The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1896-10-20
NEARLY A MILE STRAIGHT DOWN
The Great Depth Of q Shaft of One OF the
Michigan Copper Mines.

a French engineer proposed last year
tothe directors of the international ex.
position to be given in the French CAPT.
tai in the year 1000 the digging of
hole to the depth of one mile. The idea
was favorably received, but on invcsti-
cation the magnitude Of the undertake
ing became SO apparent that the idea
has been dropped. It will, therefore, be
necessary for those who desire to de-
scend mile into the bowels of the earth
to come to Calumet, for nowhere else
on earth are there available openings
Of such depth. Within less than mile
of each other in this mining town there
are three vertical shafts each nearly one
mile in depth. The deepest of the trio
is the Red Jacket shaft Of the Calumet
Dc Hecla copper mine, which has
reached its full depth Of 1900 feet. Five
Eiffel towers could be dropped down
this hole were it wide enough, and the
top Of the fifth would reach above tha
surface only to such height as would
allow it to be easily covered by the steel
shaft house now being built over the
monStrous hole. K 49,
The shaft was begun IN 1889, and ID
has taken seven full years to sink it,
showing an average progress of 200 feet
annually. nearly all of which has been
IN blue trap rock, one of the most re-
fractory OF minerals. The conglomerate
carrying copper was the bed of an an
Gent sea, and is composed of pebbles
and gravel worn by the action OF thu
wafer, such as are seen on sea beaches
or lake shores, cemented into solid
mass OF Gale or silica. By the percola-
ton OF the waters and the decomposi-
ton OF certain constituents of the rock
little cavities were formed, in which
were deposited small nodules Of copper
by the water. 49,
feet in size inside Of the timbers and
contains six compartments, being fully
equal II working capacity to half doz-
en- mining shafts OF ordinary size. The
shaft IS solidly timbered. The ada !
m2ntine frIuness OF the rock renders |
it secure for all time to come. the tim |
bers being. merely to carry tie traffic |!
of men and mineral, of water and cleo |
tricity, which surges between the sun.
light and the bottom. In four CON-
panuents will slip up and down the /
ponderous cages, carrying ten-ton loads |
of rock at che speed OF express trains. |
Up and down these cages viii also ride |
the men who mine the rock from the 4
old sea bed. In one apartment will /
be the great iron pump pipes, and down
another descends the steady current Of 4
compressed air which runs the drills 4
q mile below the enrire house. Bunched 1
In slender cables are copper1viTes which
convey electricity 20 light the rccesses
OF the mine, threads OF wire that afford
telephone communication from the
most remote drift TO any other portion
Of the property. Tor the Calumet &
Hecis has q telephone exchange OF it,
Own. which n size and perfection Of
equipment puts TO the blush the facili-
ties OF many preteltious towns, and
which reaches every Office on the Cur
racc and ever portion CT the gTea,
mine. There are fre-ala-m wires. too
for the Calumet ( Eecla spars 10
cost 70 make lis employees as safe as slzil i
and. lavish outlay OF money czn reader
them.
The sinking OF the shaft possesse,
deep interest from scientific stand.
point. Observers ssceEdiag % great
aeiehts II balloons have aeeu able -
secure data CO surprising IznFsoyta ne
meteorological conditions,
I'D obscrTztiocs mode 81 the depth q
: mile aIcrd positive iufo1matioa- The +
Rcd Jacket shaft has SHATTERED sozse
= the dcepiy-ehe-izhssi theories zni I
hare ere text books n9w oztzns n
ne higher Institutions o; learning
gst h ovs-hauied eecauss Set.