The Portland daily press., 1894-08-31
A DEEP MINE, THIS.
A Shaft that Extends 1926 Feet Below the
Earth's Surface.

smart that Extends 4,256 Feet Below the
Earth's Surface.
OneNof the most wonderful undertake
ings in the history of mining engineer
ing has just been carried to highly
successful completion. A vertical shaft,
of full size for three compartments, for
hoisting rock and. lowering timber,
ladderways and ways for air pipes.
water pipes, electric lights and signal
wires, &C., has been sunk for depth of
1895 feet from the surface. Wonderful
to relate, the famous Calumet and Hecla
conglomerate vein was cut at depth
of less than ten feet greater than was
predicted by the engineers
In January of 1889 several mining men
OF the Michigan copper district asso-
ciated themselves with Boston capital
lists and formed the Tamarack Mining
and Smelling Company. This company
acquired possession of tract of land adj
joining the famous Calumet and Hecla
line. The dip of the great conglomerate
vein of copper rock of that mine was SO
gradual and SO regular that the pro-
moters of the new company figured on
striking the copper bearing measure at
depth of about 2, $50 feet. With a faith
and pluck that at that time seemed
almost miraculous. a full-sized working
shaft was begun large enough for three
compartments. No money was spent on
diamond drill borings or in other explor-
atory work, but night and day the work
OF sinking the sh att was continued. For
three and a half years this work was car
ried on, and at a depth of 2, $40 feet the
falth OF The courageous miners was re-
waryled by striking the great conglomer-
ate vein, the richest mineral body in the
world. The cost of sinking this great
shaft was over $3.50, coo before the vein
WAS cut, and the only returns for this
great outlay came from the few tons of
copper that were taken from smaller and
less important veins cut By the shaft on
its way to the conglomerate. Within
two years from the tapping oflthe vein
of the Calumet and Hecla the Tamarack
had paid its cost, and was earning mon
ey. The sinking of Mol vertical shaft
of the Tamarack was then regarded as
the most colossal and courageous piece
OF mining work ever attempted.
Never since has an equal amount of
money been spent to demonstrate mere
theory, but the work of sinking No. /
shaft, great as it was, has been out
after the opening of paying drifts and
stores III the bottom of Mol shaft it was
seen that second shaft was required,
both for safety and for the proper devel-
opment of the mine. 1t was accordingly
sunk, at great cost, and proved as sue
cessful as its predecessor, reaching the
Calumet vein at depth of 1900 feet.
Shortly after the third shaft was
planned, and has just been completed,
cutting the ore body at depth of 4, 236
feet, or almost twice the depth of the in
itial shaft. 1t should be rememb ered
that these shafts are all vertical, and
consequently this new shaft of the Tam
arack penetrates the crust of the earth
to greater depth than any other open
ing ever made in the old or new worlds
The opening of the new storing ground
at the bottom of No. 3 shaft, which will
take number of months, will add some
SO per cent. to the productive capacity of
the Tamarack mine within about year,
and will render that mine formidab BILE
rival to the Calumet and Hecla, both in
output and in returns to stockholders.
The operation OF shafts of such great
depth requires special hosting machi-
merry, and the men are all lowered to and
raised from their work in "cages,n as the
elevators and lifts are termed in mining
parlance. Specially woven wire cables
are used, with a gradually decreasing
weight and strength toward the bottom,
as the strain is much less there than a
Jew Thousand feet higher up. With the
loaded cage suspended 1900 feet in the
shaft the weight of the cable is much
greater than the weight of the cage and
it's load. The operation of such deep
workings entails the utmost care in the
selection of materials for working, and
the best and latest safety appliances
foracatching the cage in case of the part
ing of the hosting cable, and for guard
inc, against the breaking of the cable
and consequent dropping of the cage in
to the shaft, as was done last year in the
Calumet and Hecla,. with the loss of ten
lives, through hosting the cage too high
and bringing it against the sheayes at
the top of the shaft house.
Ii - stated by mining men and engi-
neers OF international fame that no
where in the world are there such deep
mines and such perfection of mining
| machinery and appliances as in the cop
per district It is certain that nowhere
are there mines which pay larger divi-
dends steadily, and which operate their
properties upon such colossal scale.