The Idaho Springs siftings-news., 1908-12-19
Will Push to q Finish

For several months, negotiations
have been pending between the auth
critics of the Newhouse Tunnel and
property owners along its course, look
ing to the driving forward of this
gigantic enterprise Its fruition is now
being realized for on Wednesday the
first round of shots was fired in the
breast and t he work will be moving in
definitely. There are two crews at work
one under the charge Of T. W. Grasser
who has occupied such a position
for years in driving the tunnel and the
other in charge of w. H. Irvine. for
merly superintendent of the McClelland
tunnel With such men directing the
work, there il an assurance that it
will be well and rapidly done.
When work at the breast of the New
house was stopped last year it had
een driven into the mountains = dis
tance of II, 47o feet and had cut q num-
Der of the large shippers and drained
them so that the taking out of ore
was resumed on large scale. In its
onward march it will cut some of the
great producers around Nevadaville and
Central city that are now idle owing to
the large amount of water contained
therein. These will be drained and op-
erations will begin thus giving en-
ployment to hundreds of miners. The
tunnel will be driven at the rate of
75o to 300 feet per month. The
breast is in very hard granite and this
estimate per month is based on this
fact. Should the character of the rock
change and become somewhat softer
more rapid progress will be made.
There are over 300 mines that are in
cluded in the contract for extending
the big bore. A royalty on each ton of
milling ore of twenty five cents and on
smelling ore of $l.00 will be charged.
The production of the section that will
be drained by the tunnel has reached
the large figures of S55, 600, 600 with a
tonnage of four and half millions.
Some Of the properties that will be
cut are Ingalls,, 500 feet from the pre-
sent breast; the Illinois at 700 feet;
the Rhoderick Dhu at $50; the San Juan
at 1900; the Burroughs at 1900; the
Kansas at 1880; the Ashtabula at 1850;
the Hubert at $500; the Gunpell at
about 40O0 and the Eureka at about
%bO0 feet. When the last property
is reached the tunnel will be over %. 00C
feet in length and will open up the
richest four miles of mines in the
world. The mines Of Quart Hill viii
be cut at depth approximating l70(
or 1900 feet and not only will these be
drained of the large amount of waite,
but will be afforded good ventilation
The mines of this section have pro
duction record of S35, 600, 600 while
those of the Gunnell sections are cred
tied with at least $50, 900, 00o-
While this developement will be OF
great advantage to the Little King
dom of Gilpin," it will be none the less
of inestimabIe benifit 10 Idaho Springs.
The large amount of ore that will be
hauled out of the tunnel will to great
er or less extent be treated here, es-
pecially the milling ore. 1t means in
creased production for which this sec
ton will receive part credit. 1t means
the employment Of labor here as the
mines begin opening up. 1t means bet
ter times to the mine laborer, the mech
anic, the merchant and all other class
es represented here. 1t means more
mills, more business and more money.
The starting of this tunnel means big
boost for Idaho Springs, which should
be followed up promptly by the citi-
zens taking their part in the boosting
line through a progressive organization
hid not hold on to the coat tail of the
Newhouse tunnel, saying 'look what
Idaho Springs is doing" when it is be-
ing done by the energetic owners of
this great mining project and the mine
owners along the route who are parties
to the contract that has made the ex-
tension possible. The city should now
join the advanced phalanx of pushers
and do it's duty in this onward march of
material progress.
~--H->f Tunnel prnores