The Philipsburg mail., 1899-01-20
Extensive Preparations Are Being Made for the
Resumption of These Great Silver Mines.
LARGE FLUME AND TRAMWAY
Nearly Million Feet of Lumber VIII BE
Required i'm Their COnstruction-The
Waters of Fred Burr Creek
to BE Taken to Granite.

former life and activity is gradually
returning. Men are busy everywhere
about the works, the mammoth hoist
ing engines are no longer idle, and ore
is being hoisted to the surface with a
that would indicate an
equally busy scene below. Teams are
engaged in hauling cordwood, mining
timbers and supplies as in times of
old, when the output of silver bullion
was about fifty bars a week. The
tramway is constantly moving, carry
ing ore from the mines to the BIZ
metallic mill and coal from the mill to
the mines. Wood around Granite is
becoming scarce article, the con-
sumption for many years having been
so great that about all of the available
timber has been cut and used and the
company was forced to auopt coal for
fuel at the works The coal is dellv-
cred in carloads at the mill, and from
there taken to Granite over the tram
way. The Bimetallic concentrator is
running right along on ore taken from
the Granite dump. A tramway from
the dump to the concentrator is kept
busy hauling ore, and it's operation is
next to perfection, the cars attaining
a speed at times of about fifteen miles
an hour. The distance is about a quar-
ter OF mile, and ii good many trips
are made during day.
Miners are steadily at work in the
levels which are being driven to con-
meet the Granite and Bimetallic mines.
The first tunnel, which is now nearly
complete, starts from the 1000 foot
level of the Bimetallic mine and will
connect with the 400 foot level of the
Granite-4O0' feet being the difference
in elevation in the two mines A sec
ond connection is being made with
the lower levels of the Granite mine at
depth of about 1900 feet which, when
finished will completely drain the
Granite. The water is to be pumped
at the Bimetallic mine to the 1000 foot
level, from whence it will find it's exit
through the drain tunnel, which was
completed several years ago. This
arrangement will prove great saving
to the company and a good profit can be
made even at the present low price of
silver. AS soon as the Granite mine
can be drained Of water, miners will be
put to work, the bulkheads will he
removed from the face of the drifts
and mining will be resumed after
suspension Of nearly six years. The
ore is to be hoisted through the Gran
ite shaft, and tramway is now being
constructed from the Granite hoist to
the ore bins at the Bimetallic mine to
convey the ore to that place, which is
the terminal OF the Bimetallic tram
way. The tramway now under con-
struction is OF the same pattern as the
one now in operation between the
dump and concentrator, which is work
ing to the entire satisfaction Of the
company, and will be employed both
ways; after unloading the ore at the
bins the Car will take on load OF
coal for the Granite hoist. and in that
manner operations will be most econ
omically carried on. Teams are en-
gagged in hauling lumber, and the con.
struction is progre ;sing steadily un-
der the favorable condition of the
weather.
For several days past teams have
OCOA OiupAOy Cu uduIIuS CCu1 IIOu JJc
Bimetallic mine to the Granite hoist
and this will continue until the tram
way is completed. Fire has been
started under the boilers at the Gran.
ite and the engineers are at their
posts. Tanks will be employed in
raising the water from the shaft and
the work of draining the mine will be
carried on day and night In the
meantime the tramway will be pushed
to completion, and by the time the
mine is cleared of water everything
will be in readiness and the ore can
be handled and delivered al the BIZ
metallic without delay.
That the company intends to oper-
ate it's mines on much larger scale
than ever before is evident from the
extensive preparations that are being
made. Nearly million feet of lum-
ber will be required to complete the
work contemplated and now under
way. A large fiume is to be built from
Fred Burr lake to Granite. which it is
estimated will require about half
million feet of lumber, for the purpose
of conveying the waters Of Fred Burr
creek to Granite, where they will be
utilized for electric power and other
purposes. Fred Burr lake will serve
as storage reservoir, and it is thought
that in this manner sufficient stream
of water will constantly be furnished
to supply nearly the entire power re-
quired at the works. The company
owns all water rights on Fred Burr
creek, and nothing can delay them in
carrying out their present plans.
Eighty stamps are constantly drop
ping at the Bimetallic mill, and with
in month the remaining twenty will
be added, which completes the mill to
its former size. Additional stamps
may be required later on when the