The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-05-14
operations in Utah Nevada, Idaho,
Oregon, Montana and California.
THE GREAT MAMMOTH MINE.
A Vast Amount of Ore in Sight in
This Wonderful Property.


More than quarter of century
has elapsed since the sound of a
miners pick first rang out in Mammoth
gulch, says the Mammoth Record, and
from that day this became mining
camp, the possibilities of which are
yet untold. AT the head of the gulch
party of prospectors pI@ced loca-
ton notice early in the spring of 1870
and began to develop a mammoth
mine, with the result that today we
have a mine which is mammoth in its
proportion as well as in name. For
years this property was worked and
the ore was hauled to the main line Of
the old Utah Central until a branch
road was built to Eureka, when ore
was hauled to Ironton. A mill was
treatment of low grade ores, but when
the water was piped in from Cherry
creek. distance of 20 miles, the pres
ent mill was built and started up on
Jan. 1, 1893, at which time the railroad
reached the camp. During the past
% years millions of dollars have been
taken from this mine and millions have
been expended in the development of
this magnificent property, besides dis
tributing over S1,000.000 in dividends
among the stockholders.
The side of the mountain has been
literally honeycombed with shafts and
tunnels until the workings aggregate
more than 20 miles, and it is impossible
for a stranger TO find his way along its
labyrinths without a guide, and even
then it would take days to explore
the underground passageways. The
development of the property had
reached such prodigious proportions
that it became necessary to put in new
machinery. in order to work to adj
vantage, and at an expense of between
$4,000 and $4,000 a new hoist has been
set up, which is not excelled by any
machinery in the district The connec-
tons were made and the wheels began
to revolve on April %. The Record
man visited the new hoist a few days
ago and watched the operation of the
ponderous automaton as men and sup
plies were dropped to the various levels
at speed of about % feet a second,
guided by the unerring hand of the
engineer. The huge Corliss engine.
with its five-foot stroke, capable of
developing 500 horse power, is supplied
with all modern appliances and re-
ceiyes its steam from the boiler room
al the mouth of the tunnel 500 feet
distant. The steam pipe, which runs
up the hill at an angle of about 40
degrees, is covered with a coating of
magnesia which is wrapped with thick
felt, and this in turn is surrounded
with burlap, the whole being encased
in wood which is covered with tin.
thus preventing as much as possible
the loss of heat. At present there is
2,100 feet of steel cable on the reel,
but more will be added when needed
1t is the intention of the company to
continue sinking to a depth of at least
2.400 feet and about three feet a day
are now being added to the bottom of
the shaft. Ore is now being taken
from the 1900 level by an engine sta
toned 300 feet above and then hoisted
by the new machinery to the tunnel
level, 500 feet from the top, where the
cars are run out to the ore house and
the ore crushed for the mill and loaded
onto the y. E. t. train, which hauIs it
to the mill, distance by rail of two
and a half miles. The main shaft WILL
however. be continued on down from
its present stopping on the 1900 to the
workings on the 1000 and thence down
indefinitely. A vast amount of ore is
in sight. extending from the grass
roots to the bottom, and is being taken
out from all along the line at the rate
of $50 tons a day. The ore body diff
fers from that usually encountered in
that it consists of a series of deposits
and does not lie in veins. Just suf-
ficient work has been done to demon
strate that another, century will elapse
before the mineral has been exhausted
superintendent Nesbit deserves much
credit for the able manner in which he
has conducted the mine since he re-
sumed the management, and has
proven himself TO be the most able
superintendent ever in charge of this
property.