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Collection: Books and Periodicals > Mining & Scientific Press

Volume 35 (1877) (426 pages)

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234 MINING AND § CIEN Tip GePates [October 13, 18977. The Big Bonanza. Tbe workings on the bonanza mines are on so extended a scale and of so intricate a nature that itis very questionable whether any one not particularly interested in the mines and the drifts, cross-cuts and winzes ruu and in the extent and development of the various stopes, can carry them all along from week to week and comprehend The Important Developments Which have been and are now being made. There are few, therefore, who know the reach of the ore bodies being opencd up on the various levels or how far they have heen traced. To do this would, indeed, require the reader to follow the work through a labyriuth of channels aud to retain a vast amount of statistics, important, yet not readily remembered. It was with a view of making a summary of these statistics, in connection with the devclopimeuts made, that the Virginia Enterprise reporter asked and obtaiued the permission of Col. Fair tomake a descent into the mines and takea look at the work goiug on and the formations eucountered, It was not expected, however, that all the levels of both mines could be visited and examiued in a single day; besides, the space required to chronicle the whole would exceed the limits of a single issue. The 1650-Foot Level of the Con. Virginia Was the first portion of the big bonanza visited. The Enterprise says: The drop was made through the C. & C. shaft and the visit made under the guidance of W. H. Patton, Assistant Superintendent. The drift west was followed to its face. The developments from what was formerly considered the west wall of the ore body are important. After entting through eight feet of porphyry a new and unexpected ore body was encountered. Then came 35 feet of ore and the drift penetrated porphyry again, This, however, continued from five to eight feet, when ore was again encountered. This is A Most Important Development. And one which is becoming more so with every foot made in the ore body by the drift. Nor are the developments being made by the stopes, as they are being extended to the south on this level of much less interest. They have been extended 120 feet in what is known as the west ore body—. ¢., west of the horse—and the ore is found to be widening gradually all the way. When first opened np this ore body was 42 feet wide; yesterday (the 30th nltimo) the stopes were ahout 50 feet in width. The importance to he attached to this development will be apparent when it is remembered that this ore body on the level above extended 200 feet further south than where the stopes on this level now are. These are what are mentioned as the west stopes, 1630-foot level. The East Stopes On this level are also following the ore body south, aud on the east side of the horse. They have been extended abont the same distance as the west stopes, viz.: 120 feet, and are also widening and extending as they reach out in that direction. In other words, the horse which lies hetween the two ore bodies is gradually hecoming narrower. Where cut through by the drift west on this level it was 32 feet in thickness. The ore bodies have wideued out till, at the sonthern extremities of the stopes above mentioned, they are witbin 12 feet of each other. In other words, the horse has nartowed down 20 feet ina distance of 120 feet, and is at the point above meutioned but 12 feet wide. At this rate it will entirely disappear about 200 feet from the line of the drift. Tuto the California. The distance from the drift on the 1650-foot level to the California line is abont 30 feet, and the next point visited was the west stopes of the California mine on that level. The sill floors of the stopes are being extended northerly. They have heen carried north of the line about 30 feet, and are there 42 feetin width, and the west wall of the ore hody at that point has not yet been reached, A cross-cut (No. 2 west) has been started westerly from the lateral drift, and will be continued on in the same manner as the one in the Consolidated Virginia, to explore the ore body recently encountered as above, and which will certainly he found in the California, since the developments in the Consolidated Virginia are but about 30 feet south from the line hetween the two mines, The Ore Opened up on this level is exceedingly rich and the extent of the ore bodies immense. For the purpose of opening them up a drift has been extended north through the horse, leaving the ore nntouched on both sides. This was followed to where the branch drift from the C. & C. shaft intersects it, at the northern end of the horse, a distance of some 200 feet. At this point crosscut No. 3 has been started west and is in ore 10 feet. Again the drift was followed north, and for a distance of 100 feet, to where cross-cut No. 4 has beeu run about 60 feet, and this is also all in fine ore, and the quality of that near the face was improviug upon even the excellent deposit opened up nearer the lateral drift. These Cross-cuts are all Penetrating Virgin Ground And, as will he seen from the distances apart, are opeuing up a hody of ore immense in