The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1907-01-07
Prominent Operator Gives Some
Interesting Facts About
This New Method.
TIME SAVING MAKES
UP FOR EXPENSE
Method of Prospecting Great
Saving Over That With
Diamond Drill.

Believing that the great horizontal
ore bodies of the Ely district could
be more cheaply and cxpeditiously test
ed by tho use Of the drill rather than
through the usual tedious and expensive
method of shaft-sinking, the Ely Cen
tral Copper company purchased two
drills. manufactured by the Keystone
Drill company Of Beaver Falls, Pa.
These drills wero hauled from Cherry
Creek TO the mines, "A distance of sixty
miles says j.. S. Phcby in the Mining
and Scientific Press, These machines
are type No. 3 and weigh $4,000 pounds
each. A complete outfit of tools and
equipment for recovering any part or
the drills lost in boring the holes were
included in the order The first drill
was installed on the property IN Au-
gust and we had hole completed TO
depth of sos feet within % days, al
though but ono shift was engaged IN
this work. II is far more economical
in wood and water to keep the drills
running continuously with three shifts.
More than three times the sinking can
be done in the same number of days, as
steaming up in the morning generally
comes out of the one shift. The drill
averaged 1873 feet per shift for the %
shifts, but il shut-downs are deducted,
the drill averaged 1919 feet per shift
of actual operation
We have found in all our work that
| casing is necessary in every hole. At
times We have sunk 200 feet without
casing, but TO go deeper casing was
necessary, which meant that the hole
| had to be trimmed out at an expense
Of more than the original cost Of the
| hole for the 200 feet. j caution any
one contemplating the purchase Of a
| drill to provide 7As casing for one-third
the depth contemplated, SIS casing for
two thirds tho depth, and AZ casing
for full depth. This we had not done,
and probably % per cent has been
added 10 the cost of each hole, working
without sufficient casing. Trouble may
| not be encountered in several hundred
| feet but q soft stratum OF ten feet will
require the casing Of the entire hole.
We soon learned that the wear and
tear on the drilling cable was severe.
| Under ordinary circumstances each
rope is safe for 1900 feet Of drilling.
When we appreciated that our ropes
were deteriorating, an order was placed
at once. BY October ! the cable had
not arrived. and we were compelled to
order by express from Ohio coil of
rope weighing 1880 pounds: With each h
the depth of the hole contemplated
should be ordered.
Water is required for both the boiler
and for diluting the drillings so that
the sand.pump may bale them. Tho
greater quantity is required for the
boiler. This item of expense is local
with each hole. II is advisable 10 haul
water in n good wagon-tank, as the
drills may he moved many times, and
the cost Of pipe might be greater than
the cost of hauling, A drill-man and
helper are required on each shift; the
former receiving 81 for eight hours
work and the latter $325 The item of
fuel and water is wholly relative. but
will be given in our particular case,
and may be taken as an average for
this district.
The following is the tabulated costs
for certain hole which we have taken
as an average: