General Location: North 1/2 of Section 25 and Section 26, T89N, R2E
Description: Workings, both surface and underground, were not evident in the 1960's and 70's though some houses in the immediate areas of where the mine shafts had been had blocks of tailing used for landscaping and walls.
"A good example of a pitch in the Dubuque mines is the Alpine ore body." Calvin and Bain, 1900, p. 513.
"Third opening.-This is the lowest one worked in West Dubuque and carries jack in the Alpine, Avenue Top, Bush, Fourteenth street and other shafts in the region." Calvin and Bain, 1900, p. 528.
"This portion of the crevice (Black Crevice), except as noted below, belongs to, and is mined by the Alpine Zinc Mining company. A certain portion of the crevice underlying the Dillrance property, is in dispute between the Alpine and Avenue Top companies, and in the meantime is in possession of the latter. The Alpine company has now four shafts upon the crevice. The quarry shaft at the eastern end produced four cars of bone in sinking the shaft, but it has never been worked to any extent. It is ninety feet deep. The Fifth street shaft is 155 feet to the bottom of the shaft, and 115 feet to the bottom of the top opening, in which most of the work has been done. The Alpine, which is the main shaft and is named from the street upon which it is located, is 127 feet from the engine floor, 140 feet from the loading platform to the bottom of the top opening, and about fifty feet below that to the present bottom of the mine. The Baxter shaft, located near the water tower and west of the disputed ground, is 110 feet deep and shows jack just above the water level. In all, the company holdings cover nearly a mile along this crevice." Calvin and Bain, 1900, p. 555.
Surface elevation : 845 feet Third opening: 718 feet Lower flint opening: 668 feet Calvin and Bain, 1900 p. 556.
"The Alpine mine is at present the largest and best equipped mine in the district. It was worked for some years by the firm of Trueb, Southwell & Co.; but since February, 1899, it had passed under the present name. The equipment includes a power hoist, air compress or power drill, dynamo and system of electric lights. The current from the dynamo is used for firing the shots. At present work is being carried west from the main shaft. The Fifth street shaft, some 500 feet east of the Alpine is equipped with a horse gin, but is not operated continuously. In sinking the Alpine shaft several thousand pounds of lead ore were found, but below, the ores have been zinc. Dry bone had been shipped for years from the upper opening. At the second opening, which is quite large and well developed, the ore pitches to the north and broadens out. There are indications of a similar pitch to the south, though the ore has not as yet been followed in this direction. The main stopes are accordingly now north of the shaft. A north-south cross section of the shaft, showing its relations to the ore, is given in figure 88.
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| Photo courtesy, The University of Iowa Calvin Collection. | Calvin and Bain, 1990, fig. 88. |
At present the stope is sixteen feet wide and the face is twenty feet high. The ore has been followed approximately 400 feet west or to the disputed ground. The bottom shows even better ore, clearer jack and less bone. In the Fifth street and the Quarry shafts the same ore body is found at the proper horizon, while at the Baxter shaft good ore occurs nearly 100 feet above this level. The Alpine workings, and those east of that shaft, are east of the bar already mentioned, and accordingly are not troubled with water. There is evidently a very large amount of good ore yet to be mined here, and under the present active management the property may be expected to develop into an important mine." Calvin and Bain, 1900, p. 557-558.
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