Eureka weekly sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1887-1902, 1897-07-24
EUREKA, NEVADA, SATURDAY. JULY "a. 1897

most uniform southessterly course, with
an average dip. underground, Of about 10
degrees TO the northeast. IL passes near
the Richmond Office and 10 plsinly visible
near the mouth Of tunnel that was for
merly run to connect with the Bell shaft;
thence northeast Of the Eureka and
X K shafts 70 point between the Phenix
and Jackson mines, where 10 bends around
and takes southerly course through the
Hamburg belt of limestone, westward OF
the Kemp Keen, Pstroon and Dunder-
berg mines. and through the Uncle Sam
and Hamburg mines further to the south
ward. II faults all formations, but is IT.
self nowhere fsulted or dislocated SO far %
can be determined. II has been traced
upon the surface and is identified under
ground by its filings Of rhyolite. ore,
ledge material and composite OF rhyolite
and clay, the latter having been produced
by attrition where the walls are CLOSE to-
gether or nearly so. II has q most import
an. bearing on the present structure OF
Ruby Hill and the country TO the south
ward, as also on the relation OF the
ore bodies 10 each other. Throughout it's
entire course il is found to be the key TO
the structural problem OF the Ruby Hill
and Prospect Mountain mineralized zones.
The country southwest, on the footwall
side OF the fault. has been raised several
hundred feet relatively TO the hanging
wall. 1t is probable that there was up
heaval aud subsidence. but that the latter
exceeded the former. Taken in connection
with all OF the mines 10 the southeast, it 10
found TO be fault plane along which the
whole southwestern country has been
raised from 500 TO 1000 feet. There can
be no question that the key 10 the problem
OF deep mining IN Ruby Hill and Pros
pect Mountain will eventually be found in
the Ruby Hill fault.
The limestone Of Ruby Hill is divided
into two sections, which we will designate
the "front" and "bsck" limestone. The
latter forms a wedge which. taken through
the Eureka Con. mine, extends from the
surface downward to near the 18th level
end lies between the quartzite, the face Of
which has mean dip Of about 40 degrees,
and the fault fissure. which dips at an an
gle of about 70 degrees. This. which we
shall call the upper wedge, lies on the
southwest or footwall eide Of the hssure
aud has been raised in this locality about
l, 400 feet relatively above the lower wedge
and nsrrows TO a thin edge At its lower
sxtremity. IL 10 remarkable for its crushed
and broken condition. IL was in this
wedge that all OF the tremendous ore bod
les which made Ruby Hill famous in the
early days OF the district were mined.
The exploration OF the front limestone.
which overlies the fault 10 the southwest,
has not been sufficient to determine
whether either large deposits or any ore at
all may be found in 10. From the narrow
part OF the upper wedge. downward, as
oab
as upon the ] ,200-foot crossut from the
LOGAN shaft, below the l4th level OF the
Eureka Con. mine, the face OF the quartz
i,e forms the footwall OF the fault, the lat
ter main tanning its dip at an angle OF 10
degrees, the same ss ID does above. Below
the 18th level. with its thinest edge upper
most and Its form inverted, as compared
with the upper wedge. but situated upon
the northeast or hanging wall side OF the
fault is
LOWER WEDGE OF LIMESTONE
Identical in character with the upper
wedge. This 10 crushed and shattered in
precisely she some manner. and. subse-
quent 10 the upheaval and subsidence
along the fault line. WAS doubtless an IN
divided part Of the block OF limestone
which forms the upper wedge.
The future OF Eureka District will de-
pend largely on deep level mining; not
that the levels near the surface are ex-
hausted Of ore, for on the contrary, there
arc hundreds OF the smaller mines and
prospects OF the district capable OF pro-
ducing the precious metals that are seldom
or never talked about; but ;here 10 no
question OF doubt among the experienced
miners Who have worked on the deepest
levels Of Ruby Hill shat there are bodies
OF ore TO be found In the lower wedge OF
limestone ss valuable 40 those which
were sxcavAted In the big chambers Of the
upper wedge. =.
The exploration OF the lower wedge would
require the expenditure OF large sums OF
money. no doubt-perhaps hundreds OF
thousands, possibly millions Of dollars;
bat when 10 is remem bered that the Eu-
reka Con. and Richmond mines have alone
paid over ten million dollars In dividends
and made . number Of people wealthy,
and when 10 is further borne in mind that
the ore 10 known 10 enter the lower wedge
Of limestone and to go down below any
depth yet attained In Ruby Hill. IL 10 not
unreason able 10 believe that deeper ex-
ploration In the lower wedge would pay.
The only reason given to the public by
the Eureka Consolidated management for
not striking the LOGAN shaft deeper and
prosecuting to the lode below the LOGAN
1900 foo. level, was that the machinery
upon the LOGAN shaft was inadequate for
the dual requirements OF draining the mine
OF water and raising the material broken
underground 10 the surface; they we're un
willing to continue draining the hill OF
water unless one or more OF the companies
that were operating in Ruby Hill would
divide the burden OF expense with them.
II Ia a settled fact that the machinery was
defective for the general requirements OF
the mine, but the volume Of water to be
contended with and all OF the material that
could have been broken in the mine could
have been raised TO the surface with ma
chinery that should not have cost over
one-iifth OF the sums that we're paid for
the cumbersome plant which now stands
idle at the LOGAN shaft. II is probable
that