The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1910-12-24
SINKING IN ROCK WAS BEGUN LAST
49, WEDNESDAY NIGHT
WILL NOW DRAIN THE BIG SHAFT
Method Had Proved an inexpensive One.
Comparatively Other Mining News
OF the District.

Tully mine. Stambaugh. was taken
out Wednesday night OF this week.
\ That work completed a.year of effort
gin providing shaft opening for the
body OF ore that has been proved up on
this property and stamped the seal OF
approval upon the plan devised by
Supt. w. J. Richards of this city TO
successfully ledge working shaft
without the enormous expense Of con
crete.
The shaft that was lodged Wednes.
day is not the main working shaft II
the property but small shaft sunk for
the purpose of draining the sand so as
to allow the sinking OF the big shaft.
Nearly year ago the work OF open.
ing mp the Tully was commenced by
the Crystal Falls Iron Mining com.
pany. A shaft was located and sink
ing started on the common msthod OF
i've foot sets The material is sand
but IL VAS thought that the close prox-
unity of the big Caspian mine would
sufficiently drain the sand to allow Of
the shaft being sunk by this method.
The shaft is 3 29 inside timbers.
lt WAS soon learned that the sand was
not dried by the Caspian but. instead.
il was very wet and dificult To sink
through because of the constant boil.
The timbers got out OF line and IL look.
cd like n hopeless case.
At this junoture Mr.. Richards devils
cd the plan of sinking small shaft
close enough to the big shaft to drain
the sand OF it water and thus allow the
big shaft to be put down without any
difficulty. Accordingly. small shaft,
AiSxl5 was started about 100 feet away
from the big shaft aud at n point
where it would always be ssrviceable
for ventilation and pumping purposes.
This shaft was sunk by the drop
shatt method. the sand being handled
mainly by the pumps which have been
pounding along all summer raising
water and sand out of the bottom and
the shaft. following down very slowly
as the sand was removed below
The shaft was heavily weighted on
top and only few men kept at work
in the shaft 80 as 10 watch IL aud keep
its course true
The bottom OF the timbers reached a
point S-feet distant from the ledge
nearly month ago but 40 treaoherous
was the sand that il has taken all Of
the intervening time to got through
those eight feet and secure the shaft
firmly to the ledge.
A sink OF 25-feet will be made in the
rock when a DRIFT will be run OFT to a
point directly under the big shaft, the
work in which was stopped when the
smaller shaft was started IL neces-
sary the sand above viii be tapped but
II Is Thought that the close proximity
Of the small shaft will make this move
unnecessary. BY this means the sand
in the big shaft can be drained thor
oughly and there will be no difficulty
in putting the main working shaft
speedily 10 the ledge.
IL IL the comparative cheapneee OF
THIS plan which commends itself. The
depth OF the overburden. was about $50
feet and the expense account shows
that both shafts will cost not more
than one-half OF that q concre TO
shaft would have cost and then there
Ia the advantage OF having a shaft that
viii admit OF draining the sand with.
out letting the surface water down in.
10 the workings.
The small shaft will be put TO per.
manent use. All the water a.ove the
ledge will be caught and handled at
the ledge by pumps in this shaft and,
as the surface water is the bic factor
in the valley mines. IL is thought that
the pumping charges will be greatly
lessened thereby
- The HEMLOCK.
The Hemlock IL we'll on it's way to.
wards it's winter campaign and n stock
pile about the size Of that accumulated
last year will be noisted during the
winter mouths
Immediately following the suspen
sion OF shi ping there was cessation
in hosting 10 allow OF all neces.
sary repair work. The new plant Il
working nicely and the mine is more
promising than II has ever been in II,
history In fact. the recent develop
\ ments at this property have done much
10 change the mind Of explorers as re