Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1853-10-29
ANCIENT SILVER MINES.

The Lancaster Pa Wing gives an account az tho 20
opening and exploration Of mine of gaiena
in Pequea Valley Lancaster county which was known and
worked prior to the Revolutionary war The old shaft
have been cleaned out by direction some Philadenb
capitalists, and the ore assayed by Dr. FAnsEsrocK Of
Lancaster who pronounces it to contain upwards Of
hundred dollars worth of silver to the ton of lead Pro-
ssor BooTH and other chemists have also made ASSAYS
it is stated, and with similar results. The ore yields
about eighty per cent of lead Copper and zinc are
also found in the place, which contain consider
able amount of silver though the quantity has not
yet been ascerained At the breaking of the Revo-
utonary the shafts and tunnels carefully clos
ed up and oil operations ceased, and subsequently all
traces of the mine lost and forgotten The editor
of the Wing, who has visited the scene says:
some tunnel, adit level which we entered is about
one hundred yards in length feet high, and five
feet wide, driven through solid rock shaft along the
Pcquea creek is about fifty feet deep, and adit level
had just been commenced which probably intended
to supersede the former, about hundred feet below
The main shaft however which is supposed to be from
two to three hundred feet Deep has yet been cleared
out.
at is supposed land the supposon is certainly we'll
supported by the size of the dirt heap outsde that
Their tunnel under that alluded from the main
shaft However this may be- the vein appears to have
been pretty well worked out it emerged towards the
surface and there be question to the
which attended their operations from the systematic
nef in which they were prosecuted.
Numerous trial pits Of more less depth spread
over the surface to the distance of nearly half mile
II the vein had been carefully and diligently proved
the surface before definite for permanent
mining had been made. Mr.. Bowen has already found
n ems =, sassn all Of different and Psan
From tho very midst Of these shafts, and towering from
the dirt heaps themselves trees Of considerable age
two of which we judge seventy years old The spot
was covered with trees some fifteen years ago."
Speaking the subject the Lancaster Herald
says:
"A company of Philadelphia capitalists have COM
menced working the old silver mine in Conestoga town.
ship about mile and half of Conestoga Centre
This mine opened and worked to some extent prior
to the Revolution, but with what is known
The presumption however, from the factof its having
been abandoned, is that it did not pay But the great
improvements made in recent years in the science Of
ing and separating may render the present UNDER
taking successful If the amount of silver obtained
should not be very great the other metals obainedead
and zinc-may still remunerate the labor expended We
have been shown by Ele Bowen ESQ., superintendent of
the mining operations exceeding rich specimen of the
argentiferous galena obtained from the mine This
combination of silver and leads said to be worth
5000 per ton
" The copper mine in Bart township, which was ORR
ginally opened and abandoned under similar crcum-
to the above has been reopencd the past
two years. and from the spirit with which operations
carried the company is doubtless meeting with
/ "The lead mine in East Hempfeld discovered and
partially opened two three years SINCE is under
stand, about TO be tested again under favorable
auspices
Severa very valuable beds Of iron ore have recently
been opened in different parts of the county Mr c.
Geiger has opened very fine bed apparently Mr.
Myin's farm, mile south Of Willow street, from which
he intends supplying his furnace in South Prince street
/" In passing Camargo in Bart township, the other day
we noticed iron from the beds that place being
taken to York furnace, distance of twelve miles The
superior quality Of the ore warrants its transportation
that distance"