1.
SVs INTERIOR Gidroproyekt Research Institute; scientists work on electronic equipment. (5 SHOTS)
0.30

2.
SV & CU Professor Victor Lyakhter drawing diagrams of water cannon on blackboard. (2 SHOTS)
0.56

3.
CU PAN ALONG Drawing of water cannon.
1.04

4.
SV Man opening door giving access to water cannon.
1.17

5.
SVs Man moves cannon into position. (2 SHOTS)
1.23

6.
SV Man places solid lump of concrete in front of cannon.
1.34

7.
CU Button is pressed to activate stream of water.
1.36

8.
CU Water streams at high pressure from cannon.
1.41

9.
CU Concrete block broken in half.
1.46

10.
SV Man removing remains of concrete and showing damage by water.
1.58

11.
SV Professor Lyahkter examining other concrete slabs.
2.03




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Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved

Background: Drilling through hard rock is one of the most labour-intensive operations in tunnel building.But a new machine in the Soviet Union help make the whole operation easier.The Gidroproyekt Research Institute in Moscow has designed a water cannon that breaks up the rock with a water jet.The cannon is a two-metre barrel mounted on wheels and is able to propel jets of water at the speed of one-kilometre-per-second, or three times the speed of sound.In one test, a 200-millimetres thick concrete slab was placed in front of the cannon.The slab began to crumble after being subjected to one-and-a-half litres of water.Research has revealed that the jet is effective if the water is released at the rate of one shot every ten seconds.But the cannon is capable of up to thirty shots a minute.Researchers hope the new machine will speed up tunnel building and save money and manpower.