New-York tribune., 1901-10-20
GOLD MINING IN THE ALPS.
RECENT SUCCESSES ACHIEVED BY THE
SWISS IN THE MONTE ROSA DISTRICT.

NA'O~N
of the kind in Switzerland The natives OF the
country who were well known to be skilled min
ers and met alurgists, discovered some centuries
ago that the Monte Rosa region was rich IN soiu
bearings These miners of bygone day. men
like Vincent Salate and Weber. though opiseu
TO work with tools Of the most elementary oe-
scription nevertheless amassed large fortunes
In a short space of time More recently mum
be- of well known Swiss engineers. among them
Mr. Tittel Mr. Uhler. of Geneva. and Mr.. ho-
yelo. after a careful study of the Monte kosa
cfain and an examination of gold ore samples
came to the conclusion that there are on an
average 1870 grammes of gold in every ton OF ore
derived from the mines.
The working of the Monte Rosa mines mas al
yays been difficult. owing to the precipitous IN
cline of the mountain. Moreover. the requisite
machinery for extracting the gold from the ore
had to be set up on the spot and suitable lodg-
ing houses built for the accommodation OF the
laborers The expense of such undertaking
was great, and in poor country like Swltzer-
land the necessary capital was difficult TO op-
tain Finally after several unsuccessful vent
ures the Monte Rosa Gold Mining Company was
founded in 1894 and has since then held the
monopoly for gold mining in the Monte Rosa re-
gion The difficulties to be overcome by the ne"
company were enormous The complicated ap-
naratus required for gold mining had to be con-
structed at elevation of 5000 feet above the
sea level Then galleries had to be built on
the mountain side at height of 1000 feet in
many instances. The water power indispensa-
Bile in such case obtained from the River
Sesia and utilized by means of water towers
The transportation Of the ore from the galleries
TO the works was another extremely difficult
thing in such mountainous district, cut up
with precipices and ravines.
Everything. therefore, had To be established
from mechanical point of view. Three years
elapsed before the gold mines were finally in
working order. and it is only since lS9S that
the new company has extracted ore from the
Monte Rosa mines. To-day the tourist who
ventures into these remote valleys. formerly de
serted is asonished at the feverish activity
about him. in the mines and factories. from the
borders of the River Sesia to the highest sum
nits of the neighboring peaks. The companys
concession includes the southern and south
eastern side Of the Monte Rosa, and extends over
the high valleys OF the region, among them
being the Pisse. Olen. Sesia and Gressoney
valleys. This district is in direct communca-
tion with the village of Alagna, which Of late
years has become a popular summer resort
There five different centres for working the
nlines-Kreas, Mud JaZZa, Pisse and one in the
Gressoney Valley. At Kreas five veins are being
worked at Mud two veins. at Jazza three veins
and at Psse two veins The total length of the
galleries is six thousand feet. In the precipitous
districts of Kreas and JaZza the transportation
Of the ore was the principal difficulty encOunt-
cred. To build roads out of the question.
nor could beasts of burden be employed The
cOmpany's engineers have. therefore. established
a special means of transportation. which IS not
the least interesting part of the whole concern.
This system consists of a network of elevated
cables made of wire, along which the trucks
descend, filled with ore; whereas at the same
These cables. which also used for the pur-
pose of bringing provisions to the miners. put
the factories at Kreas in communication with
the other mining centres Of the district. This
system of transportation is a striking and pct-
uresque one. When seen from the foot of the
mountain the wire cables appear like spiders
web the mountainside, and when the trucks
descend at lightning speed the impression
is similar that of flock of swallows going
south for the winter.
built at Kreas, six at Pisse, and number OF
others to be built. The purpose of these
mills is to pulverize the ore, and thus to sep
arate the gold from the metals with which it is
mixed. Contrary to the usual process in Cali
forna Australia and the Transvaal. where the
is crushed by repeated blows from pestles.
the Monte Rosa grinding mills consist Of two
grindstones, which crush the ore between them.
OF these grinistones, one, nine feet in diameter,