The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1875-07-16
THE WEATHER To-DAY.-Thep probabilities
are tha: the ,,ceather today ,ctH be rarnaer
and cloudy Uih rain areas. .,. ...
Mining Diffcul.ies Overcome.
A FlUag FIFTEEN MILES LONG BUILT IN TEN
wEEKs-METuop OF CONSTRUCTION.

wEEKs-NETuoD OF CONSTRUCTION.
A Nevada paper describes a fifteen mil
fiume which has just been completed in tha
State at cost of quarter Of million dol
lars. 1t is Intended to supply several mill
and mines owned by its proprietors with tb,
timber and fuel they need. These mills aDt
mines consume about 10000 cords of woot
per year, and as fre.wood costs from S11 L
sl2 per cord, and timber from S22 to Ss4 PEI
1000 feet, great saving is,eXpected. Tht
engineering difficulties consisted mainly
of course, in the mountainous character
Of the country. Even in the foothills
where to find a good course would seen
an easy matter, the ground is broken by
gulcbes and steep declivitles, with outlets
running at right angles 10 the direction oil
the f1ume. At some points the great canons
have made the matters Of grade and turn
problems Of serious difficulty, only to be
overcome by engineering skill and high and
heavy trestle-Tork. The country was almost
unknown because Of Its height, and the en-.
gneer bad to trust entirely to bis sagacity
and professional experience. The fume
commences in the Truckee Meadows at
Huffaker's station. Thence 1t extends across
the valley and foothills in southwesterly di.
rection for five miles. The course then
changes to the northwest TO the base Of the
mountains, distance of eight miles. From
the foot of the mountains the 1ume winds
up through the gorges and caHons ON
an average grade of sixteen inches
to sixteen feet. The sharpest fall is
three feet in six, which, however, is only
for 200 feet. The grade above this fall is
gradually accommodated so that the force OF
the descent is much diminished. The fume
is Of the Y shape, made OF 24-inch planks
two inches in thickness, and has capacity
Of at least 800 cords Of fire.wood per day,
or Of 500,050 feet of timber. In several re.
spects it. differs from any flume yet con
structed, and has been rather more eXpen-
sYe iu consequence, as it is intended to last
at least twelve years. To gain uniform
grade IAN indispensable requisite in so pre-.
cpitous country, where heavy timber is TO
be floated,) it was found necessary to build
the fume on trestlc-work and striugers from
one end 10 the other. The trestle.w work,
which in some places is forty.eigh bit feet high,
is substantial enough to support barrow
gauge railroad, it being thoroughly braced
lonsitudinally and across, so that no break
can extend further than the length of
O single boX-sXteen feet. All the main sup
ports, which are five feet apart, are firmly
set in mud-slls. TO complete this flume has
taken ten weeks. In that time all the treste-
work, stringers, and boxes have been put
in place. The method OF construction has
been simple and rapid. At various given
points water could be turned oD, and as the
boxes were laid others were tioated through,
and the fume would float the material for its
own creation. The greatest days work was
q quarter Of mile. Four gangs of thirty
men each bave done the work. Ii has re-
qulred 100000 feet of lumber and twenty
tons of nails to build the aume. The reser.
Yoirs are models Of Solldity. The upper one
is 600 feet long with an average depth Of
ten feet the other is ], 100 feet long, with
depth of len feet. A ditch neorly two miles
long brings the water TO the first reservoir,
whence it is conveyed three miles and q
quarter to the flume by means of feeder,
which is strong square box, well baced,
capable of Carrying $50 inches Of water. a
stream of pure water large enough to sup
ply VirgiEia City rtlshcs through this feeder.
The main supply Of water is drawn from
Hunters creek, which is diverted from
lis bed near the source by dams, and
its waters collected in two reservoirs.
There IS another feeder Of the same
four miles in length, which
drains Thomas's creek aud connects with
the ilume halfway down the mountain.
The purpose of this second immense feeder
Through which an amount of water equal
to the first flows is 10 supply whatever waste
may have occurred down TO its point OF juno
ton. The timber, thckly covering $4,000
acres, owned by the company, is mainly FIR,
ralInu rino and tamarack The SllDerlQ-
tendent calculates that he will be able to OBJ.
tain from the forest 100000 cords of fire.
wood and 100, 900, 900 feet Of saw.logs OF an
average diameter of tweDty.eiSht inches, and
1000, 900 feet of hewn timber.