extent and excecdiugly rich iu quality. And all this is in the west ore hody on a single level, and yet there are those who tall: of the California as an exhausted mine and hint of ‘tno more dividends.” These developmeuts, and a look at the ore, make it still more mysterious why the stock of this mine should be rated after that of Consolidated Virginia. An Eastern Ore Body Is also opening np on this level most wonderfully. The first place visited was winze No. 3, which is being sunk in the ore body at the northeru terminus of the horse, and is down 50 feet or such a matter, all the way in ore of a good quality. Here a hoisting engine has heen placed to facilitate the work of sinking. This ore hody is reaching off north and east to au unknown distauce. The boundary of the honanza as traced on the 1500 level was vorth, 54 degrees east, and the clay wall of the body here seems to have a very similar trend. What it may portend, and how far extend, remains to be seen. The 1600 Level Was reached by the cage in the winze and again explorations began. Here the make of the ore body to the uortheast has been more exteudedly traced hy a drift following the clay. This drift has penetrated about 85 feet aud isin ore all the way. This ore body gives every indication, however, as traced up, of uniting with the western ore hody at some point further north. We then returned to No. 3 winze and examiued the west ore hody on this level. The ore body has been traced going notherly for some 400 feet aud stopes are being raised at each eud. The ore is very rich and exists in immense quantities. It is similar in kind to that helow, and is Very Rich, Beiug of that loose, soft, porous nature which is easily reduced and which crumbles to pieces when exposed to the air for any lcugth of time. Tt has been followed by the stopes on this level cast and west 120 feet, but not to its hut. It is no doubt the same ore body found above; but on this level an important fact is being rapidly ascertained, and that is that it makes fnrther west aud east than on the level above. How far it may extend is not kuown, as its limits have not been sufficiently traced to determine it. The Ore Body is Undefined As yet, its extent not having been reached in either direction. It, however, at the uorthern end makes to the east, aud will doubtless finda connection with the east ore body as it widens out on the 1650 level. On this level connection has been made with the Ophir shaft and the ventilation is perfeet, as it is, in fact, all through the mine. From this point the counectious were followed to No. 3 winze, the desceut to the 1630 level made, and thence the C. & C. shaft sought through the north branch drift. Improvements at the C. & C. Shaft. The double deckers are being successfnlly run at the C. & C. shaft, and bya single drop four cages of ore are loaded, hoisted and trundled off. The new English cable, of which mention was recently made, is in place and swings the cages with perfect safety. The dressing rooms recently fitted up there are the tinest on the lode. They are large and airy and conveniently furnished. ‘The north one is fitted up for ladies and with all the needed appliances, including bath tub and hot and cold water. Between this and the office is the gents’ room, similarly arranged and furnished, auc has the additional advantage of the finest shower hath apartment, with hot aud cold water, which there is on the Comstock. A new chauging room for the workmen has heen fitted up under the carpenter’s shop south of the shaft. The room is 60 by 60 and lighted by four large east wiudows. All around the room are places for hanging garments, with hooks attached, and across the room are six similar rows, and several others nearer the stove running part of the way across. In the center of the east side is a cylindrical stove, made like a steam boiler, which is six feet long and three feet across. To guard against fire, boiler iron has heen put on the floor, covering a space 10 by 12 feet. Ashower bath to occupy one coruer is not yetin. There runs aloug the south side a large tank for washing clothes. The whole is capitally arranged and will be fouud most convenient.—Znterprise, Vigorous Prospecting. The Pliocene company, ou Galloway hill, says the Mountain Messenger, means business, and has started to prospect its ground in a manner worthy of emnlation hy all companies that are able. This company, under the management of Mr. Thurston, Supt., commenced boriug for gravel in the early part of this summer by hand power. A six-inch hole was put down through hard lava boulders to a depth of 186 feet, when pipe clay was enconntered. Up to this point it was found necessary to use the drill exelusively. Here the auger replaced the drill, and the bore was extended downwards through 54 feet of pipe clay. When this depth was reached it was found difficult to make much headway owing to the falling in of pieces of clay from the sides of the hole, and requiriug nearly all the time to keep the shaft clear. Upon consultatiou and a report from the Superiutendent it was . decided to abandon further attempts to reach bedrock with the auger, and commence a shaft. The company has gone about this work in a manuer that commauds admiration. It has a 90-horse power engiue ou the way, and boilers
