The independent press. (Abbeville C.H., S.C.) 1853-1860, 1857-12-18
WHOLE NUMBER 24I
The Great Copper Nugget.

Since our last publication we have been
twice into the Minnesota mine to look
at this wonderful piece Of copper. A few
tuns have already been taken from it, and
there are some thirty men at work cutting
it up; more parties will be put on soon.
The lower end of the copper was raised By
the powder from the rock in which it was
cnclosed-the upper end being very little
disturbed. This leaves it inclining but
very little flom the horizontal, and in an
excellent position for cutting to advantage.
They are cutting in some ten places, two
oi which are already in to where the cop
per Is hive feet thick. Another is four feet
and quarter. Eighteen inches farther
will bring one Of the cuts to where the con.
per is seven and Il quarter feet thick. lts
greatest thickness is. between eight and nine
feet, but the cuts driven in from the edges
very soon reach the thickness of three, four
or five feet, and its average thickness will
be from three and a half to four feet. lis
greatest length is forly.six feet. Greatest
width eighteen and a half feet We mace ,le
/ following measurements of its width at sew
| eral points--in feet and dccmals l-l2.5
Observation-Disclosures mean
OF about l2 l 2 feet. We cannot think its
average thickness to be less than 3 l-2 feet.
These dimensions give it a cubic content
equal to about 1000 feet, and this amount
otpure copper would weight $40 tous.
Large masses from this mine have gener-
ally been Of high purity, and the exterior ="
this is quite clear Of rock, and the cu,tir..
thus far show it to he remarkably pure.
LII the live Zee: cuts scarcely :, tx Of rock
| is to be seen, but the copper Is AS bright
as Il new polished penny. Unless it should
prove to be great sl1"!l-nclosing rock, its
! purity must Lc very high, probably moro
! than 80 per cent. And we think there is
no ground for such an apprehension. On
the contrary, its sodi,y is indicated not on.
iy by lis ex,crna! purity, but also by the
nanuer III which it resisted the action Of
the POWDER and rose from its bed with
out the slightest crack or bending on .any
point. There is scarcely possibility of its
bei,s. anything else than almost solid me.
tai. Ii it is 81 per cent, and this not a
high estimate for sucl, mass, it cont aims
abou, 500 tons OF pure copper, aud will be
worth when prepared for the market, about
s3oU,0OO.
This we respectfully submit, is the lar
gest mass Of metal Of any kind ever vet
exhibited in a single piece on this planet
But Incredible as it may appear, tho
great mass is Il small par: Of the copper
now in sight in its immediate vicinity. A.
! bout hundred feet TO the east, series of
monster masses ofenormous size are now
being stri pped and followed into the con-
glomeratc. the aggregate weight of which
included the great mass, will, in all pro.
babili'y, exceed the total product of the
mine for the year 1856. They have just
exposed large opening going south into
the conglomcrate, which they we're about
filling with powder. This blast may make
new discoveries, for which We anxiously
wait, and the result of which we hope to
give in another number. The disclosures
the last few days are immensely impor-
tant. 1t is perfectly safe to say there are
at least two thousand tons of copper in
sight, within few feet of the points which
we have described. Minnesota stock is
getting much too low. We propose 5000
as the proper figure for it at present