Volume 35 (1877) (426 pages)

MINING AND SCIENTIFIC PRESS {July 7, 1877. Mining in Sierra County. A correspondent of the San Juan Times, writing from Downieville, Sierra Co., says: Dyll as have been the past years in the history of onr town and connty, a few hrave sonls have elung to ite fortnnes most tenaciously, firm in the cherished belief “‘the darkest hour precedes the dawn,” and that a new golden era was in store for old Sierra, whieh, next to Nevada, now promises to become the second banner mining county of the State. ; . The river claims are yielding rich returns this yeur, and others are doing proportionately as well The celebrated buring apparatus at Galloway’s hill, five miles southeast of Downieville, is now in fine working order on Bald Mountain FExtenson ground, and, at last accounts, was down about 60 feet. A hard LonIder was struck a day or so ago, but was drilled through most beantifally, and now, with uninterrnpted progress, the Pliocene Co. are slowly bnt steadily piercing the bowels of the earth in search of the extension of the rich ancient river hed, now enriching the lucky owners of shares in the far famed Bald Mountain at Forest City, the resurrection of whose fallen fortunes, ‘from an almost deserted village to a miniature Virginia City, is ahont as wonderful as the most bewildering Arabian tales. The mountains, for miles and miles, are swarming with prospectors, on the lookout for chances to locate claims; and judging by the rapid rate in which the grourd ts being taken up, there will be precious little left for the ‘ast man,” who ever begins so conspicuously in the history of the times. If, as is confidently hoped, rich gronnd is found by the Pliocene Co., a fresh impetus will he given to prospeeting in all directions, only equaled or excelled by the days of *48, The Pliocene company is composed of leading San Francisco capitalists, who have come here with the determination to work shoulder to shoulder with us in developing the tmineral resonrces of Sierra. They have bonded some over half of Bald Mountain Extension ground, on 15 months’ time, in the sum of $45,000, and are now busy in good earnest, having already etarted a small village near where it is supposed they will have to sink their shaft. If gravel is not etruck on first trial by the boring machine, their motto will be “try, try again,” till it is, or the fact thoroughly demonstrated that all our fairy castles have been built m vain; that the theury of the existence of a rich lead thereabouts is buta delusion andaenare. May their landable efforts be rewarded with the success that perseverence and energy ever deserve, is the sincere prayer of every well-wisher of our county's prosperity. Mr. Thorsten, Superintendent a the Pliocene company, and one of the gentlemen deeply interested in this mining scheme, is well qualified fur the arduous task before him, and by his courteons demeanor and unassuming ways during his brief sojourn in eur midst, has already justly won the esteem and friendship of all who have been honored with his acguaintance. If rich diggings are developed at Galloway's hill, and most every evidence points strongly now that way, a road will be huilt to Downieville from the new gold center, which will materially assist in resurrecting our eounty from its present state of despondence and stagnation. A New Rairway Si¢xau.—Another invention pertaining to electricity, qnite as wonderful as the telephone, though, perhaps, less calculated to attract public notice, has recently Leen secured by patent in the United States to a Swedish inventor. The apparatus is ap autoinatic railway signal, which enables the station officials to know the precise position of any tram at any time. It gives sound signals to the engineer, and at the station before the train enters, thus enabling switches to he cleared and arranged in time to prevent aceident. Jf two trains approach each other, whether running in the same or opposite directions, the engineers of both the trains receive signals in time to prevent collision, and the station people are at the same tine automatically informed of the posi tion of both trainy. Any train may, by xtopping at certain points of the road where ‘‘contacts” ure arranged, open telegraphic communication with the station at beth ends of the route, and two trains may in the saine manner telegraph to each other, A complete record is antomatically kept at each station of the specd of each train, and of the exact time it enters or leaves the xtation. Stop signals may be sent at any time from the stations to any train while moving. The apparatus may be arranged to send stop or danger signals to trains approaching swinging bridges which ure not properly Jocked and facbcted. New Diceixcs.