cockrell said toward the beginning of the summer he will spend time cleaning each individual stone to bring out their color, a process that can take two entire days to complete cleaning all the stones in the fountain. During the time Cockrell has spent maintaining the fountain, he has become familiar with the “granite-like” stone imported from Mexico. “When you clean them one at a time, you have plenty of time to see them,” he said referring to one of his favorite aspects of the process, revealing the dark-hued, petrified ferns locked within the stones. “Some of them (the stones) have a complete leaf in them.” (Tyler Green – Daily Press)
