Blackfoot news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1891-1902, 1899-05-27
DEVELOPING NEW MINES.
suggestions ~ To Their Equipment ant
UevelOpment

On the properly machinery suitable for
the purpose Of development and 10
block out the ground as expeditiously
ana cheaply as possible. There Is
much diversity OF opinion among mine
super1ntendents as 10 what comprises
proper equipment. and also as TO
what lines Of development should be
followed. As "a matter of course, the
plan adopted Will be Influenced by the
conditions under which the mine will
operate. As all undeveloped mines are
most uncertain as 10 size OF ore depos-
lis, value OF ore, amount OF water that
may be encountered and character OF
ground, IL Is wise TO anticipate difficult
ties, even In "A mine which at or near
the surface seems more favored than
some OF Its neighbors. AS the quantity
Of ore that may be found is unknown
when development commences. ex-
periece has shown that IL is
unwise 10 put up an expensive hoist
Ing plant until IL has been determined
that such plant would be necessary.
Veins large at the surface may not con
tinue large in depth, and even should
they do so, the value of the ore may he
such ms TO AFFORD no profit, In which
case no hoist would he required at all.
On the other hand. some mines, small
ana low grade at and near the surface.
In depth develop large ore bodies OF
great value.
In such cases the small prospecting
plant may be replaced by such one
as the development OF the mine may
Justify. For relatively small sum of
money good hoisting plant may be
set up which will hoist at moderate
speed 1000 pounds of rock at load
with which large shaft may be sunk
many hundreds OF feet.
Abundant power should always he
provided, however. whether steam.
water or electricity be employed. for
the reason that many shafts compare
lively dry near the surface become
very wet In depth. When large in
lux OF water occurs. whether IL prove To
Tie permanent and constantly increas-
Ing quantity as depth Is attained. or
whether, after a sudden rush of water.
/ II Is found TO steadily decrease ms
| pumping or baling is continued.
abundant facility for handling larg-
er quantity of water than has ever
been encountered should always lie AT
/ hand. Large valve buckets are very
useful as auxiliary to pumps when
working In levels, but valve bucket
Is useless when sinking.
/ When the shaft has reached a depth
of 900 to 1000 feet and levels run along
the ore body or vein, crosscuts made
and raises put through. the manager
has definite idea OF the quantity of
/ material exposed possessing "A net val
ne, and can then put in a hoisting
plant suited 10 the requirements of the
mine IL would be unwise TO nut I'm a
hoist capable of raising 2.Oo0 or 3.onl
tons OF ore in twenty-four hours al
great yelocities. when IL would be
found difficult 20 supply forty-stamp
mill with 100 tons of ore daily from a
small vein. Very large ore bodies may
he extracted hurriedly. the chambers
timbered and filled as the work pro
crosses. A mine capable of supply.
ing 1890 tons of ore or twice that
amount should be equipped with en-
gines capable OF raising that amount
and doing II easily.
What applies TO hoisiing engines ap
plies with equal force To metallurgical
plants. The character and capacity OF
plants for the bencfieiation OF ores can
not he determined upon with safety
until the development of the mine has
demonstrated it's capacity and the char
actcr OF the ore. Mistakes I'm this di
rcction are probably OF less frequent
occurrences than formerly. but IL is moi
many years since IL was not uncommon
TO see smclter erected TO treat DIR,
Drcs and wet-crushing stamp mill,
built 60 treat lead carbonates and ga
lena. There are very few ores indee,
that cannot now he successfully treat
ed 10y some one of the many processe,
In practical operation in every corner
of the world. All that now remains {,
do is 60 ascertain the one best adapte,
to the ore i'm question. all things bein,
taken into consideration, ms cost o
transportation. chemicals. fuel, labor
etc. improvements and lower cost IL
the processes OF to-day may be antici
pated and new processes which will
treat some ores successfully may ID
expected TO supercede processes now II
use.
In shaft sinking 1t is cheaper to Gu
out the stations when the variou
points ut which levels are to he run ar
reached, and the levels should also "
started at such time. sinking onl,
enough 60 afford sump below III
level. In mines where 1t is evident
large amount of ore Is to he handled
where skips or buckets are used 70
hoisting. II is very good practice to Gu
ont under the floor of the level
space for an ore bin or pocket int
which ore or waste may he dumpe,
from cars trammcd 10 the shaft fror
the faces of the drifts or from tn
shoots This provides an economical
means of loading skips and hoistin
may he carried on independent OF stoT
ing and tramming. The first level 4
the mine should he run from the shat
at point above which little or n
stopping will he done. Mt least not for
long time. Having run this level wor
In II may he discontinued for the tim
and the shaft carried on down to tn
next level, except while cutting out tn
station. the ore pocket and starting tn
level. Having run the second leve
the location of raises may be estal
lished. and when this is done Wine
may be started In the level above n
points on the vein Immediately abov
the raises. by this means the come,
ton is more quickly made. and II wi
he found that the employment OF tn
,.t,., ,,,n,, ~, tha x,.ipllo . . az onvtl{o >.