Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1865-07-05
woRK1Na MONIES.

The Gold Hill and Virginia mines are
now worked down to a depth which re-
quires scientific working, though COM
pared with old mines in other countries
they are not yet to what might be called a
great depth. The mines of Guanajuato,
in Mexico, have been opened to the depth
of 1000 feet, and several other of the
Mexican silver lodges have been worked
1900 feet beneath the surface. The mines
of Sweden are down 2,l00 feet. and the
silver mines in the region Of the Hartz
Mountains in Germany are also down to d
great depth. The deepest mine now be-
ing worked is said to be n of the Hartz
Mountains silver and lead mines, stu
ated near Andreasberg, which is now
down something more than $500 feet
The mine that has been worked the
ieepest is now lying idle. 1t is a German
nine, situated near Ruttenberg, in Bo-
1emia. The greatest depth ever attained
here, and consequently at any place in
he world, is 3,77S. The Cornwall mines
IRE next in depth to those Of Germany.
The deepest Of them is the Tresavean
nine, near Redruth. which is down 2.ll2
feet. In Nevada the greatest depth at
aimed is about 600 feet-the deepest in
Told Hill being the Imperial silver mine,
which is now down 607 feet below the
,urface. When mines have reached the
lepth that ours have there begins to be a
tremendous pressure on the columns Of
.arth that are left standing and on the
lmbers which are placed in to support the
.ides and roofs of chambers from which
he ore has been e~xcavated, and it re-
quires q thorough knowledge of the mine.
he character Of the bracing in the upper
chambers, and sufficient scientific knowl-
edge, to determine with all these data,
where the great pressure will come
on the ledge below. Very few Americans
working in the Comstock lode have had
experience other than that acquired in
those mines or those Of California, but the
experience which they have here and there
derived, coupled with their characteristic
practical s~hrewdness which has led them
10 observe the Cornish and the German
miners with whom they have been associ-
Ated more or less in the quartz mines, and
20 acquire the knowledge which has been
the result of years Of experience in other
countries have made them the best miners
we have. AS q general thing they are
more practical, better informed and have
better Judgment. But what we want is
mining schools, which will give extensive
md thorough knowledge in the science Of
mining, and furnish us engineers who will
direct our work so that it can be carried
on rapidly and cheaply. Such men we
have to look to other countries for at pres
ent. Americans may in q few years learn
the slight of handling a pick and acquire
a knowledge which, coupled with a good
Judgment, will make them superior tim
berers ; but to be q good engineer, to be
capable Of comprehending and directing
the whole work of an extensive mine, re-
quires something more than a practical
knowledge of Thinning and a good judgment.
It requires these, together with a thorough
,cien,ifc education. The owners Of our
mines should look to this, should encour-
age the establishment Of mining colleges,
and they will be amply repaid before our
mines are worked as deep as those Of
Andreasberg and Tresavean. The deeper
down they go the more difficult is the
working, the ventilation, the freeing of the
mine from water, the preventing it from
caving, and the profitable working, and
the more requisite does the aid Of science
become.