The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1914-09-12
BALKAN Mine is
CLEAN OF SAND
RON Is BULKHEADED AND ALL DAN
GER FROM 1T STOPPED
SHAFT SINKING CONTINUES
0gIebay-korton People Exploring the
Section Between This City and
tFortune Lake. Ore Going


The Balkan mine has been entirely
freed OF the sand that rushed into the
openings as the result of the cave last
July when seven men lost their lives
and the mine was corked tight with
sand and gravel from the surface
above.
The work Of cleaning out the debris
was started originally for the purpose
OF getting out the bodies and with
that end in view it was prosecuted
vigorously both from the workings
below and from the pit above.
The work underground consisted of
cleaning out the sapd that packed the
drifts. This sand and gravel was
cal ted 60 the shaft, hoisted 60 surface
and wasted The work from surface
consisted Of sinking the shaft over the
caved raise and it was carried on by
means Of clam shell, the water renal
ming in the shaft while timber is adj
ded above. This plan worked we'll but
il Is much slower than the one of at
tacking from below and consequently
the sand has all been removed by the
first method while the shaft sinking
is but little over halt Of the necessary
depth.
The sinking of the shaft will be
continued until the ledge is reached
and the shaft safely anchored. In the
meantime the cross cut from which
the raise was run has been bulk
headed below and will not be dis.
turbed until all of the pressure is re-
lieved from above, ii it is then at
tackled.
The walls of the drift have all been
washed down so as to remove all of the
sand and now operations have entirely
ceased upon that level Of the mine. 1t
is probable that another lift will be
sunk and opened up while waiting for
the
STRIPPING OPERATIONS
which are being carried on by the
Winston company with two drag line
machines One of the machines is
down In the pit working on the second
lift and the going there is not as good
as it was mp above where the material
was sand. The material of the second
lift will be mainly clay and the wet
weather Of the past week or two has
not been conducive of fast work in
that material.
The operators intended sending both
machines down in the pit several
weeks ago but when the Original cnt
was completed the mining company
concluded TO have the pit made wider
and so both machines were kept on
surface Tor time and then one sent
down below the other being retained
on surface to complete the top work.
EXPLORATORY WORK
The Oglebay-Norton people have
taken options on pretty much all Of
the land lying between the Ravenna
mine and Fortune Lake and they are
now conducting exploratory work in
that section The land effected are
the north halves Of sections % and
26. l3-.33. Churn drill work is at
present inIprogress in an effort TO
define We ledge conditions. lt is the
intention of the company TO use dia
mond drills as soon as sufficient sur.
face WORK has been done to determine
the proper place TO drill
The work is under the direction Of
Supt Arvid Bjork of the Bristol mine
and it will be prosecuted all fall and
winter until the extensive tract is
thoroughly gone over.
ORE SHIPPING CONTINUES
The shipping of ore from the mines
about here continues in about the same
volume that 10 has been conducted
throughout the summer. The Bristol
got word to send out some additional
ore on Tuesday and the crew was put
at work for the day but that night the
shovel was sent agan 10 Common
wealth where some ore must be- loaded
We understand that the shovel will be
returned here in a short time 10 send
out considerable amount from the
Bristclpile.
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