Which Way Underground? Lecture by M. Kim McCarter

The Park City Museum and The Friends of Ski Mountain Mining will be hosting a lecture given by Professor M. Kim McCarter called Which Way Underground? on Wednesday, February 5^th from 5-6 p.m. at the Education and Collections building located at 2079 Sidewinder Drive.  The Sutro tunnel of Comstock lode fame pioneered construction of tunnels driven to drain and access underground precious metal mines.   This amazing six mile long engineering marvel was completed 1878.  Park City can claim its own engineering marvel in the 1894 completion of the Keetley tunnel which provided drainage and access to the Ontario and other interconnected mines.  Even with the advent of 21st century technology, many of us marvel at the ability of engineers to precisely direct underground tunnels to a desired destination.  But the task was even more daunting considering the equipment available to 19th century surveyors.  The presentation will deal with how antiquated technology was used to complete these and similar projects.  A simplified explanation of surface and underground surveying principles and exhibition of vintage equipment will be included.  The objective of the dialogue will be to provide further appreciation of challenges encountered by engineers and surveyors in developing the historic Park City mines.

Kim McCarter is a Utah native and received his Bachelor of Science and PhD. in Mining Engineering from the University of Utah. He began his career with Kennecott Copper Corp., at the Bingham Canyon mine. He began teaching at the University of Utah in 1973 and accepted a full-time faculty appointment as professor of Mining Engineering 1978.  He served as Chair of the Mining Engineering Department for about 28 years, and was appointed the Malcolm N. McKinnon Endowed Chair in 2011.  While serving in a full-time capacity he taught various courses in the undergraduate curriculum including surveying.  His research involved underground and surface mine seismicity, slope and waste embankment stability, and application of explosives.  He is a Utah licensed professional engineer, distinguished member of the Society of Mining, Metallurgy and exploration, and Professor Emeritus in the Department of Mining Engineering.