The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1914-01-15

stock. The shaft Is $3.50 feet in depth
An immense quantity of water wa
raised through this shaft 100000
gallons daily from the 3100-foot leve
to the Sutro tunnel. The consequen
expense was heavy and constan
drain on the treasures Of the severa
mining companies footing the bill. Al
a result, In October, 1886, trouble oc
Cured between the Savage and tn,
Hale & Norcross companies over tn,
relative proportion of the expense t
be borne by each. AS no settlement
could be reached, the pumps wers
stopped. With these pumps idle I
soon became impossible for any of tn.
mines to operate below the level o.
the Sutro tunnel, and consequently
all deep mining ceased.
The Con. Virginia company begar
mining on its 1eO0-foot level and
soon found an ore body. which was
named the Little Bonanza" and pro.
duced s25,0O0,0OO
Drop in Silver Makes Bad Matte,
Worse.
There were many reasons why deer
mining was not resumed In the frs;
place, there was no unity Of action
among the numerous companies on the
lode In fact, they were very far
from a harmonious consideration OF
any proposition affecting the lode, or
the operations of the mines. The BIZ,
Bonanza was a thing Of the past, AMI
stock speculation was at a very low
ebb indeed. AS If these combinations
OF Ill fortune We're not enough a very
decided drop in the price of silver soon
Followed, and then it did, indeed look
as II not only deep mining, but min
ing altogether, on the Comstock musr
come to an unhappy end. 1t was 13
years after the deep workings were
abandoned before the question Of re-
opening the flooded levels was given
serious consideration. A number of
directors Of the more important com
pahies operating on the Comstock in
1888, organized the Constock Pum,-
ing association, the object Of which
was to unwater the long flooded
mines, and while keeping the water
down to enable the several MINING
companies 10 again prospect their
ground below the level of the Sutro
tunnel. 1t was realized that the ex.
pehse OF pumping with the great Cor
nlsh pumps was out of the question az
IL was prohibitive. but an innovation
"a lh'ing water was to be tried, that
- forcing water upward to the tunnel
ieVei by means of submerged devica
known as fhe Evans hydraulic elav.-
'or II was the serious consideration
OF this proposition that really led -
the organization of the Comstool,
PUMPING association. The fol,owinp
year the first Evans elevator was
installed, and it became evident that
water could be lifted in this manner
IN large amount and at less exnans.,
man with Cornish pumps, under ex.
''''ns conditions, and that the temper
ature OF the water was not a factor j.,
'he matter. The history of the strng.
sie 70 uhwater the lower levels of tho
Coifs'ock by means Of the hydraulic
elevator would make a good sized VOL
uihe' IL was not an easy task. Two
ELEVATORS mad to be installed in o,.a,r
mat one might continue in operation
"niie the other was being lowered a 9
me water went down in the min,
smart. AS obstacles, one after anotber
appeared. each in its turn was moi
ma overcome, but not always wfthopt
iiiilculty and expensive experimen,
'ut on the whole the elevator was do.
'iared success. The water level w.s
owerea 800 feet the first year. Whe-
her IL is the most efficient method ot
landing the water has been question.
"a oy several engineers All the work
u onwatering the deep levels was
zone in the Con. Virginia and Cali
orhia shaft, known on the lode az tbe
= q e. shaft, The water was lowered |
n this shaft very rapidly. the 215o.
GOT level being soon reached.
New Ore Body Found,
meanwhile Con. Virginia companv
aa peen exploring the 1880 lave,
i' hau discovered a new ore body
rom which 100000 were dishprsed N
ividends This naturally, helped out
ne project and the good work wan,
n 1t was decided to install largo
iectrically-driven pump on the 1850
DOT level of the Con. Virginia mino
ho the work Of cutting out a large
tation for it was commenced at oroa
ms pump was designed to lift $500
W gaiions of water from the 2150-
'ot level to the Sutro tunnel. which
as QUO feet higher. Contract was
laoe with the Truckee River General
iee'rlc company to supply the neces- L
Try power The water was steadily |,
Wered, until the 25O0-foot level was Y
the hydraulic elevators sepa- 4
y the water from the lowest point {
'aehed up to the big pump on the o
90 station. That pump had not only e
iift the water of the mine but also n
moch larger volume of water com t
< through the elevator pipes to the {
ectlng nozzles. This water was &
~ and mingling with the heated n
a'er or the mine lowered It's temper p
ure in a very noticeable deorae e.