Weekly journal-miner., 1922-01-11
STEAM SHOVELS TO BE PUTTING SOON;
 BIG HOLE PROJECT

ed at the United Verde mine, pos
 sibly within two weeks, certainly
 within three, according to the Verde
 Copper News, which says that
 preparations for the resumption of
 shovel operations are already un-
 der way.
 Mine Superintendent Henry De
 Witt Smith and Steam Shovel Su-
 perintendent E. E. Vanderhoef were
 advised to this elect Thursday by
 Assistant General Manager Robert
 E. Tally, who has been on the coast
 for several days in consultation
 with General Manager Charles w.
 Clark.
 Two steam-shovcl shifts will be
 worked immediately and it is pos
 sible that others will be employed
 as the work progresses.
 Approximately 125 men will be
 employed when the work begins.
 The operation of the shovels will.
 necessarily, require some small in-
 crease in the mine force, but this
 increase will not be made for some
 considerable time or until the
 steam-shovel work has advanced to
 the point where such increase be-
 comes needful.
 There has been a radical change
 in the development plans of the
 company so far as the steam-shovel
 work IS concerned.
 This change may be stated briefly
 as follows: The ores handled by
 the shovels will not be shipped over
 the Verde Tunnel and Shelter rail-
 road to Clarkdale, but will be taken
 through the mine transfer raises to
 the Hopewell tunnel level in ex-
 actly the same manner as mine ores
 proper are now handled.
 Several new raises and other
 workings have been undertaken in
 the mine to make provision for this
 ore handling and these works are
 now practically completed.
 In the meantime, Steam Shove Superintendent Vanderhoef is getting his crews together, making the neceS- sary changes in tracks, overhauling his machinery and attending to tho thousand and one details. that neces- sarily accompany a resumption oi work. One of his first tasks is tc get the churn drill crew ready to sink several deep holes that will be required as one of the early steps These holes will be loaded with heavy charges, which will be explod- ed before the shovels can begin ac- tual operations.
 Plans call for the immediate cut ting of deep and wide channel oi 100000 cubic yards from the present slag level through to the vicinity of the old Glory Hole and the handling. of all ore exec vated through the mine chutes and transfer raises to the Hopewell tun- nel level, from which 1t wilPbe taken either to the smelter at Clarkdale or stored temporarily near the portal oi the tunnels for later conveyance to the shelter Approximately 8,O00.- 900 yards of ore and stripping will be taken above the 400-foot level.
 The 8,000,000 yards of total ,exca- vation may be divided roughly into 4, ,500,000 yards of waste and 3,000,- GOO yards of ore. Some of this ore will go directly to the smelter, some will have to be milled, some will re- quire treatment by Notation and some by cyaniding. The first ore to be removed will be the great oxide deposit that overlies the fire zone of the mine This ore carries but a small percentage of copper-average probably noa more than one per cent but it contains good values in gold and silver.
 With the removal of the surface ores and waste to the 160-foot level, the fire zone of the mine will be exposed, and 1t is be- lieved that this removal of the cov- ering over the fire areas will result in the speedy extinguishment of the fires below rather than in the burst ing into flame" which some have would follow the admission of air to the stopes.
 One of the old-time monuments of the surface of the property will be removed by the first cut made by the steam-shovels. This is the out crop near the old power house which has commonly been known as the senator's monument"
 It is impossible at this time to make any definite estimate of the time that will be required for the of the shovel work and down to the 5O0-foot level. As the work progresses, defi- lite data will be accumulated which, in the course of a year or two, will enable some conclusion to be formed, put until such data are available, any estimate that might be attempted would be the merest guesswork. The point of immediate interest is that the work is to be begun soon, and it S certain that, once begun, it will be to completion.
 The treatment of the ores other han such as will go directly to the shelter will require the construction of milling, Notation and cyaniding industries that will as 'urc much employment for the labor ,f the district
 No definite information Is available Is to the probable data of resump ion of production by the mine ,roper. 7nF000TT HIIIn0F