The Osceola times., 1878-07-27
THE SUTRO TUNNEL.


THE SUTRO TUNNEL.
Boriug . Hole e,l7o Feet Lsns. I,soa
Feet Below the Surface Of ahe Earth.
The news came from San Francisco
that connection was made between the
Sutro tunnel aud the 1000 foot level OF
the Savage mine, when "a strong draft
of air at once poured into the mine. -
and "Gen. Sutro entering the Savage
works from the tunnel, a general jolli>
fcation ensued."
The object of this remarkable engi-
neering work il to facilitate mining op-
erations on the Comstock lode, when the
miners have reached depth of from
1000 to $500 feet.
THE EXPENSE OF PUMPING
Up the water from such depth il ener.
mOus-ffom ~ 900, 900 to $4,000, 900 a
year Is the estimate; besides, work IL
difficult In an atmosphere Of from nine
ty.fve Tn one hundred and twenty de.
grees, where the water is often at tenn
peraturs of one hundred and sixty de.
grees. In some places miners can only
handle the pick for five minutes ut q
time, having tnen to retreat to the "cool-
ing places" into which compressed air is
introduced, 20 that it often takes three
or four men 70 keep one pick eeing. A
recent item set down the daily
consumption of Ice per man
in some parts of these mines at
ninety.six pounds. The aim Of the
Sutro tunnel was to create, as it were, a
new surface and new point Of depart.
ure, nearly 1900 feet below the surface
of the ground. To this depth the natu-
raj flow OF the water will drain the mine
1t is in contemplation to make the mo-
tive force Of the water falling from above
pump up that gathered below, the whole
being discharged at the tunnel level.
Further, the tunnel will veutilate the
mines up through the shafts, thuseuabling
the men to do more work at less expense
Again, wire rope transportation with
double track will convey the orc, ETC., to
the surface with infinitely greater ease
and less cost than it could be hoisted to
the top Of the shaft. Lastly, the Carson
river flows near the mouth OF the tunnel,
and, having considerable fall, its power
will be used to compress air to be sent
into al the mines TO cool the atmosphere
and propel machinery.
The cost of hosting aud transporting
TO the mills at Virginia City Of the 500
tons Of ore daily produced by the Com.
stock loce is placed at 1900; the tun.
mel company claims that it can deliver
the same ore at the mouth of the tunnel
THE TOWN OF sUTRO,
Lyon Co., New, at an expense of $3.50,
thus making the new town a rival or
rather the successor to Virginia. With
these advantages, 1t will be possible to
take out low grade ore. that now 1t does
not pay to extract, long after the
bonanzas have been exhausted.
The Sutro tunnel company has, under
act Of congress, q right to charge $2 q
ton for all ore extracted from all the mines
after its completion, which, with the
other sources of revenue indicated
above, should secure handsome profit
for Its shareholders, who further own .
5000 acre tract at the mouth of the
tunnel, where a town Is TO be built and
works will be erected. The same act of
congress also gives them ali the mines
previously owned for distance Of 1000
feet on each side of the tunnel for seven
miles in length. A dozen or more quartz
lodes, some showing assays Of from ~ to
$40 q ton, are cut by the tunnel, but
will not be worked till its main object
has been accomplished,
II is now about
EIGHT YEARS SINCE
work was begun at the mouth Of the
tunnel in the valley of the Carson,
which stream washes the eastern base OF
the Washee range. It is
DoUBLE-TRAcKED, STRAIGHT As AN
ARROW
IN It's course-indeed from its extremity
the faint star of light at its entrance can
be seen. The rise is just sufficient for
drainage; three air shafts insure ven.
tilatiOn. To be precise, ground was
broken October 10, 1869, with the
limited means Indeed 1t was some time
ere machinery WAS introduced to do the
boring. The total length Of the tunnel
aCCOTOIDg 70 tDe CnaTt - ~, lfV Icct, OE
81 miles and l23 yards. The cost Ia
August 1,ls77, including all auxiliaries,
WAS ~ $50, ,697 IS (probsbly $3.50, 900 ha,
since been expended on the WORK, aud Il
will cost $500, 900 to complete the TRACK
and means Of transportation, 40 that
altogether an outlay Of from SO, $50, ,00C
to $4,0O0,000 will have been incurred
when the work IL finished. ee-
Though this tunnel has been claimed
to be the longest In the world, 1t shtinks
into insigni6cance when compared with
the Rothschonberger Adit, to conduct
the water from the FreiberS mines 70
Rothschonberg, on the Elbe, near Mel,
sen. Work was begun on this Adit in
the last months Of 1874; Its length, With
IT'S branches. IL rather more than thirty
one and hsli English miles, but It Il
necessarily OF smaller size, having Q
uniform height Of 9 "a feet by q width
somewhat less.
A LITTLE girl Of or 5 ysars a'ked her
mother, one day, ii she had not seen Col
Porter. "No, my child" was the reply
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