The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1896-08-29
NEARLY A MILE IN THE EARTH.
Great Depth of the Shafts in Copper Mines
of Michigan.
(Houghton, Mich. Letter to Minneapolis
Journal.

(Houghton, Mich, Letter to Minneapolis
Journal.)
A French engineer proposed last year
to the directors of the International Ex-
position to be given in the French capt.
tai in the year 1900 the digging of hole
to the depth of one mile. The idea was
favorably received, but on investigation
the magnitude of the undertaken be-
dropped. 1t will, therefore, be necessary
for those who desire to descend a mi lie
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 vertica
shafts, each nearly one mile in depth.
The deepest of this trio is the Red jack
ct Shaft of the Calumet and Heo la Cop
per 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 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.
This shaft was begun in 1889, and it
has taken seven full years to sink it,
showing an average progress of 700 feet
annually. nearly all of which has been
in blue trap rock. one of the most refrac-
tory of minerals. The conglomerate car
rying copper was the bed of an ancient
sea, and Is composed of pebbles and
gravel worn by the action of the water,
such as are seen on sea beaches or lake
shores, cemented into a solid mass by
calo and silica. By the peroolation of
the waters and the decomposition of
certain constituents Of the rock little
cavities were formed, in which were de-
posted small ncdules of copper by the
W ter.
The Red Jacket Shaft Is 1515 by 25 feet.
in size inside of the timbers, and contains
six compartments, being fully equal In
working capacity to half dozen min
ing shafts Of ordinary size. The shaft is
solidly tim bered. The adamaptine firm
ness of the rock renders it secure for all
time to come, the tim bering being mere
ly to carry the traffic of men and min
eral, of water and electricity, which
suI&oS USbWo6u uu6 auQ Ol6 UOU-
tom. In four compartments will slip up
and down the ponderous cages, carrying
ten-ton loads OF rock at the speed of ex-
press trains. Up and down in these cages
will also ride the men who mine the
rock from the old sea bed. In one COM
partnent will be the great iron pun p
pipes and down another descends the
steady current of compressed air which
runs the drills mils below the engine
hnnaQ Rnnohad al1nnep phloa
the copper wires which convey electricity
to light the reoesses of the mine, threads
of wlre7that afford telephone oommuni-
cation from the most remote drift to any
other portion of the property, for the
Calumet and Hscla has telephone ex-
change of it's own, which in size and
perfection of equipment puts to the blush
the facilities OF many pretentious towns
and which reaches every office on the
mine. There are fire alarm wires, too,
for the Calumet and Hecla spares no
cost to make its employees as safe as skill
and lavish outlay of money can render
them. gk#@
The sinking of this shaft possesses
deep interest from a scientific stand
point. Observers ascending to great
heights in balloons have been able to
secure data of surprising Importance
regarding meteorological conditions.
and observations made at the depth of a
mile afford positive 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 learning which muss be
overhauled because facts have succeeded
theory. The mines of the Comstook lode
in Nevada were the deepest IN the world,
The mines were very hot, and on the
deeper levels some of the more mons
miners were quite positive that thew
smelled sulphur and refused to go furth-
dominions of the devil. According to
deductions the bottom of the Red Jaoket
Shaft should be about the proDer tenn
peraSure to boil eggs. Careful tests have
determined that the normal temperature
of the rock is 1918 deg. Fahrenheit at
the bottom. The rock tsmneratnre at
the depth of 1o5 feet was SO deg. FahIenO ~
heit, showing an access of 2S.6 deg. in
4, 795 feet. There was, however a oain
of about deg. in temperature In the
last 800 feet sunk, much more rand
increase than at lesser depths. N
Mot yy hnfa aGino L.