The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1907-08-12
MINERAL VEINS
WATER COURSES
Reasons Why Lodges Rich in
Ore Are Channels for Un-
derground Waters.

tArIhur Lakes IN ores and MetdlS.)
That mineral veins, especially those
known as fissure veins, are often natu-
raj water courses. or the pathways of
pent-up springs and other bodies OF wa
ter, has long been recognized by miners;
so much so, that when in drifting a mi
ner taps suddenly a body of water, he
halls il as a good omen of approaching
san ore body. In some cases he is disap-
pointed by finding only water, the ore
shoot not extending TO the point tapped,
and only the barren portion of the fis-
sure, fissured zone, being present. In
some other cases he encounters TOO much
water and by its pent-up violence is driV
en- from the vein and may be kept indefi
nitely from attacking il. A mineral vein
usually occupies a fisSure, or fIsSured
zone, in the earths crust, and this line
Of weakness is a natural one for water
permeating the rocks in the vicinity to
seek and fill, nature abhorring a vacuum.
Such pent-up water Is often under ire
mendOus pressure. and when tapped by
the miners drill ii spouts out explOsively
and with terrific force, driving him from
the spot.
The rush OF water may continue for
days, and then gradually decline, or the
water may continue in a stream suffi-
GENTLY strong TO run a mill for an in
definite period. The prevailing dryness
of the surrounding region, or OF mines In
IL, may be no guarantee against the tap
ping at some depth. Of an overwhelming
body of water. The mines of Cripple
Creek were, in their incipiency. proven
bially dry for the first few hundred feet;
now long drainage tunnel through the
district has become a necessity. We
heard of a noted mine in one OF the most
arid and waterless districts of southern
California that had been compelled TO
shut down owing to water.
Ground is Porous.
Much depends on the porous nature and
character of the rocks; also upon the
amount of precipitation and snow in the
region. Volcanic rocks, such as those Of
Cripple Greek and of the California re-
gion above cited, by their porous and
cavernous character, are liable to absorb
an immense amount of water from the
surface, leaving it may be, the surface
zone arid and dry. Again. a region like
the San Juan of Colorado, composed
largely of porous volcanic rocks contain
ing. in their upper portions. many wide
cirques or hollow amphitheatres where
the snow accumulates TO great depth IN
winter and where there IS generally a
tarn. or mountain lake. in summer. Is
liable to have beneath it very wet veins.
1t is no uncommon thing in the San Juan
10 pass by tunnels on nSsure veins that
have been abandoned on account OF wa
ter. and from which a coplous stream
pOurs down into the raVine below IN
most of our camps in Colorado long
drainage tunnels, after q. period of deep
III.
as for instance the Yak tunnel at Lead
VILE the NeWhOuse tunnel at Idaho
Springs, the Cowenhaven tunnel at AS
pen, the SmugSler-U nion at sIellurlde'
and the Standard and FL PasO drainage
tunnels at Cripple Creek together with
the deeper and longer one now IN process
of construction
underground body of water in "A Hssure
vein is related by Robert y. Bell state
Inspector of mines of Idaho, in his report
Tor the year 1906
Mines Tap Reservoir.
In the Muldoon district, at one of its
proDerties an unusual and startling con-
dition was encountered which. but Tor
pure accident or premOnltlOn on the part
of the men in charge of the works, might
have resulted fatally to two of them.
This occurrence was the tapping OF an
enormous reservoir of water IN the tuh-
mel of the Idaho Mining & Improvement
company This tunnel was being driven
ON the vein wiJh-tWO shifts OF men ana
was at = point 800 feet in from the por-
tai and within 120 feet OF being Nefu-
calIv under a shoot of rich lead car
Donate and galena ore exposed in an up
Der tunnel. The night shift decided TO lay
off on the first of November 10 make a
trip TO town. During the night, Whlle
nobody was working, great body OF wa
ter broke into the tunneI at the race
which had Just passed porphyry dlke,
and the flood continued Tor ABOUT LOFTY
hours under enormous pressure me
pressure and volume OF water was such
that il washed away the ear, lools' sHop
and a big dump which had been accumu-
lating for year, as II Dy HdSLC- Jus
TeIovT the DUNN a grove Of large fir trees,
some of them three feet in diameter,
we're cut out and upTooted by the escap-
INC flood and tossed aside like straws.
IT cut a gully down the side OF the noun
tain TO bed rock, in places thirty ieSI
deem rolling over and pushing aside ooul-
doris of many tons weight IN us course
II raised the creek out Of its banks for
f0ur miles. The water was discolored ana
muddy like yellOwish tailings- AFTER forty
hours the flow gradually decreased uhtii
there was only a stream about one anu
one-haIf inches deep flowing out OF the
T1o,,th of the tunnel The tunnel was
found TO be filled with mud aed DEBRIS
mai taDered back 10 the roof at point
about seventy feet in beyond me el-
rance Many pieces of calcite ana quar- u
crT-staIs were mixed with the debris IN
~ Tunnei together with pieces OF ga
49, A ,Drinss which was formerly HOW
- on the surface nearly over this tuIl-
III and which had been drained Dy II
loas commenced TO flow again, NliSH
lads 10 the assumption that the uhieT-
,,roIInd reservoir is not completely drained
~ sinpIv choked and damned up anu
- omen will flow again. A crew or
mon have been put TO wcfk 20 cream up
mis- tunnel and underground my SlSly.
Tbe finding of ore mixed with the ueDrls
,a5s to the assumption that the water
-. from A great underground cnanhel
tbat travelled the line of the insure anu
,,rohabIv replaced a large chamDer ues
nosit of mineral, an important Iesluue ~, u
which may still remain anu De aN .a,I ,ho
when the tunnel is cleaned out anu inc
drained OIL.