The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1913-09-11
UMWATERNG THE FRISCO |ME---DETAtS OF
THE BIG JOB AND HOW THE WORK WAS DONE
WORK STARTED BY FEDERAL MINING COMPANY MARCH 49, 1913
EXACTLY MONTHS NsUMEo ACTUAL OPERA
roNs-MANy DIFFICULTIES ENCOUNTERED.
10y NJ s. cr.snsfeId.r, NJ. e. in Northwest Min

n
The Helena Frisco mine Is situated
on the south side Of Canyon creek
about miles northeast OF Wallace
Idaho. The three properties Of which
this Is consolidation were formerly
known as the Black Bear mine, Helena
Frisco Mining Company. Limited, and
the Milwaukee Mining company. The
principal claims were located in 1884
and separately worked up to 1901
Some of the workings were allowed to
! fill with water about this time, but II
was afterwards unwatered and in 1906
the company began sinking from the
14o0-foot level until the present depth
OF 1900 feet was reached.
The principal adit Is the No tuu-
mel, called the 600-foot level Of the
Frisco mine. The Frisco shaft is 1900
feet from the portal Of this tunnel and
connects with levels at 200 feet inter-
walls from the 500 to the 2200
The mine was again allowed to fill
with water until 1t recently was bond
ed by the Federal Mining & Smelling
company who Immediately started OPP
erations for unwatering 1t.
Ellis Hale, master mechanic of the
Federal company, had active charge Of
the operations and from him the great
err part Of the following data was OBJ
tanned:
Much Retimbcring Necessary.
The actual work of unwatering was
commenced on March IS, 1913. How
ever. two months prior to this were
consumed in making the necessary
preparations. Several years of mac
tivity and inattention had left the tim
bering in the working and engine sta
tions at the shaft In an unsafe condi-
tion. These were almost completely re-
timbered. New stills, posts and caps
were put in. task accomplished sue
cessfully only by the exercise OF the
utmost skill of crew Of experienced
timbcrmen. The shaft was retimbered
down to the water level, a distance Of
90 feet and the underground hoist AMI
surface machinery were carefully re-
paired and put in good working con-
dition.
Surface Plant.
The boiler room contains 6 fire tube
and two water tube boilers. The boil
ers used during the operation were 66x
72-inch Ames fire tube boilers and
two Oil City water tube boilers rated
at 250 horse power each. A 6-inch
steam line, 1900 feet long, carried the
steam to the hoist at the Frisco shaft
on the tunnel level. Feed water was
supplied by two Knowles duplex feed
water pumps.
compound type, steam cylinders COX
SSx4S, air cylinders 22x35x4S with a
capacity of $500 cubic feet of air per
minute at 80 +. p. m, furnished air for
a small hoist in the working station
and for the operation of the sinking
pumps. BY means of Jet condenser
a vacuum of from % to "a inches was
maintained on the steam end.
A blacksmith and machine shop with
necessary equipment are situated near
the portal Of the tunnel.
Underground Hoist and Equipment,
The hoist in the engine station at the
Frisco shaft Is steam operated. steam
cylinders 20x60, rated at 500 horse
power. The exhaust passes into the
Old upper workings of the mine. A
fan, driven by a 20 horsepower motor,
maintained a moderate temperature In
the engine station at all times. The
hoist described above is double reel
hoist, using half-inch by So Inch
flat cable. II was used for the opera
ton of the bailers in the two 54x60-
inch shaft compartments. An Sxl0
Lidgerwood geared, air operated hoist
was used in handling the sinking
pumps in the (5x5) third compart-
nent
An S-inch pipe line conveyed the air
from the compressor to the working
station u200 feeD. from here 6-inch
pipe line goes down the shaft where 1t
was Teuuceu tO 9 n ulClleS io' VPci
ating the sinking pumps.
Pumping Equipment.
The sinking pumps used were No.
Camerons. of which there were two. In
addition to these there were four tri-
pick Gould station pumps. electrically
driven. Three of these 7x10, driven al
60 r. p M, and one, sx10--55 +. p. M,
operated by so horsepower Westing- Z
house. 220-volt, induction motors. Ar
mored submarine cable was used with
very satisfactory results to carry this
voltage in the shaft.
On the 1900 foot level there had been
previously installed duplex differen-
tial Riedler steam pump, 16x25x30
steam and 1-Sx5 3-16x30 water cyl
inders with 7-inch pump column lilo
feet. The total original cost of in
stallation Of this pump, including the
cost Of excavating 1444 cubic yards for
pump station, was figured as follows:
StatlOH ...............'.' ''oio.if
Stump $3.50
Foundation ....... 2,021.O3
u,,r,x IL 20A 30