, 1903-01-15
FERRIS HAGGARTY TUNNEL.
Twenty Months Of Labor in Rock has
Come to an end. and the Long Tunnal
at the Rudefeha has at Last Found Its
way Into the Vaults Of 3ornite!

the grim workers of the grave
yard" shift hurried out of the tun-
mel to safety. dynamite tore
through the thin quartzite hold
ings Of a half million gallons of
long pent water at the Rudefeha
mine. and brought to a close an
important chapter in Wyoming's
mining history.
1t was the explosion of ten feet
of dynamite in a drill hole that
did the final work. but it was EN-.
%gineering and mining talent that
caused it to done and done well.
1t was a scientific piece of bust
ness to blast through rock for
1910 feet and find n given point
hundreds of feet below the sur.
FACET was II more scientific
thing TO break through rock above
and puncture II vast reservoir of
water without damage either per-
sonal or real.
Had there been a miscalculation
and this water thereby let loose
through a longer opening, death
and destruction would have been
the result. The water, bad and
muddy, would have torn its awful
way through the tunnel, causing
it to belch out even its own wood
en- lining. 1t would have swept
the boilers and compressor from
their rock moorings as if they
were only toys; and it would have
dealt horrible and certain death
to every miner in the tunnel.
As it was, through only a two
and II half inch hole, the water
came Ms if sent from n nozzle by a
steam fire engine. The pressure
was more than l40 pounds TO the
square inch. and yet, it took fifty
seven hours for the mine TO drain.
This tunnel WAS started on the
10Th day of May, 1901. The first
work was done under great diff
culties, owing to the quicksand-
like soil, and a caisson was used
in oider to get under cover. Even
then, it was not until July that
they succeeded in getting fairly
started.
The timbers We're hewn on two
sides, and were from twelve to
fifteen inches in diamater. AT
first these timbers were placed FIVE
feet apart from center to center,
but it was afterwards found that
the ground was too heavy, and
the timb-rs were doubled, so that
they now are two and one-half
foot centers. Laughing was driven
in running the first 200 feet, and
often breast boards were used, on
account of the cavey condition of
the ground.
The tunnel is ) ! feet in the
clear with a waterway of Is \ "a
inches under the track. The fall
to each 100 feet is nearly or quite
one foot, which is more than usual
for tunnels.
1t was 300 feet from the point
where ground was first broken,
and POO feet from the first set of
timbers, to solid formation.
In August the tunnel, or head
house, vas started. 1t is built of
logs and is 81 x 80 feet in the
clear. This building is used for a
blacksmith shop.
In the latter part of August an
air shaft was sunk to connect with
the tunnel. This shaft strikes the
tunnel about $50 feet from its
mouth. 1t was put down as a
safeguard, as well MS for air, il
making n way of escape for the
men in cas of fire or "A cave-in.
An air line was also laid during
the month of August. This line
extends from the shaft house
above to the tunnel, taking 1,6OC
feet of three-inch iron pipe.
On Sept. LIST IA contract was let
to Nevett and Carey to run the
tunnel 700 feet. After doing 40C
feet of this work they encounter.
; ed the vein Mt n place where il
. divided, II part running north.
east and the other southeast. The
Vnnrt .F tb. un., 80 .t -