Western liberal. (Lordsburg, N.M.) 1887-1919, 1896-11-06
NEARLY A MILE STRAIGHT DOWN.
From the Minneapolis Journal.


tlonal Exposition to be given in the
French capital in the year 1900 the
digging of hole TO the depth Of one
mile. The idea was favorably re-
ceived, but on investigation the mag
nitude Of the undertaking became so
apparent that the idea has been
dropped. 1t will, therefore, be neces-
sary for those who desire to descend a
a mile into the bowels Of the earth to
come to Calumet, for nowheres else
on earth are there available openings
of such depth. Within less than
mile OF each other in this mining
town there are three vertical sharts
each nearly one mile in depth. The
deepest of this trio is the Red Jacket
shaft Of the Calumet and Hecla cop
per mine, which has reached its full
depth of 1900 feet. Five Eiffel tow
ers could be dropped down this hole,
were it wide enough, and the top OF
the fifth would reach above the sur
face only to such height as would al
low 1t to be easily covered by the steel
shaft house now being built over the
monstrous hole.
The slaft was begun in 1889 and it
took seven years to sink it, showing an
average progress of 700 feet annually,
nearly all of which has been 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
lake shores, cemented into solid
mass of Gale and silica. BY the perco-
lation of the waters and the decompo-
sition 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 15l by %
feet in size inside the timbers, and
contains six compartments, being
fully equal in working capacity to half
dozen mining shafts of ordinary size.
The shaft is solidly timbered. The
adamantine flrmness of the rock rem
ders il secure for all time to come,
the timbers being merely to carry the
traffic of meu and mineral, of water
and electricity, which surges between
the sunlight and the bottom. In four
compartments will slip uD aud down
the ponderous cages, carrying ten ton
loads of rock at the speed of express
trains. Up and down in 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 de-
scends the steady current Of COM
pressed 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
recesse the mine, threads of wire
that amor 'elephonic communication
from the most remote drift to any 9TH
er portion Of the property, for the Cal
umet and Hecla has telephone eX
change of its own, which in size and
perfection OF equipment puts to the
blush the facilities Of many preten
tious towns, and which reaches every
Office on the surface and every por
tion of the great mine. There are
fire alarm wires, too, for the Calumet
and Hecla spares no cost to make 1T;
employees as safe as skill and lavish
outlay of money can render them.
= The sinking of the shaft possesses
deep interest from scientific stand
point. Observers ascending to great
heights in balloons have been able t
secure data of SURPRISING Importance
regarding meteorological conditions
and observations made at the depth o
a mile afford positive information
The Red Jacket shaft has shattered
some of the deeply cherished theories
and there are text books now extan
in the higher institutions Of learning
which must be overhauled, because
facts have succeeded theory. Th'
mines of the Comstock lode in Nevadi
were the deepest in the world. Tn,
mines were very hot, and on the deep
er levels some of the more pious min
ers we're quite positive that the,
smelled sulphur, and refused to g
further down for fear OF encroachinI
upon the dominion of the devil. Ac
cording to deductions, the bottom o
the Red Jacket should be about tn
proper temperature to boil eggs. Care
full tests have determined that th
More Curative Power
Is contained in one bottle OF Hood
Sarsaparilla than in any other simila