The Idaho Springs siftings-news., 1908-03-14

Ter 10 extract and it can be mined and
m rseted at one-fourth or on, fifth of
tn cost of shaft mining.
T, Clifford is enthusiastic over the
prpI act which has been under consider
PUN for the past two years, and it is
b mention to sink the shaft to a
Geprn Of 1000 feet below the level of
1ha Newh,use tunnel The shaft can
p unk at the rate of three feet every
hours, and it will therefore take
couple Of years to complete the sinking
o. the surface the Cen vein is 20 feet
W, while at the level of the New
house tunnel, it is over 80 feet in width
60 l7at at depth of over 1900 feet
tei " the surface the vein should be
mure than 100 feet in width
The Gem vein is remarkable in two
nays, said Mr.. Clifford at has two
bodies one on the hanging wall and the
other on the foot wall. The ore has
b eu continuous to the present bottom.
Ia lnai character Of the ore is yet to
b. solved up to date. The product has
been principally gold but at the 1000
foot level there is a change in the for
naton and while gold is still the pre-
DON nating metal, there is found a new
Ga of ore called grey copper, similar
! t. the ores in ripple Creek. After a
stud of the vein. which was 20 feet
wl3g at the surface, but now 30 feet
wFic at the 1000 foot level, and the ore
bodies still continuous, the impression
pratalls that somewhere deeper down
W. be found body of ore So vast as
to equal if not exceed the millions of
ore found in the Comstock at about
2,ulp feet deep. The great width of
/ tn Gem VEN makes 1t possible to car
Ir pnormous ore bodies Then the
.=aory is ably supported by the facr
that tie change in character and value
has alreaay taken place. 1t is only
question OF volume and it is the be
lief Of engineers that the bodies viii
be very large
The shaft projected TO cut this min
eral demain, 4ol) feet below the sur
lace. was started about 50 feet west of
he Newhouse tunnel or
the Gem lateral. The shaft, or proper,
y termed VINE, has been sunk upor
ne hanging side and has now reached
he depth Of lZ5 t~rf. ,r 2.l25 fe,t
below the aoaN rf the vein. Tn,
shaft is in gooa orr. A large hoist ha,
ueen installed in 2 chamber cut in the
nd the hoist are operated by com
PRESSED air brought IN through the
Tewh house tunnel a distance of :, OOi
eet. The tInbers are to be kln-drieC
md cresoted.
This work is of the greatest imppr-
ance to the state of Colorado from
scientific standpoint the most import
mt now underway in any part of tho
world, for it viii prove the minera
contents of a great tissure at the deptt
# 1000 feet in a region noted for it'
enormous product n, and settle as fal
as Colorado is concerned the question
If the values increasing with depth
ne large body of high grade ore now
1T the 2000-f foot level being evidenc,
to sustain the belief that values vii
Increase.
at will further be an incentive fol
Dther mlne-oWners in Clear Creek and
Gilpin counties to sink below their tun
mel levels. Such large tunnels as the
Rockford McClelland, Central, See
mann and others will be given evidence
upon which to plan their future work
each tunnel making new surface
deep underground.
There are no precedents to follow
in discussing this shaft and its possibil,
ties. The Gem is now the deepest
shaft operated mine in the state. The
old California that lay little west OF
the Gem was sunk to 1900 feet, but
drove them out, and while the vein
| Produced nearly $50, 600, 600 it was not
comparable in size to the Gem. We
viii be compelled to make history as
the Gem shaft goes down, but when
it reaches LOCO further it will then
hold the crown for depth and at 1900
feet the mining world will be able to
see what nature has placed in Clear
Creek and Gilpin county mines, almost
one mile deep. This undertaking ranks
with the greatest mining undertakings
Of the world. 1t is believed that the
dee per our mines go the richer they
will be, after passing through the
low grade zones that occur about 1000
feet below the surface. The Gem is a
cool mine and its water was
all from surface issures. 1t has
no water below the 1,000-foot level,
and the water in the three-compart-
ment shaft below the 2,Oo0-foot level
is controlled by No. sinking pump.