Shovel Operations At Bingham, Utah Copper Co.

AT THE Utah Copper mine, steam shovels were first used, in 1906, for the removal of overburden, and in June, 1907 for the mining of ore. Prior to 1907, the ore came from underground development work and from stoping. The use of the steam shovel gradually increased until 1914; since then all material, both overburden and ore, has been loaded by power shovels operating on the various benches of the mine. During FIG. 1.-SCENE OF UTAH COPPER MINE BEFORE OPEN-PIT MINING WAS BEGUN. these 19 years, there has been a great improvement in open-pit mining; largely in the use of equipment having greater capacity and dependableness. The history of the development of mechanical shovels and related equipment, as affecting the Utah Copper Co., would be interesting and would justify considerable space; but of greater interest at this time is the operation of the equipment now in use. The Utah Copper mine is in a great deposit of copper-bearing monzonite, which occurs as a prominent headland of the Oquirrh range of