Los Angeles herald., 1907-10-12
MICHIGAN RIVER
MAY FLOOD MINES
II is Thought Afghanistan May Some
Day Be One Of the Worlds
Greatest Mining Dis
tricts

Danger existing of the stream suddenly
breaking through and flooding the underground
workings OF the Loretto and Appleton mines
Ave miles east OF Norway, Menomnee Iahse'
the Loretto Iron company has decided TO ui-
vert the Sturgeon river into new channel
The property developed beneath the beds OF
both the Sturgeon and Pine rivers Is IN CON
stant menace, notwithstanding precautions al
ways in force.
Without warning the water, II is feared,
may burst through the roof of the Loretto
mine, drowning the workmen and inundatins
not only the Loretto openings put tnose Oh .he .e
Appleton which connect with them on the
east Not only will the jeopardy to botn NE
and property be removed BY shifting tne
course of the Sturgeon, but ore bodies Will be
made available whose mining now is TOO
precious to undertake.
The work will require six months or more
and 1t will be expensive. The Loretto mine
was opened in 1898 and has produced more
than million tons of ore. 1t Is owned py tne
Chicago men Interested in the granite quarries
at Amberg, just across the Wisconsin line,
and 1t is operated independently. The proouct
Is OF excellent grade and the property Is
yielding satisfactory returns.
Recalls Fatality
This changing of the river channel will not
be the first instance of the kind on the Memo
,ninee range Similar work has been necessary
AZ the Mansfield mine, an Iron county prop
erty now owned by the United States steer
corporation, but in this case the work was
not done until after there had occurred one
OF the greatest fatalities Of the Lake Supe-
rior region In September, 1893 owing to the
criminal careessness Of the management the
mine openings at the Mansfield were raised
under the bed OF the Michigamme river SO
high in following rich vein of ore that the
stream broke through. filling the entire work
ings in less than five minutes and drowning
twenty-eight miners.
Following the disaster at the Mansfield no
attempt was made to reopen the mine until
1896 when the De Sofa Iron company purchased
the property The mine was reopened the
next year the Mchigamme river being d.
verted to new channel FOR distance OF
nearly a quarter Of mile.
In 1900 the oliver Mining company detected
the course of Iron river at the Dober mine.
The ore body here lay under the bed OF the
river canal was dug by which the entire
flow Of the river was shifted The banks Of
this canal are high to prevent overhows.
more ambitious and costly undertaking was
the draining of Ishpeming. Marquette range, OF
Lake AnRelne, which once spread its waters
over what are now the Lake mine at the
Cleveland Ciiffs Iron company, the Lake shaft
of the Steel corporation and portion OF the
Lake Angeline mine OF the Jones Laughlin
company. The ore bodies here were proved by
diamond drills set on the ice In winter, and
mining was begun in 1885.
AS depth was attained it was found that the
existence of a lake containing one billion gall
Ions of water directly over the mines was too
great menace to safety, hence the work
of unwatering was undertaken Jointly by the
three companies interested In the basin in 1892
The lake was drained and trees now grow
upon its former bottom.
Afuhanistan Mines
Afghanistan may some day be one of the
worlds greatest mining districts. 1t is known
to- have mines of rubies, topaz. lapls lazuli.
marble and other stones; iron, lead copper,
anthony and other metallic ores; sulphur and
several Of the early alkaline and metallic salts.
Coal is also found and is believed to be ex-
tensive near the iron mines. The lead. iron
and precious stones mines are partially worked
by the government with modern machinery,
but the mining OF the country is mostly carried
on by very crude processes. and the bulk Of
the mineral wealth Is as vet not touched. Ac-
cording to the few European geologlsts who
deposits OF various kinds are rich and ex-