Philipp Deidesheimer - Virginia City, NV, USA
N 39° 18.618 W 119° 38.972
11S E 271561 N 4354559
This historical marker stands in the center of town, on a large, four-sided, composite rock base monument, with informative plaques on each side commemorating historical events and people of Virginia City, Nevada.
Waymark Code: WMGCV9
Location: Nevada, United States
Date Posted: 02/15/2013
Views: 4
This monument is situated on the edge of a parking lot on the east side of C Street, between Union Street and Taylor Street. This is one of seven historical markers attached to the monument, it reads:
"PHILIPP DEIDESHEIMER
1832 – 1916
INVENTOR OF THE SQUARE SET TIMBERING METHOD USED IN THE COMSTOCK LODE. THIS MAJOR BREAKTHROUGH IN MINING TECHNOLOGY PERMITTED LARGE ORE BODIES TO BE SAFELY MINED AT ANY HEIGHT, WIDTH, LENGTH OR DEPTH. NEVER WAS THERE ANY LOSS OF LIFE OR PROPERTY THROUGH ANY DEFECT IN THIS SYSTEM OF TIMBERING.
DEIDESHEIMER CHOSE NOT TO PATENT HIS INVENTION, BUT ENCOURAGED ITS FREE USE THROUGHOUT THE COMSTOCK LODE.
HE DIED POOR IN SAN FRANCISCO AT THE AGE OF 84.
JULIA C. BULETTE CHAPTER 1864
E CLAMPUS VITUS
JUNE 27, 1987"
"Philipp Deidesheimer, the Comstock inventor of the square-set timber system, made deep hardrock mining a possibility throughout the world, thereby becoming a respected mining engineer. Deidesheimer was born to Jewish parents in Darmstadt, Hesse in 1832 before German unification. He attended the prestigious Freiburg School of Mines. At nineteen, the young mining engineer traveled to the California gold fields to work for several years. Eventually, he addressed one of the Comstock's most critical needs.
By 1860, miners found the Comstock Lode was dozens of feet wide in some places making it impossible for timbers to support caverns cleared of gold and silver ore. Seeking a solution, Ophir Mine director W. F. Babcock summoned Deidesheimer to Virginia City. The engineer arrived in November 1860. After about a month, he developed the famed square-set timber method.
With thick timbers of regular dimensions, carpenters could assemble Deidesheimer's series of cubes in any direction to support every underground situation. Unfortunately, he failed to patent his invention, and other mines adopted the system without payment. Deidesheimer's square-set timbers became an international standard for the next fifty years.
Because Deidesheimer's name commanded respect, mines quickly employed him. Unprofitable properties exploited his credibility to boost stock prices, and ultimately, he failed economically. He eventually relocated to Sierra City, California, where he continued as a mine supervisor. Deidesheimer died in 1916." (
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