Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1879-08-21

The Union shaft Is once moro Q busy
place. The importance attached to
operations there will be understood
when the fact II known that the shaft
must reach the 1900 level of'ths Sierra
Nevada before the ore In that mine and
the Union Con. il likely TO DO extracted
in any great amount.
The placsi Ii now ruled over BY Thomas
Il. Rooney, who has superintendent all
Of the great surface excavations Of the
bonanza people on the comstock from
the grading for the old Con. Virginia
mill which went down in the big FIRE to
the present time; and he has Infused all
his well.known energy and economy
into its operations. To facilitate these
An entrance has been cut In the south
side OF the building and . car track laid
for the speedy and convenient convey.
ance of materials TO their places.
Foundations have been laid for the
new pump hoist and are ready to 70.
csive the sole plates. The machinery
will be here 10 q week, and E. d. Town,
Superintendent Of Construction. de-
| clares he will have 1t ready for opera.
tons In one week thereafter. This will
be quick work. The hoist will consist
of q double engine. each cylinder being
1924 inches. The machinery will be
geared 80 as to Lift all that any cable will
stand. Its present use will be for dig.
cling the pump and bob stations In the
shaft, to facilitate which Il will operate
q cage in the pump compartment. Alter
this IL done there will be Q pumpman's
cage run in one corner Of the compart.
ment, as at the @. 4 @. shaft.
There IL one peculiarly to the gear.
ing OF this pump hoist which 10 entirely
new to the Comstock. The teeth Of the
pinion and spur wheel are In the shape
OF a broad, fat v, thus adding
greater strength to the connection. The
machinery Is being constructed at the
Fulton Foundry, on the Divide.
The shaft will be mantled with pumps
up to the 1000 level. where connection
Ia made with the Sutro tunnel. The in.
tention Is to run the pumps In double
column from that point down 1000 feet
II necessary. The pumps are all on the
ground; also the heavy iron balance
hobs. No surface bob will be required,
as will DO seen further on.
The pit for the pumping engine Ii
completed and presents q chasm north
OF the shaft SO feet In length, 30 feet
wide and 391. feet deep. The foregoing
are rather the dimensions OF the mason
work Of tho foundations to be placed In
the pit than OF the pit itself. Tenn
plates are being Axed today to carry the
anchor bolts. The mason work will be
completed about the end Of the frst
week in September. II will contain
5000 psrches OF rubble and from $4,000
to 10, 900 feet OF hewn stone. and will DO
the heaviest ever constructed on the lode.
The engine will DO q direct.acting.
compound condenser. the cylinders
being inclined and one taking hold Of
each end Of Q beam underneath near
the ends. The initial cylinder will be
65 inches In diameter. tho expansion
cylinder 100 inches. They will have 81
feet stroke and give-the pumps q stroke
OF 10 feet. It will operate o double
line OF l4.inch plungsrs. capable Of
raising about 1000, 900 gallons per day.
This engine will readily make ten
strokes per minute II necessary.
Besides the foregoing there will be at.
tached 10 the outer end OF the beam q
fiy.wheel 30 feet In diameter. Weighing
50 tons. This wheel will have q crank
motion and by its great weight will store
up power and conduce to safety ; be.
cause. should any gearing break. II
would steady the engine till steam could
DO shut of.
Connection between the beam and
pumprod will DO Of wood and iron
strapped and bolted together. forming Q
mass feet 4 inches wide and 10
inches thick.
Some idea OF tho power Of the engine
and strength OF tho attachments may DO
gained from the fact that the nose pin 10
7 feet 0 inches long and lG inches In d.
ameter.
To receive and operate all this ma.
chinery In the upper part Of the shaft
has rendered Il necessary that its pump.
ing compartment should be enlarged and
retimbered for 0 distance Of 30 feet from
the surface, and the compartment made
0 by Z feet In the clear.
There are other surface improvements
going on. A survey has been made to
Q point below the shalt for o railroad
track to an ore dump which Is to be
constructed Immediately.
The drain tunnel empties 100 feet
below the top OF the shaft. Near Its
mouth q cooling pond Of an aors Is to be
constructed for the use Of the condenser
Of the engine.
A carpenter shop 8o1l00 feet will DO
built south Of the works, and adjoining
It o machine shop Of large u not the
sams proportions.
The shaft itself Is being fitted for the
greatly increased operations likely to be
soon required OF IL. From o point o
little below the 100 level Of the Sierra
Nevada II is being CONSTRUCTED OF four
compartments, 90 follows Pump COM
partment, Z feet by 7 feet, two hoisting
compartments, each 4 feet by 5H q
south compartment. OK feet by 5H feet.
All these measurements are In the clear.
For the last two weeks this big shaft has
been sunk and timbered GS feet, which,
for Its size and depth, is believed 10 DO
unprecedented. II 10 now below the
1000 level, and Il takes 100 carloads OF
rock to give plsoo for each set OF tim.
beers. Last week 092 carloads were OK.
tracted and seven sets Of timbers put In.
Mr.. Rooney declares that inside OF
two months be will punch this big hole
down 10 the 2200 level Of the Sierra Ne.
vada or perish in the attempt. The sta.
ton set at the 1000 level IL just In. The