Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1897-01-01
Nearly a Mile in the Earth.
Great Depth of the shafts i'm Copper
Mines of Michigan.


Mines of Michigan.
A French engineer proposed last year to
the directors of the International Exposi-
tion 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
received, but on investigation the magni-
tude of the undertaking became so appar-
ent that the idea has been dropped. 1t will
therefore be necessary for those who desire
to descend a mile into the bowels of the
earth TO come to Calumet, for nowhere 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 Calumet and Hec-
la copper mine, which has reached its full
depth of 1900 feet. Five Eitfel towers could
be dropped down this hole were it wide
enough, and the top of the fifth would
reach above surface only to such a 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, showing
nearly all of which has been in the blue
trap rock, one of the most refractory of
minerals. The conglomerate carrying cop
per 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 a solid mass by calc aud 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 - 1-2 by % feet
in size inside of the timbers, and contains
six compartments, being fully equal in
working capacity to half a 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 the 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
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 commuu ktion
from the most remote drift to any bther
portion of the property, for the Calumet
and Hecla has telephone exchange of its
own which, in size and perfection of equip
ment, puts to blush the facilities of many
pretentious towns, and which reaches every
office on the surface and every portion of
the great mine. There are fre-alarm wires,
too, for the Calumet and Hecla spares no
cost to make its employees as safe as skill
and lavish outlay Of money can render
them.
The sinking of this shaft possesses deep
interest from a scientific standpoint. Oh
servers ascending to great heights in bal
looms have been able TO secure data of sur
passing importance regarding meteorolog-
ical conditions, and observations made at
the depth of mile afford positive infor-
nation. The Red Jacket shaft has shat
tered some of the deeply cherished theories,
and there are text books now extant in
the higher institutions of learning which
must be overhauled because facts have sue
CtcutN lltOINs he Illlto VI Tie NOllslOGk
lode in Nevada are 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 domains of the deYr
According 10 deductions the DottoUsreS
Red Jacket shaft should be about he p,l,
er temperature to boil eggs. Caretful tes
have determined that the normal tiempa,,
ture of the rock is S76 degrees Fabre1bs,
at the bottom. The rock temperature =,
the depth of 105 feet was 50 degreeS Fsh
enheit, showing an access of 28.6 degree,
in 4795 feet. There was, however, a eai6
of about degrees in temperature The
last 800 feet sunk, a much more raid in.
crease than at lesser depths.
Notwithstanding the beneficial efftts NJ
ventilation and compressed air, men rotk.
ing at the bottom of the deep shaft not
have an especially easy berth, thOugl b-
orally paid. They are compelled TO 'eanH
rubber boots and rubber coats, as the "a .et
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 cilyI
like St. Louis at this single one OF eleven |
shafts, and it is housed in fireproot nu "a.
ings that would be the pride of a civ IT
100000 Inhabitants -HOUghton, Mca
letter to Minneapolis journal.
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