The Eureka sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1902-current, 1919-11-15
SOME EARLY DAY
RUBY HILL HISTORY
l,dy Stinson, State Mine lnspec'
,er. Gives Facts Regarding Wat
er in Eureka Con. Lower
Levels

matter of gratification to Andy
espson, State Mine Inspector, who
.,ant his boyhood and young man.
,ooA DAYS In that rich and historic
camp. When a lad Of 1s years he
vss a full fiedged "tributer" in the
rureka Consolidated mine on Ruby
MN and there he laid the foundation
n his education as miner, under
the tutelage of men Of resource, who
found ground that taxed their in
senuity to hold in the huge slopes
that we're opened, many OF which
Welded colossal fortunes.
Andy, In an interview given the
Nevada Mining Press, says that the
biggest stope in the Eureka Consoli-
dated was Deadman's, not the Potts
chamber. Deadman's stope, or cham
Der. was so named because IA men
lost their lives there in a cave of
ground. The stope extended to the
sO0-foot level of the Lawton shaft.
The Potts chamber also was a big
producer OF rich ore. 1t extended
from the Eureka Consolidated into
the Richmond mine. and the extrac-
ton OF ore by the Eureka Consoli-
dated across the dividing line led to
the famous law suit between the two
companies.
stinson's father was foreman at
the Eureka Consolidated and Andy
was pump engineer In the LOGAN
shaft when that deep shaft was sunk.
J. H. Mckenzie. then a husky. scrap
py youth, had charge OF the pumps
underground. He was Jack" Nc
Kenzie to his gentle little playmates
Of those days. On the night of the
big water" Andy was on shift. He
says that the long crosscut on the
1900 level had apparently reached
the contact between the h a Q
and the ore bearing limestone. or
very near to It.. The face of the
crosscut was scanned with iron, in
dicating the proximity of the lime,
and streak OF limestone we're mixed
with the shale. The night shift set up
their machines and started to drill
their ground. The drill holes spurt-
cd water with such force that the men
feared a food. and beat 1t" for the
shaft, leaving their tools behind.
They were none too soon, for the wa
ter burst its bonds. caving in the face
Of the crosscut, and before the men
could get the cage and give the sig
nal to hoist they were almost sub
merged.
When the water started the big
pump was running nine strokes per
minute. 1t was speeded up to nine
teen. but made no impression on the
food, which filled the 3-compartment
shaft at the rate Of 80 feet an hour
with the pumps doing their best. For
weeks and weeks the pumps were
run increasingly. Finally the water
was lowered several hundred feet.
when another subterranean river was
tapped. and 1t came again with re-
newed force. After several weeks
OF work the water was lowered to the
top Of the station set on the 1900,
but the utmost efforts. failed to un-
water the crosscut. Finally. Tom Read,
superintendent Of the mine, ordered
that the work be stopped. This was
In 1885 or 'S6. Concerning what
was found in the way of ore. Stinson
says that no living man ever saw the
face Of the 1900 crosscut after the
water opened the way; but that the
nuid was heavy with iron stained
sediment akin to ore In appearance,
and that this sediment, deposited
along the water ditch. assayed $40
per ton In silver and gold. From
this Andy deduces that the ore VIII
be found on the 1900 level when the
mine finally is unwatered.
Stinson has always believed that
Eureka would come into its own
some day. and contended that the old
mines contain fabulous fortunes In
mill ore Of high grade. besides v>st
area Of undeveloped ground. He con-
hdently expects Eureka to take Its
place as one Of the largest producers
OF the State.