Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1903-08-17


the mine. Work below must be de-
layed until the coal is unloaded above
and shoveled out of the way by hand
All this will be changed with the new
tower. The coal will be hoisted on
cars in two cages, each car containing
about 5000 pounds, when it is loaded
and weighed below. 1t is hoisted up
sixty feet to the surface and then to
the top of the tower by a steel cable,
from an engine set little distance to
the side. At the top of the tower. it
is removed from the cage which imme-
diately descends, bringing loaded coun.
terbalance up with another car. The
car that is raised to the top is tipped
by a convenient device, passes down
a chute where it is screened and load
ed in brief length of time. 1t is
estimated the new hoisting apparatus
VIII hoist loo tons of coal in ten
hours. AS the present hosting capac-
lty is only about 600 tons. the extent
of the enlargement of the mines out
put is apparent. In addition to the
new hoist, a sixteen foot fan has been
installed for the ventilation of the
mine, and the old hosting shaft will
be converted into an air shaft. The
fan and its ventilating machinery will
furnish an abundance of pure air from
the top, maintaining a continual circu-
lation. and enabling a large addition
to be made to the force of miners.
Sixty feet below the surface of the
ground where the work of digging and
loading coal is being continually car
ried on. new pump room has been
arranged, and the bottom of the mine
is so dry that a visitor may walk
through the long entries and mining
rooms, and bring up only little mud
upon the sole of his shoes as an indica-
ton that he has made the trip. The
mine will be even dryer when the
present improvements are completed
New entries are being continually
opened, and a large expenditure has
been made at the foot of the shaft
timbering up the main entry and pre-
pairing for additional inroads into the
vast volume of fuel that lies stored
underneath the surface of the earth
The mine below is electric lighted
equipped with the latest electrical ma
chinery, in the way of drills and cut
ters, the rooms are capacious and vel
ventilated, and miners, with the de
vices with which they are supplied
are earning $50 to 800 and more
monthly, according to their ability anG
industry.
The new hosting engines at Mine
! No ! are the very latest 16X32 double
engines. amply large to hoist the out
put of the workers below. The towe
is completed, and the ventilating far
installed. The company is now adver
tising for a hundred miners, and viii
want several hundred before the sea
son is far advanced.
In addition to these Improvement
at Mine No. l. an entirely new mine il
being opened two and half miles t
the east of Mine No. L. This mine wa
located after various experimental
tests had been made to locate tn
boundaries of the coal area. The ney
mine is in the center Of thousan
acres of Ignite that lies sixty feet be
low the surface of the earth, in vel
/ twelve feet thick. The extent OF tn
deposit may be imagined, when it
i taken as a rule among operators tina
an inch of coal upon an acre OF Ian
will produce 100 tons. AS this vel
is twelve feet through and 900 acre
in extent. it will be seen there is
practically ineXhaustible supply OF coz
/ in the new field Sixty days ago tn
site of the new mine was on slop
: of a hill in the center of a farmin
area. Now men and machinery al
busilv at work, two shafts Sxl6 fee
have been sunk one as the main sha
of the mine and the other as an a
! shaft. for the ventilation of the min
| Down sixty feet below the surface
, the main shaft, entries are pein
driven into the coal veins, at rlgl
, angles to the main shaft. These al
being double shifted. in order TN
the mine may be ready for operation
, ample time to prevent any shortage
the supply of coal for consumers IN
winter. AS rapidly as the entries a
9 driven along the original course TO