Digital Bob Archive

NOVEMBER 18, 1893-Juneau?s first bank will be opened by the Harrison Bros., about the first of January. A large vault is now under construction in their building.

The Mexican 60-stamp mill starts operating in a few days. The building is 88 by 114 feet and 63 feet high at the top of the roof. The building is double boarded with tar paper between and is painted red with white trim. The boiler room measures 36 by 40 feet and has three tubular boilers each 54 inches in diameter and with a total capacity of 240 horsepower. The coal bunker will hold 800 tons. The engine room is also 36 by 40 and is closely sealed with tongue and groove lumber to keep out dust. In it are Corliss twin compound engines with cylinders 16 by 42 inches in diameter. The iron flywheel is 18 feet in diameter. Beside the steam engines stands a Pelton wheel 71 inches in diameter run by water power with a head of 180 pounds to the square inch.

The batter of 60 stamps is divided into six sections of ten each. The battery room is 26 by 114 feet and the ore bin above the batter is 14 by 114 and 20 feet deep. The vanner room is 44 by 144 feet and has 24 of the latest improved Frue concentrators. East of the mill is the crusher tower 110 feet high, holding two Comet crushers. In a separate house are three Pelton wheels to run the electric plant and air compressors. The mill was erected under the direction of Angus Mackay who has been building mills on the Pacific Coast since the early 1860?s.

NOVEMBER 25, 1893-Electric lights shown on the street of Juneau on Tuesday evening, November 21, for the first time. Many people who ordinarily are not seen out at night went walking to view this novelty. The first electric light in a Juneau business house was turned on in the Mining Record office at the same time.

The mercury registered 3 degrees above at 1 p.m. today. The cold has slowed water in the Treadwell ditch and some of the stream plants are being fired up.

Our night watchman, Frank Starr, is operating a wake-up service. Persons wanting to be called at any hour of the night may leave a note for him at the watchman?s call box at Second and Seward streets.

A flume has been erected to carry water directly from Granite Creek to the power house at the Nowell mill and it is believed that Juneauites can be assured of having electric lights all winter.