The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-01-22
FREDERICK, NELSON 6 MUNRO,


together 5y either a czlczreous. si1ic-ouS
or srgiIlscHogs material
"Th3s cong ornsr4ts is an exceedingly
hard s.Hcsoas. reddish rock, contained De-
tween trap sails az an inclination O
about ~ degrees 10 the horizon. It's &C.
rnentlng material - czleareous a-4a
si'feloEs mostly ne latter. = wrlcn 1t17
copper ss included. rarely L masses =.
any ccrsf6erzble size. Tne GalHmeE anu
Hecla and TznaracE are tae largest mines
in this district There are number q
smaller ones. such as the 0ceolE, viewer
inc. TzuaFaes. Jr. and others, vhlca l
cannot touch upon "a this paper.
THE Tamsrack Mining Company's
method OF operating their property differs
essentially from those already eescrL9@a
IN only one particular. that OF operating
vertical shafts cufting through the ore
bodies. instead % Inclined shafts. follow
Ing the inclination OF the vein. The prfn-
eiusf reason for this lies IN the fact that
they are not IN possession % the ground
where tire ore body outc-oPs- This In an
excee8!nly expensive method OF mining.
Stree after the shafts cut through the ore
body the crosscuts from the shaft 70 the
ore body increase in length wfta increas-
Ing depth. Furthermore, all cr0sscEts
must be driven IN barren rock. while in
the case OF inclined shafts very little cross
cutting and sometimes none Is necessary.
The deepest shaft operated BY tkls COM
pany is about 400 feet vertically. while
others are being sunk a the rate OF LOO
feet per year. TO 500 feet and more. Re-
fned copper costs them about So 20 siz
cents per pound.
SIS ,ooo. 900 i'm Dividends.
.'rhe famous Calumet and Hecla ai-
joins The Tamarack, and IS one Of the rich
est mines IN the world. The company has
declared dividends up 20 date amounting
10 over $500 90. Last year alone the
company paid ss.590.a00 in dividends. be-
sides having monthly pay roll CT about
$3.50 90. They beast q having the deep
est vertical shaft in the world. over 5000
feet. and having six compartments. oper-
ated BY three triple-expanslor hosting en-
nes, with a total capacity % 1900 horse
power Their compound $500 horses power
hosting engine with two s1-inch fywhee,s.
Is the largest Of its kind 81 the world.
operating a number OF shafts from 800
70 5.000 feet in depth. From 5000 20 900
tons OF rock are treated every twenty
four hours by over thirty steam stamps. OF
rs tons capacity each. and their monthly
output "a refined copper is over 600 tons.
Each stamp pounds cut over 81 worth OF
copper per minute To wash this great
quantity % rock 52.0ao.0eo gallons OF water
is required daily. II IS raised by one
pump the Michigan. which, excepting one
=
est pump on earth. standing over sixty
five feet In height. The Calumet and
Hecla copper rock Is a higher grade than
any In Michigan. about 81 per cent Re-
fined copper costs about cents per pound.
Worked by Aborigines.
The mines in the Lake Superior dis
trict were first worked BY the aborigines.
many relics. such as axes, spearheads.
etc. OF copper. having been found. Since
1SH when white men first openeds these
mines. over z el0. 900 pounds OF copper
have been produced. This vast figure con-
veys little meaning. perhaps I can give
you better Idea IN this way; II 1900, 90
90 pounds Of copper were east into one
sphere Il would be over 200 feet IN diam
eter. OF II coired into pennies every man,
woman and child IN he states would have
$50: OF II drawn into wire the thickness
Of an ordinary lead pencil. We could
stretch out a cable system OF FIVE strands
reaching TO the moon. end enclrcle the
earth eight times with what would be
left over. These mines are singulsrly free
from water. very little pumping being nee
essary 20 keep dry. even the very deepest.
The first ten levels are quite damp as tho
air from above. coming In contact with
that below. condenses into a heavy mist
occasioned BY the difference in temporal
lures Where the shaft follows the vein.
tunnels are driven on both sides OF the
shaft. and at every hundred feet a station
Is established. from which the car hoists
rock The tunnel being driven the rock is
blasted into II. md when A sufficient guam
tity Is removed. so that stuls can be set.
The stulls are LACED with six-ineh cedar
poles and the rock proceeding from be-
low upward. al ground broken falls
against the stuis thus making y possible
70 have machine drills every hundred feet
along the drift. This IL known as the
eritt-stope method CT mining To stope
ont 4 piece ~ ground the thickness os
the vein. no feet long, and from a lower
level 20 the one above. takes two men.
day and night shift. about twelve months.
Timsering g more necessary now than
formerly. since IN the days when hand
drills ard black powder were employed.
tho SCATTERING effect now produced ny
dynamite was absent whereas az The pres
en- tirae the hanging wall IS left In a very
dangerous condition. and az a conse-
Gue9cs, accidents are more common.
''Timherl7g in square sets Is no, COM
mon except n he soft iron ore deposits
whore the cav'nE process e ernnlovea In
TIRE vicinity 81 Niehigamrne and Ishper,-
iug where the soft iron ores are fonrd
dFpressions. acres iu extent ard hundreds
% feet deer NAV be seen where the cav
ing process has heen anapioved.
Cannot Compete With Minnesota.
rev or The Michigan mines are run
ming row on account Of TIE low price Of
that article and their inability 70 compete
successfully with the Minnesota mines.
where the ore e handled by steam shovels
az a cost 81 less than cents per ton
AN The mines - Michigan. whether fro,
az copper are characterized by their cost
~ and elaborate equipment which in some
cases. Is accountable FOR the partial fail
ure % tho enterprise. TIE copper districts
~ upper Michigan can boast of having
the greatest aggregate horsepower az any
place % Ike AREA on earth as vel as the
hnest display ~ machinery"