The daily silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1903-1907, 1905-09-13
ELECTRICITY REvIvING coMsrocK
MINES.
CONTINUED from Yesterday

Continued from Yesterday
A few years ago another effort was
made to reach even lower depths, ana
200 horsepower induction motois were
installed, and the electric pumping en-
gines performed their work SO Wei ina.
the present plans for unwatering the
mines were conceived. The Truckee
River General Electric Company hao
established their large power house on
the Truckee river, thlrty-five mics from
Virginia City and two miles east OF
F4oriston. With a head of $40 feet lho
water power was easily converted INTO
electrical energy and transmitted by a
double circuit of cope wire to Vagina
City. Twenty-four thousand volts wee
sent over the wires and the mines along
the route purchased the power at the
rate of 81 per horsepower per moneh.
The use of electrical power in the m mes
was found to be of special ya.ue IN
many ways. The motors cod not ony
unwater the mines more cheap.y than
hydraulic lifts, but they could do It au-
tomat. cal.y in a temperature VIII ca
overheated the different parts of IN
steam and hydraulic pumps. A perfect
system of ventilation with fans could
$50 be installed, so that suffic. ent cod
air cou.d be introduced to make It pc
sib.e for the miners to work comforta-
bly, in the lowest levels.
Four years of electrical pumping lem
onstrated the possibilities of unwater.ng
the mines proftab y if power cou d Ike
obtained at cheaper rates. Thirty-two
group of Cams associated themselves
together under the name of The Com
stock Pumping Association" and enter
ed into an agreement with the Truckee
River General Electric Company to take
5000 horsepower for mine uses at a
rate of $3.50 per horsepower per month.
The power company Immediately pro-
ceeded to construct a second electro
generating station on the Truckee river
their resources. The new power house
will Utilize the water diverted from the
Truckee river under a head of 141 feet,
and transmit the electrical energy direct
to the mines. The power thus obtained
from the river will be utilized for mine
pumping hosting and ventilating. The
first two new pumps to be installed are
ELECTRICALLY driven by 800 horsepower
slow induction motors and each one Will
of water per minute against a pressure
equivalent to a height of $500 feet. thus
mining will be extended down to the
5000 level. or 1900 feet below the Sutro
tunnel at once. AS the work progresses
new pumps viii be installed at W
levels, and the complete unwatering of
the mines is ant cipated. Cod ar will
be forced by electric fans to the lowest
leve.s, and then through the various
oiidlA0 ot - 1NNAo NhC
will be made compete. The excessive
heat of the low Levels and the great
saturation from hot water will lose
their terrors under the new engineering
enterprise and the engineers promise
definitely to the stockho ders that they
will be alb e to reach depths from Iour
to five thousand feet below the surface.
This awakening OF the Comstock is
no mere prediction, but an exact scien-
tiic, or rather engineering, fact, and
the mineral deposits of the rugged slope
of Noun Davidson will be torn from
their beds In spite of natures most per-
sistent efforts to conceal them. Mod
ern science has conquered in the long
rum. but not until lives and fortunes in
Vulnerable have been sacrificed in the