32 The Phosphates of America. 



excellent prospect, with all the appearance of developing into a 

 bonanza when brought into further working order. 



Passing over several other openings and faults of similar char- 

 acter for about 250 feet, we come to 



Pit No. 3, which is now being developed and got into shape for 

 exploitation. It has been sunk in solid vein matter and upon the 

 dip of the chute to a depth of about 100 feet and still retains the 

 appearance of an open quarry. Down its southwest side there 

 run three well-defined veins of apatite, each of them occasionally 

 interspersed with or hidden from sight by bowlders of feldspar, 

 mica, calcite and pyroxene. 



The next opening upon the belt is at a distance of only 50 feet 

 and is known as 



Shaft No. 1. It is sunk on the dip of the vein at an average 

 angle of about 55 and is now about 600 feet deep. Its progress 

 has been watched with the greatest interest by all who are in any 

 way connected with or concerned in the apatite-mining industry, 

 and it has served to prove beyond contestation that the sought-for 

 material is not confined to a mere superficial stratum, but that it 

 continues to accompany the other minerals with which it is so in- 

 timately associated, in exactly the same manner, in depth as at the 

 surface. The same mixture of rocks, the same conglomerates, 

 the same alternating preponderances these are the history of the 

 shaft. 



Small veins or strings of apatite led into enormous pockets or 

 bonanzas, yielding many thousand tons of pure phosphate ; these, 

 in course of time, gradually pinched out and were replaced by 

 pyroxene, feldspar or mica, through which the veins of apatite 

 were followed until they again merged into a preponderating 

 mass. 



At the time of our visit to the mine the shaft contained a great 

 deal of water, which had drained in from the melting of the last 

 winter's snow, but the managers were good enough to have the 

 water pumped out in order to facilitate our inspection, and we 

 were thus able to descend in it to within 50 feet of the bottom. 

 After careful inspection, we became satisfied that there are very 

 large reserves of apatite in the shaft, especially as the bottom 

 is neared, and that it can readily be mined and brought to the 

 surface. 



Under the peculiar circumstances of the geological formation it 

 was impossible to sink this shaft with any great degree of regu- 



