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Show Elton Tunnel Crews Near End Of Work Crew about ready to do their trick at Tooele-Bingham Tunnel, Portal in background. More than 90 per cent complete, the Elton Tunnel being driven from Tooele valley to Bingham, Utah, is now on its final lap. This bore which cuts under the western range of the Oqulrrh mountains is being driven in an effort to reclaim thousands of tons of low grade ore that lies under water in the Bingham district, and to prospect a vast expense of undeveloped un-developed territory. The work is being conducted by the National Tunnel & Mines company, com-pany, a consolidation of the old Utah Apex Mining company and the Utah Delaware Mining company, com-pany, and is a subsidiary of the International Smelting & Refining company. The tunnel was started in June, 1938, and at the current rate of progress, it should be completed and ready for use by midyear 1941. When completed it will connect with the Rood shaft of the Utah Apex unit at a depth of 2500 feet, about 1200 feet below the old'water . table. Driving of the tunnel is not only being welcomed by people of Tooele as a mining project, but as an agri cultural project as well. The flow of water developed in the tunnel is furnishing a much-needed stimulant stimu-lant to the semi-arid lands of Tooeie valley, where agricultural production has languished during the past quarter of a century. The tunnel will extend 4 miles and is expected to reduce the cost of mining a ton of ore by about $1.40 so that a lower grade product pro-duct heretofore valueless can be mined. The ore below the water was considered virtually valueless because It was too expensive to pump the water and hoist the ore and waste to the surface. The tunnel tun-nel outlet will have cost approximately approxi-mately $1,500,000 when completed. Soon, it is hoped, this deep development program will unlock the ore reserves that have been . held under the water table for perbups millions of years and a resource heretofore valueless will give powerful support to the Industrial In-dustrial life of the state for many years to come. Such, is modern mining, going deeper and farther into the earth and mining lower and lower grade ores. |