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Show Doum.E Cage. Something new and original in the way of a mining shaft cage, as far as the Comstock or any other mining operations in this section arc concerned, is in use at the Yellow Jacket south shaft at the present pre-sent time, and haa been for nearly two weeks. It is simply a double or two-story two-story cage for ore hoisting and other purposes usually required, having two platforms, so that two car-loads of ore can be hoisted at a time instead of one, effecting a decided saving in both time and expense. Heretofore with the single sin-gle oago they havo been hoisting 1,400 pounds of ore at a load; using 4.000 pounds of wire rope or cable. Now with the same rope they hoist just twice that amount, or two car-loads at a time, weighing 2,800 pounds. The cable is a flat steel wire-rope three inches wide by five-eighths of an iuch thick, the regular working strain of hieh is seven tons, and the breaking strain fifty tons. There is a new cable at the hoisting works, by the shaft, which is of iron wire five inches wide by half an inch thick, the breaking rain of which is forty seven tons, showing quite a difference in favor of steel. On this double cage sixteen uiiuers are hoisted or lowered at a time, instead of eight as formerly. This expedites matters considerably in changing shifts, saving much time and keeping less miners waiting for a chance to go up or down. It would prove also a very important advantage in case of such a terrible accident as the great fire calamity occurring in the mines two years ago. This cage is of the safety pattern, and was made at the workshop of the company. It certainly cer-tainly is a very creditable, as well as advantageous, piece of work. |