—A letter dated Telegraph creck, Cassiar, June 5th, saye: Some parties huve arrived from Lake Town aud report the excitement intense at these nines, owing to the discovery of two new creeks said to be about 49 miles went of McDame and Snow creeks, which are paying three companies from $32 to R49 per day to the hand. A miner by the name of Stevenson and “ Kelly the Nake,” are the discoverers, <A nugget of $500 is reported. Tux Molders’ Union, vi Troy, New York, one of the etrongert in the country, lias resolved to allow members to work in any shop on any terms, which is a virtual dissolution of the Union. This action ends a strike of cight monthy’ duration. The Enqivesr, A New Transandine Railway. A revival seems to be approaching the South American railway huildingindustry. We notieé that our English exehanges are writing articles on the enterprise and industry of Harry Meiges, and he may be an ohject of renewed intercst to English capitalists. More than this, we read of a new road across the Andes, which will eomplete the connection between Valparaiso and Buenos Ayres. The section between Santa Rosa de los Andes, the present terminus of the Valparaiso railway, and the town of Mendoza, at the other side of the Andes, comprixes the most difficult part of the road. Starting at Santa Roga, situated at the entrance of the Uspallata pase, on the Chilean side, at 2,704 feet above the level of the sea, the line follows the course of the river Aconcagua for a distance of 33 miles, until it reaches the foot of the pass at 7,315 feet above the level of the sea, In this point where the Aconcagua river receives the Juncal the line follows the course of this river, turning to the south, and after 114 miles tnrns again to the east until reaching the western portal of the large tunnel at the summit, situated at a hight of 11,484 feet. The difference hetween Juncal and the mouth of the tunnel is 219 miles, a grade of 34 percent. The length of the tunnel is estimated to be 10,665 feet. The top of the monntain is 3,260 feet higher. Crossing the tunuel the line dexcends to the Cueros valley, with a grade of 3 per cent, for eight miles to the hridge over the river Cueros, The altitnde of Cueros valley is 10,257 feet. From this point to Puente det Inca, a distance of 12 miles, the grade is 24 per cent., and continues softening till it reaches the town of Mendoza, 102 miles from Puente det Inca, and 2,500 feet above the level of the sea. An Italian engineer, Mr. Olivieri, has recently made a new snrvey of this route, comprising only the mountain region Letween Juncal and the Cueros river, and has proposed to shorten the line 44 kilometers, avoiding all the difheult part, and thus reducing the cost of construction considerably. His plan is to start at Juncal river, 2,240 meters high, with an inclined plane, as invented by the celebrated engineer, Mr. Agudio, and recommended hy the several engineers commissioned hy the Italian and French governments, as well as by the delegates of various railway companies who attended the series of practical experiments that took place inthe month of August, 1875, at Lanslebourg, Savoy. The inclined plane would have alength of nearly 6,000 meters, with only one curve of 450 meters radius, and of varions grades, the heaviest being one in five. An altitude of 1,000 meters being gained in this manner, the line would continne 3,000 meters further with a grade of 1 in 36, to the entrance of a tunnel which would have a Jength of about 3,750 meters, and emerging at the side of the Cueros river at 3,180 meters high. This shows that the valley at the eastern side of the mountain is about 1,000 meters high, which is, to a certain point, an advantage, requiring only grading on one side. Both the Juneal and Cneros rivers would at all times furnish ample water power to work the turhine water wheels, with whieh power the cars would be lifted. There is alsoasmall lake at the summit of the incline, the water of which cyn with facility be applied to the same purpose. With this system the cost of construction would be reduced some $4,000,000, and, according to the report of the joint committee of engineers, the working expenses of aline of this class, taking into consideration the corresponding development required in the other xystem, are in proportion very much less. Prorosey Narrow Gavcx.—The St. Louis Board of Trade’is urging the project of the construction of a narrow gauge railway from St. Louis to Colorado, through Missouri and Kunsas, The construction of this proposed railway through Kansas to Trinidad, in Colorado, will give St, Louis direct railroad connection with the entire systern of narrow gauge railways in southern Colorado and open up to their smelt. ing interests the whole range of valuable min. ing country of Colorado, Utah and Arizona, This road 1s but one item of a grand onslaught which St. Louis proposes to make upon outlying regions. The St, Louis Journal of Commerce pays: ‘The jetties of South pass have assnred ample water for all vessels to enter the Mississippi river and made a direct trade hetween St. Louis and all European ports practicable, and it becomes the duty of St. Louis to] d seize upon this advantage and develop herself a eormmerce which shall absulve her from all dependence on the Hastern seaboard. Her efforts in this direction will be greatly assisted by the building of the proposed narrow gauge railway, penetrating, as it eventually will, by means of the numerous branehes proposed to be connected with its main line, the most fertile regions of Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska and Colorado.” Tux Jerries.