Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1878-12-13
Mr. sUTEo AND his TUNNEL.
A Chat With the Man Who Has Done
the Greatest Feat Of american
Mining Engineering.

- ALO hAOl q
his rooms in the Gilsey House, last
evening, with all the hearty hospltall-
ty which is a feature of Nevada life;
Adolph Sutro is not a man who would
impress a stranger at first sight. He
has A laughing, friendly face, a face
trimming over with good fellowship.
When one sits down with him it is
natural to expect topass a few moments
in frivolous talk. When one arises to
take leave of him it is a very differ
emit feeling. There is something in
this jolly, h~ospitable German besides
the good nature which is the charac-
teristic Of his nationality. Outside of
Senator Jones of Nevada, there is
probably no man in the silver State
whose magnetism works so thorough
ly and effectually on the ordinary
visitor.
1t is now V Q nine years since the
first shovelful of earth was raised
from the mouth of the famous Sutro
Tunnel. For years before that Mr..
Sutro, the originator of the scheme,
had been dreaming of the gravel hole
in the ground which has since become
a reality. The vast resources of the
Comstock were scarcely dreamed Of.
There had been no grand bonanzas
| opening up to the eyes Of the world
an Aladdin's cave of wonders. But
earnest men were prospecting the
great ledge, delving in the bowels of
the earth, and pressing onward with
pick and shovel to find the treasures
which Nevada held in store for them.
The deepest shaft at this time had not
reached a thousand feet, but far-see-
ing men, like Sutro, knew that in
course of time greater depths must be
reached, and that then greater facili-
ties for extracting and handling, not
only ore but waste rock, must be had,
These facilities he proposed to furnish
by means Of a tunnel which should
penetrate the depths of the mountains,
and connect every mine on the Com
! stock lode with the Carson river. Ii
was the work of years to induce CAPT
talsts to venture in this project. SutrC
had the idea, but he had no money
The millionaires of California anC
Nevada refused to aid him. They
looked upon the grand scheme as the
dream of an enthusiast. He came t
New York, and here. too, he failed
But nothing daunted this man o.
brains. He crossed the Atlantic anC
laid his plan before the mOneyed mel
Of the Old World. With them b,
was more successful, and the liberia
expenditure of European capital haI
produced the grandest piece Of mining
engineering on the American cont
nent.
The original idea of Mr.. Sutro wa
to connect all the mines of the Com
stock by means ofhis tunnel, take tn,
|, miners to and from their work on tn,
cars running through the tunnel; tax
the ore from all the mines to Car
| son river in the same manner, drail
5 the mines of all superAuous water
e and, in short, make the tunnel tn
grand underground highway, owe
which all the work was to be done
| The plan seemed feasible, and all tn
mining magnates of the ComstocI
we're anxious to see the work com
. pleted. They entered into an agree
ment with Mr., Sutro, by the terms Q
which they we're to use his TUNE.
and for the use oft were to pay him
e royalty Of g for every ton of ore ex
0 tracted. But the building of an III
; derground highway like this take
time, and a good deal of time. TIL
first pick was struck to break grOun
1 by Mr.. Sutro himself on the 18th
e October, 1869. Since that time tn
upper levels Of the Comstock hay
been virtually abandoned. The shaft
of nearly all the leading mines al
+ hundreds Of feet below the level Of I'll
tunnel, and now the managers of the'
o mines refuse to use the tunnel on th
! ground, and a long and costly litig;
ton will probably ensue, the object
S which will be to determine wheth,
Mr.. SutrO is entitled to his royalty
not.
With regard to this subject Mr.. 81
tro said to a World reporter last evel
ing:
II have fulfilled my share of Il
contract and they must fulfil their
Ever since | started the tunnel | har
had lawsuits on my hands. | a
II getting used to them, and now | rat
Of er enjoy them. The tunnel is throut
il now beyond the Savage. 1t is
10 straight underground road for a di
. lance of 20,4S9 feet. 1t has cost mi
ions of dollars to build that roa
I'd These millions were expended in 4
le belief that the men who were to
90 benefited by the tunnel would sta
by their contract. | propose, or rat
y er the tunnel company proposes,
be make them stand by it now, wheth
an they are willing to do so or not
mn But they claim that you have I
Iflfulflled your part of the contract.
81 have fulfilled every p%articu.
IN of my contract with them. Tn.
OIL shafts now are much deeper than tn
We supposed they would be when the &C
lie tract was made. But what has Il
got to do with my tunnel? They "
lo7 receive all the benefit from it tina
we ever promised them. My tunI
in strikes the Savage at the 1910 lev
h, 1t makes another surface for Il
y mine 1910 feet below the level of
IN shaft. The 1000 level of the Saw
N is now really but $50 feet below
lot surface. You see what ! mean?
20 is just the same as if everything alb,
the 1910 level was taken away and
'ei shaft was started anew from that POI
M The mines are below me now an
ad make a new surface for the mil
INV That is all"