The San Francisco call., 1908-12-05
Photo of Monterey
three prominent officers of the company.


present company, backed principally
by eastern capital, that the enormous
task of developing the mine to an
actual producing point was under
taken.
RAPID DEVELOPMENT WORK
It was only six months ago that the
first work was begun and already the
development has demanded an expendi-
ture of million and three-quarters
dollars. However, the achievements OF
these six months have been marvellous.
While the railroad was building from
Chanslor the machinery for the mine
and power plants was hauled by wagon
from San Miguel. over % miles of
mountain roads. Sixteen and twenty
horse teams We're necessary to haul
some of the heavy castings and dyna- :
mos and the utmost difficulty was en-
countered in placing the machinery.
Not only in the mine itself, but
throughout the workings. everything
is of the most modern construction.
The tipple. where the coal reaches the
end of the railroad in the canyon. is
elevated about 40 feet above the bed
of the canyon. From this height the
coal is not dumped into chutes. but
into a series of screens so arranged
that the coal does not fall but is
screened direct into the cars on the
tracks below. From the tipple a COM
pletely equipped overhead trolley cleo
trio road of standard broad gauge
carries the empty cars around the base
OF the mountain to the foot of the in
cline. Here the motor drops the cars
and they are attached to a heavy steel
cable operated from an electric plant
at the top of the incline mile away.
The incline follows the slope of the
mountain at an angle of from 80 to 35
degrees.
From the top of. the inclined plane
which is double tracked. dummy loco
motive carries the cars over another
mile of winding mountain road to the
camp, where they are again picked ur
by a motor and whisked over another
section of electric road to the mouth
of the mine. 1t is here that the power
plant. with its eight huge boilers and
three dynamos, is located. This plant
furnishes the power for the entire
transportation system as far as the
tipple and for the operation Of all cars
and machinery in the mine itself, as
well as for the lighting of the mine and
camp.
In the little valley that lies just be-
low the mine opening are situated the
buildings of the camp. All the brick
for the larger buildings was burned in
kiln erected for the purpose a short
distance away, the freclay being taken
from the immediate vicinity. school
house has been erected in. the camp and
the houses built for miners are all cleo
trio lighted and provided with bath
rooms. Water is supplied from a spring
far up the canyon, and there is now
being built mile above the camp an
immense dam that will form a reservoir
for 6o,0o0.0O0 gallons of water.
GREAT SHEET OF COAL
The coal. deposit around which all this
centers lies in the heart of the noun
tain back of the camp. Not only is il
the largest deposit in California but
practically the only deposit, large OIL
small, of high grade bituminous coal
/ The great black sheet of solid coal
swinging down at the center to an un-
known depth, is estimated to contain
25,000. 600 tons of the precious fuel
enough to supply the wants of Califor-
MIA for century. The outcrop or edge
Of this sheet follows the contour of the
mountain for seven miles. Two miles
away, on the other side of the noun
1 tain. 1T is visible again. stretching ar
4 equal distance, and between these two
outcrops the giant sheet hangs deer
into the earth. The sheet averages 1f
feet in thickness. SO far as 1t has been
possible to test it, but variations from
IA to 30 feet have already been found
From the southern outcrop where
the mine is located, the pitch of the
vein down into the mountain is so de.
grees, and the main slope of the mine
Itself pitched a 40 degrees. enters a,
the 320 foot level. The main gallery
from the foot of the slope stretches
away to the eastward for a mile and is
being rapidly extended Through II
runs another section of the trolley limo
and opening UP above it into the vein
are the chambers from which the coal
is dug and loaded into the cars through
chutes. Already 81 chambers are in
operation, and the mine is equipped for
an output of 1000 tons. or about Ok
cars per day Since the opening of tbe
railroad few weeks ago the output
has been brought up TO 200 tons .dav
and as soon as sufficient force ~
miners can be housed and enough mine
cars built the mine will be worked to
its full capacity. The cars are hafn .
built at the camp from oak taken or
the company's property. a comnleta =
sawmill having been erected for tho
purpose. The number of men now an
gagged at the mine is about $50
GOVERNMENT INTERESTED
In the development of the mine The
federal government has taken a go : :
interest and considerable aid in sfudv
ing the formation of the basin. ana y,
plating 1t has been given by the Irnited
States geological survey. Chen,fes !
analysis has shown the basin 10 he
formed of a uniform grade of bitumin-
GUS coal. far superior to the lignites
which have heretofore been the onl.y
product of California mines The coal
is said TO rank with the best bitirnin-
Gus coal that is shipped into California
from British Columbia and in some re-
spects 70 surpass it. In the furnaces of
the company's power plant at the n7iye
where its burning qualities were dem
onstrated Thursday for the benefit of
the local dealers, it was shown that the
ash is free from clinkers and that the
coal burns with hot. steady flame and
absolutely without SCOT
In the mine carbonite is Used in