Evening star., 1896-09-12

der us. It comes from the mine at the rate
of ten thousand gallons a minute, and as
we listen we hear the water falling fall
ing. as it comes from the levels above
There was not an ounce of silver in the
rock which was dug away in order to make
this tunnel, and 1t gives you some idea of
the cost Of mining when you learn that
this half million dollars was spent for dead
work, and solely to get water away from
the other parts of the mine Until this
tunnel was built all Of the water had to be
taken out by means of pumps. one Of the
pumps used costing the enormous sum of
$2OO.OOO 1t had a capacity of 1000 gallons
minute, but 1t is now lying idle and USE
less. Its work being done by the tunnel.
1t Is the water that necessitates the wall
Ing OF the tunnels and the slopes with logs.
The wet earth and rock is always pressing
IN, and without timberS the mine Would NOT
last for an hour. The force is so great that
1t sometimes grinds these great pine logs
many OF which are large around as your
Waist-to powder. Some of the highest
priced men employed in the mines are
those who take care Of the timbers who
walk through the mine daily looking out
for weak spots. The best Of timber is re-
quired. and that used in the Ontario mine
comes from the forests OF Oregon.
A Dynamite Experience.
And so we go along from tunnel to tun
nel. Now we climb into one Of the Slopes
and watch the men at work. We have
candles in our hands and we crawl along
almost bending double. the water dripping
down upon US. At last We enter q cave
Here half dozen miners are working
Some are taking the ore out with picks.
Their wire candlesticks are stuck into the
rocks beside them as they dig away at the
pile of stone which has been blasted ont
by dynamite. Some are loading ore, They
push 1t into the chutes with long-handled
Shovels and we hear 1t roll down and strike
the iron bottom of the car beneath. In
other places men are drilling in order
to blast. They cut out holes by means of
diamond drills, compressed air furnishing
the force which turns them. There thew
have the work done and a half dozen holes
are ready for the explosives. Note how
carelessly the miner seems to handle that
dynamite! He picks up one Of those dy-
Mantle candles, cuts 1t in half with his
knife and slices 1t down at one end. He
then puts fuse as big around as a lead
pencil and about three feet long into the
powder. He next pushes the candle into ;he
hole in the rock and fills what is left of the
hole with mud and dirt pounding 1t close
in about the fuse. handling his tools with
great care. A strike too hard might send
Off the candle and blow him into eternity
ner. and the charge is now ready for light
Ing. The miner hands me the candle and
tells me to start the explosion 1 nanr
back moment. but finally consent and
touch the candle to the end Of the fuses
The powder at once begins to fig and the
miners as we'll as ourselves run for dear
life. We get just around the corner and
into a chamber or stope when there is an
immense report. 1t Is dull. heavy and can
non-like. 1t blows out our candle. and
following 1t We hear the falling and crush
ing. of ore. We go back to the scene of the
explosion. The dynamite has torn the rock
out Of the earth and a great mass Of silver
bearing ore has been loosened from the
sides OF the mountain. AS we stop the
miners show US the vein. 1t runs from six
inches to forty feet in width, the average
being fifteen feet. and the ore streaks rang
ing from two and q half to three feet In
width.
But let u follow the ore to the mill. It