Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1888-07-04
woRTnY OF uLp uxserLEs
The Ensrnsous Tass of "Tnwater'
inn, the Calumet aud Heels.

A Detroit (Mich.l telegram SAYS There
are few who nave the slightest Idea Of the
work involved 10 "upwatcsing" the great
Calumet and IIecIa copper-mine, which rs
now going on. II II task WORTHY OF
Hercules himself. During the coui.nuance
Of the great fire in the mine, which lasted
five months, from November %, 1887, until
The middle Of Aprl, TIE mine was
allowed 20 gradually ll With water.
Just how many billions o; cubic
feet this water occupied no one can
tell. but many miles Of drifts, wines, chain-
bers, and shafts were sillcd with water. TIE
task Of "nowAtcringr was begun a month
AGO, a1d = proceeding slowly. The big
pump can hoist 3,50o,00 gallons per diem,
but owing TO the imperfect ventilation in
The mine the men are unable % STAY near The
surface Of the watsr Tor lny length Of time
for fear Of asphyXialioD. and the suctiOn-
pipe consequently ca0not be replaced as often
as necessary For this reason pumping bas
now been stopped, but viii be resumed when
the water v lowered tothe tgegty.hfth level.
when there will be current Of fresh Dir
passing th ough all Of the mine not nlled
wiihwatcr,
Instpad 5f pumping, water Is being re-
moved at present IN the big b0llcrroom
"skips," which are used FOR holstinc rock
when fhe mine f. working. rhcsc sk.rs ran
on inclined tramways FROM tie bottom o. the
mine 20 tho rock bouses at tle surface. Four
Skips, With capacity Of i,om gallons ,acb,
and one skip holding l.5oo gallons, ace now
being used. Esch SHIP makes fve.mlnutc
trips, and 800. 0c0 gallons per day 4. hcins
taken ont Of the mine a, soon a. t4r
twenty.iiith level is reached The blg pump
will bc pui 10 work again. and the nine will
again be 4" unwl,ered with the "skips
and pump working together, az the rate Ok
5,0O0.0O0 gallons day.
How long 70 will require to complete fle
work is uuSnowa even boy the officials ~ the
company. 10 viii ,ugely take several months
So free the mire entirely ~ water. Miuiug
men differ greatly In their Views about the
condition in which the inunda,,d pert of TOE
mine will De found when emptiej. Inr most
hopeful think that the damage VIII bc slight,
bur The general opinion seem % bc that ihc
flooded part OF the mine vii, he found ma
very had condition. The Calumet aud liDCl
has had trouble several times with cayigr
walls IN the shait, and the amount ~ timber
used % keep the mine In shape and prevent
caves aud sides has been simply enormous.
SIX Years ado the mine bad a'di.asirous c'-
psrlcucc. 1hc ground about a number oi
the shafts "squrezed" the timhering 30 hard
that the "skps" could MOI pass throurh.
and the shafts were rcmodcled at great rE-
pensc. The action Of tiia water on tncroes,
is OF cOurScdi.integra'ing. oHd thc opening
OF the whole mine Is awaited n iin c0nsidrrt'
Bile anxiety.
1t is altogether probable tbat fhe removal
oi the water Wtll Dee quickly followed win
bad cavc-iul IN the lower part OF th' mine.
The tire which burned so long In tho tim.
berine mas also weakened aud M some places
DESTROYED the supports. 1h., VIII lead io
more or less serious trouble. To place the
niue in as good shape as before the Gre and
food will require Sin0O.0oO 1r s2.tlN.-
600. but should copper continue at iia
present prize for tNo years longer 10"
Calument aud leca will actually paSe
money by the fire notwithstanding ihe
enormous expense cutailcd. At the present
time the Sonih IIecla. or Black HIS part ot
tne mine, which Is wholly separate from The
main mine. Is producing nearly as mucl
copper a. thc whole mine was before the
lire. The May product WIS 2.5l3 tons, and
tbs can be- increased % 5000 tons per
month, II nscpssarv, by october Ii.
The wonderful record made by thc south
Hech shows that the calumet and Hcch.
when free from water. can produce O,OO)
tons OK ctpper per month; bul with the
present mih facilities mi. amount oi metsi
could not De stamped and smolied. The
stampmill, and smclting-W works 40 Lake LIN
den ars rtnnlug full time, and the mne u
giving employment to an ayer7e number oi
men. when the ire broke ont 1t was eN'
pccled that there would be- much suffering
among the, idle miners during The long
winter, but the expectation was notl c1iiIed,
and tie Villages Of Calumet, Rcd Jacket,
Lake Linden, and GrOyeri0u. lll ldircctly de-
peadeut upon The Calumet ana iirtla, ana
with a combined population of nearly 1900.
are nearly ~ prosperous to-day as ever ue-
fore in their history. In fact, it ~ qlies-
ton whether the great Calumet and iiech
fire, which promised to do so much harm.
he's not been q benefit a. ihe owners of the
mlne aud 10 the people OF the entire copper
district u Lake superior.