The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-12-31
Late Developments Show That Ore
Bodies Extend to the West Slope.

Late Developments Show That Ore
Bodies Extend to the West Slope.
Heretofore but little has been said of
Bingham's West Dip" but recent de-
velopments have demonstrated that
the great mineralized belt or zone of
the 'Old Reliable mining camp is not
limited TO the eastern slope of the
OGuirrh mountains
Until recently this part of the min
eral belt has remained undisturbed by
1 the miners pick, notwithstanding its
and most reliable mining camps in the
United States.
Among the locations made upon
these recent discoveries upon what now
is fast becoming known as .Bingham's
West Dip" is the Ensign Gold Mining
company's group of claims. Consider
able development work is being done
upon this group in the shape of tun-
mel and a shaft, six men being en-
ployed at this work. The shaft is down
to depth of about sixty feet on a YER
teal vein between two quartZite walls.
The vein has widened from five and
one-half feet to eight feet between the
walls. The strike of the vein is east
and west, cutting across the ledge for
nation. The tunnel has been started
about 600 feet westerly below the mouth
of the shaft and will run easterly on
the strike of the vein toward the shaft,
tapping the latter at a depth of over
300 feet. The tunnel at present is in,
timbered and track laid, to a depth of
about eighty feet and win have to go
about 500 feet more to connect with
the shaft This will furnish a good
drainage to the mine and an easy outlet
for the ore. and when connected with
the shaft, a splendid circulation of air.
Upon this great mineral belt of Bling
ham, which extends from Butter1ield,
Salt Lake county, on the southeast, to
Pass canyon, Tooele county, on the
northwest, a distance of about ten
miles, lie a series of these dip veins
from 400 to 500 feet apart from each
other, some of which are traceable for
miles, commencing on the eastern por-
ton of the belt low down near the base
of the west. mountain, and continuing
over said mountain into Bingham can
yon, and from thence zap over and cut
ting through the crest or summit of
the Oquirrh range, and continuing on
down its western slope to the base of
the mountain on the Tooele side. Some
of these dip veins come in contact with
and intersect the ''fissure" vein run-
ming through the Ensign group.
During the past summer many Ioca-
tions have been made upon these ex-
tension veins, including a tunnel site,
contiguous to and paralleling the En-
sign claims for 1900 feet, the purpose
of which is to run a big tunnel under
this great ore belt, prosecuting it's
veins at right angles and at great
depth, thereby developing the richer
grades of ore as we'll as tapping the
fountains of water. Taking into con-
sideration the water problem alone
with its advantages as an irrigation
factor and its disadvantages and adj
as a mining promoter, it
may not appear too presumptuous to
say that the possibilities of this big
tunnel enterprise are prospectively
great.
The parched but rich soils of the
beautiful Tooele valley can be made to
rejoice by its agency; the miners of
Bingham, many of whom dare not ven
ture below a certain level on account
of the great expense involved in pump
ing water from their shafts and in
clineS, will feel that a new era has
dawned upon their mining industry
through the system of drainage which
this tunnel project shall afford, and the
facilities for the transportation over
this underground highway of the richer
ores now hidden from the grasp of the
fiery smelter. win no doubt solicit hand
some royalties from the owners of these
now inaccessible repositories.
This tunnel, when COMPLETED, will be
about 1900 feet in length. and will tap
at great depth some of the biggest veins
Of Bingham. 1t is expected that many
will be effected along
the tunnel line, among which, and the
first to take place, will be the CONSOLE
lation of the Ensign group with the
Funnel company'S properties, making
about 600 acres TO begin with.