Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1878-01-26
MANAGEMENT OF ,lINEs.

hhnagement OF mines, PefuaPs
more than any other business. requires
an ability in the manager to adapt him.
self to the many peculiar changes and
circumstances that in the working Of
mines are continually forcing them
selves upon his attention. and which,
IL properly met and successfully
handled. require a wide range Of capa-
bility. coupled with a quick perception
and q prompt readiness to meet in tho
most practical manner the requirements
OF tho situation. This requires good
judgment. careful and assiduous attsn-
ton, and ready decision. for 1t often
occurs that costs amounting to hundreds
Of thousands Of dollars. n well a the
safety Of life itself. are involved in the
momsntary decision or INDIGESTION Of q
Superintendent. II is the possession OF
such qualifications, which, mort than
anything else. have placed and retains
James G. Fair Of the Bonanza firm in
the front rank OF the mining engineers
Of the world. A careful. well-read man.
and q practical maehinist. no valuable
improvement In mining engineering
ever escapes his notice. and nothing
that looks as II it would encourage
either time. labor or money. is ever al
lowed to pass by without his giving 1t
fair trial. BY following this course he
has made his mines famous for improve
msnts in machinery. much OF which Is
invaluable. and without which 1t would
hardly 10 possible to successfully work
our mines at the great depths many OF
them have attained. A short time since
he made another new departure that
deserves n special notice, and n that
is calculated to save many thousands OF
dollars In working the bonanza mines.
All miners know that in the extraction
Of such hugh or. bodies as those found
ON the Comstock. il is impossible
to use any material for filling the va
cancy that will not permit a steady aud
continual settling or collapsins Of the
entire ground above, or contiguous to
the ore vein. This settling often car
ries with 1t consequences of the most
fearful and destructive character.
The firmsst and most secure timbers
are crushed to atoms in q day. Open
drifts and Slopes ara closed. and the en-
tire relationship Of matter is so changed
that what was the bottom will become
the side or wall OF q drift or opening.
For instance. in the Consolidated
Virginia and California shaft, the entire
shaft ON the 1850 level has been carried
over by tho pressure Of the superin-
cumbent portions Of the mine until IL is
fully four feet out Of a perpendicular
line and is now an incline to that extent,
and to prevent the cable catching on the
sides Ii has been found necessary To
move the shsaves over which the cable
passes u corresponding distance out OF
plumb.
For months past this fearful giving
way or settling Of ground ON the lower
levels Of the bonanza mines has been
doing its destructive work. and many
thousands Of dollars have been sx-
pended in continued repairs to timbers.
drifts and tracks to keep them in work.
ing condition and produce the magnih-
cent results and dividends that have
been obtained.
This appeared unavoidable, but set
ting himself at work TO study the situa-
| ton, Colonel Fair decided that 1t was
not. The opening caused by the eH.
traction OF 1900 to 1.iOO tons Of ore
daily. although secured in the best man.
ner possible. extending as IL does from
the 100 downward TO the 100 level.
had started whole acres Of the mountain
side into q thing Of living. moving force,
that no human power could stay or
overcome. This pressure was all from
the hanging or upper wall Of the ledge.
q large portion OF which must necessarily
follow the crawling. crushing interior
portion Of the vein in its downward
course. But ono portion Of the sur.
~roundings remained intact, which was
tho foot wall Of the vein ; that could not
get out Of place. Recognizing this fact.
Mr.. Fair at once set men at work on the
different levels where large quantities Of
ore yet remain to be extracted. running
long parallel drifts in the hard solid
rock OF the foot wall and at a sufficient
distance from the ore vein. 10 insure
their permanent standing. These are
to be used for the double purpose Of air
galleries and gangways for the extrac-
ton Of ore. These drifts being run at
q short distance from the vein can be
easily connected at short intervals with
the slopes by means Of crosscuts, and
will form n base Of operations that will
beyond n doubt save many thousands OF
dollars to the profits OF the stockholders
OF the two mines In the neit year or