The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1894-10-09
The Ontario Drain Tunnel Com
pleted at Last.
COMPLETE SUCCESS.
WHAT 1T WILL DO FOR THE
GREAT MINE.
The Tunnel Wonderful Feat of
Engfneering-A Great Stream of
Water Already Flowing from the
Mine into the Provo River-SOme
Interesting Details.


tating the expenditure of nearly half
million dollars, were crowned with glori-
Gus success on Sunday night by the prac-
teal completion of the Ontario drain tun-
mel.
1t was somewhat unexpected, for even
the workmen at the face of the tunnel
were not aware of the fact that they
were so near the go foot tunnel which
started from No. shaft. When at 3
o'clock Sunday night one of the power
drills which were being used to put in
a heavy shot plunged through the slight
dividing wall of rock between the face
of the main tunnel and that of the cut
leading off from No. 2 shaft, the work
men operating the machines could hardly
realize that they were then accomplish
ing what the Ontario and DAILY compan-
les had labored necessarily for the past
six years to accomplish. When they
awoke to the Importance of the discovery
the men at once set about completing the
opening and within very short time
had removed sufficient of the rock to al
low the passage of human body. Up
to this time the air in the tunnel had
been without movement and 1T was nee
essary to pump pure air back to the
Workmen from the plant at the mouth of
the workings, but with the clearing away
of the rock and earth and the opening
passing In at the mouth of the tunnel
and flowing up through the workings OF
the mine, the force being sufficient to
blow mans hat fifty feet from his head
Immediately upon securing an opening s
messenger was dispatched for Foreman
Keetly, and, accompanied by Mrs. Keet-
~, that gentleman was soon on the scene
passage from the main tunnel to the sub
tunnel in advance of all others and found
her way into the workings and thence to
= !, So =
husband closely followed. Although the
connection was made on Sunday night.
the news did not reach this city until yes
terday morning.
with the completion of the tunnel,
which taps the workings of the Ontario
on the 1,500 foot level, it will no longer
be necessary to operate the great Cornish
pump, which has for years been handling
the waters of the Ontario and DAILY and
which is one Of the wonders Of Utah in
mining way. 1t will, of course, re-
quire several days to remove the debris
from the floor of the tunnel and make
the connection perfect. so that the turn
of the waters from the mines will not be
made until probably the end of the pres
raise the water to the 600 foot level and
there throw it into the old drain tunnel
until these projections are effected and
then it will be silenced, pending. deeper
workings below the 1,5O0 foot level.
AS an engineering feat the tunnel has
few equals in the west and a great deal
of credit is due to Engineer o. A. Pal
mer, who has had personal charge of the
engineering part of the work, and Fore
man John H. Keetly, who has given his
exclusive attention to the mechanical de-
partment. The connections were perfect,
the drills from the sides of the main tun-
mel cutting close to the sides of the tun
mel which reached out from the shaft. II
was a fitting ending of the splendid
undertaking. Standing in the mine end
of the great tunnel person can see the
daylight at the outlet: glimmering nearly
three miles away. The square of the
mouth can be distinctly seen. There are
The total actual length of the drain
tunnel is 1890 feet, extending straight
through the mountain from point over
the divide east asst from Park City to II the
ter mine at the 1,500 foot level and drain
ing that entire section of the country.
including the DAILY and Daly-West prop
critics. OF the total cost the DAILY
Mining company will pay one-half.
Ground was broken on July 18th,
1888. at the mouth of the, tun-
mel, although the actual work did not
commence for several days thereafter,
and the connection was made at p. m.
October 7th, 1894. According to the last
published report of the company the cost
1884 O67,16, and the expenditures since that
date will swell the total cost to some
thing over 100000. OF course, there are
some heavy credits to be made to the
At the mouth of the workings air
power plants are located and
unused. The revenues derived from
the sale of all this will reduce the act
ual cost of the work materially. In 1893
a tunnel was commenced at the bottom of
the $500 foot level in shaft No. and
pushed eastward toward the incoming |
tunnel go feet, but then abandoned on ac-
count of the great quantities of water
order to make the drainage perfect a
when the connection was made it |
still left some work to be done in the
be turned in. In the engineering work |
Mr. Palmer used large Bsller & Bright |
ly tunnel transit, made especially for the |
work: and the splendid record made is
According to the records kept at
the main offices In this city the average
feet from date. of breaking ground.
Tt was anticipated that the aver
age would be ten feet, but some extreme |
ly heavy ground was encountered and the
gigantic as to materially increase the
time of the completion of the drain. |
The delays have been many and
m raerf1 of the completion the officers
Of the company heaved signs of intense
relief and were happy, in fact, extremely
happy, ana SCou reason hdo tHey LOT thelr
water lts' flowing out Of the tunnel and
finding its way to the Prove river, but
the delivery will be considerably more
than doubled. The completion of this
work will render dry the, stretch of
Ontario ground, thereby materially re-
ducing the cost of the development of the
new country. It is not known whether
any ore bodies have been cut by the tun-
Considerable speculation has been in
duged in of late regarding the prospec
tive. action of the Ontario and DAILY com
not the properties will be closed down
awaiting an advance in the price of silver,
now that there is no longer any absolute
completion of the tunnel it would have
been suicidal to have ceased operations.
for the reason that the pumping expenses
would have gene on just the same Now,
however, the situation has a decidedly
different aspect and the companies could
close down without loss. should that be
None of the local officials are prepared to
make any statements as to the future
in congratula tons. to the Ontario and
Daily people on the occasion of their
splendid success and the completion of
the great tunnel VIII be recorded as one
modern days
Superintendent Chambers returned
from California last night and was high
ly gratified With the glad tidings which
awaited him 1t is very. probable that he
will leave for the Park today for the
purpose of making a personal inspection
operations of the Ontario and DAILY.
wHIrNEY's POSITION DEFINED.
New York, Oct. S.-The state commit |
tee is tonight sending out letter written
by ex-Secretary Whitney, dated at Ros-