Bisbee daily review., 1906-05-26
THE OLD TOTAL WRECK MINE IS BEING
 RE-QPENED
Mine Was Abandoned Years Ago = Accidentally Found by Professor Prout While Driving Through Country.
Six Weeks Ago They Started to Search for the Ore, and Amount Already Exposed Demonstrates Value.

Professor John W Prout, Col. Epes Randolphs mining geologist, arrived in the city yesterday and is registered at the Ford hotel. The professor is a mining expert of considerable note, and it is due to his skill that such mines as the King of Arizona, Old Boot. Christmas Gift, Mowry and now the Total Wreck mine have been re opened. The Total Wreck mine is To- cated eight miles south of Pantano on the Southern Pacific and twenty five miles east of Tucson.
 Replying to a position asked by a representative of the Enterprise, he said. NO my visit here at this time has no significance whatever, merely strengthening up some unfinished business. I have just returned from the head waters of the Yaqui river in Sonora and expect to go back into Mexico within the next two weeks" What have you to say about the recent strike in the Total Wreck miner" was then asked.
 Well, I don't know that I have per mission to say much," he said.
 Neither am very well posted histor- ically about the mine, except it was shut down and abandoned over twen- ty years ago.
 The old company found on the sur face rich deposit Of silver-lead ore. They sank a shaft about six hundred feet deep and many tunnels and cross cuts were driven, but the ore discon- tinued and they closed down and abandoned the property, except pay ing the taxes.
 I ran across this property in a purely accidental manner while trav- cling through the country and rec ognized the fact that a great mistake was made. This was several years ago. gave Col. William Griffith, and Mir. E P. Drew of Tucson information regarding the property, stating posi- lively that it was a good one if prop erly opened.
 These two gentlemen immediately started to acquire ownership from Walter Vail and finally succeeded in doing so they afterwards made an of fer to the present owners, who ac- cepted the proposition.
 About six weeks ago they started to scare for the ore. The public is well aware of how they succeeded. I have not seen the property since. but am informed by Captain Roberts, the present superintendent Of the mine, that the amount of ore already ex- posed, demonstrates the great value of the find.
 The geology of the mine is very simple, and I cannot understand how any lot of intelligent miners could look at it from any standpoint of ex- terme compleXity. The main axis or FrR1ff ftff fhn hi fc i,, vol, easterly and southerly direction, but the lateral contraction movement sub sequently roled two hills together forming huge chasm or true Assure between them, which today is repre- sented by quite deep gulch separat- ing the hills.
 ''The country rock is limestone of upped DeYonian age. The hydro-ther- nal action which forms the ore de- posit of the mine, simply represents an extinct geyser vent, the waters of which ascended in a certical manner to within seventy-five or eighty feet of the deposit surface of the earth, then taking a northwesterly scoot between the lamination planes of the lime stone comprising the old sea bottoms, it shot out to the surface some five or six hundred feet away in a north westerly direction.
 ''The original owners mistaking the laminations of the limestone for the hanging and fot walls of vein start ed downward into the earth at right angles to the true course of the ore, and of course failed to find it. They could have searched for ore until doomsday in that direction, and all efforts would have resulted in failure and disaster, for they were driving away from it. It tok but a glance ito discover their mistake. a
 Without entering the mine and af- ter being on the property les than five minutes drove into Tucson and wrote out a description of the proper ty to Col William Griffith and Mir. E P. Drew, indicating where the ore could be found, showing the mistakes that had been made and drew the ge-