Cedar Falls gazette. [volume] (Cedar Falls, Iowa) 1860-1895, 1861-05-17

| ScenOed annother shalt. This one was 104
feet in depth with perpendicular ladder on
which to make the journey. This was nc
pleasant operation and my arms were quite
numb when we reached the bottom, for |
gripped the cleats tremendously, six yoke OF
cattle could hardly have pulled me off! On
reaching the foot of the ladder We found our.
selves in long passage running north and
south with numerous galleries crossing at
right angles; the bottom of this part Of the
mine is covered with an inch or two of water
and the Company have been unable to fol-
low their lead to any greater depth on this
account, but are now driving in tunnel
which will be 1000 feet in length and will
strike the lead 225 feet below the present
level. When this is done shafts NAV be
sunk on the lead and all will be perfectly
dry. In this part of the mine we were shown
some excellent black ore " or silver glance.
The vein was some six feet in thickness and
very pure and free from base materials: it
would perhaps average $1,000 per ton.
Next, our guide conducted us to part of
the mine where the silver is found in the ma
tive metallic state; the vein is about four feet
in width, somewhat decomposed, and is COW
cred with glittering fakes of the metal In
another part of this mine we were shown
singular substance in vein of few inches
in width which they, of the mine, called
ruby ore, known to mincralogists as
pyrargyrite, argentum, rubrum, &c. I do
not consider it an ore Of silver at all, but
mass of decomposed pyrites or sulphuret of
iron it is highly auriferous assaying as high
as $4,000 per ton, while it exhibits but
slight trace of silver-not more than is con-
tanned in the gold. Having now seen all
that was worth looking at and being pretty
well fatigued with climbing and wandering
through the mine we turned into a tunnel
that led to the outer world. This tunnel was
over 1000 feet in length and brought us out
some distance below town. -
After lunch we visited the Ophir mine
which is the richest in the country, or. per-
haps in the world. Being introduced to Mr..
Deidesheimcr, the superintendent we imme
diately prepared to descend. This mine like
the Gould 4 Curry has a large low building
in front, with rooms for storing and asserting
ores, offices, &C., and there is an engine for
pumping the mine in case of an influx of
water, also for hoistng the car. Into this
car we bundled, the bell rung and away we
went down track at an angle of fortv-five
toward the center of gravity. We were COM
PEELED to lie very close as there was danger of
having our heads dashed against the timbcrs
of the shaft, and our situation appeared to me
so utterly helpless as we went rumbling down
this dismal pit of darkness that determined
to return by way of the ladders. We landed
in large brilliantly lighted apartment
timbered up as snugly as the walls of house.
Miners were at work in all directions and
lights were to be seen twinkling and glcam-
ing far off in the dusky vistas of the mine
The vein is here thirty feet in width. and
the whole is excellent ORE averaging $1,000
per ton. The work is laid off i'm regular
squares, one square being removed and the
opposite one left to support the miner though
these will eventually be removed and their
place supplied by timbers. Much of this
timbering is OF hewn timbers, fastened by
mortiee and tcnon and very strongly braced.
In this section of the mine a body of ore 125
feet in length by 80 in width Is exposed
ready for quarrying and hosting; the ore is
the sulphuret or black ore.
We now went down ladder some GO feet
to another level where we found the same
extent of chambers and galleries and the lead
Of the same width and richness. In one
place some workmcn were sinking a shaft in
the floor of one of the rooms, from vein in
which they were taking silver in an almost
pure state; several large boxes stood near
filled with the glittering metal. From nine
ounces of this ore Mr.. Did;sheimer obtained
a bar, which saw, Of the value of $685.
In this part of the Comstock lead the Gould
& Curry Co. own 200 feet lying between the
Central Co. on the south and the Spanish on
the north beyond the Spanish, which is but
100 feet in length, the Ophir owns 1900 feet
mores We passed through the Spanish
along large tunnel, and very dangerous
road, to the northern section of the Opbir
but found that little or no work had been
done in that part, though the ore is very rich
We did not descend to the lowest section of
the mine as there was nothing new to be seen,
but as we wandered about we often caught
gllmpses OF men and flashing lights far down
below through the inclines and shafts which
have been sunk to ventate the mine or to be
used in raising ore. In going out we passed
up the ladders which, as they stood at an
angle OF iorty-nve, was comparatively easy
The Ophir Co. own large mills on Washoe
Lake, ten miles west Of Virginia; they also
own large amount OF timber near their mills
on the slopes Of the Seirras, and a good road
from their mine to the mills, and are now
out OF debt and have everything in readiness
" SohiHoiSt icuuCilR tnClT ores. Ihey
have 10000 tons Of third class rock on hand
which will pay about $500 per ton, and which
will be reduced at the Washoe Lake mills
At present there are thirty-five men employ
cd in the mine To show the facility with
which the richest kind of ore can be obtained
/ will state that it was on Saturday that I
visited the mine and late on Thursday even
ing they received an order from San Francis.
co for lot of ore; this lot weighing 1910
pounds, two men dug out and it was packed
on mules and on the road by 8 o'clock on
Saturday. After having gone through the
mine Mr.. Didesheimer allowed me to select
such specimens as I chose from those in the
office, and made gQQAf6se Of the privilege
| would be sorry to take $50 for the lot
For all Of which they expect handsome no
tice in the Era or Bulletin. As this scrawl
has already become somewhat lengthy win
not, at this time, undertake to mention the
mills for working the ores.
In concluding this letter trust it may not
be considered out Of place to say, what
should perhaps have said in the beginning of
my first, viz: That I wish it to be under
stood that in these letters | do not aim at
penetrating to a depth exceeding six miles