Government program keeps track of old Nevada mines, monitors safety

In 1857, the Grosh brothers almost hit pay dirt. Ethan and Hosea are said to be the first to discover the Comstock Lode, a massive silver deposit located near modern-day Virginia City. They died, however, before they could lay claim to it. Within a few years, the lode attracted thousands—Virginia City’s population ballooned to 25,000. A silver rush had begun, and ...