| Show t IH H 1 ij l i j I r 1 1 WORK KWORK Te of REBUILDING e GREAT CREA T SUTRO TUNNEL BY Y A j MCDONALD Ji 1 JUTi n generation Ima ha elapsed N tho Sutro tunnel was com tet I H 1 Is 1 therefore that the history of this nit i tho th story of Its It construction tf d is lIS Importance to the mines mine on tu ll l Lode Ld will wm bo ho appreciated b bl r 11 is of the UI Id h ot of a tunnel for I f g and draining tho Comstock Com tock mir LS LI suggested by b tho lute late Ai iii Sutro In II tho thu year 1 U was ho n r only after a 1 prolonged contest that thaI IK hr a n franchise from Con Ke rc tul a IL grunt grant of the land TV fr r prosecuting this meat work Thi T t r n i grant obtained at II this lr in nn area seven In Ini Il 1 i with n 1 wl th of feet This Hi m lt t the base bale nf Ir tho thu foothills Hi i n t of Hr the tho Carson CUIson 1 ll d 11 extends westerly we terly to bo he boJ heI J I the MIP great Kr lt lode lote The right to 10 pur h at ot 3 i per Iler acie Cn luch II i 1 ns and uld lOlIs at 11 were cut dU eli 1 f r developed el the 1111 l they t I lay II on nl ih li i ll i of tins tunnel 1 within with III ilin Ih line II mt were wre In III prior possession enlon of oC oCo o l I ittes was waR also Included In II tho g ml Tho ho of or pur purr Jur JurrI r rI t t per re two sections i tl land near lual tho mouth of If r 1 also formed putt of the tho 1 awls n ut lt this time v f J 1 t Mr Sutro triM tried In II vain to tn t v in Jean In ond an li n last ro reo F I to V where whre ho he oh J I j lom of nearly n irl from rom II brothers ut lt 12 I per p r cent centI celt I r i Um This loan was secured by I r o and the Sutro T f i i or with wil a capital K of or The Tho total t Jr j f th branches tunnel Us I wai n 11 It I la therefore to bv J UH Ihl sul completion In Int t r early p was 11 u IL stupendous k tint lInt financial 11 from frol nil ni p I of or tho world 11 rn T of ot the tho Sutro tunnel would l of the ther without n II sketch r r 0 of Sutro Its Il projector J n 1 therefore be rt I 1 that thata h w s a native of oe Alx I Ux Charelle a Lw 1 Ws educated as a a I mining 1 r Germany nr firt t hu l li r i on Oi tha tho coast Olst was n nCr M Cr of 01 n small cigar store In II Han Hann fal n co At t this he a man mal of ordinary means ant when he suggested hiving u a tunnel to drain drall tho COlS tuck lode his personal assets 16 CIS did dl not exceed Ho 10 afterwards held or 01 l shares of Sutro Tunnel stock which ho sold Mold ut lit from H 4 W O to al per I I the tha last block bringing the latter In tn ISIS The rho proceeds oce s from the tho salo alo of oC this stock placed him at ri I single hound In II thu IlIk of multimillionaires and Ind his hl great t Wll h or most mo t of 0 t It I was In Invested vested In San real estate Sutro Heights and nuel laths tha tho Cliff CUl House railway In 1 stately buildings In Inthe II the bushier f center of the tho city cl arc to today day cIa monuments to his hil Indomitable en energy enell ergy ell perseverance Ills vant es estate C tate tute aggregating ninny millions was WIS acquired after he h hud reached lifes meridian hu ho having attained his for Cm fortieth year lr before h tha Inception of or his hIl greatest ment the construction of tho Sutro tunnel Ills Ils death nth oc occurred 1 In III tho lutc when h hn hI n few months of o being an al oc 0 t Beginning u Work Ground was AM broken n for the tho tunnel nn Oi Ort Od 16 lt t the site of whit l II now nol 1111 nn ni tho town of or Hut 1 at 9 connection midnight on 01 July was with wih u II drift dri on 01 tho thu I lerl of ot the tho c mine at It u I point pint feet of the tho main shaft hut Mr Sutro wan first to pass 1111 through the tie opening IID ho was by Su Superintendent 11 of the o others Including representative tive Tho fhe connection of tho tunnel with the tho wa followed by hy bya hyI a rousing celebration nt lt I blazed and Inel cannon boomed throughout tho The length of th tunnel from trl Its mouth to the tho connection with tho I mine In I reet tho north lateral branch Ir has u t length of UIG feet CeH 2 f i inn thA main tunnel to n I point feet reet UI north of 01 the tho couth of l the tho Mex Mox lenn 1111 mine 1111 the south hI IrH I hUH WH a I length of ut SM Sio feet fet from frol the tun tunnel nel II to the Korman shaft The drift this branch I Il with thu tho AHu 11 shaft him hl n 1 length of fe t Th tunnel In target Ir t for or a I distance of or lino feel east t of Its 18 moUth Ilo th It being In thin section the remainder averages about In III tho clr The size of this thu lAteral Is II approximately the latter laUr our shafts welo start started ed cd along tho line lne of the tunnel for ventilating purposes Thene fhe 1 welo equipped with wih costly co steam hoists compressors but shafts No I 1 No 0 2 only onty were sunk ti tn tho thu tunnel 1 I A larm lar flow of ot water Iter In No o r t t tI I I ENTRANCE TO THE GREAT S UTRO TUNNEL 3 ln No o 4 together with the discovery seo I ery cr that nil could be h obtained o by hy and thu powerful pars then In II ue I In the of or these f two shafts alter lter n depth of lOCO JoO f et t had h 1 beer I In 11 the thu main tunnel four min miner er p belts e led Tin Th first U II known kno n OB 