Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1910-03-27

The controversy over lAhor cOndi-
dions in the great Treadwell mine on
Douglas Island, Alaska, has aroused
so much interest that the national bu-
reau of .sDor is preparipg 10 issue
a bulletin on the subject. Many Ia
Dor authorities declare this mine to
be one of the most dangerous IN eA-
istence. while the owners reply that
nowhere else are men better cared
for. The Treadwell rs one of the lars'
est gold mines in the world, and has
contributed much to the fame OF Alas
ka. For many years this wcnderful
mine has paid it's owners a proilt OF
nearly $4,000 day, and there Is
enough ore left TO keep the monster
plant working day and night for PROB
ably twenty years to cine.
The man who discovered THIS eN-
traordinary mineral deposit did not
realize its value and sold II for Sl5o.
Almost every schOolboy has heard
about the glory hole Of the Tread
well, but few of them know now
it came to have that name. frehch
reto was the discOyerer of the NINE
which has already produced $2o,0oo'-
600 worth of gold. He was small
merchant in juneau who had a nara
time 10 make both ends meet. In the
fall of 1881 he received shipment Oh
goods to replenish his stock FOR the
winter. The freight charges amount
ed to $435 and Pete did not have this
much money. A prospector by the
name of Treadwcll was panning along
the beach and Pete offered him his
claim on Douglas Island 1t he would
redeem the goods. Trcadwell pald
the freight. and the name has been
called by his name ever since.
The property which changed hands
by this deal contained one OF the
largest bodies of goid-bcaricS ROCK IN
the world. The ore is located iav'
crahiy at the waters edge. where
steamers can tic up alongside the
mills. Several city blocks could he
dumped into the glory hole" IT is
monster pit where the ore has been
lifted out in chunks like building
rock is taken from quarry. Men
working in the bottom Of ii look like
crawling flies. The thunder OF the
blasts the clouds of smoke. and the
hollow voices of the men combine To
make an effect so uncanny that II
would not seem at all surprising If
his satanic majesty should bound out
of the rock at one side or come soar
ing up through the smoke from the
depths.
Sixty Miles Of Tunnels.
Douglas Island Is 20 miles long and
8 miles wide. Although the Treadwell
is best known on account OF the
glory hole" the fact is that there
are over so miles m tunnels under
ground. One Of these extends out
under the sea for nearly a quarter of
a mile. On the surface there are
miles of track which run inside the
buildings, to and from the different
structures. and along the piers. Nj
merous dummy engines push and pull
long strings Of little cars and make
more fuss about il than as many
moguls.
The Treadwell runs - hours every
ady in the year. except the Fourth OF
July and Christmas. II takes 200
ions of coal every day to keep the
many wheels moving and the roar of
its machinery may be heard a mile
away. There are $50 massive crush
ers, called stamps. each consisting OF
: heavy upright bars a. steel that
are lifted to fall with terrific f-rce
on fiat. hard plates. The rack passes
under these pounding bars and is
smashed into dust. These noisy. pow
erful machines consume about $500
tons of rock daily. In order to keep