Pioche daily record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1872-1876, 1873-03-12
OUR GREAT MINING ENTERPRISES.
Pacific Tunnel.

Ely smelling works, is the mouth OF the
celebrated Pacific Tunnel. Its location
is not far above the average level OF Dry
Valley, which is trimmed on the east and
south by the mineral hills it penetrates-
it being only high enough above the main
basin to insure continuous dumping IA
cilities. The general course of the tun-
mel is southerly.
The great enterprise was commenced
in 1870 by S. r. Nichols and Il. G.
Church, two miners whose energy and
practical Judgment are acknowledged by
all. The task must have appeared Her.
culean to these enterprising gentlemen,
as they stood on the initial point OF the
proposed tunnel and viewed before and
above them the mighty hill of upheaved
uuartzite, with its main vein-lines of min
eral hundreds of feet away to the east and
west. But the developments above
proved that deposits worth millions would
be tapped by driving right in, and it was
resolved that the great enterprise should
be undertaken. The mouth of the tun-
mel was accordingly marked out, 6 feet u
inches high and five feet wide, and the
work was inaugurated. Day and night
the excavation of the solid quartzite was
continued, each foot gained in length be-
ing several feet gained in vertical depth
from the surface, until the 4S0th foot was
attained, and rich mineral vein exposed
4 feet in width, with regular dip and
we'll defined walls.
Then the value and practicability of the
enterprise were admitted by all, and cap
italists at home and abroad stood ready
to invest in it, Above and running at
right angles with the tunnel were some
of the richest veins of Ely Mining Dis
trict and all tending downwards in the
same general direction, irresistibly lead
ING to the conclusion that at a point be-
low the line of surface disturbance they
all emerge into one mighty chamber of
arcentiferous wealth. company was
Incorporated without the slightest Difficult
tv, and it was determined to continue the
, tunnel right into the heart of Spring
Mountain and the center of the great
3 silverdeposits which have already swelled
| the coinage of the world at least ten mil
=. lions, and the development of which has
, scarcely yet fully commenced.
, So night and day, the great enterprise
Q was pushed ahead until 575 feet more
: were excavated, making 1,055 feet from
t the mouth of the tunnel, when vas
\. body of talcose slate was encountered
interspersed with mineral matter. Pro
gress continued few feet further througl
It this tale when another rich VEIN o
:, ore was exposed, being four feet in widtl
~ and assaying up to the standard Of tn
y. highest grade ores. At this point it
e fundamentally demonstrated that tn
1t American Flag Company are extract
J. ing their richest ores only fifty feet dis
w tlnt We turn and retrace our step
!. half the distance to the mouth of tn
" tunnel, where miners are distinctly hear
Z carrying on their developments in tn
g Marion mine.
The last vein cut, or vein No. 2, goe
Nv down almost vertically, and seems to |
st widening as it descends. The ores al
i. carbonate in character, intermixed extel
IA sively with chlorides. But as rich an
re extensive as this vein is, the compar
re | Will uOl Dc ulNtIlcu lIOul luCll oLlbi
purpose of going into the very heart
Spring Mountain, and far below existir
"A developments. before giving especial a
RI tention to bullion production. With
49, the next six months the tunnel will ha'
been driven in at least 1900 feet, wht
nc the greatest veins of the district W.
cd have been cut by it at points far belo
i'm the possibility of surface development
yly reaching for years. Future operation
ne will be watched with deep interest,
no they will probably give the world Il
ess first practical demonstration of the pc
90 manency of our mines. The tunn
as will be extended beyond the HUM
IS, Hunt mines--the highest developmer
as. on Spring Mountain--before the manae
MT ment will think of suspending operation
ing 1t will soon cross the Standard, Bo
cry, American Flag and Sunbeam ledg'
but beyond the lines of their Location
'ur SO there will be no probability of ems
,ral ing litigation.
, of The work on the Pacific Tunnel is bel
-, done in the most workmanlike and 81
~, stantial manner, strongly and durably ii
tne bered wherever needed, and it will sta
10 for generations monument of the
on ersy and bold enterprise of its projecto
10 and we feel safe in saying that the ii
IN is not distant when millions of dolla
MY worth of rich ores will pass through
ave 1t would be valuable property with,
the the rich mines intersected by it, as til
OF or four of our leading mines could rel
efal it by cross-drifts, and at comparativ
MN trifiing cost.
This great enterprise may properly
e. termed the Sutro tunnel of Line
tact county.