The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-09-11
treat Depth or the shafts In Copper
Mines Of Michigan
91uSata-. Mirh-. Letter - MErn~ap,,is
Journal


Journal
A french engineer PROPOSED last year 20
the directors OF ti4a international axu<>-
sstoa 20 BE- given n re French q pstai
n tle year I-s ne ttggi-E OF a hoe %
ne 9snlh - one mile. TIE iaez Was favor
ably received. but On Investigation the
magnitude o. the undertaking became SO
s7pAFe2. 'hat the idea h4s been dropped.
Il VII therefore BE- necessary .o- those
MO desire 20 descend Il rnlIa into me
eowe-s or he earth 20 come 20 Calare.,
tor nowhere else on Earth are there avail
ao4e openings OF such depth Within less
man ME OF saca other IN this mining
town there ara three vertical shafts. each
Hc9f4y one nile in depth. The deepest 81
tais trio = the Red jacket shaft Of tho
Calumet and Hec.a copper mine. Which
has reached its fun depeh o. 400 sses
rive ElFTel towers could DE- dropped down
this hole we're X wide enough and he TOP
q the nfth would reach ABOVE surface
only 70 such = height as would allow IL
. % easily covered by the steel shaft
house row being bQat over the rnonStrous
hole
Tnis SHAFT was begun in 1859. and II has
taken seven fun years 20 sink L. show
ins an average progress 81 20 feet an
h3al4y, nearly a., % which has been n
oiae trap rock. one OF the most refractory
o. minerals The eongIosuerate carrytns,
copper vas the bed Of an ancient sea, and
: com posed OF pebbles and gravel worn
by the action OF the water such as are
seen on sea beaches or lake shores, &C.
mented into solid mass by calc ana saica.
bF Inc peTcoaIon Of the waters and The
decomposition OF certain constituents OF
the rock little cavities were formed in
which were deposited small nodules o.
copper by the water
The Red Jacket shaft IS I5i4xe5 feet in
: III = 2 er.ss f,r-I,
comptr rments, being fully equal in work
ing capacity 10 a half dozen mining shafts
OF ordinary size. The shaft is so.id}v tim
oeFed Ine adInantine firmness OF the rock
renders IL secure for all time 10 come the
tim ring beins, merely to carry the traf-
no or men and mineral. Of water and
electricity, which surges between the sun
light and the bottom. In four cor1x,art,
mehts VIII slip up and down the ponderous
cages, carrying ten-ton loads OF rock AZ
Inc speed OF express trains Tn and DOWN
these cages VIII also ride The men who
mine the rock from the old sea bed In
one compartment viii be the great iron
pump pipes. ard down another descends
the steady current OF compressed air
which runs the drills a mile below the en-
glhe mousse. Bunched in slender cables ara
the copper wires which convey electricity
10 aight the recesses OF the mine threads
or wire that afford telephone communi-
cation from the most remote drift TO any
portion or the property. for the Calumet
ana hecla has a telephone exchange OF
i's own, which IN size and perfection ~
equipment puts 70 the blush the facilities
OF many pretentlous towns and which
reaches every office on the surface and
every portion Of the great mine There are
IRE alarm wires, too. for the Calumet and
hecla spares no cost TO make it's employees
az safe as skill ard lavish outlay OF mon
ey can render them
Inc sinking OF this shaft possesses deep
interest from a scientific standpoint. OBJ
servers ascending TO great heights in bal
toons nave been able 10 secure data OF
surprising Importance regarding mete-
oro1gical conditions. and observations
made a the depth Of a mile afford nos
tive Information. The Red Jacket shaft
has shattered some OF the deeply cherished
theories. and there are text books now
eXtant in the higher institutions Of learn
Ing which must be overhauled because
facts have succeeded theory The mines
Of the Comstock lode in Nevada were the
deepest IN the world. The mines We're very
hot. and on the deeper levels some Of
the more rlous miners were quite positive
that they smellei sulphur nd refused TO
70 further down for fear or encroachlng
upon the dominIons OF the devil Accord
Ing TO deductions. the bottom OF the Red
Jacket shaft should be about the proper
temperature 10 boil eggs Careful tests
have determined that the normal temper
ature 81 the rock is SIS degrees Fahren-
heit at the bottom. The rock temperature
al the depth of it5 feet was 50 degrees
Fahrenheit showing an access of 2s6 de-
erees in i.7s5 feet. There was. however. r
gain Of about degrees in temperature in
tho las. $40 feet sunk much more rapid
iprrease than at lesser depths
Notwithstanding the beneficial effects OF
ventilation and compressed air. men work
ing al the bottom of the shaft do not have
an especially easy berth. though literally
paid They are compelled 20 wear rubber
boots and rubber coats, as the water found
IN the mine "a that great depth IS most
corrosive on the human body
There IS machinery enough on the sur
face 20 drive all the street cars or city
like s. Louis az this single one Of eleven
shafts and II Is housed Ia fire-proOf build
ings that would be tho pride OF a city or
10000 Inhabitants