The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-07-03

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storm. The first work was for carpen-
ters, not miners, M every man in the
force was impressed as a builder. after
the cargo had been unloaded In safety.
though with a narrow escape from "a
gale which rendered the island danger
Gus for both vessel N crew. Heavy
cribs OF hewed timber. bottled together
with iron rods and nlled with rock. were
sunk on the more exposed faces OF the
island.
IL was necessary to make more
ground than the islet afforded for the
mine buildings. and the cribs were sunk
several rods OF shore and a Golfer dam
constructed inside them. lnclosing the
outcrop OF the vein for tho full length OF
the island. When the dam was rem
dered watertight the water was pump
ed out and mining begun. All went
well until late in October. when a storm
carried away all the cribbing exposed
to IL. and the Golfer dam was ruined.
thus flooding the workings and render
ing II imperative hat the work be done
all over. and rapidly. else winter would
set In before the mine was secured. The
efforts OF Frue and his brave workmen
were ~redoubled. and within less than n
month the broken cribs were not only
replaced. but built OF twice their for
mer strength. A week later the vessel
was sent away with the rock mined
during the few weeks that the men
had not been engaged In a hand-to-
hand struggle with the lake. short as
the time had been. the reward was "A
rich one, the cargo netting more than
tlOO. 600 above the smelling charges. and
visions OF wealth incalculahle rose be-
fore the eyes OF the Detroit capitalists
who owned the mine.
A few days after the vessel sailed.
and about the time when the bays and
land-locked harbors were freezing over.
a terrible storm arose. Again was the
work OF Frue and his men swept away.
and when the storm abated the scene OF
desolation would have disheartened
less courageous men. Not only was the
cribbing destroyed. but the islet was
covered with a mantle OF ice. Cut on
from all communication with their base
of supplies at Houghton and facing the
numbing blasts blowing over two hum
dred miles OF icy lake. Frue and his
pioneers took up their task for the third
time. The work could scarcely have
been resumed unde more trying con-
ditiuns. without further supplies OF
timber for their cribs. and threatened
by the waters OF the lake. the men cut
timber from the mainland and RATED II
across the half-frozen strait separating
the islet from Tunder cape. whose
crest doomed a quarter OF a mile above
NAAtAlA AARlAA 1T WV NAA ~ 80
unsheltered island the heroic treasure
hunters framed new cribs. sunk them
and nlled them with rock from the mine
openings.
The work was again mad much
stronger than before and II was hoped
the savage lake had been safely
Mining was resumed I'm mid
winter and rapid progress made for
weeks. but. alas for their hopes
Early in March a bowling wind from
the east piled the pillows higher and
higher for two days. and on the second
day the cribs gave way for the third
time. Great blocks Of ice were brought
from bays far 10 the eastward and
against the cribs In a connonsde
they could not withstand. Huge
ice blocks were thrown upon all parts
Of the islet. invading the buildings and
life and limb. For three
the storm lasted, and during it's
all attempts To protect property
were useless and the men counted
fortunate that life re-
mained.
Undaunted the brave captain and his
followers began the work anew
the waves abated. IL VAS APP
that all previous fortiications
against the elements had been mere
child's play. The new work was OF the
most massive character and required
months TO complete and a fortune
To build. a framed breakwater of
square and hewed TIMBER was con
structed OF hve-fold strength. there be-
Ing five separate bulkheads. Calked
with hydraulic cement bound with
iron rods and filled with
fully l0.0O0 tons Of rock. With its base
feet below the water the cribbing
an equal distance above the sur
face Of the lake and the work stood. II
stood, but the first storm threw the
against Il with such violence
millions Of gallons passed over the
and partially hooded the mine
more. Another Golfer dam Was
built and the mine shaft protected with
A cribbing made Nater-tight with
hydraulic cement.
The work was costly and tedious. bat
[ was well done. and In that year. 1871.
round million dollars worth OF silver
vas taken from the mine. The following
was unmarked by accident and
he mine prospered highly. but during
he equinoctial storms Of 1878. which
we're % unprecedented violence. the bull
Harks protecting the ISLAND were again
Part Uf the Cribbing stood
but the damage was very great. the IN
sasiOn Of the waters undermining a por-
lion Of the made grOund and demOlish-
.ng a number Of the mine buildings.
Great holes were torn in the shsfthouss
and engine house by rocks thrown by