San Mauricio History by H.L. Barr

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Part of The Marsman Magazine

Title
San Mauricio History by H.L. Barr
Language
English
Source
The Marsman Magazine Volume ll (No. 5) November 1937
Year
1937
Rights
In Copyright - Educational Use Permitted
Fulltext
SAN MAURICIO MINING COMPANY By H. L. BARR The following paper was rend at a recent meeting of the Paracale Section of the Philippine Geological Section by Mr. Barr, general superintendent of San Mawricio ANCIENT,HISTORY "coarse" gold in the district. There is, Knowledge of the \Dresence of gold in however, great evidence of extensive the Philippines unHoubtedly started lode mining as rub rocks can be found with the first visits of the Javanese and in all parts of the mining area. Chinese to the Islands. Most of the early modern lode mining The Javanese were probably the first was done in the latter part of the eighvisitors and, being a warlike people, teenth and early part of the nineteenth landed and took possession. During centuries and was confined largely to their stay they undoubtedly did, or two veins, the Veta Real (now San Mauforced the natives to do, considerable ricio) and the Turayog vein (now Santa placer mining. There are archaeologi- Ana). cal traces of their occupation in many The San Mauricio working-s were then parts of the Islands. known as Dona Panay and the name The Chinese came as traders and I still is used for this location. The old doubt the probability of their ever hav- workings are located about a kilometer ing done any mining either lode or pla- north of the town of Mambulao on Cacer. It is a trait of the Chinese that they logcog Creek. They have a lateral exseldom if ever locate in any place that tent on the surface of about 600 feet and has not an established, recognized gov- reach a maximum depth of approxiernment. As all government in the dim mately 200 feet below the surface. This ages of the Philippines was without was probably the richest mine worked doubt only a government of might, I during the Spanish regime and was think the Chinese did their trading off abandoned due to inability to handle the shore. water enco1;ntered at depth. The normal To substantiate the statements of the flow of water is now about 300 gallons early production of gold on the islands per minute. there are Chinese writings as far back The "Ancianos" were capable miners as the third century which state that and left but little behind them in the gold was the chief product of Luzon. It places they worked. We have run into is \:t.J.so an established~fact that Jong be- their workings in our stopes and while fore Magellan's time the Filipinos used we have mined considerable ore from gold as a medium of exchange with the this section of the mine we can assure Chinese. A large portion of this gold you that they got the heart of it. The came from the Paracale-Mambulao dis- ore mined by them carried about 50 per trict. cent of its values in free gold which was EARLY MODERN HISTORY The first discovery of gold by Occidentals in the Paracale-Mambulao District was by Don Juan Salcedo in 1572. Since Salcedo's time the region has experienced several p~riods of intense activity, one of the greatest being in 1609 when a total production of P400,000 was reported. As the Spanish Crown exacted a royalty of 20 per cent, the production was, without doubt, many times the figure reported as such a royalty was certain to be evaded. Most of the placer gold came, I think, from the Paracale section as the streams in Mambulao show but little evidence of placering and there is but very little 10 easily extracted as grinding was quite simple. The profits must have been enormous as "scabs" and very small pillars of ore left behind were fabulously rich. Excessive water eventually shut them down and in 1845 Don Isidro Sainz de Baranda promoted the famous "Ancla de Oro" Company which was organized to drive a sea level drainage adit that would give them access to the vein at about 60 feet below ground water level. Senor de Baranda's appeal for funds would compare quite favorably with the modern promoter's ballyhoo, but the mining facilities at hand in the Islands in those days were not sufficient to complete a 3000 foot adit through very bad ground. It was driven about (Please turn to page 14) THE MARSMAN MAGAZINE for November, 1937 SAN MAURICIO (Continued from page 10) 50 meters at which point several men were supposedly killed by caving ground and the work was stopped. The portal of this adit is built of heavy masonry of the true Spanish typt{ and stands to this