The Idaho Springs siftings-news. (Idaho Springs, Colo.) 1905-19??, 1908-08-01
IDAHO SPRINGS. coLO- SATURDAY, AUGUST !,

Icautions-then you must prepare to
revise your ideas. The Newhouse tun-
nel is not a railroad tunnel but a Mining
tunuel-a revelation to tenderfeet from
the Mississippi valley and other agri
cultural regions who never heard of
mining tunnel, or, if they did, never
had sufficient interest to investigate
the subject.
Arriving at Idaho Springs about
II 80, the whole party at once pro
ceeded to the mouth Of the tunnel and
embarked in ore cars for the three mile
journey to the end of the tunnel.
These ore cars were brand new and
clean; they are wholly of iron, will
contain So cubic feet of ore, and tenn
porary seats in the bottom OF each &C
commodated SIX of our party. The
motive power was an electric engine
with an overhead trolley wire carry
ing 500 or 900 volts. Tenderfeet were
in receipt of constant and reiterated
Iinjunctions from the mining men to
'sLook out for the wire" as it was
difficult to get in and out of the cars
without touching it; and to touch it
with the flesh meant to be knocked
down, or, (if your heart was weak)
possibly to be killed.
The tunnels cut out of the solid rock
and is about eight to ten feet in height
and ten to twelve across. The cut
is not smooth but rough and jagged,
although we saw in recess in the
side of the tunnel a machine now on
trial with which its inventor claims
the remainder of the tunnel can be
bored ont smooth at legs expense. 1t
is practically huge diamond drill
operating horizontally, but its practi
cabihty is not yet determined,
The tunnel is lighted by incandes
cents at regular intervals, and several
mining men who were with us carried
acetylene lamps. When we had run
nearly a mile we passed dark hole in
The side OF the wall with sign read
ing Orr Gold Mining and Smelling
Co.. the first Of the working mines IN
the tunnel. As our cars were quite
new and this their first trip as well az
ours, We had to stop ones in - while
on account Of shot box or some
other trouble, but finally arrived At
the Old Town lateral, 1890 feet from
the portal and about 1000 feet under
Quartz Hill in Gilpin county. Here
we disembarked and went through
the lateral entries into the Old Town
workings, aud all who desired were
hoisted in buckets to the higher levels
and let down about 100 feet to the
lower level.
The advantages of the tunnel sys-
tenn are many and obvious A shaft
is always apt to fill with water, and, if
it does not, the great weight OF ore
and rock has to be continually hoisted
to the surface hence, many mines
have tunnels of their own. But great
tunnel enterprises like the Newhouse
have the advantage of draining mines
at less expense to each than a sepa-
rate small tunnel of its own; and
the ore can be handled vastly
cheaper. Fer instance, When COM
pleted, this tunnel will perforate
for FIVE miles through Seaton
mountain, Quartz hill and proba-
bly, another hill, all rich gold.
bearing hills, at a depth of about
1000 feet or more. Every shaft
along its line will be drained OF
its water, as the tunnel falls 26
feet as we approach the mouth;
the vast quaint ties of ore and
waste can be transporte
to the outer world on the
most economic plan. the slight fall
being sufficient to keep them in
motion, the trolley hauling back
the empty cars. 1t really trans
forms mining from its old happy
go-lucky character to a sober
business proposition and makes
riches depend upon perseverance
and good management in the
handling of men and metal rather
than upon lucky strike" All
along the line are veins pierced by
the tunnel; get one of them and
work it and your return will not
depend upon luck but your good