The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1917-12-06
Mine Will Probably
Resume in 30
Days
RETAIN MANY EMPLOYEES
Safety First Consideration.
Continue Development
and Outside Work

during the past few days that
the Morning mine would close
= down was confirmed today by
w. ]. Hall, assistant general manager
of the Federal Mining & Smelling
company, who states that the hosting
of ore will cease today. All mining
onerations so far as the extraction of
ore is concerned will be suspended
to enable the company to make
necessary repairs in the shaft.
The company naturally regrets
that conditions make this step
necessary, for the available ore re-
serve was never so large as at this
time, the demand for metals is strong.
and it is always matter of regret to
dispense with the services of large
number of men both on their own ac-
count and on account of the depress-
ing effect it has upon the business
community. But safety must be the
first consideration, and for that rea-
son alone is the suspension OF opera
tions ordered. But this does not mean
that the entire force is to be laid off.
In fact it is estimated that not 10
exceed between 40 and SO per cent OF
the employees at the Morning will be
affected. The company employs ap-
proximately 600 men, and 1t Is eX-
pected that employment will be found
for more than half of these, and that
all repairs will be completed in the
shaft in about 80 days. which will en-
able a full resumption soon after the
first of the year.
Shaft in Moving Ground.
The Morning shaft is sunk from the
main tunnel level to a depth of 100
feet. For a short distance II eN-
tends through moving or swell
ing ground, and at some points
this movement has forced the sha1t
from it's true alignment. This has
made II necessary as a measure of
safety to ease the ground pressure and
reinforce the shaft with new and ad-
ditional timbers. The work does not
involve repairing or reconstructlng
the shaft except at these points, and II
is the opinion of the management tha'
this can be accomplished within thlr-
ty days, although it may require more
time, as it is quite impossible to MAKE
a posjtiye estimate of the time re-
auired for such work.
Other Work Will Continue.
While no ore will be hoisted and the
mill will be shut down, development
work will continue in the mine and the
extensive construction work ON the
surface will not be interrupted. Woff
on the modern dry and change bulld
ing for employees of the mine, oe
scription of which was published IN
recent issue of this paper, VIII con
tinue as usual, as will also work OF
similar accommodations for employs
of the mill Construction OF the heV
crude ore conveyor leading from th
ore sorting plant to the ore pms VIII
also continue and the new track scaie
will be installed. There Is AWAY
much repair work to be done am
changes to be made about grea
milling plant such as the Morning, an
the company will take advantage
the suspension to round up much "or
of this class. In this manner the com
pany will utilize as many men as pos
slble and thus reduce the nufhoe
thrown out Of employment to the MIN
imum.
Vast Ore Reserves.
1t may be authoritatively state
that the amount of ore blocked out
the Morning is greater than at an
time in the history of the nine III
extension Of the shaft 200 feet sever
months ago and the subsequent deVe
opment on the new. level VIII az
many thousands of tons to the a
ready large ore reserves, and there
no reason to doubt that further dep'
will be equally productive OF vast NH
oral racogroaS