The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1912-01-18

Successful Mine Managers of TODAY
Must Solve Many Diff
cult Problems.

'''''oih' the stalc nlncralOglSt of California who w.
recently appointed by Governor Johnson of that state h.;
the following article in the Mining and Engineering World
Modern inning practice is the result of the evolution ,
mining methods during the past 80 wears In 1850 whom n
nrst OF the rich bodies that made the (,nstoe oe g,
uus "ae discovered III tle Ophr mine the miners were at
loss now to proceed The was extremely rich oi> t
OF graduated quartz and black Silver spl,c tLronyh n
were scattered abundantly little grains 81 oId r7 l
hau never before seen anything like it. and con,ennor,n
writer sald: The situation curio,s one S,rrn,,
p ches ey were yet unable to carry them off and their mas
OF mack snIphlde babe fair to become white elephant a.
their hands, ~ ol"'''' .o'
u was at TINS trying stage of affairs that Philip Delc
eef UNDERTOOK the problem of successfully extracting th
dangerous mass OF rich rale He did il by ntrodcn
Tue s!ualese1 method OF mbelng and that was com
bnaon OF methods sort Of cut andtrv affair evolved
the spot frequently changed until seemed to meet all re
qWlel'ens and was pronounced perfect This the uItnat
result was the famous squaresct which for many wears W.;
considered by miners the world as God send, but il
tese later years has be looked upon as too excn
slVe and mlne managers have clsistentIv sought means on
methods which would permit the employment of their mine
Wllhout the employment Of the amount of timber
CURED by the square system In many districts if hu
been possible to 90 this but there places where the square
SET method IS still in vogue and is likely remain 50 for til
reason that it is still the economical method know
which will safely meet existing conditions
Among the great mines where the employment of an OK
cessVe amount OF timber was first successfully discontinue
were the llonestake in South Dakota the Broken Hill in Ne,
South Wales and the Treadwe in Alaska. In fact tiles
properties may be said to have been foremost making nea
all the radical changes in mining practice that had been co
sdered the best in the world which it undoubtedly was m
Homestake made great stride in this direction when
placed square sets the sill floors of the slopes only tn
upper portion OF the slopes being worked with little or
timber This practice followed by another change wic
dispensed with most of the timber the sill floors.
Shrinkage stopping" is a recently given to the NETT
cd OF working body by overland stopine drawing o
the stope only that amount Of the broken which will ma
The room necessary for the miners to continue break dow
the back of the sope while standing on the pile of broken ore
hpIIp tIaR nd
unate ermnology since it's meaning has be explained
Slopes thus made enptied either after all the vaab
in that block has been broken and then filed with roc
with taillngs from the mills the drawing off of the or
and the filling of the stoc carried simultaneously Cav
ing and stop slicing of still later Introduction in the metz
mines of the west and notifications Of the iron mimi
methods of Minnesota and the lake region.
All mines not alike in their physical characteristics
to say nothing Of the value of the orear from it. Som
mines have hard, firm and good standing walls Other
anything but firm, all excavations requiring prompt an
close support; consequently at mine cheap mining nel
DDS may be introduced that may be entirely inppicbe
another 1t is unfortunate indeed to have low grade min
where the walls are soft crumbng and insecure and the back
OF the slopes always treacheros If all such mines like
the rich Ophir OF the Constoc in early days. the matter of
dollar or two ton less, in the cost Of mining wou
be of little moment but where difference of %
ton is Of vital Importance, expensive methods have II
place 1t is notable fact that all of the important change
in mining methods those seeking to reduce the of mnin
have been worked out in the low grade mines The manager
Of the richer mines may adopt these methods, but it
seldom that they take the initiative in these matters. It
the manager of the low grade property he who is cup agains
It, that must devise methods which will reduce
cost and at the time make it possible to all
the while nsuring the safety Of his and pocccn
in such manner as to avoid disaster in the future.
While there is certain similarity in the methods of min
ing in the great properties above mentioned there sti
important differences At the Iomesake for instance, al
of the broken in the large Slopes being worked in block
by the shrnkage system IS soveed from the sill floor int
the cars The given for this practice is that the
breaks big that it is inexpedcnt to employ cues II
loading.
At the Tea1Wcll a system Of drifts beneath tho
sopcs with which they connected by raises provided will
loading cues As the at the Homestake must be broken
the sill floor to size that will admit of it's being han
d Cd nv would that these large blocks of might
well be broken ntle slopes and loaded at the Treawe
into through cutcs, for amy rock that he picked
bv men and thrown into Il mine will PASS through cut
Of cral size Some of the cucs in Cripple Creek mine
Urge enough ass rock half tho size of ornar