day. The Turayog workfngs (now Santa Ana) are located about 4 kilometers north of Mambulao on the headwaters· of the Bulalacao River. They are quite extensive and indicate that a substantial tonnage niust have been taken out at some early date. According to legend the mine was worked by Spanish priests in the niiddle of the nineteenth century. There. are no indications. that the workings ever attained any great depth. The lure of the gold of the region attracted the Moro and Malay pirates in considerable numbers. These roving bandits would descend periodically on the place and relieve the conimunity of all gold on hand. The Spanish crown finally built a small fort on a hill with a commanding view of the bay. It was garrisoned with Spanish soldiers and equipped with cannons. This, according to tradition, stopped the pirates. This fort is still standing. Marsman and MODERN HISTORY In 1893, a British organization, started operations in Camarines Norte. A large amount of machinery was installed and everything was well under way when the insurrection of 1896 broke out. The British engineers in charge sensibly left the country and the accomplishments of 3 years work went to ruin. No further work was done in the district until in 1907 when an American company was formed to work the San Mauricio property. Considerable development work was done and a 100-ton stamp mill was built and put into operation. Extraction of values depended on plate amalgamation and table concentration and as only about 40 per cent of the values could be recovered the plant was shut down after 6 months of desultory efforts. The causes given for the shut down were, insufficient fuel for the boiler, insufficient water for the mill and too much water in the mine. A total of P34,000 were produced. In 1918 a company was formed to finish the "Ancla de Oro" drainage adit. After considerable expense the work (Please turn to page 16) Company, Inc. Insurance Department 14 Representing The Employers' Liability Assurance Corporation, Ltd. Insurance Company of North America North China Insurance Company, Ltd. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company of Canada Filipinas Life Assurance Company Crown Life Insurance Company of Canada Occidental Life Insurance Company of U.S.A. Asia Life Insurance Company THE MARSMAN MAGAZINE for November, 1937 SAN MAURICIO (Continued from page 14) was completed and the mine was unwatered above sea level. Sampling results at the time were not sufficiently encouraging to cont~me work and the venture was dropped. ' In 1933 the present San Mauricio Mining Company was formed and in February 1934 work was started on opening up the Ancla de Oro drainage adit. General geological reconnais8ance work was carried on and several prospecting parties were put in the field. The San Mauricio, Imbong-Imbong, Santa Monica, Kansas, Brooklyn, Tacoma and Santa Ana veins were located as a result of this survey and development work was started on them. Enough work was done on each vein to determine its size and mineralization. The preliminary work was then stopped and all development centered at Veta Real or San Mauricio. The old 100 level adit was opened up and a drive was started to connect to the old shaft which was reached in December 1934. The shaft was repaired and we found the 200 level open in all Representing parts. All workings were sampled and results were found to check the 1918 sampling. Intensive development was started and sufficient ore was developed by August 1935 to warrant the erection of a treatment plant. Construction work started on October 1, 1935 and the mill was put into operation on March 10, 1936. It has been in continuous operation since that date and during the first year of operation the property produced approximately P2,260,000. GEOLOGY The history of a mine is also closely associated with its geological background and a mine like people must have background to amount to much. The San Mauricio Mine, as you all know, is located at the western end of the semi-elliptical body of granite gneiss which, seemingly contains most of the ore bearing veins of Camarines Norte. This body of granite gneiss, originally a granite, was intruded into a peridotite, or pyroenite, which constituted the original ground mass of the district. (To be Continued) BEECHCRAFT BELLANCA WACO 16 AllrRrPlANES FOR EVERY PURPOSE-FOR EVERY PURSE-SINGLE OR BlMOTORED EQUIPMENT-SMALL SPORT SHIP TO LARGE FREIGHTER-COMPLETE SERVICE FACILITIES AFTER SALE. PHILIPPINE AERIAL TAXI COMPANY TEL. 2-43-39 GRACE PARK AIRPORT MANILA THE MARSMAN' MAGAZINE for November, 198'!