The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1878-08-01
THE SUTRO TUNNEL.

Boring u Hole 2o.I70 Feet Long, I.300
Feet Below The Surface Of the Earth.
The news came from San Francisco
that a connection was made between the
Sutro tunnel and the 500 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, general jolliN
fication ensued."
The object of this remarkable engi-
neering work is to facilitate mining ops
erations on the Comstock lode, when the
miners have reached depth of from
LOCO to 1900 feet,
THE EXPENSE OF PUMPING
Up the water from such depth is enor-
mous-from $2000,000 to S},000,000 a
year is the estimate; besides, work is
difficult in an atmosphere OF from nine
ty.ive to one hundred and twenty de.
grees, where the water is often at tenn
perature of one hundred and sixty de.
grces. In some places miners can only
handle the pick for five minutes at n
time, having then to retreat to the "cool-
ing places" into which compressed air is
introdu ed, 50 that it often takes three
or four men 70 keep one pick going, A
recent item get 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 through the shafts, thus enabling
the men to do more work at less expense.
Again, a wire rope transportation with
double track will convey the ore, etc to
! the SUFFICE 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 a considerable fall, its power
will be used to compress air to be sent
into all the mines to cool the atmosphere
and propel machinery.
The cost of hoisting and transporting
to the mills at Virginia City of the 500
tons of ore daily produced by the Com
stock lode is placed at 81 500; the tun-
mel company claims that it can deliver
the same ore at the mouth of the tunnel
NM u,,vN nE CITpn
Lyon Co., New, at an expense of $3.50,
thus making the new town rival or
rather the successor to Virginia. With
these advantages, it will be possible to
take out low grade ore, that now it does
not pay to extract, long alter the
bonarzas have been exhausted.
The Sutro tunnel company has, under
act of congress, right to charge ~ a
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 a
5000 acre tract at the mouth of the
tunnel, where 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 y tC
, $40 ton, are cut by the tunnel, bu,
will not be worked till its main object
, has been accomplished.
1t is now about
EIGHT YEARS SINCE
work was begun at the mouth of th
tunnel in the valley of the Carson
which stream washes the eastern base o
the Washee range. 1t is
DoUBLE-TRACKED, STRAIGHT As Al
ARROW
, IN its course-indeed from its extremit
the faint star of light at its entrance ca
be seen. The rise is just sufficient 10
drainage; three air shafts insure ver
tilatioD. To be precise, ground ws
s broken October 10, 1869, with th
, limited meaDs-indeed it was some tim
]. ere machinery was introduced to do tn
a boring. The total length of the tunnt
Y according to the chart is 20,l70 ieet, G
e 81 miles and l23 yards. The cost {
r August 1, 1877, including all auxiliarie
}, was 81 $50, ,697 G8 (probably 1870, 1000 hi
: since been expended ON the WORK, and
will cost $500 900 to complete the traC
| and means of transportation. 80 th'
l. altogether an outlay OF from S3,75O,OC
II to $4,000. 600 will have been incurre
when the work is finished.
II Though this tunnel has been clalme'
r, to be the longest in the world, it shrink
n into insigniicauce when compared Wit
"a the Rothschonberger Adit, to couduc
the water from the Freiberg mines .
q Rothschonberg, on TIE Elbe; near Mel
=" seu. Work was begun on this Adit 4
, the last months Of 1874; its length, will
:, lis branches il rather more thau thirt!
~ one and hall English miles, hut It
necessarily ola smaller size, having
= uniIorm height of . 81 feet by widt
somewhat less.