The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1907-05-06
ELY THE MECCA
FOR CHURN DRILLS
Details of Operations on Prop
erty of the Ely Central
Company.
GROUND YIELDS TO
THE DRILL READILY
Quick Demonstration Is POssi-
BILE by Churn Drills, and
Many Are Used.

Inc ore deposits OF the Ely district ar,
extremely favorable for locating and de-
rcloping with churn drill They con-
sISt OF large Irregular bodies OF sulphid,
orc, with an average of about pei
cent copper and little gold. Having had
an extended experience with these drills
In the Joplin district, where the lead and
zinc deposits occur In similar form.
company 10 ship two No. keystone
Glilis to Ely and place theCl in operation,
The order for these machines Included an
equipment OF tools and spare parts as
also Il complete outfit of fishing tools 10
Eecoycr any lost In drilling, says c, II
Hart IN the Engineering and Mining
Journal The drills arrived at Cherry
Creek. the terminus OF the railroad on
July 2s. 1906 and were taken overland
70 Ely. a distance of about sixty miles.
In moving the machines the greatest
trouble was experienced In keeping them
supplied with water. and this finally ne
part of the distance
AS these drills are operated by steam.
me question or water supply was SER
ious one. The few shafts that have been
sunk TO the water level had but Il small
now. and there are very few springs in
the district y temporary supply Sc
cured from the pipe line OF the Nevada
Consolidated Copper company. and later a
complete gasoline pumping plant was in
stalled In hole that had fair flow
OF OF water at depth OF sixry-nve feet
the drills required an average of eight
barrels OF water for each shift of eight
hours. and an average Of three quarters
OF cord of wood for the same time, the
wood being soft white pine and cedar
The drills were set up and started on the
Webber claim of the company on August
l. The first hole was completed 10 a
depth of sos feet on September o The
drills were operated a part OF these TWEEN
ty-three days on ten-hour shifts and
part Of the time on eiGht-hour shifts, In
Inc average number of feet drilled per
shift was 1873: The average depth drilled
per SHIFT while the drill was actually In
operation was 1875. In drilling about 5000
feet We later found the average, includ-
ing all the time lost in moving and cree
ilon at new location. TO be about one
The. greatest amount of drilling done on
one shift was 81 feet in nine hours. This
was entirely In rhyolite, a formation that
is ideal for this sort of work. II drills
very easily and is homogeneous enough
20 retain It's shape without caving. The
Rorphyry Is too soft 10 stand UP under
inc wash of the water in the hole and
caves badly The limestone formation is
almost always Tilted enough to make the
aTIinng OF a straight hole very difficult
matter In these last two formations it
Is necessary to keep the hole carefully
cased OF. As 1t happens the easy ground
to drnl rhyolite. has never been known
20 carry anything OF value, and so FAR the
limestone has shown but few traces OF
ore The ore bodies developed are entire
~ III the porphyry formation, Some of
the holes have penetrated the rhyolIte
and gone into the porphyry below. but
they have without exception shown mate
rial ot lIttIe value.
In January and February the cost of
everything is at least third more than
during more favorable months. Portable
houses have been erected around the
drills: and the men work regardless of the
weather. but the cost OF all supplies and
OUTSIDE labor arc much higher In the
winter. In wet weather there arc prac~
ticaIly no roads. and then teams must be
used TO help the traction gears move the
figs IN The summer IT. costs about SEQ 10
move from one location to another: in
sSHo s@i5o'er me cost is Increased to $3.50 to
sZUo All THIS adds to the cost per foot,
When the first two No. / machines were
ordered. maximum depth of $50 feet
was expected 10 be sufficient, but 1t was
and three additional machines were or
dered These arc OF the same type, but
tHo sizes larger known as No. 5. The
than the larger machine. but il is too
nsht Tor the rough work and a greater
depth than 400 feet These rigs are
hoists 1"' ~'s
After watching the opera lion of these
machines, twelve others OF the same type
work on neighborng properties. il is
more than probable that at least twenty
OF these drills will be in operation ia the
Ely camp during the coming surnmer.. As
inc value of the drilling depends entirely
upon the accuracy OF the sampling ey-
lrome care IS necessary In taking assay
pumping taken from every five feet of
depth, after the drill is IN the orc bear
ms iormation, is puc In large iron wash
ny means oi SLOW fire and after the con-
tents are thoroughly dried the sample is
erasfec fne; quar'ered and an assay
the chemist The sulphide ore is found
st . depth OF about eighty feet. and ex-
tenas down 10 200 and 300 feet.
The costs or two holes one drilled in
September and the other I'm February. are
given III table at the end OF this arti-
Gle Gle The lirss hole had all weather con
Gondltiona were unfavorabe; the first is
n l., rhyoate; the second In porphyry.
twenty holes were put down for this
%294 feet. These holes were drilled in
September. October and November and
1ae costs we're Tauch less than for the
cr!ated Tint the Items OF maintenance
and depreciation shall be large enough Ia
write of the frst cost in four years
COST OF DRILLING, FIRST HOLE
Number OF Days. August Il TO Scptem-
Der 3. 22 days,
SIX DAYS, l0-HOUR SHIFTS
One drill man at SIPS per month. s9i1s
one drill helper at Sl00 per month. 1892
SEVENTEEN DAYS. S-HOUR SHIFTS,
Orc drlll man at Sl25 per month GS.51
Gne drill helper al 800 per month 2676
Fne!, cord per shift at $3.50 per
go! eord ss,,...L..:;.......;,, 77.51
per day. ..,.... ;...;,. .,-....., 1oO.75
o.: | gallon engine. l gallon cylin-
w. q
Blacksmith coal. 200 pounds at s5i
per Ton ..,'-,. 5.4O
Miscellaneous charges ......... 1872 50
1854 IS
si.755 80
SECOND HOLE
NUMBER OF Days. February TO May Z
20 days.
Three drill men at 81 per shift Si07. 80
hinIsc ne:psts at 3S.23 per shift. los so
SuPeFm'ennence 80. ............ S6.40
CCtiS'Ns'nitn COZ! .,...,,.,....a... $50
VI engine ana cylinder .....s.,- BIS
Maler '>..'..'. ....,....,....a... 72.l0
Ssar, ~ oou .....;..; ',.s..,-,- 72.10