Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1915-04-22
MILLIONS SPENT
ON COPPER MOUNT
Gusgenheims Find Deposits In Chill
"Richer Than Gold Mines
of Incas."
ARE PREPARING TO MARKET ORE
Ships and Railroads Are Built by Them
In Scheme of Develop
ment of Mine.

New York-Richer by far than the
sources from which the Incas and Az.
tees drew their supply Of gold is the
way an American mining engineer who
recently returned from South America
described the copper deposits which
have been opened up at Chauquaca-
mata, Chilli, by the Chill Exploration
Company, an American corporation
controlled by the Guggenheim inter-
ests.
The description given by the engi-
neer of the mountain of almost pure
copper to market which the Guggen-
helms are spending millions of dollars
in steamships, mining equipment, rail-
roads and port equipment, reads like
tale from the Arabian Nights. The
operations entailed the overcoming of
what looked to be practically insur-
mountable difficulties.
Back of the story Of the Guggen-
heim's achievements in opening up
the Chauquacamsta mine lies the yet
stranger tale of how the presence of
the rich copper deposits had been
known for so years before the news
reached the Guggenheims. That a
mountain composed wholly of copper
ore which could be scooped up by
steam shovels the ore assaying high
er percentage of copper than the ore of
any mine in the United States, really
existed was scoffed at The Guggen-
helms took it seriously. sent men to
investigate the matter and on the re-
ceipt of their reports Immediately
made arrangements to secretly obtain
possession of the concession.
One hundred million tons is the es-
innate given of the amount of copper
which the mountain contains. 1t is
situated about 200 kilometers inland
from the port of Antofagasta. The
country is extremely mountainous and
the copper mountain itself is at an ele-
walton of $500 feet above the sea level.
The actual work on the preparations
for getting the ore to market began
two years ago. First of all it was nee.
essary TO bu.id a railroad from Anto-
fagasta to the mine. The railroad was
the most difficult of all the problems
which faced the engineers. The road
soon became an accomplished fact
however, and it is now in operation.
Long before the railroad was com
pleted contracts were let in Germany
for the machinery which is to extract
the copper from the ore. An entirely
new process never before used in the
handling of copper ore will be intro
duced at Chauquacamata. 1t is known
as the Teaching" process, by which
the copper is extracted by means Of
electricity.
Although the war held up the deliv
cry of much of the mining machinery
necessitating the purchase of some OF
the equipment in this country, the
mine will be in full operation soon
After the copper has been extracted
1t will be cast into ingots, transported
on the private railroad to Antofagasta
where it will be put on board steam
ships for the markets of the world.
1t is estimated that more than So
100000 has already been spent il
equipment for getting the copper t.
the coast. The outlay is still incom
plete however, as Antofagasta is to b.
abandoned as a port by the Guggen
helms in favor of Megillones, located
short distance to the north of Ante
fagasta.
British and German interests ar
competing strongly with Americans il
their efforts to obtain the most desil
able concessions, but the American
have taken the lead in developing sue
concessions as have been given out b
the Government.