eapable of generating steam in excess of its requirements. A large boarding house, engine house and timher shed will be erected as scon as possible. A contract has heen let for 500 cords of wood, ‘The shaft has been commenced and will he abont 6 by 18 in the clear, with three [ compartments, (We are not sure that we are correct in regard to dimensions.) It will he timbered with 8 hy 8, sawed stuff, which will certainly make a very fine and substantial curbing. Albnt 50 feet of the shaft can be sunk without encountering water, and hy the time this is completed itis expected that the steam hoisting and pumping machinery will be in place. If the winter storms will hold off loug enough to enable them to get under cover, work will go steadily on through the winter. Tt is supposed that the shaft will be from 400 to 450 feet in depth, hut this is approximation, in a great measure. Weare glad to see miniug capitalists turning their attention to our mines, for we feel certain that in no-part of the State is there such an inviting field for investment. A New Quicksilver Saver. An experiment is beiug tried, or rather is about to he tried, at the head of the blauket sluices of the Cou. Virginia pan mill and near the C. & C. shaft, with a new machiue for saving quicksilver and catching the valuable part [ of tailings. It cousists of a modificatiou of the old California shaking tables. The preparations for trying the process are on a small scale, A water wheel is being erected some four feet across. This is to turn two shakers which are each fitted up with eight small copper pans coated with quicksilver, and containing in each of their bottoms cast iron balls about as big as rifle bullets, which are also quicksilver-coated. In some of the pansthese bullets are still uuited as cast, the string of them being long enough to reach across the bottoms of these pans. The water wheel is the motive power, bauds running therefrom to small pulleys on each of the system of shakers with their eight paus. The water is taken from the flume ahove ata point where it raises over the C. & C. side track, as is also the silt for the experiment. While the former turus the wheel and shakes the pan, it also helps to carry the latter down into the paus, which are arranged in perpendicnlar rows of four each. The agitation over the quicksilvered surfaces of the balls and the pans, as the tailings pass throngh from pau to pau, serves to collect the particles of quicksilver as well as to amalgamate the mineral which is contained therein, and the valuable portion is thus collected and saved. The ‘‘ustitution” is under the patronage of Dr. Cachot, of San Francisco, who is ou hand to try the experiment. The ‘‘haby machine’’ will doubtless work tolerably well, but it scems as if there must be some wear and tear to a big . one of the kind, and a hig machine will be needed here if any.— Virginia Enterprise. Scientific and Practical Books on Mining, Metallurgy, Etc. Published or issued, wholesale aud retail, by DEWEY & CO., Minine aAnp Scientirio Press Office, S. F. BY GUIDO KUSTEL, Mining ENGINEER AND METALLURGIST. Roasting of Gold and Silver Ores, and the Extraction of their respective Metals without Quick‘silver. 1870. This rare book on the treatment of gold and silver ores without quicksilver, is liberally illustrated ond crammed full of facts. It gives short and concise descriptious of various processes and apparatus employed in this eountry and in Europe, and explains the why and wherefore It contains 142 pages, embracing illustrations 2f furnaces, implements and working apparatus. It is a work of great merit, by au author whose reputation 1s unsurpassed in his specialty. Price, $2.50 coin, or $3 eurreney, postage free. Concentration of Ores (of all kinds), including the Chlorination Process for Gold-bearing Sulphurcts, Arseniurets, and Gold aud Silver Ores generally, with 120 Lithographie Diagrams. 1867. This work is wequaled by any other published, embra cing the subjects treated, Its authority is highly esteemed. and regarded by its readers; containing, as it does, mueh essential information to the Miner, Millman, Metallurgist, and other professional workers in ores and minerals, which eannot be found elsewhere in print. It also abounds throughout with faets and instructions rendered yaluable by being clearly rendered together and in simple order. It contains 120 diagrams, illustrating machinery, ete., which alone are of the greatest value. PRICE, $7.50. Contents of Pamphlet on Public Lands of Cafifornia, U. S. Land Laws, Map of California and Nevada, Etc. Map of California and Nevada; The Publie Lands; The Land Districts; Table of Rainfall in Califoruia; Counties and Their Products; Statisties of the State at Large. Instructions of the U. §. Land Commissiouers,—Different Classes of Publie Lands; {low Lands may be Acquired; Fees of Land Offiee at Location; Agricultural Collere Scrip; Pre-emptions; Extending the Homestead Privilege; But One Homestead Allowed; Proof of Actual Settlement Necessary; Adjoining Farm Homesteads; Lands for Soldiers and Sailors; Lands for Indians; Fees of Land Otfiee and Commissions; Laws to Promote Timber Culture; Coneerning Appeals; Returns of the Register and Receiver; Coneerning Mining Claims; Second Pre-emption Benefit. Abstract From the U.S, Statutes.