Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1874-05-21
pkATNING srTR0s TuNNEL.

"
When the Idea is taken into practi-
cal consideration that the Sutro tun-
mel WAS originally projected for a
drain tunnsl-to drain tho supervisors
water which than impeded tho work.
Ing Of the mines OF tho comstock lode
tho utter usslsssnsss and lmpractic-
ability Of the project becomes most
rldiculsusly apparent at the present
time. The mines being already work.
sd to a depth below the Lowell Of the
proposed tunnel, IL could not by any
sort Of possibility drain them, even
were they troubled with water. But
they are net. The "water belt F" was
passed years age, since which time
less and less water has been met with
~ greater depth was and 10 attained.
Some Of the mlnes are entirely dry
at the greatest depths, and even the
very wsttest below tho tunnel
level, arc easily drained with little
trouble or expense. In fact the whole
Cemstock ledge Is systematically and
practically drained aud easily kept so
withcu. requiring or desiring the as
sistancs Of 70 enormously sxpcnslvs
and useless q project as the Sutro tun-
mel. Loug before that tunnel could
by any possibility reach the Cornstoek
ledge, the mines will be worked sev-
cvcral hundred feet further below that
tunnel level than they now are, yet
wers tho tunnel completed even now,
Tot a drop Of water could run into or
through IL FROM tho Comstock lode.
On the contrary, ns CoB,tocs lode Is
drdiaing he Ssiro tunnel. '
The Savage shan, which Is tho OBJ
~jsetivs terminal point OF the Sutro
tunnel, has penetrated already below
the level OF the projected tunnel, and
knowing this, Sutro or his monied
hackers have been attempting to buy
the control OF that mine In order to
commence ~excavatlng tho tunnel at
Its terminal end. sf,or the style OF the
Irlsman's squirrel which began its
hole fron the bottom, which account
ed for 30 little dirt being thrown on,
Mt the surface. And, rs We have al
ready shown. thls could actually
BE- done In Mr. Sstro's cass.
by merely lowering the grade
OF the tunnel at this end, what little
water might possibly DO encountered
Mt n distance from the Csmstoek lode
would u Into tho mines OF the great
lode aud be pumped out, aud thus the
tunnel could DO run with tho utmost
facility from both ends, "a well as
from Shaft No. 2. and when compile
ted would he high and dry, above all
danger Of flooding from the Comstoek
lsde. Thus far Sutro has succeeded In
boring about 5000 feet, or u little over
onc-fourth the distance from the mouth
OF his tunnel TO tho Coms,ock lode.
Less aud less wa.or has been encoun-
tered n the tunnsl has progressed be-
meath aud beyond the surface water
until to-day tho face Of the head
er Is nesrly dry, and only seven or
eight inches In all, flow from the
mouth Of the tunnel. Even this small
stream IL constantly decreasing as the
on either side becomes
more and more drained. aud the
furnishes 70 contribution TO Its
volume. Lees than three thousand
fsst farther will carry the tunnel to
Shaft No. 2, which WA recently CON-
to tho tunasl level. Tho bet.
tom Of this shan 10 perfectly dry, aud
The drifts from It, both east aud
west, on the line Of the tan
mel, commenced a few days ago, are
both running In dry material.
This shows that No water b likely to
encountered betv.,n the header Of
,ha main tunnel and Shaft No. ..
and Five. avery reason to believe that
no va,.r will bs mat with between
mi. han aud ,hs cons,oct. n, 4.
,r,. ,h,, Chat, No. , .,1i f,r,h.,
-. -. .h.,a...a ,,,,.,,,I,.L.
GO. - h ,monn, =, w,,.r m.,
va, thew were no, deem enough
% rs,ch bslow tho water half. or half
v,v >. IN. ,,,n., lew, \, inch
49,, ard .,.,.r % r,, ~. ,,,,.,
h.n..th. LEAVING mi, surface w,,,r
b.I, or s,r,,, 10 TAX, care Of n,sIf
'rbs only troubls In bo expcc,.d from
In Inc imnsdlase vicinity OF
The Com'toeK lode aud this part OF the
projsc.c. tunnel, as We have shown, IL
dired'iy drd'aea d"d 'eR be Sept drained