Mining is a challenging business, starting with finding valuable minerals to develop and even just getting to remote sites in all types of weather. After discovering minerals, it is necessary to raise enough capital to pay for constructing all the necessary buildings and machinery at the new mine. After this comes the herculean, and often dangerous, efforts to dig shafts or tunnels to access the ore bodies to then mine and sell the valuable minerals that hopefully bring in more money than was spent getting them out of the ground. All of this faced every mining company that did business in the Park City area, plus a unique local challenge: water.
In his 1912 USGS Professional Paper on the Park City mining district, John Mason Boutwell said, “the most serious difficulty in developing the mines has been the immense amount of underground water.”1 In describing the early days of the Ontario Mine he said, “the struggles against water seem almost incredible.”2
The problem was widespread in the district and consisted of groundwater in the rock miners were trying to excavate. It flowed through the cracks in the rock to flood the mine openings, where it had to be pumped out of the shafts with equipment powered by steam engines, an expensive endeavor. Sometimes the water inflow was greater than could be handled with the pumping equipment then available, and large parts of underground orebodies were out of reach for the mining companies until water could be drained.
The best long-term solution was to construct tunnels by starting downhill of the mines and driving back underneath the mine so that groundwater could be drained out of the areas to be worked. The Ontario Silver Mine built two drainage tunnels, in 1881 and 1888, respectively, and that experience was adopted by a number of the other mining companies in the Park City District.3
The Anchor Mining Company was incorporated in 1885 and work started that year constructing the mine buildings and machinery, plus part of the shaft.4 Work in the shaft proceeded down to 600 feet deep where much groundwater flowed in, hindering the work.5 In 1886 the shaft filled with water to within 100 feet of the surface and new pumping equipment and boilers were installed.6
Credit: Park City Historical Society & Museum, Kendall Webb Collection
The pumping effort was partially successful, but it was not economical to keep the shaft adequately dewatered, so further sinking of the shaft was suspended in June 1887.7 Two months later work on a drain tunnel commenced in lower Empire Canyon that was intended to be driven 6,600 feet toward the mine until it reached under the shaft at a depth of 1,200 feet.8
As the tunnel arrived below the shaft location it was expected to drain the shaft. When this did not happen, it was decided to connect the shaft and tunnel with a boring drilled down 600 feet from the shaft.
Drilling a six-inch diameter boring with a cable-tool rig began in 1889.9 Drilling was challenging and two borings were attempted, but neither was successful. One of the borings was advanced to about 250 feet below the shaft when the cable and drill bit were lost in the hole blocking its advance.10 Drilling experts were consulted in October 1889 and they recommended use of heavier-duty drilling equipment.11 A new contractor with the appropriate equipment and experience was mobilized to the site with plans to start drilling an 8-inch boring in January 1890.12
However, the Anchor mine building, including the drilling equipment in the building, was destroyed by fire in January 1890.13 Repairs to the building and drill equipment delayed work until that May.14 Again, after difficulties drilling, a boring was advanced to a depth of 323 feet below the bottom of the shaft when the drill cable parted and was lost in the bottom of the boring along with the drill bit.15 Drilling was terminated in October 1890.16
How the shaft was eventually drained will be described in part two of this story.
The Park City Museum’s lecture “Flame of Ambition,” about the Ontario Mine and its connections to a shooting and a collection of Egyptian artifacts, given by Steve Leatham has been rescheduled for February 7. It will be from 5 to 6 p.m. at the Museum building at 2079 Sidewinder Drive.
References
1. John M. Boutwell, U.S.G.S. Professional Paper 77, Geology and Ore Deposits of the Park City District, 1912, p.24.
2. John M. Boutwell, U.S.G.S. Professional Paper 77, Geology and Ore Deposits of the Park City District, 1912, p.25.
3. John M. Boutwell, U.S.G.S. Professional Paper 77, Geology and Ore Deposits of the Park City District, 1912, p.25 and 26; Park Record, 3-26-1887, 7-21-1888, 12-15-1888, 3-30-1889; Salt Lake Herald-Republican, 8-24-1890.
4. Ibid., 2.; Park Record, 8-17-1885, 8-22-1885, 8-29-1885, 10-10-1885, 10-24-1885, 11-11-1885, 12-23-1885, 10-19-1886.
5. John M. Boutwell, U.S.G.S. Professional Paper 77, Geology and Ore Deposits of the Park City District, 1912, p.25.; George A. Thompson and Fraser Buck, Treasure Mountain Home, 1993 ed., p.36; Park Record, 1-01-1887, 1-29-1887, 2-12-1887, 3-05-1887, 5-28-1887, 1-17-1891.
6. John M. Boutwell, U.S.G.S. Professional Paper 77, Geology and Ore Deposits of the Park City District, 1912, p.155.; Park Record, 11-06-1886, 5-28-1887-; Salt Lake Democrat, 12-15-1886, 12-20-1886.
7. Salt Lake Democrat, 5-14-1887; Park Record, 1-17-1891; Salt Lake Herald-Republican, 12-25-1891.
8. Park Record, 3-26-1887,7-02-1887, 8-06-1887, 8-13-1887, 8-20-1887, 9-03-1887, 9-10-1887, 9-17-1887, 10-08-1887, 2-04-1888, 2-25-1888, 3-17-1888, 4-07-1888, 5-19-1888, 2-16-1889, 6-22-1889, 1-17-1891; Salt Lake Herald-Republican, 8-16-1887, 8-18-1887, 4-21-1889, 9-17-1889, 10-20-1889, 12-14-1890; Ogden Daily Commercial, 11-25-1890; Salt Lake Democrat, 7-09-1887; Salt Lake Times, 6-28-1890
9. Salt Lake Herald-Republican, 9-17-1889, 12-25-1889; Park Record, 6-15-1889, 6-22-1889.
10. Salt Lake Tribune, 9-22-1889, Salt Lake Herald-Republican, 9-17-1889, 12-25-1889; Park Record, 6-22-1889.
11. Salt Lake Herald-Republican, 10-13-1889, 10-20-1889.
12. Salt Lake Herald-Republican, 12-22-1889, 12-25-1889, 1-05-1890.
13. Wasatch Wave, 1-14-1890; Park Record, 1-11-1890, 3-08-1890, 1-17-1891, Salt Lake Tribune, 3-09-1890, Salt Lake Herald-Republican, 1-09-1890, Deseret Evening News, 1-09-1890, Salt Lake Tribune, 1-09-1890.
14. Park Record, 3-08-1890, 4-12-1890, 4-26-1890, Salt Lake Tribune, 3-09-1890; Salt Lake Herald-Republican, 5-04-1890.
15. Salt Lake Times, 6-28-1890, 10-13-1890, 10-12-1891; Park Record, 5-17-1890, 7-26-1890, 8-02-1890, 8-16-1890, 9-20-1890, 10-11-1890, 10-18-1890, 1-17-1891, 10-24-1891; Salt Lake Herald-Republican, 5-18-1890, 5-25-1890, 6-08-1890, 6-15-1890, 6-29-1890, 7-20-1890, 10-12-1890.