The Leavenworth echo. [volume] (Leavenworth, Wash.) 1904-current, 1909-09-17


with Edward Ellis, superintendent oi
the Chewawa Lead and Smelling Co.,
a reporter of The Echo made trip to
the Red Mountain mining district.
What is known as the Red Mountain
district lies in the extreme north end of
Chelan county, and is separated from
the Crown Point and Holden mines, on
Railroad creek, which empties into lake
Chelan, by high, glacier-covered spur
of the Cascade range of mountains.
The distance between the north end of
Red mountain and the Crown Point
properties is from ten to twelve miles,
Red mountain itself being some ten
miles long, and distant from Leaven-
worth some forty-three miles, slightly
west of north.
The group of claims upon which the
Chewawa Lead and Smelling Co. is
driving a tunnel is located on the east
side of Phelps creek, about four miles
from the south end of Red mountain.
The tunnel, which is being driven
under Mr.. Ellis direction, is large
enough for working purposes and is
perfectly straight for its entire length
of over 1900 feet, with steel track
for moving the waste out to the dump.
1t is a splendid piece of work, and
bears testimony to Mr.. Ellis skill as a
mining engineer.
Almost from the start the tunnel has
been in ore of low grade. The tunnel
is being driven for vein which shows
a surface width of 200 feet, with we'll
defined walls. From fifteen to twenty
feet of this ore body, which is classed
as galena, is very rich, assays having
given IS per cent Of lead, with over
fifty ounces OF silver to the ton. This
body of ore is expected to be encoun-
tered in the tunnel within the next 800
feet, at vertical depth of 100 feet
from the surface. More than 200 feet
of low grade ore has already been
driven through, which shows value of
from 81 to SO ton.
The Chewawa company is well
equipped with machinery and tools,
having a 25-horsepower compressor
driven by water power, and a machine
drill. A we'll equipped blacksmith
shop is located at the entrance to the
tunnel. The buildings of the company
are located on the banks of Phelps
creek, some 800 or 400 yards from the
entrance to the tunnel, and consist of
commodious and comfortable sleeping
quarters for the employees, cook house,
Office building and power house, all
substantially built Of hewn logs. An
assay Office is almost completed, in
which will be installed complete and
fully equipped and in every respect
modern assaying outfit, which will be
under the charge of Harry G. Thomp-
son Of New York city, secretary of the
company. Mr.. Thompson has taken
a course in mineralogy and assaying,
and has charge Of this branch Of the
work at the mines. For nearly year
he has been constantly at the mining
camp. J. E. Praul, an experienced
miner, is experimenting the driving of
the tunnel.
The work of development began in
the fall of 1907, with one shift working
with hand drills, by the employment of
which some 400 feet OF headway was
made in the tunnel. In the fall and
winter Of 1908 the power plant and
machine drill were installed, since
which time substantial and rapid prog
ress has been made. The tunnel is on
an incline, permitting the discharge by
gravity of all the water which accumu-
lates. Work in the tunnel will likely
be prosecuted all winter, with proba-
bility, so Mr.. Ellis says, Of striking the
main ore body before the holidays.