—From the latest reports from Capt. Eads it appears that in 60 days a ship drawing 22 fect of water can pass from New Orleans to the nea. The addition of another foot or two to the depth of the channel will only be a matter of time. Moving Cleopatra's Needle. Engineers of the present are about to attempt a problem which Cleopatra’s workmen successfully solved. A correspondent writing from Alexandria, Egypt, gives the following account of the arrangements prepared for transporting Cleopatra’s needle to England. The ‘needle” is a monolith 69 feet long and eight feet square —not nniformly, but at the base. It weighs abont 220 tons, and lies in the sand 15 feet above high-water line. To get this mass safely into the sea and across the sea, it isintended to huild up around it on shore a cylindrical iron case or ship, and then to rolt the entire masa, nearly 300 tons, into the Mediterranean, and when the necessary ballasting and additions have been made to the ship in dry-doek, to have her towed to England, ‘The iron vessel is now being made at the Thames Iron Works, and when ready will be sent out here in pieces, to be built around the obelisk, under the superintendence of Mr. Waynman Dixon, brother to Mr. John Dixon, the enterprising designer and contractor. The vessel must be considerably longer than the obelisk, because of the shape of the stone, [It will be 02 feet long and 15 feet in diameter, with plates three-eighths of an inch thick, It will be divided into nine watertight compartments Ly eight bulkheads; total weight of irun, 75 tons. ‘Lo lift the end of the obelisk jacks of immense power will have to be sent from England, and after the cylinder is Luilt tremendous tackles will Le required to roll it into the sea. It will fioat in nine feet water, and to reach this depth it must be rolled 400 feet. Once aflout and in dock it will be fitted with bilge keels, rudder and steering gear, It will be cutter-rigzed, with one mast and two sails, and will have u deck-house for Mr. Carter, who will have charge of it on the voyage; for, although it wil] be in tow of a steamer, it will be in every respect a ship, and able to take eare of itsclf for atime in case of accident or breaking away of the tow lines, which are to be of steel wire, If the undertaking is a success, the entire expense will be borne by Mr. Erasmus Wilson, the eminent surgeon, Immense care and nicety will have to be exercised in obtaining the necessary strength and rigidity; the obelisk must Le wo packed, forming with the iron cylinder one solid masa, as to avoid any strain from the rolling into the water, or from the heavy working of the ship afterward, I presume the most anxious part of the work will be to get the vessel and her precious cargo into the sea, Once afloat other difficulties will be mastered. Three thousand five liundred years ago this ohelisk formed one of the pillars in front of the great Temple of Tum (the setting sun), at Heliopolis (near Cairo), aud was brought to Alexandria during the reign of Cleopatra. No accounts exist of the appliances used; but if this and larger monuinents could be safely moved aout some 1,600 years &. ©, it is not possible to doubt our abiltty to do likewise in the 19th century «4. ». Splicing Wires for Bridge Cables. Work is progressing rapidly on the Brooklyn bridge. The wire, as it comes from the factory, is in coils, containing about 1,000 feet. As each coil is oiled it is drawn to the top of the anchorage and placed on a flat drum which moves horizontally. From this drum the coil is wonnd with great care over a wheel four feet in diameter, moving alout a horizontal axis. This wheel and its earriage are placed in position before one of the drums. It is then necessary to fasten the end of the wire to that already on the drum. A workman steps up with a double vise, in which he puts the two ends of wire (which have been previously threaded, and joins them by a hollow nut of crucible steel two inches long and an eighth of an inch thick. The inside of the nut is threaded in opposite direc. tions, to conform to the threads on the ends of the wire, The nut is then fastened in a hand vise, by which it is screwed np so as to bring the two ends of the wire almost together. By aid of this contrivance the joint is given 96 per cent of the strength of the wire, When the fastener steps to another drum, a man, with a box of chemicals and acids, cleans the joint. Then another, with a pot of melted zinc, gives the joint a bath, in which some chloride of ammonia has been thrown to destroy the dross, Another man, with a tool, runs the zinc well on to the wire to galvanize it thoroughly. Next a inan, with a pan of linsecd oil and a piece of sheep’s skin rug dripping with oil, seizes the wire where it has Leen joined and holds it fast in his oily grasp, while the other workmen earcfully wind it from the small ree) to the large rum. Although the popnlar impression is that the euble isto be of twisted ttrands of wire, the contrary is true. The wires are kept parallel, and as soon as 133 wires are sent across the river they will be tied with temporary wrappings. These will make one of the 19 strands of which one cable is made. ‘There are snspending peudulum rods from one of the wires to prevent the entangling of the wires as they pass to and fro and are fanned by the wind, There are now four wires in position on each of the down-streain cahles. These are the first wires that have heen put up that will enter into the hig bridge’s ultimate structure. It will take about two years to carry across the . lot of ore from 24,000 wires. . Mountain City, ¢ . erty will