—The Law Soncerning Pr jon; Concerning Hi ds; Amendatory Act Coueerning ‘Timbcr; Miseellancous Provisions; Additional Surveys Land for Pre-emption, List of Caliornia Post Offices. Price, post paid, 50 cts. Published and sold by DEWEY & CO.S. F Paciric Rurat ‘PRESS, A first-class 10-page Ilustrated Agricultural Weekly, filled with fresh, valuable and interesting reading. Every farmer and ruralist should take it. It is immensely popular. Send for a sample eopy. DEWEY & CO., Publishers, S, F DEWEY & CO. American & Foreign Patent Agents OFFICE, 202 SANSOME Sr., N.E.Cor. Ping, S. F. PATENTS obtained promptly; Caveats filed expeditiously; Patent Reissues taken out Assignments made and recorded in legal form; Copies of Patents and Assignments procured; Examinations of Patents made here and at Washington; Examinations made of Assignments recorded in Washington; Examinations ordered and reported by Telegraph; Rejected cases taken up and Patents obtained; Inter ferences Prosecuted; Opinions rendered re garding the validity of Patents and Assignments; Every legitimate branch of Patent Agency Business promptly and thoroughly conducted, Our intimate knowledge of the various inventions of this coast, and long practice in patent business, enable us to abundantly satisfy our patrons; and our success and business are constantly increasing. The shrewdest and most experienced Inventors are found among our most steadfast friends and patrons, who fully appreciate our advantages in hringing valuable inventions to the notice of the public through the columns of our widely circulated, first-class journals— thereby facilitating their introduction, sale and popularity. Foreign Patents. In addition to American Patents, we secure, with the assistanoe of co-operative agents, claims in all foreign couutries which grant Patents, including Great Britain, France, Belgium, Prussia, Austria, Badeu, Peru, Russia, Spain, British India, Saxony, British Columbia, Canada, Norway, Sweden, Mexico, Victoria, Brazil, Bavaria, Holland, Denmark, Italy, Portugal, Cuba, Roman States, Wurtemburg, New Zealand, New Sonth Wales, Queensland, Tasmania, Brazil, New _ Grauada, Chile, Argentine Republic, AND EVERY COUNTRY IN THE WORLD where Patents are obtainable. No models are required in European countries, hut the drawings and specifications should be prepared with thoroughness, by able persons who are familiar with the requiremeuts and changes of foreign patent laws—agents who are reliable and permanently established, Our schedule price for obtaining foreign patents, in all cases, will always be as low, and in soine instances lower, than those of any other responsible agency. We can and do get foreign patents for inventors in the Pacific States from two to six months (according to the location of the eountry) SOONER than any other agents. The principal portion of the patent business of this coast has been done, and is still heing done, through onr agency. We are familiar with, and have full records, of all former cases, and can more correctly judge of the value and patentability of inventions discovered here than any other agents. Situated so remote from the seat of government, delays are even more dangerous to the inventors of the Pacific Coast than to applicants in the Eastern States. Valuable patents may be lost by extra time consumed in transmitting specifications from Eastern agencies back to this coast for the signature of the inventor, Confidential. We take great pains to preserve secrecy in all confidential matters, and applicants for patents can rest assnred that their commnnications and business transactions will be ,held strietly confidential by us. Circulars free Home Counsel. Our long experience in obtaining patents for Inventors on this Coast has familiarized us with the character of most of the inventions already patented; hence we are freqnently able to save onr patrons the cost of a fruitless application by pointing to them the same thing already covered by a patent. We are always free to advise applicants of any knowledge we have of previous applicants which will interfere with their obt-tning a patent. We invite the acqnaintance of all pa.ties connected with inventions and patent right business, helieving that the mutual conference of legitimate husiness and professional men is niutual gain. Parties in douht in regard to their rights as assignees of patents or purchasers of patented articles, can often receive advice of importance to tllem from a short call at our office. Remittances of money, made by individual inventors to the Government, sometimes miscarry, and it has repeatedly happened that applicants have not only lost their money, hut their inventions also, from this cause and con scquent delay. We hold ourselves responsible for all fees entrusted to our agency. Engravings. We have snperior artists in our own office, and all facilities for producing fine and satisfactory illustrations of inventions and machinery, for newspaper, hook, circular and other printed ilInstrations, and are always ready to assist patrons in bringing their valuable discoveries into practical and profitable nse. DEWEY & CO. United States and Foreign Patent Agents, publishers Mining and Scientifie Press and the Pacifie Rural Press, 202 Sansome St., N. E, coruer Pine, 8. F,