The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1896-10-24
NEARLY A MILE IN THE EARTH.
Great Depth of the Shafts in Cop
per Mines of Michigan.
From the Minneapolis journal.


per Mines of Michigan.
From the Minneapolis journal.
A French engineer proposed last year to
the Directors of the International Exposi-
ton to be given in the French capital in
the year 1900 the digging of hole to the
depth of one mile. The idea was favor
ably received, but on investigation the
magnitude of the undertaking became so
apparent that the idea has been dropped.
1t will therefore be necessary for those
who desire TO descend mile into the bowels
of the earth to come to Calumet, for no.
where else on earth are there available
openings of such depth. Within less than
a mile of each other in this mining town
there are three vertical shafts, each nearly
one mile in depth The deepest of this
trio is the Red Jacket Shaft of the Cal
umet and Hecla Copper Mine, which has
reached its full depth of 1900 feet Five
Eifel 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, show
ing an average progress of 700 feet an
nually, nearly all of which has been in
blue trap rock, one of the most refractory
of minerals. The conglomerate carrying
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 solid mass by Gale and silica. By
the percolation of the waters and the de-
composition of certain constituents of the
rock little cavities were formed, in which
were deposited small nodules of copper by
the water.
The Red jacket Shaft is 151 by 25
feet in size inside of the timbers, and con-
tains six compartments, icing fully equal
in working capacity 20 half dozen mining
shafts of ordinary size. The shaft is solid
ly timbered The adamantine frmness of
the rock renders it secure for all time TO
come, the timbering being merely to carry
the traffic of men and mineral, of water
and electricity, which surges between the
sunlight and the bottom In four COM
partments will slip up and down the pom
derous cages, carrying ten-ton loads of rock
at the speed of express trains. Up and
down these cages will also ride the men
who mine the rock from the old sea bed.
In one compartment will be the great iron
pump pipes, and down another descends
the steady current of compressed air which
runs the drills a mile below the engine
house. Bunched in slender cables are the
copper wires which convey electricity to
light the recesses of the mine, threads of
wire that afford telephone communication
from the most remote drift to any other
portion of the property, for the Calumet
and Hecla has a telephone exchange of its
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 surface and
every portion Of the great mine. There
are ire-alarm wires, too, for the Calumet
and Hecla spares no cost to make its en-
ployes as safe as skill and lavish outlay of
money can render them.
The sinking of this shaft possesses deep
interest from scientific standpoint. OBJ
servers ascending to great heights in bal
looms have been able to secure data of
surprising importance regarding meteoro-
logical conditions, and observations made
at the depth of mile afford positive in
formation. 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 were
very hot, and on the deeper levels some Of
the more pious miners were quite positive
that they smelled sulphur and refused to
go further down for fear of encroaching
upon the dominions Of the devil Accord
ing to deductions, the bottom of the Red
Jacket Shaft should be about the proper
temperature to boil eggs. Careful tests
have determined that the normal temper.
ature of the rock is S.76 degrees Fahren-
heit at the bottom. The rock tempera-
ture at the depth of 1O5 feet was 80 de-
grees Fahrenheit, showing an excess of
2s.6 degrees in 4795 feet. There was,
however, gain of about s degrees in tenn
perature in the last 500 feet sunk, much
more rapid increase than at lesser depths
Notwithstanding the beneficial effects of
ventilation and compressed air, men work
ing at the bottom Of the deep shaft do not
have an especially easy berth, though lib
orally paid. They are compelled to wear
rubber boots and rubber coats, as the
water found in the mine at that great
depth is most corrosive on the human body.
There is machinery enough on the sur
face to drive all the street cars of city
like ST. Louis at this single one of eleven
shafts, and it is Housed in freproof build
ings that would be the pride of city of
100, 900 inhabitants.
When vou look nj vonrealf look for