Morning appeal. [volume] (Carson City, Nev.) 1877-1906, 1903-10-27
surao TUNNEL.


Some History About This Famous
Tunnel.
The first franchise for the driving Of
the tunnel, was granted to Adolph
Sutro by the Nevada Legislature IN
the fail Of 1864. The work was con-
sidered so dimcult Of accomplishment,
and Of such great magnitude, that
most people at that time thought he
was insane to attempt It. At the time
this work was first conceived, power
drills had not come into general use.
but by the time actual construction
work hau commenced. American engi-
peers bad made such improvements
upon the hrst European machinery,
that they began to meet with general
favor e heavy tunnel work, and sutro,
with an eye to business. was not slow
in adopting them. and it is probable
that without them the tunnel would
not have been completed. With these
power drills, tha rate of progress av-
eraged over three hundred feet per
monthSfor two years.. The heat at the
face q the tunnel grew to be quite
intense as it approached the Comstock
lode, until q temperature Of ia de-
has been a movement started below
too good, and that, coupled with the
heat, made it; impossible for the men
to work more than three hours on a
sniff. The men were picked miners,
but many of them tainted, or fell 20
the floor, and were carried out. Mules
were used on the tram cars, and they
sometimes had. to be dragged in by
main strength. At firing time they
used to line up behind the cars, which
were pushed back to what was suppos-
ed to be safe distance from the
face" and they soon learned to keep
exactly in line, and hold their heads
low, but it occasionally happened thst
one would get careless, and get his
head or body a little to one side, and
be struck by the flying rocks. Some
times they were injured quite badly,
and the foreman at the ranch on the
river used to keep a kind OF mule
hospital" where he doctored them up
and he nearly always had supply Of
r,o%;on<o ~, honG
Sutro encountered many obstacles
and much opposition, which would
have discouraged any ordinary man
but he stuck to 1t persistentely. and
persevered until the tunnel was an a.
complished fact It has proven to be
the most important piece Of engineer
ing in connection with the great Com
stock mines, for, without the facilit
les for drainage afforded by this tun
mel, they would have been shut down
years ago, whereas by the aid OF 1t
they have all been kept open to
.epth Of 1,7GO to 1000 feet, and some
work has been going on in nearly al
of them, nearly all Of the time, though
the stockholders have not profited bJ
the operations for years. Now there
has been a movement setarted beloa
the tunnel level, by means OF pumps
The heat in the lower level woult
then be a factor to contend with. bu
il by the aid of powerful fans 1t ;:
possible to sink 1000 feet below thu
tunnel. who knows but the mines
If they get into the hands Of homes
operators, may add an equal amour
to their past record Of production
There il no reason why they may not
il the miners can only get down there
and all of this, II possible. will hav'
been made SO. by the Sutro tunnel.
The first construction work on tn
tunnel was commenced October Is
1869. and on July 8. 1873, Mr.. Sutr'
himself, was the first to crawl throuzl
into the Savage shaft, from the tun
mel. The main tunnel is 20.489 feet II
length, with hterals, northerly AM
southerly along the Comstock lod'
which add 1885 feet, making the te
tai length s3,315 feet. The total cos
was given by Mr.. Sutro as $5.OOOO 90
in round figures
The new work under way on tn
Comstock mines will necessitate tn
keeping of the tunnel In the best =
order. and the writer is informed thu
\ force Of men viii soon be put on
make the necessary repairs.-Mini1
and Engineering Review.
Death Of Mrs. Lindsey.