The Junction Mine (Calumet & Arizona) in Bisbee, Arizona.

 

  The Snow Storm Mill in Mullan, Idaho, "showing copper precipitating

tanks on side," about 1910. Postcard published by M. Rieder,

Los Angeles, No. 8745.

Steam Points

 

The great Klondike Gold Rush included harsh northern winters. During those

harsh months, underground mining was very desirable. The miners would sinking

a shaft through the overburden to the pay gravels. These pay gravels were lifted

out of the shafts and stockpiled for spring processing.

 

In order to work the gravels, the miners had to thaw the permafrost, a task

accomplished with wood fires. By 1902, the wood fire thawing method was mostly

replaced by steam thawing. Steam was piped from surface boilers to steam points

which were driven with wooden mallets into the working face of the gravel.

Gold Mining Thawing by Steam Points, Alaska. Postcard published by

Lowman & Hanford Co., Seattle, Washington, about 1915.

Site Coordinator: Lori Niemuth

Last updated: December 27, 2007