change hands inside of twenty days, Two New Bridges at Rotterdam. Dutch engineering skill and enterprise have just completed an undertaking of a magnitude second to none of the many great works achieved by the Dutch before. It ia well known that for centuries the Duteh people have waged constant war against the encrouehments of the sea and the rivers by which their country is intersected, The hydraulic works are the first in the world; their bridges at Kutphen, Kuylenhurg aud Maesdijk rival those of America. The Builder says: Another, the new railway hridge which crosses the Maas at Rotterdam, has just been added, which was formally opened on April 29th, and the importance of which for Helland ueed hardly he pointed out. The work, after an expenditure of 2,000,000 florins (£160,000), of which rather more than half has Leen expended on the superstructure, and less than half for the substructure, has Leen completed within cight years, about the wame time required for the construction of the similar bridge at Ulamburg, and that between Venice and the continent. Five gigantic wrought-iron arched girders, resting on granite piers, and of spans ranging from 216 feet six inches to 205 feet four inches, and a hight of nearly 20 feet above ordinary high water level, conneet the city with an island in tho middle of the stream, two other arches uniting this island with the opposite shore, Auother great work at Rotterdam ix now in course af completion, whieh hax attraeted general attention on the contient, A few paces helow the railway Lridge, another bridge, the so-called ‘ Wiltemsbrug,” to serve for the ordinary carriage traffic of the city and foot-passengers, is in eourse of construction, The foundution-stone of this bridge was laid three years ago hy the king of Holland in person, This, hike the railway bridge, is provided with two pivot arrangements, of which one is within the city and the other in the canal called the King’s Harbor (Koning’s Haven), 656 feet wide, between the opposite khore and the island xbove inentioned, to permit the passage of the largest ships. The Krom Concentrator, The Krom concentrator, now iu operation at Somewhere, near Jefferson City, is attracting a good deal of attention from all who own silverbearing lodes requiring concentration before being placed upon the market. It has proved a success beyond a reasonable doubt, [thas been tested upon all kinds of ores, tailings, etc., and the rootlt has more than met the sanguine expectations of the Montana company or the claims of the inventor and patentee, Ore concentrating machiuery has heen one of the prohlems of the mining age, for without some method of concentration ores hearing but a small per: centage of mineral have been of no value, in fact an incumbrance upon the dumps, It was also apparent that tie rich bodics of ore are less common than lean ones, and iu many mines the cost of reaching their rich pockets was more than the ore taken from them was worth. With limited millmg facilities und an unusually large quantity of base metals in all the mining camps of Montana, concentrating works ure of the highest importance; in fact, an absolute necessity to her prosperity. Even milling ores rich enough for shipment contain a large per cent. of refuse matter, upon which heavy charges have to be paid for freight, and thus lessen, in no small degree, the profits on aJl the ore sent abroad for reduction, Mr. Krom’s invention seems to he well adapted to the purpose of accomplishing this object, and we fully believe the present machinery is but the forerunner of much other of like character that will he in operation here in a year or two, Here is a fine field for capitalists to turn their attention to prolitable investments, There is an abundance of ores to crush at Vipond, Butte, Kumley, Comet, Clancy and many other points, and coneentrators doing custom work could he kept constantly running. We know of no country that presenta so many inducements to capitalists au’ Montana does at present. Because there is here room for plenty of milling machinery and concentrating works, and plenty of lodes that can be purchased at low rates, heeause the owners are unable to develop and work them,—//elenn Independent, Bouu Ruy.—A correspondent of the Silver State, writing from White Rock, says: Times up this way are pretty dull, partly owing to the fact that mining companies do not pay regularly. Since the lst of June the Leopard company have reduced their working force considerably, and are earrying on their works as economically as possihle. Wood delivered at the mill eommands the following prices: pine, $13; fir, 311, and cedar and other wood, $10 per cord. As the wood in this vicinity is principally fir, it makes it hard on those engaged in the wood business. Last ycur fir sold readily ut $12 per cord. From all reports we are going te have a new camp in a very short time, which hids fair to henefit the people more than the Leopard or Hussey. It is to beat the Mountain Laurel mine, owned by Duncan & Co., which exper. ienccd miners say is the best prospect in this part of the country. They have ahout 300 tons of orc on the dump, and are making arrangements to have it worked at the Vauce mill, at It is helieved that the propand that a mill will be built near the mine, A this mine worked at Mountain City yielded $140 per ton.

