This is the third article in a periodic series discussing one of the single most significant excavation projects in the Park City area – the construction of the Snake Creek Drain Tunnel.
The Daly-Judge Mine was incorporated in 1901 and the quality and quantity of its ore reserves proved spectacular. By 1910 their financial “war chest” exceeded $750K – approximately $25M in 2024. For the Board of Directors and the company’s General Manager, G.W. Lambourne, their ambitious expansion plans could now become a reality. These included, but were not limited to, building their own hydroelectric power plant, creating Park City’s first large scale electrolytic zinc smelter, and constructing a reservoir. They just needed to access and control their vast subterranean water reserves. To solve this conundrum, in 1910 the Board formed a new company: The Snake Creek Mining and Tunnel Company. Mr. Langbourne would serve as GM of both the new entity and the Daly-Judge.
The engineering documents specified a 2.75-mile (14,500 feet) double-track bore at eight feet six inches wide and six feet six inches in height above the rail line. Below the tracks, a four feet by four feet concrete lined flume would channel the water. A boardwalk would be built between the tracks for the tunnel’s entire length. This bi-directional underground transportation artery would set the scale by which all other endeavors of this type would be judged. The project began in May 1910 and would take six years to complete.
Mr. O.N. Friendly, the project’s lead engineer, welcomed the challenge before him. He exuded confidence. The project was fully funded, so money was not a concern (yet). He could afford premium talent, the best available technology, and dreams of future endeavors including the extension of his tunnel another two miles to access The Big and Little Cottonwood Canyon mining districts. He basked in the fleeting comfort of not knowing the realities that awaited him.
Credit: Park City Historical Society & Museum, Himes-Buck Digital Collection
The first year of excavation proceeded smoothly enough. By December 1910 the bore reached 2,068 feet. No significant water flows were yet encountered. All things considered, 1911 delivered similar progress, but with a couple of notable exceptions. In May the tunnel depth reached 3,472 feet. Mr. Friendly indicated that the “water zone” had been penetrated. In September, at a depth of 4,066 feet, he recorded a “large” quantity of water. Thereafter, the mountain became increasingly vengeful. For Mr. Friendly and his intrepid tunnel builders 1912 would deliver a series of engineering and financial challenges.
In February 1912 at a tunnel depth of 4,150 feet, the first significant “cave” occurred. It would not be the last. The crews installed the heaviest timbers available – 10 x 10 Oregon pine. They failed in less than 24 hours. A second attempt delivered the same results.
To ameliorate the “heavy” ground Mr. Friendly designed an egg-shaped steel reinforced concrete lining. Notable engineering publications lauded his innovative design, saying “this splendid piece of work” would stand the test of time. The prognosticators neglected to define the timeline.
Financial, labor, and engineering issues would bedevil Mr. Friendly for the remainder of 1912. Our next installment details those calamities.
Acknowledgements: The author thanks Steve Leatham and Clark Martinez for their generous contributions to this series.
Tonight, the Park City Museum is hosting a lecture titled “Zula Nelson: The Life of A Miner’s Wife in Park City, 1937-1952” by mining consultant and former mining professor Mike Nelson from 5 to 6 p.m. at their Education and Collections Center located at 2079 Sidewinder Drive.