Photo Description
The storage of explosives at the mines was an important consideration. The larger mines in the district used magazines built of brick in which to store explosives. The heavy metal door was locked to prevent theft. Generally, two magazines were located at each mine. One was storage for the dynamite and the other was for the primers used for detonation. The two structures were separated to ensure that an accidental explosion in one would not detonate the other. Rock or concrete was used for magazine construction as a precaution against fire. This magazine belonged to the Golden Cycle Mine and was also used by the Anna J. Mine crews.
In the early days of the District, rock was broken underground by blasting. At first, the holes were drilled either by a miner with a four-pound hammer and a piece of drill steel or drilled by a two-man team with one man holding and rotating the drillsteel while the other man struck the steel with a heavy hammer. The two miners changed positions frequently. Drill machines, powered by compressed air eventually replaced hand drilling, considerably increasing the productivity of the miner.
From a sign at the site
