New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-07-03
THE GRAND CANYON MINES.
A MINERAL DISCOVERY OF GREAT I'M
PoRTANCE IN NORTHERN ARIZONA.

PORTANCE IN NORTHERN ARlZONA.
RICH DEPOSITS or COPPER ORE. WITH ITS AT
PENDANT IRON AND MATERIAL VALUES
IN GOLD AND SILVER
Phoenix, Ariz July (speciaD-Thc latest mineral
discovery Of Importance in the Southwest Is IN
Northern Arizona north OF Williams. a town on the
line Of the Atlantic and Pacific Railway. and not far
distant at any point from the Grand Canyon OF the
Colorado. The mineral Is copper. and Is more
widely diffused than in any other OF the mineral
districts OF Arizona. Fer the distance OK hfteen
miles south Of the canyon the lime rock Of the
country Is permeated with copper In carbonate
form. and several hundred locations now cover al
most every cropping that shows the presence OF
copper or Its attendant iron.
For years It has been known that great deposits
Of sulphuretic copper lie far down In the
depths Of the Grand Canyon. The ores from the
Cameron mine particularly have sampled as high
as 70 per cent Of metal Gold and lead. asbestos
and coal have been exposed In the great but
tresses Of this mightiest Of terrestrial gorses but
1t was little known that mingled with the lime
stone Of the southern rim lay wonderful body Oh
copper ore. The first discovery OF Importance was
made last October about forty-fve miles north OF
Williams. by Ferdinand and William Nellls Soon
after the discovery the winters SHOWS fell deeply.
but the prospectors were not deterred by Inc eie-
men.s. and the traveller through the pine ana
cedar forests OF the region now rarely incS himself
distant from a monument marking a boundary OF
a mining claim.
Little more than the statutory assessment and
location work has been done any Of the claims.
and the deepest workings are as yet only about
forty feet What might be called the pay streak
of the district lies directly north OF Williams. at
distance OF forty-ive miles, thence continuing
northward. three miles wide. to the Grand canyon
RIM fifteen miles distant.
Throughout this pay streak the ores are con-
slant in values. quantity and character AS al
ready stated. the mainly carbonate. IN
malachite and azurite forms. with black and yell
low oxides and here and there trace OK "copper"
pyrites. They are found only where the limestone
has been disturbed through volcanic action, and
never where the qualification has remained regu-
lar They are invariably closely associated with
the limestone. and run high in ron.a forming
combination that carries Its own fux TO the
smelter. The percentages Of copper run high
The writer has many large specimens OF the
surface rock that assayed to 80 per cent and has
good authority for the statement that the ore on
the dump OF the main claims will exceed 20 per
cent. 1t might be instanced that the ores Of the
Lake Superior districts are worked probably when
they low sixteen pounds Of copper
to the ton. Another significant fact Is that the
Grand Canyon carry material value In gold
and silver.
HORIZONTAL BEDS OF ORE
The ores on the Grand Canyon plateau lie
horizontally or nearly so. The depth OF the ore
bodies has not been ascertained. though perhaps
indication Of 1t might be found In the fact that
the carboniferous limestone that caps the region Is
at no place the canyon rim less than eight hun
bred feet in depth. 1t is fair to presume that the
copper permeates at least this stratum. and the
general impression among the miners Is that this
district Is destined to have the deepest workings
Of any in the West. The copper has been vomted
from the depths Of the earth and has found lodge
ment In the rven limestone and sandstone rocks.
spreading out, branchlike. from the clefts OF the
principal eruptions. Then Nature with her iron.
lime and oxygen leached the sulphur away. Per-
haps this would account for the presence In the
Immediate vicinity of immense beds Of sulphate OF
lime. gypsum.
This theory Of eruption is sustained by inspection
OF the mines Of the canyons depth. Several i'm
mense lodges there cut the formation. Perhaps the
most remarkable Of these lodges is the Hogan lead.
a dyke Of the basest black suiphide. assaying over
10 per in copper 1t Is monster In size. Along
a sandstone and limestone cliff 1t is exposed for q
width Of four hundred feet. Its base Is hidden In
the debris Of the canyon side; Its top fuily SIX
fse t ahe esh hun
dIed feet below the surface.
from o point due North 'S Of Wiams one
first les made n tns SsnS Of
two hundred feet from the rim Of the canyon. The
ores vary in character. though they are mainly
third remarkable ledge OF sulphuretic copper
is at the very bottom Of the sst IN fr tine
the Being S Of Worked It a
about sixty feet. with sheer perpendicular cleavage
through the granite and its ore face. hidden by
thousand tho sand feet This ledge lies due north Of Ash
Fork Station. on the Atlantic and Paciic Railroad,
bottom Of the Bass TRAIL and on the north side OF
tho river.
AN ENTERPRIsING MINING COMPANY.
The main operations now being conducted in the
Grand Canyon district are those of the Tusayan
Development Company. The name Is derived from
the fact that the region is none other than the
Province Of Tusayan, explored and named by Coro-
nado in 1870 The manager OF this company Is W.
o. O'Neill. widely known throughout the South
west as Buckley" ONeil tine Mayor OF prescott
and the permanent candidate OF the Popuists lor
Delegate to Congress from Arizona Despite his
Pcpulistic leanings. ONeill Is yet Keen ana
shrewd man Of business. Last winter while the
SHOWS were deep, he obtained by purchase
and bond the control of sxty-seven claims IN the
upper mineral belt. These claims are now being
developed by the Tusayan company. In which ne
has secured the cooperation OF several neawy ,hs
controlled have been placed under separate organ,
has been % dome IS the 0% Anita
Des Mones Qow0 company: o, w9 nmpapy has
large force Of men at work at the three different
and Is spending s or more exad meh'n nor
lions Of the Grand Canyon The locations maae
of the sGJ do ha U sSp
on the very rim Of the canyon Down b IN Its aep!as
merdous ledge CT iron pyrites that carries gold
This ledge however is not held tor It's gold S aI9ns
Of sulphric acid, needed to reduce economically
the base Of the nearby Hogan Ledge hSoes nS
and gypsum beds also among the locations. anu
sites FOR water power plants. reduction works ana
rights of way for railroads that Will be built TO
cated. The projects are ambitious. but there seem
TO be at hand all the necessary energy ana captai
At least $780, 900 worth Of copper ore Is even now
available 80, 49,. ,,,or, ,r,nor
Riordan. r. w sisson and several other residents
OF Flagstaff; the Last Chance. owned oy l. ~
,ornin,, Cnllett and John i. DAVIS; the NC