MINING AND SCIENTIFIC PRESS {July 7, 1877. Mining in Sierra County. A correspondent of the San Juan Times, writing from Downieville, Sierra Co., says: Dyll as have been the past years in the history of onr town and connty, a few hrave sonls have elung to ite fortnnes most tenaciously, firm in the cherished belief “‘the darkest hour precedes the dawn,” and that a new golden era was in store for old Sierra, whieh, next to Nevada, now promises to become the second banner mining county of the State. ; . The river claims are yielding rich returns this yeur, and others are doing proportionately as well The celebrated buring apparatus at Galloway’s hill, five miles southeast of Downieville, is now in fine working order on Bald Mountain FExtenson ground, and, at last accounts, was down about 60 feet. A hard LonIder was struck a day or so ago, but was drilled through most beantifally, and now, with uninterrnpted progress, the Pliocene Co. are slowly bnt steadily piercing the bowels of the earth in search of the extension of the rich ancient river hed, now enriching the lucky owners of shares in the far famed Bald Mountain at Forest City, the resurrection of whose fallen fortunes, ‘from an almost deserted village to a miniature Virginia City, is ahont as wonderful as the most bewildering Arabian tales. The mountains, for miles and miles, are swarming with prospectors, on the lookout for chances to locate claims; and judging by the rapid rate in which the grourd ts being taken up, there will be precious little left for the ‘ast man,” who ever begins so conspicuously in the history of the times. If, as is confidently hoped, rich gronnd is found by the Pliocene Co., a fresh impetus will he given to prospeeting in all directions, only equaled or excelled by the days of *48, The Pliocene company is composed of leading San Francisco capitalists, who have come here with the determination to work shoulder to shoulder with us in developing the tmineral resonrces of Sierra. They have bonded some over half of Bald Mountain Extension ground, on 15 months’ time, in the sum of $45,000, and are now busy in good earnest, having already etarted a small village near where it is supposed they will have to sink their shaft. If gravel is not etruck on first trial by the boring machine, their motto will be “try, try again,” till it is, or the fact thoroughly demonstrated that all our fairy castles have been built m vain; that the theury of the existence of a rich lead thereabouts is buta delusion andaenare. May their landable efforts be rewarded with the success that perseverence and energy ever deserve, is the sincere prayer of every well-wisher of our county's prosperity. Mr. Thorsten, Superintendent a the Pliocene company, and one of the gentlemen deeply interested in this mining scheme, is well qualified fur the arduous task before him, and by his courteons demeanor and unassuming ways during his brief sojourn in eur midst, has already justly won the esteem and friendship of all who have been honored with his acguaintance. If rich diggings are developed at Galloway's hill, and most every evidence points strongly now that way, a road will be huilt to Downieville from the new gold center, which will materially assist in resurrecting our eounty from its present state of despondence and stagnation. A New Rairway Si¢xau.—Another invention pertaining to electricity, qnite as wonderful as the telephone, though, perhaps, less calculated to attract public notice, has recently Leen secured by patent in the United States to a Swedish inventor. The apparatus is ap autoinatic railway signal, which enables the station officials to know the precise position of any tram at any time. It gives sound signals to the engineer, and at the station before the train enters, thus enabling switches to he cleared and arranged in time to prevent aceident. Jf two trains approach each other, whether running in the same or opposite directions, the engineers of both the trains receive signals in time to prevent collision, and the station people are at the same tine automatically informed of the posi tion of both trainy. Any train may, by xtopping at certain points of the road where ‘‘contacts” ure arranged, open telegraphic communication with the station at beth ends of the route, and two trains may in the saine manner telegraph to each other, A complete record is antomatically kept at each station of the specd of each train, and of the exact time it enters or leaves the xtation. Stop signals may be sent at any time from the stations to any train while moving. The apparatus may be arranged to send stop or danger signals to trains approaching swinging bridges which ure not properly Jocked and facbcted. New Diceixcs.