The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1897-07-23

Strange as it may seem, the same
mysterious mines from which King Sol
ONION obtained this fabulous amount of
gold, copper and other precious metals
are also being worked by modern min
ers, Even after fully 1000 years these
ancient mines are still yielding precious
metal for the enrichment of man. The
sound of blasting vibrates through the
huge hollow vaults, where, centuries
ago, countless thousands of workers
toiled, taking out the gold that was to
emblazon the mighty Temple. Instead
of the faint tinkerings of thousands
of hammers, the echoes of mammoth
steam drills float up through the crew
ices and shafts.
Wonderful, indeed, are these ancient
works that have witnessed the rise and
fall of empire and now remain as
monument of Solomons great engineer
ing skill.
They are near the town of Cordova
Spain. What they were called in an
Gent times is unknown but of the fact
that they were King Solomon's own
mines there is NO doubt.
But not alone did he confine himself
to these particular mines. Some dis
lance away in Spain, in the northern
part of Galicia, on the banks of the
River Sill, are similar mines that yield
ed him gold of the finest quality. The
old workings still remain but little
changed in appearance.
United States Consul J. Harmony in
spected them last month and says that
English companies are now being form
ed with large capital to again extract
the gold.
Even to-day he says, "a compensa-
tive quantity of gold is washed from
these old deposits on the banks of the
river by the peasant women. who stand
in the shallow places and wash the
gold they have collected in wooden
bowls, in the working of which they
have become experts.
PROFESSOR HILLS REPORT.
Professor Alexander Hll one of the
greatest mining experts of the present
day, has carefully examined these
mines for the Spanish Government, and
confirmed the theory that has for years
been held by scientists and scholars of
ancient research, that these ancient
workings were indeed King Solomon's
mines.
Professor Hill has been appointed
consulting engineer of the mines, and
it is under his direction that they are
now being worked.
THE mines,' he says, "were worked
by the PhoenicianS in 1000 B. c., and it
was here that King Solomon undoubt-
eddy obtained much of the metal for
the Temple In my Investigations of
these mines I discovered many wonder
full things.
AS we journey down the immense
gloomy caverns we from time to time
stumbled against water wheels, made
of oak, completely covered with a coat
ing of copper and perfectly preserved
The copper covered the wheels in some
instances an inch thick. 1t must have
taken thousands of years for this coat
ing to have formed in this manner.
These wheels, nothing similar to
which has ever before been discovered,
were evidently used by the ancient
toilers for raising the water that wash
ed into the tunnels and filled the depths
below. The water was raised by a Sc
ries of tanks one tank being placed
above the other until the surface was
reached. There are to be seen remains
OF THESE IdIlkS SUM cIlllt, " Lie IOuSH
sides of the walls.
I'm other subteTanean vaults we
found clay lamps that We're used by the
workers thousands of years ago to light
the gloom when they were toiling away
in the passages. The lamps were filled
with oil. and were placed about in the
interstices of the rocks.
NO SHODDY WORK THEN.
1T was wonderful to perceive how
much this ancient people know about
mining. | was astonished to see how
Systematically their tunnels and drifts
were run. King Solomon's miners were
evidently magnificent engineers, as
good as any we have at the present
day, and they carried on their work
on the most scientific principles
Their tunnels were much the same
as our own. There was no Shoddy
work in cutting them out of the living
rock. Many Of the timbers originally
put in these mines by the ancient work
ers are yet preserved. They stand
there, covered with the accumulated
dirt and metallic coatings of ages, in
the same position they were placed in
when the metal for the Temple was
being taken out.
From out of deep and weird pas
sage, 400 feet under the earth, We took
one of the oak water wheels and car
ried it to the surface, where the cop
per was taken off, The wheel was
found to be in perfect condition. Time
had evidently not wrought its ravages
upon this ancient mining device. Liv-
ing hands once more graSped the long
levers, as they were held when in daily