The Goldfield news and weekly tribune. [volume] (Goldfield, Nev.) 1911-1947, 1915-11-06
Inaccuracy Lnpairs It's Value

~ A"tN
Conclusions reached by the Engineering and Mining
Journal, in an analytical comparison OF tlmberhg costs
in the construction of the New York Subway and III op
crations of the Goldfield Consolidated Mines company
are not justified, for the reason that the figures EN-
ploved in setting forth the disparity in costs are grossly
Inaccurate, at least insofar as timber prices in the West
are concerned. The technical paper quoted asserts tha'
the price of mine timbers in Goldfield is $50 per Thousand
ieet. whereas the present price OF such t11nbers is less thar
une-half the sum indicated. 4b
AS to the accuracy of other figures employed, the paper
quoted may be right or wrong, but the careless use Q
figures BY an authority supposedly to be relied upon II
matters of technical information would seem to be mex
cusable, since the publication OF erroneous figures mus
greatly impair confidence in the reliability OF publication
Of this character. The article i'll question would be OF in
terest and value, if there were some assurance OF the &C
curacy OF figures employed. The paper says:
At the Goldfield Consolidated mine IN Nevada
during the year 1914, according to the companys
annual report, there were mined 3oooo3 tons OF
ore. In estimating ore reserves of this mine Is IL
cubic feet OF rock in place are estimated at one ton:
therefore the tonnage mined in 1914 is equivalent
to I5o,407 cubic yards of dirt. The total expense
for mining this ore was S~I,o2o,SOS.
The specifications for the section of the Broad
way Subway, where the cave-in occurred on Sep
TENDER IS, called for a total excavation of 27S,0oo
cubic yards. The contractors bids ranged all the
way from two million and a half to four million odd
dollars. The itemized bid of the successful bidder
puts the cost per cubic yard of excavation at S4.75.
The total cost of the 27S,Ooo yards would therefore
be ST. ,324,775.
no 10 ~ SlolNd Ill ldN nat JUL IODS al ~
compared on the basis of yardage removed, and the
cost OF the subsequent permanent subway construc-
ton does not enter in to cOmplicate the illustration
and cloud the issue. Here are two problems that
are comparable III two important reSpectS-the guam
tity of material moved and the money cost
involved.
A careful estimate of the amount of timber used
in one bent, shows that there is a miximum, after
adding a liberal percentage for wastage in cutting,
etc, of $500 feet per bent. This section of the sub
way is 1880 feet long, and the bents are spaced ten
feet 1D1rt tSt1mat1nO the cost Of tbic timber ot
$50 per thousand, which is not only the figure used
in various subway bids, but is also very close to the
cost of timber in Nevada, the total estimated cost
of the timber in this section Of the subway timber
ing would figure $4,000.
The Goldfield Consolidated report shows that
for timber and tagging during the year 1914 there
was expended $I42, 1872, or nearly double the amount
estimated for the subway excavation.
At the Goldfield Consolidated the greatest num-
Der of human lives to be considered in connection
with the safety afforded by the timbering did not
exceed 1000. The greatest number of human be-
ings passing over this subway during the constrlc-
ton period amounts to 100000 per day.
There is, then, this striking comparison. The
two problems OF this particular mine and this par
ticular section of the subway are comparable in
both the yardage OF dirt handled and the amount of
money involved. in the case of the NINE, although
not nearly SO many lives were to be Safeguardcd.
although less dirt was moved and although the total
cost OF operation was less, practically double The
amount was spent for timberinS, which figured per
cubic yard eXcavated shows that tue mining engi-
neers spent in this case almost three and one-h half
times as much for timbering as did the subway
engineer. -4s@-
-. .