01 th Ireat Klow l 11 iv titu tl 1 n la I tho third th lck the fourth tho of or thc tI th wick Is I the most important It having u II width of nearly lelII U 6 feet between walls tI Very little I t tit If any prospecting on al the Q outside Q of ot thu go 60 that they thc may 11 yet et prove a 0 source of n to th progress was wai made In driving the main tunnel notwithstanding ing Ilg thu Intel o heu t a 11 It I did IU from 11 to 15 degrees Kahr 1 together tOI ther with tho steam from rum the tho hot water encountered red nn ni advance of 10 feet Celt In to 0 days from July 22 to t August 1 I ISH having been registered ImI ter d with wih u I working of 30 man tho construction cOll of oC the tun tunnel tUI nel n 1 stately mansion was erected f td on onan UI an above tho town tOWI of which with wih Us Is broad brod lawns and syl sylvan 11 van nl surrounding make It an 11 attract lo In home hOle All Al went well wel until Int tho mining com companies cm refused to pay lY to tn thu tunnel company the tho royalty 1011 on 01 ores extracted this refusal Immediately Upon d a bulkhead to tl prevent pr enl the wa water water ter from th mines from flawing through the thu tunnel A compromise om promise was I effected on March W 1 und I I II upon April Apri I 1 of the th same MOe y nr tho work of excavating a begun b III hll four nur miles In length and ml In II cross crOM section w cut lut In II 01 rock rok on tho south side alele of the th tunnel work was completed In W 0 day and Aud It gave employment to tl 1000 11 men 1111 Th he wooden wooten 1 In the clear w r con construct I of or plink plank I Isi si is by h side In II the ln The l wrO tightly I Ih 1 covered l and an when Hooded nere 1 used to convey the tle hot hOl pumped from the th lower levels of the th nines ulnes through the tunnel Pern anil Tim Th Hooding of the lower l v l of ot oftie othe tie he Gold Hill 11 mines In 11 1 caused a 14 the 1 of work worl blow below tu 1 1 level tind In II a few CeI year ear was Wil followed bv hv a I like Uke fusi in the tha middle and nd north enil properties With this Me of ot arl It appeared the of or the Sutro WN wu at an end as f n a consequence thllma masterpiece ma of t wan wal left lef to decay deo until now with the re nak of the It I has ha become to tor r the tit old 01 tunnel The old 01 timber la II replaced with wih new and nth the car trucks are nl being rebuilt and arl In with wih this march of u 1 new drain Is ts b ng constructed eon throughout the th length of or the tunnel tumid and Its brunches This new III drain hll of or a II Oregon pin pipe pip lint In In II Moh of the Itral a C 10 Inoh pipe In main rach SIR f l treated with a t 1 i pre compound which will wi as assure a sure lure a I long leaie len e ot a life to the under even ee tho severe sever conditions of or In 1 i At tho present writing Is I some something thing over 7 gallons of a i irIel per rIel hours flowing through 4 tho thu tunnel J This is IH being pumped from frol II U r the lower levels of ot the north end elul mines mineR and from Crom the Ward shaft Tho r now In use are but thu beginning J of tin great pumping plant In contemplation with wih which It is II hoped hop 1 to be 0 to reach the tha wry very lo lowest sest depths of tho mineral bearing be strata of ot tho Com Coin stock lode At t tho C t C shaft thoro thoroIs I Is now Iti II o nn 01 extensive clec elee pumping plant on Oi Ihl i I el find Is 18 supplement supplemented ed cd with wih a h mulu ol vator which lifts from frol the l future Futuro plans contemplate f t plate the thu Installation of a n larger plant II on un the ant extensive on 01 the tl I vel f At the Ward shift a I 11 plant t bf f gal i J linn per minute capacity Is la to tn bo be In Installed I stalled on the level and alt this with witha a Undo lift of ot f t will wi I Into th the Bouth lateral branch of tho utro tun t iw I Of or I The ultimate connection between thi th Ix i d and tho Sutro tunnel j therefore nt thu tl F t gr at Importance this now noW famous falIS t tunnel to the tw can not ot b b over overe 01 I I f e led te Commercially the tho wy fY life le of tho district depends upon tha tho In Integrity t of or this property through Its It I In th the o opera tlona t lt u a a I source of ot ventilation and Its in tho way WiY of or ore 01 transport ton to mis that be r 1 at nt the mouth of the tl tunnel 1 from Irom an the th I Importance of ot the Oi la I mill wat I er n aH n th the mine r I thereby given a new levo 1900 f t I 15 fet i below bt ow th the The ho mil mi e water IK I III 1 I pumped only to this and the energy reduced In a ratio retuCe nto with the c eleva elevation 1 I Iton tion The Th tunnel and AX Il ton as al they do dt from rom one end ld of ot the tb lode to tv tho other affords a read I and of ut mean of ut ventilation communication between tan Lait Lut of ot nil 11 when wh n the Ih tunnel I 14 pel for tor electric el traction it will I open n a new n exit ul for tor the ores IrH miJ waste nile that iff many man Its 18 therefore deep 11 Is made on the Com Comstock Om stock and Id It I I II to tl b b hoped that tRl the now r In tn tb depths or ul orthe the old Me loe mn tit It nn 10 distant dl be b to tv pour Jur Into th worlds lor offers r IU lt sum o |
