El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1900-08-01

difficulty. The river was pavigable
only at high tide, when the water rose
twenty-four feet. Every six hours the
little schooner had to be anchored to
prevent the swift return tide from
sweeping 1t back over its course. In
addition to these trials the swamps and
bayous along the river swsrmed with
sligators ranging in length from a foot
to twenty feet.
party reached the end OF the journey
on the river. They found here the
ruins of an old Spanish town built in
1000, and the ruins of the old fort which
had been built to defend the settlement
from the Indians on land aud pirates
who infested the river. Crossman and
his party landed here, and started on
their trip inland.
On this journey he was stricken with
fever and was compelled to return to
the coast. From there he went to San
Francisco where he died shortly after
ward. Before his death he declared he
had discovered the lost Espiritu Santo
and whatever he discovered on his trip
was buried with him.
In 1882 French engineer named
Wyse. while surveying for q canal
route through that part OF the country
discov cred the ruins of an old town
which he was fully convinced was Cana.
He reported this fud to an Anne rican
In San Francisco and took possession of
the vicinity of the town. Mr.. Liegt
and his com psny spent $50, 900 In open
ing roads, and in buying and transport
ing machinery, including q ten stamp
mill. Their money gave out before
pay ore was struck, and their mine was
abandoned.
Shortly after a com pauy was formed
ia England, the object of which was to
explore for the "Espiritu Santo"
mine, and to take up the work where |
it had been dropped by the Spaniards. !
The old Spanish records represen ted |
the mine as being fabulously rich, but |
were tantalizingly vague as to its
exact location. A number of likely |
places were fixed upon and shafts were
sunk. Finally one OF these shafts
broke into come old works at a depth |
OF 80 feet. Satisfied that they |
had found the mine they were |
looking for, the company decided to
drive tunnel to the old works. AT
the end of a year they had reached the |
old works at distance of 100 feet, aud |
$50 feet from the surface. Rich ore
was found in the pillows of the mine |
left by the Spaniards.
Still better satisfied with the pros
poets the company decided to continue
the 80 foot shaft, which was outside of
the formation. one hundred feet below
and the old works were again struck.
1t was found shat the Spaniards had
gone down much deeper than was sup
posed, and when the level WAS drained
it was found to be open. The pillows
had prevented it from caving for more
than one hundred years. Down in the
old mine many old implem ents
aud tools were discovered.
Several iron bars with steel
points were found, and six tread
wheels, evidently used for hois ting
water out of the mine, and worked by
slaves Some of the wheels were in q
good state of preservation after nearly
two centuries of burial. The ore taken
from the mine at this time produced
little lees than $50 per ton, and the
stories told of the wealth of the lost
mine of Cana had come true. 1t ia one
Of the few abandoned Spanish mines
which have ever come up to the records
md traditions left US the Spaniards.
In making xcavations for tram ways
there we're found old devices used by
the Spanish gold seekers for work ing
The ore, such as stone stamp heads,
and smelling furnaces. These are all
crude and primitive. The remains of
an old fort were found, with three
brass cannons. 1t will always be
mystery how athese cannons were
brought from the coast to the mine, as
they are too heavy to have been pack
ed on mules, and there is no evidence
Of there ever having been a wagon
road to the mine.
The natives are practically in the
same state in which they were found
by the first Spanish explorers. Like
the Americ an Indians of the United
States, what little they have learned
from the European races has been to