The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-12-05
TIVE SPECTATOR MINE
Where the Silver and Copper
Zones Merge.
RICH IN BOTH MINERALS
Being Made - Entirely
New Plant-A Fine Shaft, Steel
. Galiows Frame and Sell
Sustaining Stack.

Reference has heretofore been made
In this department to the Spectator
mine; but, in view of the general char
acter of the property and the improve
ments now under way, it is fair
| ~ entitled to more extended notice.
The mine may or may not ultimately
rival some of the great Anaconda and
Boston and Montana properties, but
certain it is that in a very short time
it's equipment will be such that meas
ured by anything below the standard
| of the great Anacondas, it will be es-
sentially f1rst-class plant.
| At present the machinery and work
ing facilities are wholly inadequate. al
though the mine has got along with
them reasonably well. The depth Of
the shaft is only 900 feet. 1t is an ir-
regular incline, with a single compart-
ment. The ore is hoisted in self-dump-
ing, one-ton skips. These dump into
handcars which are run to the ore bin,
few feet distant.
The engine is a small Webster, Camp
& Lane. The steam power is furnished
| by two 60-horse-power tubular boilers,
one of the Cromwell & Co. patent, and
the other made by the Oil City works
The mine is relatively dry and no great
amount of pumping is necessary
Pumps, though, are placed on the
| fourth seventh and ninth levels, and
about once in three days the accumu-
lation of water is pumped out. 1t con-
tains very little copper.
! The mine consumes nearly 100000 fest
of timber a month, which indicates un-
| larprOnn1 nn q a h
! scale. The carpenter shop in which the
timbers are sawed for framing is Ct
| moderate size, cozy, comfortable and
well provided with everything neces-
sary for the work. The same is true of
the blacksmith shop.
But 1T is the new work in progress
that especially commands attention.
First in the order of Importance is the
| new shaft, about 200 feet from the old
one. The sinking of this shaft was be-
! gun last June, and is progressing at an
average rate of four feet every "a hours,
three shifts of six men each being con-
| stantly employed 1t is now down about
ESQ feet. the timbering being carried
| right along with the sinking. There
are three compartments, each four and
half by five feet, two of them being
intended for the regular work of hoist
ing ore and the third to carry the
water column, air pipe etc, and to be
|
very best shafts in the Butte district.
| The timberS are 12Xl2 with 12X14 center
pieces, and the indications are that the
| cages will run almost as smoothly and
/ easily as clockwork. In sinking, hand
drilling has been exclusively employed,
and Hercules powder used for blasting,
the purpose being to avoid the shatter-
ing Of the walls Of the shaft. which
sometimes follows the use of machine
drills and high-power explosives. This
seems to have been a wise course in
view of the fact that the rock is gen.
orally quite soft and easily broken up.
Over this shaft will be placed a steel
| gallows frame so feet high, and the
hosting, for time at least. will be
done with double-deck cages. The
foundation for the gallows frame is all
| built and the steel frame is on the
ground in readiness to be set up.
The hoist is to be provided with fine
Webster, Camp & Lane engine, capable
of Going almost any required amount
of work to depth of 1000 feet. The
engine was formerly in use at the High
Ore, it being removed to give place for
the huge double Poppett valve engine
made necessary for the pumping opera
| tons of that great plant. The old en-
CINE has been thoroughly overhauled
| at the Anaconda shops and will be set
up at the Spectator in every respect
as good as new. It will be housed in
steel building 40X45 feet. The founda-
| tons for the engine are being set and
are well advanced toward completion.
A new switch of the Butte, Anaconda
& Pacific railroad has been run to near
| the mouth OF the new shaft, and exca-
vations are now being made by the side
| of the track for 60-foot ore bin.
Just across the track to the southeast
| of the new shaft a boiler plant is to be
installed. 1t will consist of four $50
horsepower boilers, and they will all
! be connected with a steel self-sustain-
| ing smokestack. This will be six feet
nine inches in diameter and 1875 feet
high above the foundation. 1t is rated
as being ample for a boiler plant Of
| 1,OO0-horse-poWer. The foundation for
the stack is being built and is we'll on
| the way to completion.
| Another very important Improvement
being made is the laying of a six-inch
water main 1Soo feet in length to con-
meet with the city water works and thus
insure an ample supply of water for all
necessary purposes. Some Is or 20 men
| are employed on this work and it is
| progressing rapidly.
| Altogether the mine is now employing
not far from $50 men. 1t is under the
SUPPLEMENTARY of w. w. Wishon, who
also has charge of the Ramsdell- Par
| rot. The mine foreman is Pat Sheehan.
| The work of ore extraction goes stead
| lily Oh, dltnOugn the main effOrt is now
directed to the new work in progress
| The new shaft is to be at once sunk
to depth of 1000 feet. and further
as may be required. A connection has
been made with the old enc at the 400
| level and another will be made at the
700, When the new shaft is Town to
the heavy ore bodies and the hoist in
| stalled, the ore will be taken out that
way and the old shaft merely used for
| ventilation.
The Spectator is owned by the Lar
gey estate and John A. Creighton Of
| Omaha. Neb., in equal proportions-so
| it is understood-and is considered to
be valuable mine. Lying on the bor-
der line between the silver and copper
belts, its product is chiefly copper, but
there is also percentage of silver that
| counts handsomely in the returns. The
| first-class ore is sent to Deadwood,
where it is treated by the Golden Re
ward company. The second-class is
worked mainly at the Colorado smell
lot ir ~,