Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1870-03-18
II EVENING NEWS
Friday Eveuiur-...-...Mnrcs Is, 1870
~ IN. SSsrc = unnei pr.i.c,s W."

rs clseWEere, appear 10 iaDOr unuer
the impression that the completion Of
the Sutro Tunnel would settle the
question rs to the continuance of the
Comstock lode to a great depth. Fit
depended upon that, the point would
never be settled. for in the first place
the tunnel, allowing the requisite
fall" or inclination for drainage,
would not intersect the Comstock lode
1000 feet beneath the level Of the
groupings. In the second place, long
before that tunnel could reach the
ledge, the deep shafts of the Gould &
Curry, Savage, Hale Il Norcross, In
perial-Empire, and other actively
worked mines will have penetrated to
below that depth and demonstrated
the interesting point, just in the ordi-
nary course OF development and with
ont the aid or Interference Of the Sutro
tunnel. Sutro and his tunnel are both
too Slow-away behind the times. In
the third place, 1000 feet is not deep
enough for q satisfactory demonstra-
ton. 1t might have been considered
sufficient in ancient times, when the
tunnel was first projected, BUT not
now. in this enlightened age. when the
bowels of the Cdmstock ut that depth
are close approaching ventilation, and
we begin to form IN approximate idea
of what may be calculated upon down
there.
For instance. the Imperial-Empire
shaft Is now LOO feet deep, and about
being sunk much deeper, the additional
machinery just placed in position at
the surface giving power sufficient for
sinking TO the depth Of $500 feet
equal TO 600 or 200 feet below the Sutro
level. Then there i the Bullion shaft.
HOO feet deep, with only dry rock at
the bottom-no water and no ore. by
the way. this 10 ore proposition Is ,
G~isa"reeablc feature at present,
aud has been for some time, &c the
lowest levels. The Yellow Jacket.
1920 feet deep. and the nale Il Nor
cross, less than l.200 tpet deep rs yet,
are the only good orsShowimgs for the
lowest levels. ICm due course of time
it should be Developed that the "bar.
ren belt" Extends below the Sutro
level, it< difficult to see what i'm
mensyE practical Use there would be
for>rKat tuanel. ever should il ever be
completed, Of which there is little
.hope, Judging from its progress thus
far. The experience of deep develop
Iment shows q continual and rapid de-
crease OF water in the ledge, below
seven or eight hundred feet, aud all
there is above that is required FOX the
various hosting works, mills, and pub
lie use generally, therefore the SItro
Is not needed for Il drain tunnel. 1t
certainly l. not needed for the eStrac-
ton of surface ore, which now consti-
tutes the chief source Of revenue. No
ore from the upper levels Of the ledge
could ever be extracted by or through
means of it. except ut 4 great and ex-
pcnsiye disadvantage. AS to working
the Comstock below the Sutro tunnel
level by means of underground hoist
ing works placed at that point, praeti'
cal miners oil machinistS well Know
that it would he like trying TO drain
Lake Tahoe with 4 squirt gun.
Another erroneous ilea or species OF
willful inGatuation is set forth in
Sutro'S published prospectus, where II
plowinglv remarks: The whole coan-
a.. ron The month of the Tunnel beinp
nf,n or,antifarous character, valuable
Ja,o,or,.ant, MAJ he made at auy
49, I,,-;nT ia nr,grass This. as
Ill os ntEor s;m;jsr seductive ideas
"r;ntsd IN Tint n~rospcctus. read and
}nar Ne nrettv n; The wildcat maps Of
n~o%rSo po,vSs ard cries so commou
or'I ,lon,;G,I IN Inc curly days of the
Cai;tornia excitement. The tunnel,
ON a very much reduced scale from the
ORIGINAL, plan, is said TO have pene-
tr.fed ab6ut SIS feet from its mouth,
and one would naturally SUPPOSE that
snme sort of indications favorable to
oYe of those very valuable develop
uentS" o,inht 10 be becoming appa-
rant .,,bor1h slch i; discouracinSly
NOT the ease at present. As n private
prospecting enterprise, the Su;ro tun-
mel should be well and financially
encouraged by all who can afford &c
10 so, aud are directly Interested OH
the same principle that hu!idreGs o.
other prospecting tunnels are ana nave
lsen run throughout this section ant
state. The Comstock ledge does moi
require that tunnel, the mine-owners
do not want to pay for IT, ana neitnel
should the people OF the nation U
made to pay for it through a lover
ment subsidy. The Satro tunncl !
simply and essentially 4 private en-
;erprise. productive Oh only private
and no public good.
II. as Sutro claims all tue mS.er any
ore pertaining 10 the Iouistoeh ,oa ~
would find exit through ms tuhnei; U
mills Oh Carson River OF wiiat iurtne
Use would be all these hosting Mo.Ss
mills, and similar surface arrange
mcnts hereabouts, supporting town
and population? Surely everybod,
would have to seek employment else
where, and Virginia and Gold Hill
would. with their life-biood sapped
lust naturally have TO dry up ana laU'
away, declining from prosperity Z
ruin and Sutrodom. no ens'.ic no
inS wafer or hosting ore through tina
- Iu#af mn 10 rD