Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1908-05-02
IMPORTANT EVENT
IN CAMPS HISTORY
Restoration OF Ontario Drain
Tunnel at Park City is Al
most Accomplished.
DONE AT GREAT EXPENSE.
Figures ON the Original Cost--Data
Cleaned from u Report of
Supt. Chambers.

Tomorrow win probably marx an i'm
portant event in the history OF Park
City for il Is expected that the last act
towards restoring the great ontario
drain tunnel to its former usefulness
shall have been accomplished. II will
!, be time of rejoicing IN the summit
county camp for It means that II will
be matter of only short time un'
Ill the mines will be responding again
In their old time way To-Day the
water In Ontario No. shaft is within
10 feet OF the ! 500 or drain level; an
other 5-lnch hole was punched
through from the parallel drift last
night, making the third and now Sup
crintendent Ames is preparing TO
break through the barrier to open wide
the flood gate aud complete the drain
age of the district after a period. of
inundaton lasting FOR more than three
years. II viii then be In order to begin
exploration to ascertain what damage
has been Gone to that portion OF the
tunnel which extends from No. 2
shaft through the DAILY Mining COM
pany's ground to the side lines OF the
DAILY West
II has cost the Ontario and DAILY
companies lot of money to reopen
the drain tunnel and the records show
that only ono life has been lost In the
undertaking aud that happened only
q few days after the tunnel caved In,
which was in March, 1906 The ia
tally was caused by the victim hav-
ing been overcome by foul air Be
caused Of the hazardous character of
the work, progress has been slow;
every move has been made with the ut
most caution. Tho first work of
restoration was undertaken under the
direction Of Charles l.. Rood VINO was
manager OF the mine at the time of
the disaster, couple of years ago.
a controlling Interest In the Ontario
and DAILY mines passed to Jacob Bam-
berger and associates and the re-
sponsbtlties were then transferred
from Mir. Rood to Ernest Bainberger.
his successor. Much credit for the
successful achievement Is due To Sup
erintendcnt George Ames who has
been right on the ground giving his
personal attention TO the work.
DRAIN TUNNEL HISTORY.
The Ontario drain tunnel was locat-
ed in 1883, Work began on July 25th
OF the same year and was completed
TO an Intersection of No. 9 Ontario
shaft at 1900 feed depth October 18th,
1894, the time consumed in construc-
tlon being SIX years and a little less
than three months. The total cost of
this section of the tunnel is given at
S671,0ll62. the expense having been
borne jointly by the Ontario and Daily
Mining companies. The distance from
the mouth OF the tunnel to No. 2 shaft
is 1894 feet, Since then 1t has been
extended on through to the DAILY West
side lines making the total length at
tho present time between 10000 and
$4,000 feet
Reference is made TO The drain tun-
mel in tho rpnpTt IF GlnnrtptanIppt
&. Chambers ana published In the an
nual report OF the company under date
of January !, 1896. Nh Chambers said
Rendered necessary by the constant
ly growing expense and danger from
water az greHtcr depth WIS attained
this vast undertaking was begun OH
July %. 1858, afer thorough surveys
had determined the best point for the
mouth of the tunnels. This was found
To be l5.f94 feet northeast from No. .
shaft, on the east side of that spur of
the Wasatch mountains in which the
Ontario mine is located. About 800
feet We're driven by hand during tho
replacing OF machinery. which con.
sisted off engines and boilers one No,
Root blower, used as an exhaust to
suck foul air from the face of the
tunnel one Burleigh and one Rand air
compressor worknG lngersol drills.
There wcro employed according to the
ground passed through from 30 TO 80
men. of whom "a worked AZ the face
in three hour shifts, one-half on the
drills, the others loading the cars which
were made into train and hauled out
to the dumps by mule
THE FIRST MILE.
"rhe first mile OF the work being in
porphyry and with but little water
was the cheapest part TO run and
maintain Thence foy ab,nt 5000
feet crystalline lime beds We're en-
countered, with occasional intrusons
Of porphyry: the remainder OF the
way being through horn blondc bat
tie granite. The lime beds dipped d.
agonally across the tunnel towards the
mouth, at an angle of 10 to 20 degrees,
and consisted of very hard. close
grained bands IS feet thick and all
ternating with soft and crushed bands
200 to 800 feet thick. They Wcro cut
by two systems of ilssures at right
angles 10 each other but both across
the line OF the tunnel Thus Insured
aud crushed. and often extending moro
than 1000 foot above the tunnel 90 the
surface, they We're Ranked on either
side by immense intrusions Of eriptive
rock and contained numerous rcsor-
voirs Of water
EXPENSE WAS GREAT
"such was the ground that presented
all the dlnicultes, with the consequent
great expense and long delays. No
systnm Of timherlng could long with
stand this continued hydrostatic press
ure: retimberng was almost constant
and at times the whole force, with