MINING METHOD OF THE WEEK - SUBLEVEL STOPING!!

This method is really a combination of several different methods of stoping. The figure is an illustration of the method, and shows half of the vein cut away where the stoping is being done. The miners go from the haulage level up the raise into the sublevels. On the first sublevel they will blast into the shape of funnels the raises that come up from the haulage level, and after working back, the slice, s, by breast stoping will drill holes at a and shoot part of this bench down into the raises. On the second sublevel the miners work back the slice, s, and then with down holes at b will blast the remainder of the first bench down into the raises, and with uppers at c shoot off part of the second bench. Both sets of holes will be fired at the same time. In this way each sublevel is drawn back; the broken ore is drawn off through the funnel-shaped raises, which leaves a large open stope - 911 Metallurgist.