Show DUE TO SOLUTION IN WATER How Iron Implements Long Abandoned Abandoned Abandoned Aban Aban- In Cuban Mine Were Turned Into Copper Not so 80 very long ago a o a curious find was made In one of oC the copper mInes at El EI Cobre Cuba These mines once among the richest In the world were abandoned for tor a long time on account of ot the Insurrections In n Cuba against the Spanish rule In IBM 1868 the coal supply was cut off by the Insurgents and consequently pumping the mines became Impossible and th they y were soon filled tilled with water After the Spanish war an nn American company bou bought ht the mines and proceeded proceeded pro pro- to pump out the water In one of the shafts thus made mad accessible was found what once represented an Iron pickax as well as some crowbars crowbars- The metal In these Implements had It Is said turned to copper Extraordinary Extraordinary as this may appear It can be scientifically explained The water filtering through the rock and the copper ore ort veins dissolved dissolved dissolved dis dis- solved some of the copper the solution solution solution tion containing sulphate of topper copper As soon as the sulphuric acid In this solution solution so so- lution touched the Iron It dissolved that metal and deposited copper In Its place for tor sulphuric acid has a greater grenter affinity for Iron than for copper In Inthe Inthe Inthe the process certain Impurities which had existed In the Iron were left behind be- be hind undisturbed The wooden handle of the pick was In good condition The metal was porous and Irregular In shape but hut the general outline preserved the form of ot the pick somewhat enlarged In size |