The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1890-12-09
MINES And MINING.
A Visit To and An Inspection
of the Crescent.
REMINDERS OF THE oLDEN DAYS
Scenes Underground-A New and Larger
Engine to Replace Maud Whitley"
The Total Output to Date.

Thought the kindness of Mr.. James Nc
Oregon, managing director OF the Crescent
company, and Mr.. James Hickey, foreman
in charge of the mine, a HERALD represen-
tative was permitted last week to visit and
xamine the property. The result OF his
visit is given below, which includes sketch
of its history and describes its immense
ore bodies. 1t will be interesting to The
HERALD readers: Away back in the early
70s, before the magic wand, the prospect
or's pick, had struck the rock from which
has flowed the Ontario's millions, a loca-
ton had been made on what has since been
known as Rebellion Hill, near the head of
Thayne's canyon. This claim was called
the Green Eyed Monster, which after
wards, by relocation, was changed Ito the
Pinyon. Other locations soon followed;
ore was found In abundance, and
much excitement was caused by
the opening of the Rebellion, Pinyon,
Walker and Webster, and other mines
on the Hill. Companies were formed
that worked the different properties for
number of years, until 1882, when a con-
solidatlon was talked up, and the Pinyon
Mining company, the Rebellion Mining
company and the Climax Mining company
The claims that were included in the new
incorporation were;the Pinyon, Pinyon Elk
tension, except small portion of it, the
Rebellion, Hecla, Aetna, Tidal Wave, Null
kahy, Shamus O'Brien, Climax, James A.
Garfield, Samuel, Bible Back, Senate, and
the Fallon-all 200x1 500 feet claims. Since
that time the company has acquired by
purchase, the Walker and Webster, Nut,
Orc, Pluto aud Buckeye claims, adjoining
its other properties. The Incorporation of
the Crescent company took place Septem-
Der 81, 1882, the capital stock being placed
ut $4,000, 600, divided into 600,00 snares,
of the par value of s25 each. The incorpo
rators and the amount of stock taken by
each, were as follows: Edward p. Ferry,
10000; Arthur Brown, "a, 900; Robert \,
Baskin, 49, 1898; Mardi Thomas, 80, 500:
Ezra j. Travis, 95,23S, Chester q. Whitney,
$4,000; David c. Mclaughlin, $4,000; G. L.
Haynes, 81, 23S, and Moses kirkpatrick, 10
shares. These gentlemen constituted the
first board of directors
The company went to work at once and
the mine, under the management of John J.
DAILY, commenced to give up its treasures.
All the work was done through the Rebel
lion and Climax and Pinyon tunnels, and
thousands Of tons OF ore was taken out.
On account of the grade OF the ore being
second-class, it became necessary in 1884 TO
erect the Crescent concentration. to reduce
it TO better quality before shipment to
market. AS a matter of economy, the
hauling rates from the mine to the concen-
TRAITOR being high, the tramway was con-
structed in 1884, at cost of $4,000. 1t is
nearly five miles long, extending from the
foot of Main street, in Park City, to the
mine, and ascending in all nearly 1000 feet
II is operated by the Shea engine ''Maud
Whitney, and has proven a success.
In the upper works, the vein was fol
IT,, l.,,t
was believed that depth would find it regu
lar and well defined. In accordance with
this belief, the Etna tunnel, go feet below
the Rebellion tunnel, was started, and con
tinued until, at distance of 1,S00 feet. the
vein was tapped. 1t was about ten feet il
width, and dipped to the southeast at ar
angle Of about seventy degrees. The ore
though low grade, carried much that wa!
first class, A drift was run about clever
hundred feet on the vein, TO the southwest
and it was found that 1t continued almos
the entire distance, retaining its siz
throughout Connections were made witt
the upper works in different places. 1t was
tden decided to confine all operations to tn,
.41tna tunnel, and develop the vein by
shaft. A large building was erected at tn,
mouth of the tunnel, containing a boile
room, a compressor room, a blacksmith
shop and a carpenter shop. A set of larg
boilers and a No 10 upright Burleigh al
compressor were put in, while at the fac
OF the tunnel a station was cut, 20X30x6
feet in size, and Legerwood double-drur
hosting engine set up, which is run b
compressed air, conducted in pipes from TIA
outside. From the start it was designe
that the shaft should be of sufficient siz
for work on an extensive scale, so it wa
sunk with three compartments, two &c
hosting and the other for pumping pun
poses. It is l4x519 feet in the clear, and
well timbered. 1t is now down distanc
of PAS feet. 1t is not perpendicular but il
clines at an angle of 20 degrees, followin
the vein.
On the 200 level is located large Worth
ingt0n duplex pump, capable of handlin
200 gallons of water per minute, Will
forty-fve feet below is another pump, use
in sinking, having the same capacit.
Drifts have been run on the vein in bot
directions from the shaft. both on the II
and 200 levels. Those running southwe
continue to the limit of the Crescel
ground. while those running northeast al
only 200 feet in length, ending at the All
ance ground.
In the southwest drifts most Of the d
yelepment work has been done, and here
has been shown that the Crescentis gre;
mine. The walls are from thirty to or
hundred feet apart, and ore both first an
second class, is found in irregular quar-
titles throughout the distance A lars
amount Of ore has been stopped out, leavir
veritable mammoth cave which the "a,
of the miners candle turns into a palac
studded with glittering gems. 1t is or
ore everywhere. A branch vein w;
struck between the two levels, which dil
to the northwest at an angle of abo
eighteen degrees. 1t is five feet in THO
ness, solid ore. The walls are well define
the hanging being of porphyry and the TO
wall of lime. Nearly all the work in Il
mine at present is being done on this vel
and as far as developed, about 200 feet
length and 100 feet On its dip, it continu
the same size.
The great trouble has been with wat
which, every spring and summer has
most Aooded the mine, coming in such qua
titles that it could not be handled Tn
was the case last spring, when the low
levels were flooded for nearly five month
The arrangement effected with the All
ance company, the continuing of the Ha
auer tunnel into the Crescent ground, me
toned in last SUNDAYS HERALD, will rel
edy this trouble before the next sprin
In the meantime it is the policy of I
management to vigorously push develo
ment work, and place the mine in such
condition that when IL is relieved of t
water it can be worked on large sea
Enough ore is IN sight to continue oper
lions at double the present output for TO
years. What will be found below the q
level is not known, but it is expected, jus
ing from past experience and the charact
of the country IN general, that as depth
attained the vein will become better
fined and the ore Of richer quality. The
is possibility of the Alliance tunnel bel
pushed into the Crescent in the future, a
if this happens, it will place the Cresce
among the big mines of the country.
will give 1000 feet of working ground OF
tent foot vein of solid ore, nearly 1,50O fe
in length.
Some attention is yet given to the upr