Idaho Springs siftings., 1904-01-02
WORK COMPLETED
GEM uPRAisE BRonE THROUGH INTO
SHAFT SUNDAY.
ANNOUNCED BY ALL WHISTLES.
GIGANTIC IMPROVEMENT coNsuMAT-
Ed WITHOUT AN ACCIDENT.

npraise was fired a, O'Clock last Sunday
morning, resulting i'll the connection of
the upraise with the bottom of the shaft.
1t was known when we went to press last
Saturday that the connection would be
made sometime that night. but at what
hour could not be determined At
O'Clock Sunday morning the event was
apn"nnced 10 the world by the blowing
of the various steam whistles OF the city,
the chorus lasting some ten minutes. As
nearly all our citizens were aware that ii
was the intention 10 thus signal the sue
cess of this great undertaking, but few
fe alarmed.
| 1t is stated that the connection was
practically perfect, there being but slight
deviation. and which is doubtless due to
the fact that for the last IS or 40 feet ii
WAS not practicable for the engineer in
charge to direct operations owing to the
absence of timbering for that distance
Now that the connection is complete. the
timbering will he completed to that point
As We remarked in last weeks issue,
the completion of this shaft is but the
b ginning OF n ore and more extensive
operations in the line of blocking out the
vast ore bodies exposed and in extending
development into other portions of the
coulpany's vast holdings.
II is the intention of the management
to utilize the shaft, or incline. thus com
pleted for mammoth ore chute. The
II,
This will be divided into two compart-
meuts, A1sx4E feet in the clear. One OF
these will be utilized as man way and
the other for the chute, the latter to be
liucd with three inch plank aud covered
with 80 pound Trails extended from the
A,h level Of the shaft to the bottom. II
is estimated that this will require II s tons
| of rails. An arrangements of air brakes
will prevent the ore from damaging the
ore bins at the bottom of the chute. Here
the ore will be automatically loaded
into the tr sins Of cars by the assistance of
compressed air. furnished by the COM
pressors of the company at the Silver
{ Age mill, a mile distant. From this point
/ the ore will be speedily run ont OF the
H
) railway track and there d ale into
cars for transportation 10 the compauy's
mills in this city. Much of the product
will after the building of I've btg mill at
f the Newhouse dump, b. fe aniomai-
ically into lis bins, thus SAVING the cost
of railway transportation
Z Viewed from the standpoint Of econmY
alone. 1t will be seen what vest benefits
[ will be derived by the management
through the COM Luton of this upraise
Hitherto the maj II portion Of the Gem,
Amy {. and Silyer Age gronpe has been
transport 20 mil b, wagon. While all
those piopsrties rre not yet accessible
/ through the tuBrei and upraise, still il is
4 the eyiile't interior TO make the nee
cessary extensions as speedily ss possible.
+ Until these are effected, the main pro-
iucton VIII be from the ground already
t opened. and there is sulfif lent ore expos
ed to tax I milling capacity OF this citv
to the limit. II is estimated that it Will
require about 90 davs 10 line the new
cliu and start the different levels This
will carry the operations 10 the first al
Hareh, about which time the mill will
he started at the Newhousc dump and
rushed to completion. II is also estimatea
! thai the Newton annex will be completed
at that time. and thus relieve The Newton
mill proper from the cong stion OF ores.
[ In all probability, outside the great mil
I ling facilities that the company will have
f in these three concentrators. cousidt rahie
ore will have to be sent 10 others IN the
] district. The output Of the mine during
! the present year IS placed at $50 tons
daily. AT the expiration of tina. time
/ II is calculated that the property will b.
7 pretty well opened. which will naturally
/ lead 70 marked increase in the output
The average width Of the ore body
+ opened by the raise is placed at 2 feet.
+ At the poius where the Newhouse tunnel
irtersected the vein. t'iere was fully 20
+ feet Of mineTalizsd vein matter, souie of
1 1t of a smelling grade This makes one
I of the largest continuous ore bodies in
the country.
In addition to the opening of the Gem
mines ana their tributaries by means of
1 this uprsise, level is being extended
east from the tunnel to cut them at a
much greater depth. This level has been
extended a distance of 1900 feet.
/ The lire of the Newhouse tunnel runs
very near the dump OF the Gem shaft,
striking the Gem claim at all angle. Tins
with the dip OF the vein. which is 81 de-
grees from the perpendicular, required
nicely of calculation upon the part of
the engineers. While the line of he tun-
mel upon the surface was near the shaft
portal, the point decided upon in the tun-
/ mel nearly 1000 feet below was I75 feet
east of the tunnel level. This proved to
be the correct point and is simply another
evidence Of the skill of w. IL. Wiley and
his assistants, A. ]. Ventress and ]. Aug.
Ingols.
i In this connection, Manager Renshaw
gives great ere lit to his superintendent,