The New York herald., 1879-01-06

pericnced by the miner and clever German carpen-
ter. Philip Deideshsiner. conceived system OF put
ting together heavy timbsrs in squares by which
any amount of vacant space be filled. and the
whole mountain progressively guttcd out with per-
feet safety. Tho timbers prepared st the ends
to ut into each other with the almost precision.
leaving only and all the lime space for the next tim
Der to rest whichever direction the extension has
to be made When oil the has been taken out OF
these "noors." the squares filled mp either With
tho waste rock solid timbsrs crossing upon each
other. until tho place where the taken from
becomes as immoyable the mountain itself. Stand
ing upon this the miner picks ont the above. be-
fore aud all around him until another "door" IL J
ready for square OF tmbers.
THE SLY OF THE GREAT DosASzA
or the magnitude Of this underground work where
bonanza is struck idea may be formed by the
reader when state. in round nambera that the
great Bonanza in tho Consolidated vrgniz and Cali
forna mines 600 feet in length $50 feet IN depth
and from 80 to 40 feet thick. space OF ground
something like the half of .he City Hall Park. from
the Mayors Office to the south end of the Post Oios
and twice as high as that building filled with rich
silver orc
BURIED rcREsrs
Timbering such vacant space. 1000 70 1000 feet
from the surface Of the mountain, was prodigious
task. 1t done; the extracted in the man
related. hoisted the surface the timbers left
secure. and with astonishngly small amount Of &C
cident to those engaged in the work. The
amount Of timber that has been used in the
tunnels. drifts. wines. shafts and building
mp Of soft places into solid supports for
the overhanging rocks is beyond all calculation
now; il is common observation that there has been
more timber and lumber used in the Comstock lode
than has been consumed in the building up OF
San Francisco. Though the timbers in the drifts
and tunnels are fourteen inches square they are
frequently seen snapped in the middle and bullying
out as il some sudden force had struck them and
they crouching to the dust. These broken tim
bers. supports have constantly be replaced by
new ones. though the drifts may be without ore,
the ventilation Of the mne must be preserved. Al
together, there is at the present time consumption
Of 900 feet Of timber and lumber annually in
the mines. and that has cost from SO to SGT per
1000 feet.
THE LUMBER COMPANIES
Two great companies hayc been formed for this
supply-"The Carson and Lake Tahoe Lumber and
F1uming Company" aud 'The Pacific Wood. Lumber
and F1uming Company" Whatever wood may have
grown on these mountains when the pioneers first
struck ore 1t is certain that thorc is not enough wood
or timber OF any kind now to be from Virginia
City with which to build dog kennel. There is
nothing within fifty miles OF any service for min
of the sierras. bordering on the Central Pacific
Railroad. by direct water fume eighteen miles
long. with ten miles more OF contributing fumes.
where by locomotive II is hauled forty vo miles
on the Virginia and Truckee Railroad. The Carson
and Lake Tahoe Company brings all its lumber and
timber from the surroundings of Lake Tahoe, dis
tance altogether Of about sixty miles, first by
gauge railroad that climbs the side of the noun
tain by zigzag grading abrupt that four lines Of
rail on portion Of the road seen within few
hundred feet from the lower to the upper. The
humc at the summit receives timbers Of every
length up to forty feet and In the volume Of water
rushing past they carried away with more than
railroad speed, and without hand touching them
they dumped down at Carson ready to be placed
in the Virginia and Truckee Railroad cars to be
brought to this city. Thirty trains are in motion
every day on the Crooked Railroad; three Of these
passenger and the others freighted with the
ordinary merchandise for the populations CT Gold
Hill and Virginia. the machinery, great tirabcrs.
lumber and cordwood for the mines.
GREAT MACHINERY.
1t is to be expected that in operating mines where
great fortunes await the successful p-ospector that
appliances of mechanics which might facilitate in
any way the object sought would be neglected. There
10 stinginess in the pursuit Of gold. and believe
It is generally conceded that mining on the Comstock
The machinery is tho best that can be made. and is
worked by the most skilfu and reliable men that can
be found in the country. Where many human
lives are constantly at stake in descending and
ascending the deep shafts the operating engineer
must err, and the stricest rules enforced
to prevent his attention ever being taken from
the dial which tells him every instant what
his duty is 1t has been customary for visitors
md writer's to describe tho works of the Bonanza
mines, but select mine Mat has not yet yielded
cents worth of ore ITS machinery will, when COM
pleted. eclipse everything on the comsock and, am
told portion Of it will excel anything in the world
From the chief engineer obtained the following iu-
terestng statement:-The works will be- when I'm.
shed boiler house 1o2 feet long, so feet wde contain
ing ten boilers inches diameter 16 feet longs one
main hosting Isl feet long. 40 feet wide 4S
feet high carpenter shop so feet wide by 100 feet
long for framing the timbers for the shaft: a ma
chine shop 50x100 feet and blacksmiths shop 4OxC0
feet
THE HOSTING ENGINE.
At the shaft is q double cylinder. high pressure
direct acting engine both cylinders being connected
with one shaft carrying two reels for winding the
ropes. 1t is of 1900 horse power and capable OF
hoistng ten tons of from depth OF nearly, IL
not quite one mile Tho crank shaft alone weighs
nearly forty tons and is OF one piece Of wrought
iron.
The engines very heavy in construction. which
permits them to be run at very hg, rate OF speed
without injury and with safety. They arc intended
to run with as much 900 feet piston speed min.
ute. which takes "a cage through the shaft at more
than ralroad speed.
The ropes used in the shaft ore made Of annealed
steel wire inches wide and y Of inch thick, aud
are wound on the reels like ribbon on SPOOL Tho
reels src 10 feet in diameter and will hold about 1000
foct. Tho ropes are very strong. and would s9fely
hoist fty tons when Each reel has an indicator
connected with it showing the exact position of 1.-The
cage" in the shaft that the engineer knows to an
inch whero his load is Each reel has . powerful
brake connected with IL, which is strong enough to
stop tho engines TO hold load being scnt down
when disconnected with the engincs--in which man.
ncr oil tnbcrs and men sent down tho shafts