Page 85 - Vol. 1 Walks In The Black Range - 2nd Edition

the extensive working which went into many of the mines in this area. Harley reports (ibid. p. 153) that $1,500,000 worth of ore was taken from the Rattlesnake Mine. At page 156, Harley attempts to determine profitability of the workings (see below).
Flooding was always a problem in the Hillsboro Mining District. At the time of our visit the Eureka adit was flooded, at some point piping and hoses had been left, doubtlessly as part of
a “dewatering” effort. The ceiling of the tunnel was covered in
wire “fencing” held in place by expansion bolts. (See photo below - the video referenced above provides an excellent perspective of the situation in the tunnel.)
The flooding in the Eureka Tunnel is (was) a common phenomenon in the mines of the Hillsboro Mining District. As noted above, “dewatering” was always going on and obtaining and running the pumps that were required to purge the mines of water was an expensive endeavor. On numerous occasions we have found shafts and adits flooded relatively high on the side of the mountains. It is not uncommon to find old hoses and piping used in relatively recent times to dewater the mines.
At the same time, water is required for the processing of ore and there was always some attempt being made to provide the mines with water, “The Pipeline Trail” in the first edition (and in the second volume of this edition when it is published) notes some excellent examples of some of the work which was done. The water problem was mostly one of timing, the mine had to be dewatered for mining to occur, but the water pumped out of the mine could not be stored effectively. When ore processing was taking place there was no water.