—A letter dated Telegraph creck, Cassiar, June 5th, saye: Some parties huve arrived from Lake Town aud report the excitement intense at these nines, owing to the discovery of two new creeks said to be about 49 miles went of McDame and Snow creeks, which are paying three companies from $32 to R49 per day to the hand. A miner by the name of Stevenson and “ Kelly the Nake,” are the discoverers, <A nugget of $500 is reported. Tux Molders’ Union, vi Troy, New York, one of the etrongert in the country, lias resolved to allow members to work in any shop on any terms, which is a virtual dissolution of the Union. This action ends a strike of cight monthy’ duration. The Enqivesr, A New Transandine Railway. A revival seems to be approaching the South American railway huildingindustry. We notieé that our English exehanges are writing articles on the enterprise and industry of Harry Meiges, and he may be an ohject of renewed intercst to English capitalists. More than this, we read of a new road across the Andes, which will eomplete the connection between Valparaiso and Buenos Ayres. The section between Santa Rosa de los Andes, the present terminus of the Valparaiso railway, and the town of Mendoza, at the other side of the Andes, comprixes the most difficult part of the road. Starting at Santa Roga, situated at the entrance of the Uspallata pase, on the Chilean side, at 2,704 feet above the level of the sea, the line follows the course of the river Aconcagua for a distance of 33 miles, until it reaches the foot of the pass at 7,315 feet above the level of the sea, In this point where the Aconcagua river receives the Juncal the line follows the course of this river, turning to the south, and after 114 miles tnrns again to the east until reaching the western portal of the large tunnel at the summit, situated at a hight of 11,484 feet. The difference hetween Juncal and the mouth of the tunnel is 219 miles, a grade of 34 percent. The length of the tunnel is estimated to be 10,665 feet. The top of the monntain is 3,260 feet higher. Crossing the tunuel the line dexcends to the Cueros valley, with a grade of 3 per cent, for eight miles to the hridge over the river Cueros, The altitnde of Cueros valley is 10,257 feet. From this point to Puente det Inca, a distance of 12 miles, the grade is 24 per cent., and continues softening till it reaches the town of Mendoza, 102 miles from Puente det Inca, and 2,500 feet above the level of the sea. An Italian engineer, Mr. Olivieri, has recently made a new snrvey of this route, comprising only the mountain region Letween Juncal and the Cueros river, and has proposed to shorten the line 44 kilometers, avoiding all the difheult part, and thus reducing the cost of construction considerably. His plan is to start at Juncal river, 2,240 meters high, with an inclined plane, as invented by the celebrated engineer, Mr. Agudio, and recommended hy the several engineers commissioned hy the Italian and French governments, as well as by the delegates of various railway companies who attended the series of practical experiments that took place inthe month of August, 1875, at Lanslebourg, Savoy. The inclined plane would have alength of nearly 6,000 meters, with only one curve of 450 meters radius, and of varions grades, the heaviest being one in five. An altitude of 1,000 meters being gained in this manner, the line would continne 3,000 meters further with a grade of 1 in 36, to the entrance of a tunnel which would have a Jength of about 3,750 meters, and emerging at the side of the Cueros river at 3,180 meters high. This shows that the valley at the eastern side of the mountain is about 1,000 meters high, which is, to a certain point, an advantage, requiring only grading on one side. Both the Juneal and Cneros rivers would at all times furnish ample water power to work the turhine water wheels, with whieh power the cars would be lifted. There is alsoasmall lake at the summit of the incline, the water of which cyn with facility be applied to the same purpose. With this system the cost of construction would be reduced some $4,000,000, and, according to the report of the joint committee of engineers, the working expenses of aline of this class, taking into consideration the corresponding development required in the other xystem, are in proportion very much less. Prorosey Narrow Gavcx.—The St. Louis Board of Trade’is urging the project of the construction of a narrow gauge railway from St. Louis to Colorado, through Missouri and Kunsas, The construction of this proposed railway through Kansas to Trinidad, in Colorado, will give St, Louis direct railroad connection with the entire systern of narrow gauge railways in southern Colorado and open up to their smelt. ing interests the whole range of valuable min. ing country of Colorado, Utah and Arizona, This road 1s but one item of a grand onslaught which St. Louis proposes to make upon outlying regions. The St, Louis Journal of Commerce pays: ‘The jetties of South pass have assnred ample water for all vessels to enter the Mississippi river and made a direct trade hetween St. Louis and all European ports practicable, and it becomes the duty of St. Louis to] d seize upon this advantage and develop herself a eormmerce which shall absulve her from all dependence on the Hastern seaboard. Her efforts in this direction will be greatly assisted by the building of the proposed narrow gauge railway, penetrating, as it eventually will, by means of the numerous branehes proposed to be connected with its main line, the most fertile regions of Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska and Colorado.” Tux Jerries.—From the latest reports from Capt. Eads it appears that in 60 days a ship drawing 22 fect of water can pass from New Orleans to the nea. The addition of another foot or two to the depth of the channel will only be a matter of time. Moving Cleopatra's Needle. Engineers of the present are about to attempt

