Arizona weekly citizen. [volume] (Tucson, Ariz) 1880-1901, 1891-05-02
THE SONORA COAL FIELD.

THE SONORA COAL FIELD.
The following caption is as familiar as
household word to the people of Tucson
For the past decade the Sonora Goa
fields have been before the country
through good and evil report, The sur.
face of the whole San Marcial basin
brlstled with indications of coal wealth
Ledges that almost seemed to span the
state had been burned to rock by volcanic
fires that had long since ceased to glow.
Repeated examinations were made or the
''ields" and experts" learnedly wrote OF
pyritic. porphyritic and calcoreous states,
corbonized, .chrystalized and petritied.
as OUT ancient friend Job of the land
of Uz. quantity remarked: There is a
vein for the silver and place for gold
where you find it." The coal measures
st San Marcial appeared measureless,
but all human knowledge of the earths
interior stops at the pick point or at the
bottom Of the drill hole. True there
had been coal above and nothing short
of an internal cyclone could prevent
coal being below. Explorations had
been made elsewhere and coal had been
exposed, but the grass roots at San Mar
cial remained unturned.
This great basin was held by con-
cession from the Mexican government.
Theoretically ii was worth millions but
practically it was worth nothing unless
coal could be found. A proper exploita-
tion of the fields required larger outlay
Of money thar was at the disposition of
the grantees, and all efferts to enlist the
sympathy of corporate companies met
with repeated failure. This was largely
due to the grasping disposition of capi-
tai. As a surety for the investment
some wanted the coal fields and
what there was in them, others little
less modest hardly stopped short in
their demands Of the state of Sonora, |
with a fence around 1t and the people |
in it. Failing in this they pursued a
dog in. the menager policy neither ad-
money themselves nor letting
others do it Finally in 1890 Col. Fran
cisco Garcia one9Of the granters and an
attache of President Dias staff, being
in London conceived the idea Of manag-
the property himself. Col. Garcia is
NAH of decision and fine business quail
ifications. His assumption of control
more than half read the riddle Of the
coal measures. With sufficient means
be at cnce returned to Sonora and be-
gan in earnest, the task of exploitation.
A diamond drill costing on an aggregate,
$4,000 was put to work and to day less
han year since he bade farewell to his
riends in London, he has demonstrated
hat the coal measures Ct Sonora are
greater even than those of Pennsylvania.
At the depth of 53 ft. the drill passed
through the first coal bed, SIX feet in
which has been named "Por
oria Diaz" in honor OF Mexico's enter
,rising and enlightened president. A
econd vein OF Is inches was met with |
t less than q feet, At 81 feet another
tx foot vein of coal was passed. at 120 ,
t. Is inches more Of coal was fouu5; at
81 #. another u inches was met with,
It l83 Fl. 3 inches OF coal; al 19I Il. l.
q of coal; at 193 #. u in coal; at 277 IT. :
1t. OF coal. Jesus Ainsa vein). This
Elm 10 known as "hard egg" coal and
'Iil it is said compete with any coal in
he world for quality.
At 27S &c. 8 in. OF coal; at 23l It. 20 In
hes of coal; at 81 feet 16 in. OF coal; at :.
ID Fl. II in. of coal; at 81 ft. 6 in. OF
oal; at $50 feet Is in. coal; at $50 fl. y
l. Of coal; at 343 f.. y in. OF coal; at !.
l6 feet the great Benito Juares vein
as met with. This vein is % feet in n
lIckness, Between that depth and 400 !,
. several small veins were met with. At :.
he latter point although satisfied that
mother great body of coal lay beneath,
was deemed advisable TO move the
rill TO another portion of field. This .
as done and advices sfrom there are to Il
he effect that great results have been a
y
The foregoing brief outline of the re- d
llts OF ore drill hole in the Sonora d
;al fields is sufficient to demonstrate D
leir great wealth. u
a year ago the value of these meas
res was problematical, today they are
orth million Of dollars. The manu- 81
Icturing interests of the Pacific coast b
,e virtually at their feet.New industries n
i'll be opened up which without this n
bal can have no existence. The soft
Ugh priced coal from the Wellington
lines will be forced out Of the market
Y the low priced anthracite coal from ~
lie measures of San MarciaI. When 4
le latter are properly opened as they te
;suredly viii be within the next few C;
ears, the changes that will be wrought Ia
the industries Of the coast are diff Is
lit OF comprehension. 1t is at present !,
most i'm possible to comprehend the al
Importance OF this coal to commercial 1
terests this side Of the Rocky mount -
MS All that can be done Is to await
leir opening up en- the grand scale d
with their Importance, &c
nd as contemplated by the company, *
"
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