Weekly journal-miner., 1918-04-03
PERNANENCY AND DEPTH OF ORE
 BODIES PROVEN
STRIKES ON THE 800 AND 1900 LEVELS OF BLUE BELL BRING JOY TO ERATORS IN THE MAYER DISTRICT.
(RY E. w. BoWer)

those recently made in the Blue Ben mine on the 500 and the ,2OO-foot levels. There are six lenses oi ore in this mine that outcrop or have been worked from the first level down through the intervening levels to the 1000, the pay ore averaging in width from eight to forty feet. On the newly opened l,200-foot level, two Of the largest ore bodies have recently been opened up and there is every reason in the world 10 expect the other shoots to come through to this new level. But the interesting thing that is so pleasing to the mine man. agcmcnt and to everyone who has at heart the future of the Mayer dis trict, is the finding Of two new orc lenses which did not outcrop but have been found apexcd at the SON and the 200 levels. Easing the length of these two new ore lenses upon what has been proven in the development of the other six ore shoots. which are stronger and higher grade on the l,0G0-foot level and the two shoots on the l,200 level, there is reason to expect that the depth of the mine will be at least another 200 feet but there is no one to say there will not be other ore lenses de- veloped when the present depth iS doubled
 Mine Superintendent DeCanp !: ' just as much at sea as to the future depth of the mine as anyone. Yet, | he firmly believes that the ore lenses have only just commenced to appear. 1 The bottom" may be reached in B. ! GOO feet or it may be five or ten thousand feet It has not vet been | determined what the cruptive for nation of the Blue Bell district is but the theory most generally held ! is that it is the granite of the Brad 1 shaws which makes its first appear : ance south and west of the DeSoio mine which would make It about iIvC miles from the Blue Bell mine. Bas ing the possible depth of the granite at the Blue Bell by the dip south of the DeSoto mine, it would be several thousand feet.
 At any rate, the management oi both the Blue Bell and the DeS"to, 1 for the DcSoto mine has much the same ore formation as the Blue Bell, are planning big things. Supcrintend cnt DcCamp expects to be breaking l50 tons daily on the newly opened 200 level and soon, three shifts will be working on the drift that Is being 1 run on the 500 level south to tap the Blue Thunder ore 200 feet from the main shaft. There is reason to expect that new ore bodies will be found between the shaft and tine Bluc Thunder strike for it is practically all virgin ground with excellent sur face outcroppings.
 The development of other mine. in this Mayer district at depth is proving up the Blue Bell in every case. In the Arizona Binghamton, the ore is in lenses just the same which have been found to continue unbrokcn from the upper levels to the deepest level, 600 feet. Some or the best ore bodies in the mine have apexcd on the lower levels. In the Copper Queen mine, the same condii ton exists. At the present time, an excellent grade of chalcopyrite ore is ' -a-1 C 41. winze approaching the 50O-foot level below the adit which is supposed to be the same lcnsc that was encoun- tered POO feet higher up where & feet of c per cent copper was crosscut
 These orc lenses can be likened to cigarettes packed so tightly in a box that they become oblong. Now that their occurrence is understood. it is not difficult to find them as a new level Is being opened up.
 The system of diamond drilling for exploratory work in the big mines in this district, is 10 be extensively used in the future, in the place of drifting with tunnels Both the Blue Bell
 
 have tried the system thoroughly. The plan is 10 drive a straight drift north and south and diamond drill every ten feet on each side, which win crosscut the formation and all ore can be blocked out on the level The cost is from two 10 three dollars pel foot of core and a great deal of un necessary work and expense is saved Some of the cores in the Binghamton mine on the 6O0-foot level, showed returns of 8 per cent copper. After the level has been drilled, the ore can then he broken most advantag, cously with no false moves.
 Mine owners arc greatly eucour- aged, in this district. by the deep find ings of ore in the several larger . mines. The Navapai schist has many times been turned down as an un- known quantity in mining. Some oi the best mines now producing in this section, have been repeatedly con