The Alaska daily empire., 1916-04-01

tho laying of foundations for 2 crush Ing plant of a capacity Of o,VUv tonh day on tho Alaska-Juneau mine. rms ,viii employ large force of men.
 Another blg event that ls fraught with Interest for Seattle business folk ia the fact that the management Of the Trcndwcll mine has decided Co sink a main shaft an additional depth or lovv feet thus blocking out much larger amount of ore
 The Juneau ore zone. in which mil- llons Of dollars have been expended Tn development, is being made Co produce Inc fts fullest capacity. During tnla year nearly S50,000,000 will be cNpendea i'm development and construction work alone, to say nothing or tne mn mlil,iols ,., that win be paid to miners engaged m taking out ore for Che gigantic crush
 southeastern Alaska last year oxpcnd- cd more than Si0.000.000 in Seattle, an Increase of 100 per cent in the past four years. It is estimated the amount win be Si5.000. 900 this year. The trade of Southeastern Alaska. backed by the biqgcft bodies Of low-grode ore in tne world is a permanent trade that VIII Increase each year 0s time goes on.
 Three Bic Groups
 Three big mines. or groups or mines are in operation nt Juneau. and m the process of development Co Increased operation. Several others arc polns oe- vcioped to the point where consruc,-, ton of plants for crushing ore "ih soon become necessary,
 Mining on tremendous scale has built three cities at the head Of Cas- tlneau Chonnel-Juneou Douglas ana
 Great changes arc contemplated in the reduction plant of the Ireadwel mine and it is reasonably certain that within a short period thc tonnage or the mine will loo Increased The nuinper of men how employed averages about
 Biz as ls the Trcadwell project the Alaska -Gastincau. which Hes on the op- posite side of the channel. is much big ger Already this mlne. which was practically unknown five years ago. la crushing 6.000 tons of ore every day .O00 tons more than Trcadwell-and before thc end of the present year this amount win be doubled.
 Tho engineering. problems have been solved. Thousands or horsepoWer l' hvdroelectric energy have been harness cd: biz subways have been cut through tho mountains; the giant crushing plan, -reputed to loo the most cconomlcni in tho world-h0a been Installed. More than 1900 mon are now ot work in the mine and min.
 The Aiaqi.a 1Gastineau has the great est ore body in the world. It's tonnage is estimated in the millions Laid ou5 flat. the sheet of ore nlrcndy exposed in this mine would cover an area or 326 acres with on average depth or nearly 200 feet. Figured in yarunBe. thc amount of ore ia han os great aa the amount of material that was remeN- ed to construct tho Panama Canal the orc. however ls not as rich as that or Inc Trendweu mines the values rum nlnr about Si.50 co the ton
 That it takes big money co plny tne mining game In Juneau ih cNlgeuStu by the experience Of the Aloska-Iaaun buying the property from thc orielnlai owners and iocators. more than Si,oVV.- GOO wna expended ln development ana construction before a pound or ore was crushed. It wns recently decided Co eN- pend an additional 5l.5OO.OQ0 Co com- pieto the second unit of the plant
 The third big property at Juneau is the Alaska Juneau. Since lsl@. nun dredg of men have been employed on thls property, cutting tunnels through the mountains md in constructing pig crushing and electrical plants A fifty stamp mill is working steadily. and the foundations have been laid for miu similar to that of the Alaska Gastin- eau. The plant. which VIII pe m oper- ation by the end of this year, has a capacity of 5000 tons daily. The ore ls similar % that Of the Alaska Gastineag' The average number of mon employed, when the plant is completed. will be about 1900 n day.
 The United States Smeltins, keiln- Ing & Mining Company hos expended more thnn s250 GOO on the Ebncr prop critics, and work doubtless will loo re- aumed as soon as certain litigation 4i- fecting the property is adiudicated. The group of mines in which this company is interested contains two bodies or orc-the "sea level" ore, such as is mined In the Treadwen, and the so- called "mountan" ore, mined by the Alaska Gastineau and the Alaska Ju- noau. ~
 The Alaska Gold Belt properties. own ed by a syndicate of New York capi- talists has a crew at work doing pre- liminary work with diamond drlll, and crows of mon nre at work on the Alas ka Treasure and the Alaska Taku. oll of which are close Co Juneau.
 In the Bernor's Bay region. few miles distant. O mill Of 1000 stamps will loo erected this summer on tho Ju- olin mines. and other properties are being developed.
 At Speel river, about forty miles from Juneau. the construction of one of tho largest electrical energy plants in the world has been commenced. More than LOGO. GOO has been expended in harnesslng the waters, ond the pro iect is about 70 per cent finished. Ad- lacont to this property is an Immense deposlt Of lime. carrying extremely high of calcium. It iH planned co turn the lime Into solifiod nitrogen by tho electric arc syatem. The output of tho plant in nitratcs alone will be in oxcess of 90 100000 year
 Gold Not Only Ro1ourcc
 Besldcs gold. Southeastern Alaaka has many other rcHourccl. ocVcrai minea arc chipping ooppar ores, and tho arc many cannories along tho coast. And. atranro aa il may appear, tho Eaglo River section. not far diftant from Ju- nonu is threatened to become conn Dotitor with the Washington truck gar- 1cna in tho Seattle markets. lt 1ifo ia nofsihle competitor in the paper pulp industry.
 m its present immature si1te-of de- vciopment-with many of its rcsonrcos aq vet untouched -Southcastorn Aiost1 Iast year shipped from Seattle sio.229.-