a problem which Cleopatra’s workmen successfully solved. A correspondent writing from Alexandria, Egypt, gives the following account of the arrangements prepared for transporting Cleopatra’s needle to England. The ‘needle” is a monolith 69 feet long and eight feet square —not nniformly, but at the base. It weighs abont 220 tons, and lies in the sand 15 feet above high-water line. To get this mass safely into the sea and across the sea, it isintended to huild up around it on shore a cylindrical iron case or ship, and then to rolt the entire masa, nearly 300 tons, into the Mediterranean, and when the necessary ballasting and additions have been made to the ship in dry-doek, to have her towed to England, ‘The iron vessel is now being made at the Thames Iron Works, and when ready will be sent out here in pieces, to be built around the obelisk, under the superintendence of Mr. Waynman Dixon, brother to Mr. John Dixon, the enterprising designer and contractor. The vessel must be considerably longer than the obelisk, because of the shape of the stone, [It will be 02 feet long and 15 feet in diameter, with plates three-eighths of an inch thick, It will be divided into nine watertight compartments Ly eight bulkheads; total weight of irun, 75 tons. ‘Lo lift the end of the obelisk jacks of immense power will have to be sent from England, and after the cylinder is Luilt tremendous tackles will Le required to roll it into the sea. It will fioat in nine feet water, and to reach this depth it must be rolled 400 feet. Once aflout and in dock it will be fitted with bilge keels, rudder and steering gear, It will be cutter-rigzed, with one mast and two sails, and will have u deck-house for Mr. Carter, who will have charge of it on the voyage; for, although it wil] be in tow of a steamer, it will be in every respect a ship, and able to take eare of itsclf for atime in case of accident or breaking away of the tow lines, which are to be of steel wire, If the undertaking is a success, the entire expense will be borne by Mr. Erasmus Wilson, the eminent surgeon, Immense care and nicety will have to be exercised in obtaining the necessary strength and rigidity; the obelisk must Le wo packed, forming with the iron cylinder one solid masa, as to avoid any strain from the rolling into the water, or from the heavy working of the ship afterward, I presume the most anxious part of the work will be to get the vessel and her precious cargo into the sea, Once afloat other difficulties will be mastered. Three thousand five liundred years ago this ohelisk formed one of the pillars in front of the great Temple of Tum (the setting sun), at Heliopolis (near Cairo), aud was brought to Alexandria during the reign of Cleopatra. No accounts exist of the appliances used; but if this and larger monuinents could be safely moved aout some 1,600 years &. ©, it is not possible to doubt our abiltty to do likewise in the 19th century «4. ». Splicing Wires for Bridge Cables. Work is progressing rapidly on the Brooklyn bridge. The wire, as it comes from the factory, is in coils, containing about 1,000 feet. As each coil is oiled it is drawn to the top of the anchorage and placed on a flat drum which moves horizontally. From this drum the coil is wonnd with great care over a wheel four feet in diameter, moving alout a horizontal axis. This wheel and its earriage are placed in position before one of the drums. It is then necessary to fasten the end of the wire to that already on the drum. A workman steps up with a double vise, in which he puts the two ends of wire (which have been previously threaded, and joins them by a hollow nut of crucible steel two inches long and an eighth of an inch thick. The inside of the nut is threaded in opposite direc. tions, to conform to the threads on the ends of the wire, The nut is then fastened in a hand vise, by which it is screwed np so as to bring the two ends of the wire almost together. By aid of this contrivance the joint is given 96 per cent of the strength of the wire, When the fastener steps to another drum, a man, with a box of chemicals and acids, cleans the joint. Then another, with a pot of melted zinc, gives the joint a bath, in which some chloride of ammonia has been thrown to destroy the dross, Another man, with a tool, runs the zinc well on to the wire to galvanize it thoroughly. Next a inan, with a pan of linsecd oil and a piece of sheep’s skin rug dripping with oil, seizes the wire where it has Leen joined and holds it fast in his oily grasp, while the other workmen earcfully wind it from the small ree) to the large rum. Although the popnlar impression is that the euble isto be of twisted ttrands of wire, the contrary is true. The wires are kept parallel, and as soon as 133 wires are sent across the river they will be tied with temporary wrappings. These will make one of the 19 strands of which one cable is made. ‘There are snspending peudulum rods from one of the wires to prevent the entangling of the wires as they pass to and fro and are fanned by the wind, There are now four wires in position on each of the down-streain cahles. These are the first wires that have heen put up that will enter into the hig bridge’s ultimate structure. It will take about two years to carry across the . lot of ore from 24,000 wires. . Mountain City, ¢ . erty will change hands