Comstock Lode

Comstock Lode, a ledge of silver, to which Virginia City, Nevada, largely owes its prosperity. Discovered in 1859, the lode has since yielded at times over ten million dollars annually. The shaft is 2300 feet deep, but work is now confined to the upper levels, the workmen having been driven from the depths by the heat (120° F.) and by the steam generated through the action of the air on the sulphurous rock penetrated by the different levels.