The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1896-11-28

Hemlock mine, at Amasa. was about to
be redeemed with an impending hate that
threatened calamity az dire as that
which beiell the Inflated Mansfield 10 tins
district three years ago. According 70
this extraordinary piece Of exclusive
"news'' the lives Of the miners have for
SOME time been jeopardized by the pros
ecution OF mining under the Hemlock
river. The story furnished the further
Information that TO rescue the mine
from the fate OF the Mansfield "when
one hundred men were drowned" a
giant sluceway would be built TO CON
vey the waters OF the river safely over
the workings OF the mine, etc. A re-
porter for The DIAMOND DRILL called on
Mr. Charles II. Lawrence mot Gardner)
at the Hemlock yesterday. Ia reply to
n query from THE DIAMOND DRILL Mr..
Lawrence said: "Its all rot. guess
somebody is looking for little cheap
notoriety" Tho facts in the premises
are just these: There Is not safer mine
in the Lake Superior district than the
IIemlock nor more responsible cofpor-
alton than its operators, the Hemlock
River Mining company. This company
* backed by the well known firm OF
Pickands, Mather q Company, of Cleve-
band, instead of Marinette parties az
reported. Hon. Jesse Spaulding and NJ.
Cory, OF Mariuette, arc interested in the
IIemock to the extent OF the fee, only.
Before work was suspended at the mine
in 1892 a drift was run under the river,
TO the south, about midway between
"a" shaft and the G.. & NV. depot. At
that time mammoth ore pillars were left
TO support the river bed and there Is no
record OF II drop Of water or single
threatening omen having resulted from
this drift. At the present time, the
company desires 20 remove a portion OF
the ore from the pillars under the river
and in order TO do SO safely have
dropped upon the idea OF running the
small volume OF water in the river at
this point through "A flume, thus relieving
the underlying workings from all
pressure from the stream. This will be
done and the plans for the work are now
ia progress at the mine Office. A dam
will be constructed just south OF "a"
shaft and from there the water will be
conveyed by Hume for a distance OF
fifteen hundred feet, or beyond the work
ings OF the mine. This device will not
only render the management free from all
danger in removing the pillars under the
river, but will for all time remove all
hazard from the river in the operation
OF the mine. Thomas Parent, OF the
Menominee River Boom company made
the estimates for the work lie did not
come secretly however, as the Marinette
paper would have people believe. There
Il nothing secret about the operation.
The company simply contemplated an
improvement and have pursued the
proper course TO secure it. The papers
in question, by the;r greed to secure
something exclusive. have done the
Hcmlock River Mining company n rank
injustice. Isolated as their mine is from
other industry, being eighteen miles from
Crystal Falls, they oiten-timc experience
considerable difficulty in securing men.
To libel the safety OF their enterprise
broadcast throughout the country will
not ia the least improve this condition.
\ The insDoctor OF mines OF Iron county
has visited this property three times
during the present year and has nvari-
ably reported everything in the best OF
condition. The company has removed
100000 tons Of ore without the sacrifice
Of single life and without q mishnp OF
more than minor note. This is good
record and ought not he smirched. 1HE
DIAMOND ImLL trusts that the Offend
ing papers will make due rcparation foi
the injury they have done Mr.. Lawrence
and his associates.