inside of twenty days, Two New Bridges at Rotterdam. Dutch engineering skill and enterprise have just completed an undertaking of a magnitude second to none of the many great works achieved by the Dutch before. It ia well known that for centuries the Duteh people have waged constant war against the encrouehments of the sea and the rivers by which their country is intersected, The hydraulic works are the first in the world; their bridges at Kutphen, Kuylenhurg aud Maesdijk rival those of America. The Builder says: Another, the new railway hridge which crosses the Maas at Rotterdam, has just been added, which was formally opened on April 29th, and the importance of which for Helland ueed hardly he pointed out. The work, after an expenditure of 2,000,000 florins (£160,000), of which rather more than half has Leen expended on the superstructure, and less than half for the substructure, has Leen completed within cight years, about the wame time required for the construction of the similar bridge at Ulamburg, and that between Venice and the continent. Five gigantic wrought-iron arched girders, resting on granite piers, and of spans ranging from 216 feet six inches to 205 feet four inches, and a hight of nearly 20 feet above ordinary high water level, conneet the city with an island in tho middle of the stream, two other arches uniting this island with the opposite shore, Auother great work at Rotterdam ix now in course af completion, whieh hax attraeted general attention on the contient, A few paces helow the railway Lridge, another bridge, the so-called ‘ Wiltemsbrug,” to serve for the ordinary carriage traffic of the city and foot-passengers, is in eourse of construction, The foundution-stone of this bridge was laid three years ago hy the king of Holland in person, This, hike the railway bridge, is provided with two pivot arrangements, of which one is within the city and the other in the canal called the King’s Harbor (Koning’s Haven), 656 feet wide, between the opposite khore and the island xbove inentioned, to permit the passage of the largest ships. The Krom Concentrator, The Krom concentrator, now iu operation at Somewhere, near Jefferson City, is attracting a good deal of attention from all who own silverbearing lodes requiring concentration before being placed upon the market. It has proved a success beyond a reasonable doubt, [thas been tested upon all kinds of ores, tailings, etc., and the rootlt has more than met the sanguine expectations of the Montana company or the claims of the inventor and patentee, Ore concentrating machiuery has heen one of the prohlems of the mining age, for without some method of concentration ores hearing but a small per: centage of mineral have been of no value, in fact an incumbrance upon the dumps, It was also apparent that tie rich bodics of ore are less common than lean ones, and iu many mines the cost of reaching their rich pockets was more than the ore taken from them was worth. With limited millmg facilities und an unusually large quantity of base metals in all the mining camps of Montana, concentrating works ure of the highest importance; in fact, an absolute necessity to her prosperity. Even milling ores rich enough for shipment contain a large per cent. of refuse matter, upon which heavy charges have to be paid for freight, and thus lessen, in no small degree, the profits on aJl the ore sent abroad for reduction, Mr. Krom’s invention seems to he well adapted to the purpose of accomplishing this object, and we fully believe the present machinery is but the forerunner of much other of like character that will he in operation here in a year or two, Here is a fine field for capitalists to turn their attention to prolitable investments, There is an abundance of ores to crush at Vipond, Butte, Kumley, Comet, Clancy and many other points, and coneentrators doing custom work could he kept constantly running. We know of no country that presenta so many inducements to capitalists au’ Montana does at present. Because there is here room for plenty of milling machinery and concentrating works, and plenty of lodes that can be purchased at low rates, heeause the owners are unable to develop and work them,—//elenn Independent, Bouu Ruy.—A correspondent of the Silver State, writing from White Rock, says: Times up this way are pretty dull, partly owing to the fact that mining companies do not pay regularly. Since the lst of June the Leopard company have reduced their working force considerably, and are earrying on their works as economically as possihle. Wood delivered at the mill eommands the following prices: pine, $13; fir, 311, and cedar and other wood, $10 per cord. As the wood in this vicinity is principally fir, it makes it hard on those engaged in the wood business. Last ycur fir sold readily ut $12 per cord. From all reports we are going te have a new camp in a very short time, which hids fair to henefit the people more than the Leopard or Hussey. It is to beat the Mountain Laurel mine, owned by Duncan & Co., which exper. ienccd miners say is the best prospect in this part of the country. They have ahout 300 tons of orc on the dump, and are making arrangements to have it worked at the Vauce mill, at It is helieved that the propand that a mill will be built near the mine, A this mine worked at Mountain City yielded $140 per ton.