Eureka daily sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1871-1887, 1882-03-16
SECRET CANYON.
Its Mines Discussed scientifically
and PracticaIIy-A Well Dig ested
Essay ON the Subject by q Miner.

and PractfcaIly-A Well Dig ested
Essay on the Subject by n Miner.
SECRET CANYON, Eureka Co., New,
March IA, 1882.
EDITOR SENTINEL: Notwithstanding the
many obstacles that have impeded the
progress Of this sighted and neglected end
Of the Base Range, Secret Canyon Mining
District is rapidly coming to the front.
The great Salisbury mill is fast nearing
completion. Not knowing anything about
machinery / n express an opinion Of
its merits or dement's; but this I do know,
that Secret Canyon contains within itself
the elements that guarantee its future
prosperity. Capital is taking a hold, mines
are being incorporated, new ones are being
discovered, an embryo town ia started,
many tunnels are being run to tap the
mother lode and a general confidence has
Of late been inspired. The fact of this
mining district being situated 80 near to
the celebrated and far-famed Eureka Dis
trict may in a measure account for the
~incredulity and skepticism so often ex-
pressed in regard to the extent and value
of its mines. Secret Canyon is to-day as
if a pound of ore was never extracted from
its mines, almost in a virgin state, for the
work that has been going on here for the
years past is surface work, mere scratching.
The ores to be found here are deep.
Now; deep tunnels are being run to
tap the contact vein. When this is lon a
grand destiny awaits this district. 1t will
become one Of the great camps Of the
State. Nothing can stop it, for the reason
that mines and wealth are here. The
southern end Of Prospect Mountain ex-
tends through the district and contains
the chief lode, ores from which have been
extracted that throw Ruby Hill and the
northend of the mountain in the shade.
A p~rospector standing on the summit of
War Eagle Mountain, the highest In this
district, sees the rounded foothills and
deeply eroded canyons which tell him
that the landscape under his feet is a
patchwork of many rock groups, the prin-
cipal being ~sedimentary, through which
some Of the Oldest eruptive rocks crop out.
Geology clearly demonstrates the fact
that this part Of the earth's surface was
for ages covered by the sea. The next
geologic event after the birth of those
mountains was the pouring out of an i'm
mense sea OF molten rock. flowing north
and south as q sea of fire. Upon the higher
elevations it cooled under the atmosphere
and formed a compact porphyritic rock,
while down on the lower levels it cooled
under water and formed a loose tufaceous
rock, now used as the building stone found
in the quarries around Eureka. and ex-
tending from there far beyond this place
to the south. A succession of events
reaching back through geologic time is
registered in the rocks that encase the
mother LODI Of this district-the one born
Of fire or igneous and the other formed of
sediment under the sea. Under the at
mosphere the world is forever wasting
away. Under the sea it is forever build |
ing anew.
The Geddes & Bertrand, for whose de.
yelopment much money is being spent in
constructing a great mill and improved
machinery, is on this lode, with many
other mines equally as great. but too nu-
merous at the present time for mention in
this article. The Irish ambassador, the
first in richness Of the silver deposits of
this part Of the State, is a assure vein To-
Gated on the mother lode. The hills here
eliminate in War Eagle Mountain, which
is $500 feet above the sea level. The ele-
walton Of the range is considerably lower
as il approaches Austin Hill. On the
south side, and about 600 feet in elevation
above the Bassy Canyon, are found the
groupings Of the Irish ambassador mine.
the general course Of which is Z N E and
W s w. The vein stone projects
above the general contour of the bills in a
few places, but the greater part OF its
length is hidden under heavy masses OF
dolomite and porphyry. The slope OF the
hill varies from 25 to IS degrees, and the
dip OF the lode is nearly 40 degrees to the
N N W. Upon entering the mine, on
the first level, more than 100 below the
surface. we find ourselves Immediately in
ore. The main shaft, inclined, is Az x6
feet. and $50 feet in depth, and contains
ore from top to bottom. The first level
has o track so feet in length and an up
raise 40 feet toward the surface, from both
of which q quantity Of rich ore was ex-
Upon descending the main shaft
from this level the ore body rests on q
smooth foot wall Of silicious limestone
and dips all the way to the
workings, at an angle Of SO degrees.
On the second level a drift runs west by
southwest so feet in rich ore, much OF
works $500 to the ton. At the end
Of this drift q winze is sunk 40 feet in rich
ore. From the bottom Of this winze an
drift Is run west by southwest At
feet in ore, some OF which will assay very |
The third level has a drift running
east by northeast with three feet Of rich
ore, every pound Of which will assay into
the thousands. In this drift, as the work
the ore-body increases in size.
From this level another drift is run 40
feet west by southwest. containing ore Of
the same quality as in the east drift.
There are other workings too numerous to
mention, containing ore Of the same char
acter and quality.
This mine reflects credit on its capable
foreman, from the fine manner in which it
is opened up. The workings aggregate
900 feet of drifts. WINES and upraises. and
have cost a large sum-, as the rock
encountered was Q very hard silicious
But the mine is able to stand
it, as ore is found everywhere all through
the workings. There is a large amount of
very rich ore sacked on the different levels
to be taken out when the snow is gone.
Foul air has retarded the developments.
A furnace has been built, and pipes have
been run down to the lowest workings for
ventilation. In one part OF this min the
working forces Of matter are playing an
important part-that is, chemical. cleo
trical, magnetic and mechanical forces
blend in a harmonious manner in forming
a mass OF crystslized quartz, that will
eventually lead to another large body OF
ore. A deep tunnel Is about being driven
to tap the mine 500 feet in depth. When
this Is done the Irish ambassador will be
the richest, as we'll as one Of the greatest,