Columbia courier. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1902-1905, 1903-05-08

route.
Director Roberts of the mint recently
purchased $4,000 ounces Of silver or
account of the Philippine coinage al
50 3-S cents an ounce, delivered in
San Francisco. The amount offered
was SOS 900 ounces, ranging in price
from So 3-S cents an ounce to $O.5445
AS rapidly as funds permit topo
graphic surveys are being made by the
United States geological survey of ali
important mining regions in the west.
ern states. and also of those regions
where the irrigation problem is the
most important enc
The extensive plant of the Crescent
Powder company at Ganistock, Pa.
was recently wrecked by four explo
sions. Of the 30 employees nine were
killed outright and all the others were
badly injured by being blown about the
buildings in which they were EN-.
rloyed
Recent developments in connection
with the Turtle mountain disaster at
Frank, b. c., tend to indicate that the
damage 10 the coal mine of the Cana
dian-American Coal & Coke company
is small ir comparison with what II
was first & area would prove the case
The Hunter Gold Mining company
at Mullan, Idaho, was forced to sus.
pend all operations during the greater
part of the week just closed owing to
bad break in the machinery of the
air compressor. AS the result of the
shutdown about 100 men were thrown
out of employment
1t is reported on excellent authority
that Senator w. A. Clark intends to
erect new smelter at Butte that will
treat copper ores of which zinc is
component part There are many good
properties here and hereabouts, the
ores of which are hard to treat be-
cause of Ire zinc contained in them.
Walter e. Dowlen, consulting en-.
gineer of the American Canadian Coal
G Coke Mining company, operating
at Frank, N. w. T., has received word
from Ex-Governor A. E. Spriggs nj
Montana, one Of the directors of the
company, stating that he had been all
through the mine and finds it entirely
uninjured.
Considerable excitement prevailed
in the mining circles at Wallace, Ida,
no, when it was reported that a strike
of no small Importance was made on
the Sonora property above Burke. A
two foot lead of good concentrating
ore. containing shipping rock, was en-
countered by the 800 foot crosscut
work tunnel.
While the cage was being hoisted
from the 1900 foot level Of the st. Law.
renee mine at Butte recently the en-.
gine got beyond control. The cage
was carried into the sheaves, with An.
thony Gallagher on it. The rope broke
and the cage fell with Gallagher 10
the bottom Of the shaft. Gallagher
was instantly killed.
There is great interest in New York
in the continued rise of silver to the
highest price during this movement
If it continues the government is like.
~ to temporarily stop buying, as silver
would soon reach point where il
would be profitable to melt down the
proposed new sc cent Philippine dol.
lar. The Mexican dollar is now worth
over 46 cents.
David Mccoy, superintendent of the
Olive creek placers in Oregon, re.
turned to the diggings recently with
another crew to work on the pacers.
Three giants are employed steadily
and large amount OF ground is being
torn down into the sluices There is
rlenty water now for all mining pur.
poses and the company contemplates
a long and successful run for the sea.
son.
At Cripple Creek. Col, Judge Walter
n. Dixon has dissolved the injunction
oy the owners of the Grace Arthur
extension claim to restrain the con-
struct;on OF the Ell Paso drainage tun.
lel through that property and has
awarded the tunnel company a right
If way under condemnation proceed.
.ngs. Operations were resumed at the
five headings of the big tunnel, which
is intended to drain many of the mines
in the district.
Thomas j. Edison has perfected a
device for separating gold from placer
gravel without the use of water. Edi
son employs an air blast to separate
the gold from the gravel and other i'm.
purities. The old placer system, with
hydraulic stream, got out IS per cent
of the gold, but with Edison's system OF
dry washing it is said IS per cent of the
gold is saved. After the gravel has
been excavated by steam shovel 1t
is conveyed to a mill, where 1t passes