The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-04-29
CUBA HIS MINERAL
Rough Rider Rhodes of Okla
homa on That Subject.
LIQUlDASPHALT PLENTIFUL
Copper and Other Ores Being
Brought to Light

| Especial Correspondence to the Eagle)
| Matanzas, April 2l.-There is an erren-
| eous impresslon ali eve. the States that
| the resoure IS In Cuba are all II It's
| agricultural products. This is encourag-
! ed by the cities, and consequently noted
| by most of the reporters. who never
leave the cities. and consequently know
nothing of the formation of the island.
| 1t is news to many that there has ever
| been signs of mineral discovered, while a
| few have heard of the iron mines at
| Santiago, and yet few more have heard
| that there is a copper mine which was
! worker prior to the beginning of the
| Cuban rebellion The so-caIled iron mines
| are not so in the most accepted term. but
| are really manganese, a necessary in
! gredient in the manufacture of armor
i plate. and IS valued at about eight times
| the price OF common iron. The copper
| mine there is exceedingly rich and paid
| large dividends. although worked in the
most crude manner. Since the American
| occupation, there has been over seven
| hundred mineral claims filed in that pro-
! vince alone. OF course all these claims
| will not prove to be mines. but it is
likely that 10 per cent OF them viii, and
as it is a poor mine that viii not pay
10 per cent dividend ON a capital stock of
| one-half million, their development will
| add materially to the wealth OF that end
| of the island. 1t is very common in all
| mineral districts for rich finds to be
| picked up on territory that has been pros
pected for years and 1t will. no doubt. be
| so there.
| Santiago, however, is not the only place
! showing mineral oftcrop, and In the near
| future many rich mines may be opened
| up in the different provinces. There Is a
| mineral belt showing copper, iron and
| asphalt extending from Havana to Ma
| tanzas. Liquid, or seep asphalt, IS very
common all through Cuba, and the min
eral belt Just mentioned there has been
| in at least three places. development
| work sufficient TO prove that there Is
| sufficient to pay TO work. The largest OF
| these is located at Camp Florida. one
| and one-half miles from the railroad, and
] shows a vein OF very pure solid asphalt
| over fifteen feet in width. Another is at
| Port Escondida. by sea, some fifteen or
| twenty miles from Matanzas, showing a
| vein Of about five feet. and the third Is
| some ten miles from Matanzas. and has
] two parallel veins Of three feet each. with
| evidences of a liquid deposit, also. This
last was developed by Cubans some years
| ago. under the impression that it was
| coal. The one at Escondida is owned by
an American who also mistook it for
| coal, and it was this deposit that re-
| ceived the write-uD of several eastern
|
/ mine
| Another claim has been filed upon
| piece Of property near Mllayas as con-
| tanning liquid asphalt. but as yet there
has been no work done, and his claim is
based solely upon the liquid that has
| oozed out over the surface
| Liquid asphalt very closely resembles
coal tar in color and consistency, but
| gives off a slight odor Of coal oil. Upon
| exposure to the air II hardens rapidly,
| and is only exported after so drying. II
| shipped in barrels it would be necessary
| to destroy the barrel to get at the con-
| tents.
| Asphalt In veins Is Of a very black color,
resem bling coal and sufficiently hard to
require pick II is very light how
! ever. probably not over half as heavy as
| coal. 1t is carnon and will burn read
| lily If mixed with other substances to
keep It from running into a motto Be
fore the war, some Germans had plant
| for converting it into fuel by mixing II
| in with the cane, pressing and moulding
| into bricks. Those using II in this form
| speak highly Of its steam producing
| power and say II was much cheaper than
| coal. They used the liquid asphalt.
| pumping It from the ground. There Is
| nothing left now OF their buildings and
| machinery except blackened brick walls
| and a twisted mass OF iron flt only for
| the scrap pile. II was burned By order
| of the Spaniards, who suspected them OF
| paying tribute TO the insurgents.
There IS a prospector here, backed by
| Andrew Carnegie. looking for manganese.
| the float" OF which IS very common in
| pieces Of from few pounds 10 as many
tons. 7 have seen one boulder that meas
| ured sxGx5 feet. and pieces Weighing half
a ton are very common II any leads
have beeen found as yet. II Is kept very
| quiet and there has been no mineral
! claims filed.
| Quite a number OF prospectors are look
| ing for copper. and at least one seems 80
! have found II. az tor the last two months
| they have been sinking a shaft. striking
| ore az nineteen feet. They have cut
/ tunnel and uncovered over 80 feet II ore
| and are stu sinking in IT. Their find f
| Of the kind known as block oxide and
| the ore resembles the lead mines q Ais
souri,. being very slack and russ OF or
the hands Ike lead. Their ore IS 50
easily fused that by heating Il % white
| heat IN the forge Il .Deits and collects IN
| little gIo5ules where Il can b. readily
/ seen. and when cut with knife shows
/ the same as : rev marx on : Jenny,
| Their assays have shown as hisn - =
| per cert copper. making 90 pogp5s 70
| every ton az one handed. and as copper
4 "a quoted al 4 cents per pound, y s.
/ very valuable find TheY shipped two
| tons last week 70 sam2linS works 4;
| New York n one bEshsi sacks and y
n holds %. as good as their assays Tfii
/ Immediately PIT in the necessary ruzeh,n-
| err 70 work ,hesr rstns Pra2sriy. Il
could hardy seem possitls that ih5ss
slack stones were worth g :Dr a. 0r5sn-
ary grain SACK fgll
| Another party has discovered E-aphits
and shigpE1 = uarFsi- 49, Htt'ts444s 81
| % Nsx YORK w5th s.. As 70 its vzl5e
7 eaHnot ssy ard. having HeFes szsn Ids
| aepssss. Go not know - 70 81 sealiiy.
Il Is sasd ssa. The sgaraasSs ozes took
! ont eozSizerabls placer gid uszT Glen
ssroes ard the sgff4ce. Dsw ~ proper
/ tests. shows : tusea n seid BAT - "a.
10 ere has found Il n paysas sssnsttsea
whise ~ ons need xxEsect a cFsDuss
/ Geek 3r Klou51ks rsEz ksrs Tss there
a. -. s.,,ss.s shszs = IKE aezr fatzrs nnash