Sutro Tunnel entrance

USA / Nevada / Dayton /
Sutro Tunnel entrance.

The Sutro Tunnel was designed to be a drainage tunnel to drain the mines of the Comstock Lode in Virginia City. Mine flooding was a problem and draining the mines would make it possible to mine deeper areas. The tunnel was the brain child of Adolph Sutro, an engineer by trade. Sutro sold shares and construction began in 1869. The tunnel was finished in 1878, but by then the mining developed new techniques to dig deep and drain the tunnels. Sutro quickly sold his interests, moved to San Francisco and became mayor.

Much of the tunnel has collapsed. The entrance sits on private land and in not open to the public.
Wikipedia article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sutro_Tunnel
Nearby cities:
Coordinates:   39°16'48"N   119°35'3"W
This article was last modified 6 years ago