Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1864-05-09
THE EVENING NEWS.

few days ago, we made visit to the Ponce
de Leon claim to see the new within which is
in operation there. This Whim is the in
yention of Mr.. Wedlock of that city; what Is
the main features OF it are, though whims
something similar to it have heretofore been
used in California, this within is claimed to
possess numerous advantages over those IN
common use. In the first place in operating
it the horse goes the same way to hoist both
buckets. By this advantage the power may
be increased BY attaching more animals, and
as for that matter they may be placed two or
three abreast, and besides no delay is TO be
frequently suffered, as when the horse has TO
be turned around. 4 second advantage
is the increase of speed with which the
bucket can be hoisted, which is obtained
bv aid Of the gearing; and another advantage
which all men who have worked an upright
within will fully appreciate IS the manner IN
which the drum on which the rope Is colled
is placed, which prevents the rope from fall
ing off When il is slack, and also by the man
ner by which it can be thrown out Of gear,
and be managed by brake, the same as are
tae reels of the most Of the steam hosting
works. These claims of superiority are, we
think, all well founded. And this within for
deep shafts, or for shafts where the work
wants TO be driven rapidly forward, or where
there is water to contend with, is much bet
ter than those in ordinary use. It is very
simple and cheap in construction, and when
once made may be used to sink dozen
shafts successfully, or work mine for years,
without becoming worn enough TO materially
iniure il. The machinery Of the whim at
the Ponce de Leon claim is composed Of an
upright iron shaft about two and one-half
inches in diameter, and, perhaps, seven feet
long. The bottom Of this is set in a bed
plate, and near the top il is secured to
frame. About three feet from the bottom
there is sweep attached, TO which the horse,
which supplies the motive power is hitched.
On the top Of this upright shaft is bevel
gear wheel about twenty inches in diameter,
and directly over il is horizontal shaft on
which are two small bevel spur wheels which
travel on the opposite sides Of the gear
wheel. These spur wheels are not firmly
attached to the SHAFT, but are kept TO their
place by the bevel Of the gear on one side
and colurs on the shaft on the other. And
If the machine is thrown out Of gear, will re-
volye around this shaft in directly opposite
directions. Now here is where the ingenuity
comes in. II one Of these spur wheels were
attached 10 the shaft It would make It revolve
one way. If the other one were made fast 1t
would turn it the other way. The distance
between these two spur wheels on the shaft
is about sixteen inches and between them
there is 4 thimble covering the shaft which IS
prooved and fitted so that il will slide along
i but cannot turn unless the shaft turns
On the outer circumference Of this thimble
-. md > in trh
there is fitted the two prongs of the brake,
which moves it to and fro along the shaft,
and throws the machinery in and out OF gear.
These spur wheels turn on the shaft, and the
sides Of them next to the thimble is fitted TO
lock in with that when il is moved against
il with the brake, and rs the thimble cannot
turn but by revolving the shaft, that of course
is forced 10 move when they are connected
and the lower shaft is in motion. When the
thimble is moved so as 10 connect with one
Of the spur wheels, the shaft which has the
thimble on, and which also revolves the drum,
turns one way, and when il IS moved along
the shaft so as to connect with the other spur
wheel, the shaft turns in just the opposite di-
rection. When il is between the spur wheels
and connects with neither, the shaft Of course
IS not moved at all, though the horses be
going and the within otherwise IN motion.
There is brake attached to the drum, so
that it can be managed separate and apart
from the rest OF the machinery. BY this
means the bucket can be lowered while the
horses are standing still, or it can be held
still tv throwing the machinery out OF gear
and putting on the brake when the horses are
going. Il can be worked BY one horse, and
il there is I press Of work enough, more may
be added, to make It's power equal 70 that OF
steam engine. Its cost of construction is
not much greater than that of a whim Of
the ordinary kind, and the frame in which i
is set is also about Of the same pattern. And
we believe that for most mines this Kind OF
whim is preferable to the ones in common
use.
KEYSTONE COMPANY. - This Company's
claim is situated in Virginia District. The
location was made in December, 1859, aud is
OF l 200 feet. TIE claim is on the east slope
of Mount Davidson, back of the ones which
are located on the Comstock lead. This
Company first worked its ground BY tunnel
which was run into the mountain from the
ravine on its north side, which comes down
and cuts across the north end Of the claim.
The tunnel was run long distance, but like
most of the other similar works started from
that ravine, struck nothing Of value. The
work was finally suspended, and work COM
meneed near the centre Of the claim Here
the Company is sinking a shaft. The place
where il is commenced is about thirty rods
west Of B street, and is close by the large
white groupings, which show so largely and
crop out so high back OF the Comstock crop
pings. Here the Company has large place
graded off, where the work is being done.
There has been road graded from this place
around the hill 10 the ravine At the north,
where il connects with one Of the streets OF
the CITY, and enables the Company to take
timbers and such things as are necessary for
use at the shaft upon the ground. The shaft
is sunk TO a depth of about one hundred and
seventy feet, and timbered all the way.
The company is doing what work IS perform
ed in manner which is substantial and well
calculated 10 remain for a long time, In per-
feet order. All the way the shaft has been
through hard formation of rock. The ledge
lies 10 the west Of the shaft, on the surface,
but the company thinks that 1t will be struck
in the shaft by sinking ninety or hundred
feet deeper. The shaft is four by twelve feet
in size in the clear the planks with which It
Is timbered are three inches in thickness, and
there are two partitions in the shaft o! the
same sized timber which divides it into three
equal sized compartments. The rock which
is taken out in sinking the shaft is hoisted
by means of a within. This company have
since it has commenced operations on the
claim in SO, expended upwards Of $4,000.
The work on which most of this money has
been expended has been done in the raSlne
north of this shaft and has been about as
valuable to the company as If the work had
not been done AZ all. This company has
good indications on the surface of the claim
Tor good ledge beneath. The great mass OF
white groupings close by the shaft is very
much mixed up, being partly granite and
partly Quartz, but there is so much OF the
latter that there evidently is a well defined
body Of quartz below.
VIRGINIA Police CoURT.-The following
cases were disposed of this morning BY Judge
Davenport: VIM. Jones, drunk and sleeping
on the sidewalk, fined $40 and costs; paid.
Mitchell, petty larceny, fined SIS and costs,
John Driscoll, disturbing the peace, fined So
and costs. ]. Sam Jones, disturbing peace,
fined SO and costs; paid. J: Z: King,
drunk aud sleeping on the sidewalk, hned 30
and costs; paid. E. Jacobs, fighting aud
3..oh.rroj II HOlbertS hvht-