Bisbee daily review., 1906-09-09

It is authoritatively stated that never in the history of the Superior & Pittsburg properties-either when they were in the hands of the four individual companies or since they were consolidated-has the outlook for big developments been so good as it is now. One of the most important fac- tors responsible for this condition is the conquering of the water problem | that for two years seemed to be al- most insurmountable in the Briggs shaft of the Calumet & Pittsburg branch of the Superior & Pittsburg. The other important factor is a decid- ed improvement in the character of the ground in all of the shafts and in the lateral openings. This improve ment is such as to indicate that with three of the shafts-the Junction, Briggs and Hoatson-ore will be de- veloped on "a commercial basis that will rival anything thus far opened in the Bisbee camp.
 A better appreciation of what has been accomplished in the Briggs shaft with the water problem can be gained by contemplating the fact that the pumps are now required to handle a flow of water that has diminished l ,000 gallons per minute from what | it was when the conditions were at 1 their worst At that tim esinking crept along at an almost imperceptible gait, the advance being only few feet per month, until finally a few months ago the attempt to gain addi- tional depth was stopped and atten- l ton was given to lateral openings from
 the shaft. Following this came a les | sening of the flow not only in the | Briggs shaft, but in the other shafts of the Bisbee camp as well, indicating that the basin had been finally drained
 and that this general draining was in
 progress all along through the Briggs shaft had been testified to by the fact | that the ether shafts of the Bisbee basin had shown a lowering of the water level from the time the heavy
 flow in the Briggs shaft started. Now | that all of this abnormal water has | disappeared. it is proved conclusively
 that the basin is drained and the water
 problem is permanently overcome to
 that depth, so the future will present
 only the problem of handling the wa ! ter that way lie below the present deepest workings, which will be a very
 simple thing.
 | The Briggs shaft has now taken up | eix ,txir cin nf
 water has diminished, and additional
 depth Is being gained at a normal
 rate, the water neither impeding the progress nor causing any other trou- bic. The shaft has reached depth of . 1.150 feet and drifting is in progress , at the 1,100-foot level bottom. The
 Hoatson shaft is now below the 1000 ; foot level with 4 pump and drifts are started in four directions at the 1000 , foot level. Sinking is not now in pro- gress. but will be resumed as soon as the drifts get away from the shaft and men can be employed to do the work. The shortage of labor is in evidence in
 the Bisbee camp as it is elsewhere
 throughout the country.
 In addition to the Briggs and Hoat-
 son shafts, in the Calumet & Pitts
 burg branch of the Superior X Pitts
 burg, there are also several drifts
 which enter this ground from the
 Junction shafts. and it can be said Of
 all of them, as well as of the shafts
 the information being based upon re- ports of General Manager Powell to
 the home office in Calumet-that nev-
 CT in the history of the property has
 the outlook been so good. The work ings are all operating in broken ] ground, containing leacheJ matter, ore
 stringers mud and everything. in fact.
 known in the Bisbee camp as good
 except the actual shipping ore. There
 is every indication that another one
 hundred feet deeper in these work ings will bring the Calumet & Pitts , burg branch into the biggest body of
 ore In that country.
 In the Junction shaft. in ground ad-
 jacent to that already described, ore
 conditions very similar to those in the Briggs and Hoatson shaft prevail, the
 ground being broken and mineralized.
 The shaft is approaching a depth of
 HOO feet. In the Cole shaft of the Superior & Pittsburg a most pleasing
 change is now taking place. Hereto
 fore all of the ore tributary to this
 shaft has been developed by means of
 lateral openings-that is. drifts and
 crosscuts-whereas now the shaft it.
 self. which in the past has been in
 hard and barren ground, is now en-
 tering the same character of broken