The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1899-11-07
WORLDS DEEPEST MINE.


dividends aggregating SGO,sJ0,OO0. Up
to January /, 1899. this great mine has
yielded 1.265, 426, 800 pounds of ingot .
copper.
II is also shown by Mr.. Newett that .
the growth of the mine has been re-
markable. Twenty-Five years ago the
company was hosting 800 tons Of rock |
per day from shafts averaging 800 feet
In depth, measuring ON their dip Of
3Slz degrees. 1t is now hosting $500
tons Of rock per day from an average
depth Of $500 feet, while one shaft Is
down 1900 feet, being the deepest in
the world. A quarter of century
ago 1916 men were employed at this .
mine. The number is now fully 5000.
In 1893 the company produced So
| 10000 pounds Of copper, taking 1876
$50 pounds from mineral in stock at
it's SHELTERS For the last fiscal year
! the output of refined copper was 4S,SI9
| tons.
| The conglomerate from which the
/ product of this mine is secured is con-
! ceded to be richer than any other lode
in Michigan. 1t is mostly fine copper,
stamp work, although small masses
/ and barrel work are occasionally en-
countered. The average thickness of
this conglomerate belt is about fifteen
feet, and for mining it there are twelve
shafts following the dip of the lode.
which makes close TO the surface III
nearly every instance, and one vertical
shaft. There are three full equipments
/ of machinery, each section with its
mining captain, etc, this division of
work being necessary in order that the
vast territory may be properly worked
In this great line of shafts the current
Of air is downward in some and up
ward i'm others, thus affording excellent
ventilation.
The manner of timbering this big
mine is interesting On each side of
the shafts a block of ground seventy
five feet long is left for shaft support.
Levels are opened by driving a drift
as far as ii is intended to tram the rock
to a particular shaft, and then the
ground is beaten out from the farthest
end of this territory back toward the
shaft. the object being to have solid
ground between the miners and the
shaft In the "cutting-out'' stope they
go as high on the vein as the latter viii
stand without timbering. In some
places it is possible to take ground that
will give place for three sets of tim
bers, while at others il is impossible TO
I itiahE IOOili lOi Onf SCA-
They raise in the center Of n block OF
ground after the cutting-out Slopes
have been run. and beat the ground
out toward both ends of the block.
The timber used for two-thirds of the
, distance from the floor of each level
. to the one above is 12x12 inches, and
, is framed in the company's mill on the
surface. A battery of three of these
: is used as drift stulls. and they are
placed five and One-half feet apart
r Two-thirds up 10 the next level the
! square-framed sets are discontinued
: and heavy round stull timbeEs ART
used. In order 10 prevent the framed
timber from being knocked loose BIZ
. the great masses of rock that are slid
: down the foot they are projected by {
e row of round timbers placed upright
o in front of and at the point on the veiI
a where the square timbeHng is discon
. tined. openings being left at estab
: lished distances through which tn,
rock Is millel TO the ftoOr OF the level
Small engines driven by air are use,
to hoist the round timbers TO the uppe
: portion of the level. and similar engine
S are used 10 do the Eramming where tn,
s distances from Slopes TO shafts are to-
A great 10 allow this work TO he eco
Z
tram cars hold two and One-half ton
{ of rock and are often open at bot
ends, the coarser rock being built N
: at the ends and the finer thrown into IN
e middle of the car. At each level
g heavy piece OF timber is drawn acros
4 the shaft for the skip TO rest upol
while it is being loaded. All the tim
= befS are treated to 4 coating of chlor
; ide of zinc and are afterward white
i washed
a Ex-Commissioner Newetf. who la
e frequently explored this great mine
s and who keeps constantly informed a
N 10 the workings OF all the copper an
: iron mines of Michigan. says that il
the long line of openings the averag
/ of the lode is excellent Barrel
n stretches We're encountered at places
: this being especially true of the ex
Is trene southern workings, which wer
a poor for many hundred feet. but nov
at the forty-eighth level some of tn
richest rock in the mine is being takel
3 out. This inspires the hope that tn,
IS southern end of the mine. which ha
d always been considered poor, may b,
e better than any other portion.
A In the extreme northern end the IN
: per portion of the lode was barren o.
: copper and pay rock was not encoun
l. tered until a depth of $500 feet wa.
p reached. Excellent rock is now be
Il ing mined in this section and the ricl
s shoot shows no sign of giving ont
; The company has followed the lode I,
the northern limits of its lands at thi:
shaft, meeting the work of the Tam
araek Junior mine, and is now lookins
s after profitable territory at the bottom
V of the mine. which has a length OF
:. more than two miles. In the south
ern mile of workings the company ha.
nearly all of section -. under which
: its lode extends, still untouched. In
J, the southwest quarter of section IL il
L has worked up close to the boundary
g line of the Tamarack. hut still has the
i northwest quarter of the section prac
/ tically untouched. Ii also has 4 strir
p. of land forty acres wide running for 4
= mile west of the Tamarack Junior. the
southern portion of which is rich IN
= copper. thus showing many years
d ahead of the company in mining its