White Pine news weekly mining review. [volume] (East Ely, Nev.) 1910-1920, 1911-04-02
Record of the Steam Shovels
FOR "a Hours Has Reached
tonnage of 1926
BIG PLANT IN FULL BLAST
EVERY SECTION OF THE FOUR
UNITS OF CONCENTRATOR IN
ACTION, OPERATING DAY AND
NIGHT.

The daily output of the steam
shovel pit at Copper Flat is greater
at this time than 1t has ever been in
its history. During the week the
average has been a fraction over
10000 tons, and on last Saturday
and Sunday the output for "a hours
was 5.015 tons. To handle the big
output It was necessary to put ON
an additional train crew, and there
we're in all thirteen trains came down
the high line from the pit TO the con-
centrator.
The big plant of the Steptoe Valley
Smelling and Mining company has
been running at full blast. and an
abundance of water has been avail
able at Duckwater creek. whence the
company gets its supply. To keep
the big mill going the resources OF
the steam shovel pit are called upon
TO the extent of the daily average
mentioned. In the pit. in eonse-
quence. the steam shoyels are kept
up to their capacity in removing both
ore and oyerburden. At one time
there we're five out of the six shovels
working in ore, whereas In the past
not more than two of the monster
scoops were employed.
On Saturday when the record out
put was taken from the excavation,
two of the shoyels were in the ore In
the bottom of the pit; another was
taking ore from the second level, a
fourth from the third bench, and the
fifth was taking out carbonate ore
for the converter from this latter ter
race. The only shovel In the over
burden was engaged on the highest
slice that is being cut near the top OF
the big hill on the western slope OF
the pit: and this scoop cut into IL
feet of ore at a depth OF little over
so feet from the hilltop.
During the week they have been
cutting a new adverse In the bottom
of the pit. making the first drop from
the working level seven feet; and be-
fore the work Is finished the pit will
be sixteen feet deeper, all In ore. The
adverse Is for the purpose OF lower
ing the grade for the tracks over
which the ore goes out OF the excaya-
ton, and the tracks, to obtain the
lesser percentage of grade will be
run In the cut In zigzag fashion.
This Ia one of the big problems OF
the working of the pit. the removal
of the ore at the greater depths; and
these problems. which to the lay
mind seems almost impossible, have
been handled with out trouble by the
engineers of the big company with
apparent ease. The disposition OF
the oyerburden is another OF the
problems which Nevada Consolidated
has to contend; and the amount OF
overburden extracted can be best
judged by the big dumps at the
edges of the company's properly.
Just now the biggest of these Is that
overlooking Riepetown, which mas
grown to the proportions of a noun
tain during the last four months.
In the Liberty pit they are strip
ping the ore, and the first shipment
of the ore was made on last Saturday
when the big rush for material for
the concentrator was on. The over
burden from the Liberty is being de-
posted on the Riepetown dump; and
and II will be but short time Wheh
that situation will be relieved wheh
ore is being taken out as well as
overburden. A big steam shovel mas
been ordered for the Liberty, ana
upon it's arrival they will go digging
into the ore. Shovel No. l, which
has done all the work In the new pit,
will be taken out and overhauled and
repaired.
To make room for the ten hour
men employed In and about the Cop
per Flat pit, the men who are on for
eight hours will have their quarters
In future at Veteran. The houses
at the latter place. so long out OF
use, have been repaired. water and
electric light connections made, ana
made habitable and comfortable.