The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-09-10
4 VAST GOLD NINE.
EXTENDS TWO THOUSAND FEET
INTO THE EARTH.
n6er the City of BsfIarat-one Hum
erSd fhsasand Persons Live Over
the >aSterrsaea Pa~~axr.-Fur-
nfshes Living for the PopuIa-
ton

BzHarst - re zr1aseSt -c1f -sns,x cry
= TIE wc-l9. and rs monster cIzsza. ~1ns
h@a1 Barren ard AMEN ecurelIs- Is
tfae greatest zal1 min sxEAnt Es has o~en
WORKED Fos Millions. Is a. p~oS anFs z1a
apparently tEexz ;A1sx5Ass ncZ a. eyer II
contains 20 niles 81 tl1rnels Al lylrz uE-
az sne CITY o. EaIi4-zs whtch eas owe~
.9ase inhaS3ranss. Ths ssgfssssf q ne CITY
= completely h9asycna- n-s9 vita tassa
passages. and large Per cent % tae n
AansEaHrs work IN lhs mine Tra people
or Ballard practically I've over a series q
sa#E4aaS tunnels. tire roofs Of Wnlcn ms-1E
= expected . collapse a. any moment
o4< ~zfGh nevertheless are hs11 up cy rfs-
AsFs q r0cA- wa1ca wsrs lsfE when TIE cav
s-ns were constructed
Two Thousand Feet int the Earth
I1a entrances 20 tha mines ara outside
CT ina clsy proper. and OF The nay % them
eiae comes upon old. silent sabterransan
passages ard shafts lcEE since ais1ssea ard
Assn pies 4 barren sand and rzlhaish wing
around everywhere Ike trr guIzr dunes:
al q Th1ea strongly hlnt q ne dead
Ropes a1a wasted fortunes turned sns1
taese val1alssS workings ia the mad sayz
aenlnd tie early ss3s. II fact Tia country
around Ss!lsrat = n a2ny respects an al
n-osS barren field yst al 0F these nils and
HAS we're once denssly wooded TnA
miners Cleared EheEn and than turned over
every inch Of the dirt Ia quest OF gald. one
can Sill sse traces OF the miners shovel
AID pick al over the big section Of sslb-
urban Ballarat. There Is NOT a foos OF val
ley or virgin soil for mi around tie city.
avery inch has been pFoGIed and turned
p Tie miners BeDea-h Il az run TIA
WINES ch1tes and drives Of a number q
Dig Claims and one Inadvertently trea6s
~iSa Light ssep IFcm the instructive fear
q tranping TOO hard and 5rsaking
tarougA the crust
TIE Band. Barton aad AIbicn mine has
yielded over $50 as8 go worth OF gold lis
lowest drive extends 1eoa fee into tas
earrh. The entrance Is through a shaft ex-
tending down and lnrerseczing TIE various
levels o. drives. T1e frs leEel l. - feet
down, the second 80 feet below the sur
face and 40 on az 10 feet apart until the
lawe : levei IS eached- The blasting goes
on al the time L each level. bat the great
distance between levels makes t almost
impossible for disaster To occur through
too much OF the rock becoming aisengagsd.
An Underground City.
A visitor TO this nine IS provided with
suit o. Gitching clothes IN the assav office
near the entrance The suit Is made %
ticking cloth ar canvas and does much TO
rid one q tao great an air q sslf-respec1-
All communities ton in the nine IS carried
on BY means Of 4 car. which Is lowered or
raised from level TO iaveL Visitors are
sent down 20 The lowest level and then al
loved % walk Up The Inclined planes which
connect the tunnels with each other.
Trucks ard small cars with head ights
fash around IN the darkness. and thaaS-
ands % workmen come and 20 With q
surety which shows long familiarity with
tnslr surroundings In fact, K Is an under
grcand city ia itsaf. with almost as great
a population as many seeond-cIass towns
in the United States The lode or ledge Of
rock IN which the gold ore - found f.
fist and extends through the earth at az
angle Of twenty-five degrees The levels
interseet this ledge Of earth az the various
distances. Norkuen blast out the Fcck
and follow along In the direction OF the
ledge, working upward in an obilque III
rsctfou A. the rock is blasted r il allowed
20 drop 60 the level below. In many cases
long oblique shafts or drives are construct
ed. and the ore = allowed 20 drop through
these until Il finally rests IN the bottom OF
the mine directly under the vertical saaff.
through which L is hauled Up 70 The sur
face.