Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1877-03-20
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present state Of advancement Of tn
famous sutro Tunnel. as given by q spe-
eial reporter Of the News. detailed for
the purpose. The Coin HILL Nnws has
always endssvored to deal fairly With
this subject. freely according to the tun-
mel project whatever Of merit that Justly
belongs to Ii, and no more. It was in.
sueuratsd at aime when Il was not con.
sidsred feasible to sink shafts and con-
duct mining operations to anywhere
usar the present depths attained. or sven
10 the level Of the proposed tunnel.
More modsrn machinery. aided BY vast
" improved powerful engines, and
huge pumping apparatus. have solved
the problem. and proved that even
greater difficulties are not insurnount-
able; and the result Is that to-day the
principal mines Of the Comstock have
their deepest workings hundreds Of feet
bslov the Sutro Tunnel level. In the
Savage mine. for instance. which Is the
objective point toward which the tunnel
10 being driven to its intersection with
the Comstock. the shaft has attained q
depth Of over 22O0 feet. or about 800
fest below the level Of the Sutro Tunnel.
which will intsrssct the mine or lode
l740 feet below the surface or top Of the
shaft. The Hale 4 Norcrosa shaft. next
south. has attained o similar depth.
tho lowest working levels Of these
mines being 22oO feet below the sur
face. Al this lower level prospecting
and development work was being active
" carried forward. with encouraging TO
suits. until about o year ago. whom u
huge flow OF water was tapped to the
eastward. which in ! very short time
flooded aud filled both mines nearly mp
10 the i700-foot level. Or to the level Of
the Sutro Tunnel. More powerful
pumping machinery had to be erected,
and. aimee then. the water has been re-
duosd to about atty feet below the 1900
foot level. This drift. which connects
the two mines. has been cleaned out and
repaired. giving free and perfect ventila-
ton to beth mines at that depth, and as
soon a. the water is reduced sufficiently
the 2200-foot level win DO rsopsned. and
mining development proceeded with as
before the great dow Of water was en-.
countered. Sinking below that level
will also be resumed.
Pumping such an immense flow OF
water from 70 great . depth Is OF course
. difhcult and very expensive operation.
and here the Sutro Tunnel wouli be Of
very great advantage. rs the water would
oaly have to be pumped up to that level.
instead OF hundreds pf feet higher. BJ
means Of lateral drifts run from 1t to
connect with the mines north and south,
the water from tho entire lode to the
level Of the tannsl might easily be
drained into II, and from below that
level pumps could be employed to raise
IL to far more effective advantage than
can Be done At present. Indeed the
downward how Of the surface water
could DO utilized As . motive power TO
drive the pumps raising the water from
below the tunnel level. Thus in the
matter Of drainage the Sutro Tunnel
would provo OF the greatest importance
and advantage. an advantage which cv.
cry mining company would bo very viii
ling to utilize. and pay we'll for. Con.
sidered as q square business PROPOSE.
ton. II is easy to calculate and properly
appreciate this immense advantage
alone. The Sutro Tunnel was first pro-
jscted rs q drain tunnel. and In this way
Ii might yet be made available to a very
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4. ...;,, Established =. In cass ~ An.
connecting drii, mentioned between The
s.,.u. and IN. Hale 4 Norcro.. nj H.,
,eoo.ioo. ,.v.,-cou.iaer.bl, below The
sn,,o T.,nsi laval. Tbs ,unn., mich,
Ia NOV. q, .om. a.5v,n,.,o In An.
%, =, ~. .-,,,a.,;on. We, orc ,alsn
,r.m m. cou.,ocl ,h,ou,b ,his tunpel
,on,a h.v. "a travel four miles or more