Weekly Trinity journal., 1875-03-20
THE COMSTOCK MINES.
VIRGINIA CITY, March II, 1875,

vening. Mt. Davidson is about 5000
feet above sea-level. The groupings of
the Gould & Curry stand out in bold
relief about 1000 feet from its summit
and are the most prominent. The old
works are nearly all abandoned and the
present hosting works are situated several
hundred feet from where the first were
located-some of them almost in the CEN
ter of Virginia. On Cedar Hill is the
Utah, the most northcrly of the Com
stocks it is small affair as yet. Next
comes the Sierra Nevada; they have
splendid works over their new shaft are
down 200 feet and expect to cut the lode
at LOO, but will drift West from the
l,O00-foot level they are also prospect
ing from the old Shaft. Next the Union
Consolidated F.; have no shaft, but are run
ming a tunnel from the Ophir on the 800
foot level. The Mexican comes next it
is slice off the Ophir and is prospecting
from it also. The fa r-famed old Ophir
comes next; once one of the largest diyi
dend paying mines, but several years have
passed since then last year they struck
it on the 1,300-foot level and the l,465-
on this level tunnel is run several hun
dred feet East, whore they have small
shaft worked by a compressed air machine
down to the 100 foot level. There is
little known about this part Of the mine
except to those working there they have
paid no dividend on their new strike vet.
Now for the great Bonanza of the CAL
ifornia and Consolidated Virginia-the
greatest body of silver bearing ore ever
discovered. 1t was found first in the Con-
Vir. The l, 300 foot level is worked out,
being small on the 400 the lode is much
larger, and on the 1900 and 1900 foot lovels
the amount of ore in Sights simply enor-
nous. 1t is more than 800 feet wide and
several hundred feet long. The company
have splendid 60-stamp mill erected
close to the hosting works. They run
the ore cars from the shaft to the MILL
Their main shaft is 1900 feet perpendicu-
lar; they have no incline. Best & Belch-
er is next; worked from the Gould &
Curry expect soon to get slice of the
great Bonanza. The Could & Curry has
been a iar-iamed mine, but its glory has
gone where the woodbine twineth, and
they are prospecting for it in the depths
below.
The Savage next claims the floor tits
one of our deepest mines they are down
220O feet, and are opening station on
the 2O00foot level how it will develop
remains to be seer. The Hale & Norcross
is down, | believe as deep as its mex door
neighbor are prospecting also and talk
ing some ore out of the upper levels
The Cholar is only 1900 feet deep have
commenced to sink their incline again +;
have been foryears taking ore out of their
upper levels. The Bullion, Exchcquer
and Alpha are prospecting from the In
perial & Empire shaft on the 1900 and
l7OO-foot levels. In the last mentioned
mines they are prospecting on the 1000
foot level it is fearfally hot in these
mines. The Eclipse, Bowers, French,
Bacon and Challenge have but few feet
each, although their shares are legion /;
they are prospected from the Imperial &
Empire Shaft. The Confidence is pros
pccted from the Yellow Jacket, once a
Bonanza mine. Next South is the Ken
tuck. All these mines, from the Imperial
" Empire, have been very rich in their
day. Crown Point, another of the far
famed mines, is next; her star is set for
the time being, unless they strike the lode
where the water boils eggs /; they have
nothing below the l500-foot level rs vet.
The Belcher is sister mine, the body of
ore being the same, except as to richness
when Belcher takes the palm. The
amount of ore taken out of these mines
is almost incredible. South of the Seq
regated Belcher it is supposed the great
lead divides, one going South towards the
American Flat where the Knckerbocker,
Baltimore, Consolidated, American Flat,
Franklin, Globe, Rock Island and many
Others are situated ; on the other, going
Southeast are the Overman, Caledonia,
Justice and Silver Hill. The Woodvile,
Lady Washington and New York are
East of those last mentioned /; in fact they
are all Jumbed up together.
l will try and give an account of one
of the big mines. They are worked much
the same way-some of them have in
cliaes part Of the way down, others have
perpendicular shafts. Coming in sight
of the hosting works you see very sin
gular building, or rather lot of build
ings together Offices, carpenters black
smith S and machine shops, ore dumps
and piles of timber and frewood. In
the main building the hosting and pump
ing engines are situated. Now let us go
to the shop There is the cage waiting
for us-coupled to it is the steel wire ca
Bile, running over large iron pulley at
the top of the gallows frame, from there
it goes to an immense reel attached to the
engine. The main shafts have three or
four compartments, one of these is used
for the pump and air pipes, the others
for hosting purposes. The cage is of
iron, and has shoes" which clasp the
"guides." They are heavy scantling
running in an unbroken line on each end
of the compartment. If the cable breaks
the saleties" catch on the guides so
there is no danger. Some cages hold six
men, Others more, standing up. The
signal "al right" is given, and away we
go down to the lower station, which is
large excavation cut out of the rock
Next we go along through tunnel to
the incline where the "giraffe" is wait