Underground Chapel

Interesting Discovery in an Old Mine In Northern Mexico. An interesting discovery has been made in an old Spanish mine on the property of .the Gorralitos Cattle and Mining Company, on- the Casa Grande. river, in Northern Chihuahua, an immense estate belonging to El Paso and New York parties. The mine is called the San Pedro, and there is, on it an old incline going into the .mountain at an angle of forty-five degrees and evidently following the richest ore streak in a zigzag manner. At the end of this incline a subterranean chamber- was found which had been fashioned evidently with great labor and trouble into a regular Catholic chapel. . .The chamber is some thirty feet in diameter and about twenty feet high. Seats have been cut from the solid rock running all around the chapel, and so has been an altar and a pulpit. The whole was found neatly whitewashed, and presents a peculiar and weird aspect. The ancient chapel could be used at a moment’s notice as a place of worship

A tradition is found to exist among the natives living in the neighborhood that many years ago a regiment of Spanish cavalry was stationed at the presidio of Janos, some, twenty-five miles distant from the mines, and that the Indians disclosed the existence of the mine to the priest, who was in spiritual charge of the regiment This priest went into partnership with the Colonel, and they employed the soldiers of the command in working the mine which was found exceedingly rich. After a while complaints were made about this enforced labor at the headquarters in Spain, and the Colonel was called home to answer the charge. Before leaving he and the priest divided the silver and the Colonel’s share was sufficient to load eighty mules which he took with him across the country to Vera Cruz, where he took ship for Spain.

The whole country adjacent to Casa Grande and Santa Maria rivers is full of objects of interest to the archaeologist and naturalist. Prehistoric ruins are found where many of them clearly traceable to the Aztecs, but others evidently antedate any authentic records of history. A richer field of exploration and investigation can not be found anywhere in North America.