The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-08-02
NIokel and the NIckeI Wines,

Under the above head we find in q late num-
Der of the Columbia spy communication giving
an account of a visit to the nickel mines near
the Gap, in this county, from which we make
the following extracts:-Nickel is white metal
requiring O high temperature of fusion; 1t is
magnetic and has specific gravity of S'5. tits
not an abundant metal, there being but three or
four localities of it in the United States, and the
only locality where it is proftably worked is in
Lancaster county, Pennsylvania, about four
miles southwest of the Gap Station, on the
Pennsylvania Railroad. A remarkable fact in
regard TO this metal is that it forms an impor-
tant ingredient in most aerolites and in masses
of native iron found in various parts of the
world, and which are supposed to have had an
aerial origin.
The furnace for reducing the nickel ore is
about one-halt mile north OF the mines. The
ore Is brought here, and roasted in large ovens
to expel the sulphur with which 1T is charged.
1t is then smelted in small furnace, somewhat
similar to an IRON furnace, with auX of lime
stone and quartz, the fuel being coke. 1t is
run into "pigs," which are generally porous and
fIiable, and contain number of impurities,
iron, "copper" cobalt, etc. The "plgsn are after
wards broken and crushed, and the metal IN
this state IS shipped to Camden, N. j., to be
refined. There are two shafts; the principal or
older shaft is one hundred and seventy-6ve feet
in depth, and passes through heavy deposit o.
the ore. In order to free the mine from water,
Cornish engine of great power is used, which
of itself is an object sufficiently curious TO merit
visit.
The ore is found imbedded in hornblende
rock of peculiar structure and is associated with
other metals and minerals some of much inte-
rest We found specimens OF carbonate of iron
in various forms, sulphate of iron coating the
stones all around us, sulphAte of copper in
places; sulphuret OF copper IS found in cons-
deTable quantities along with the nickel; sui
phuret OF iron also shows in some spots. One
of the most interesting minerals is thesulphuret
of Nickel or Millerite, which is found here and
at but two or three other localities in the world.
There Is second shaft about two hundred
yards from the first, which is about one hun
dred feet deep, and has been opened but short
time. 1t intercepts a very fine bed OF ore, and
Is paying very handsomely.
In regard to the yield of ore, we could not
make very accurate estimates. We we're told
that the furnace yields about four thousand
pounds of metal each twenty-feur hours The
mines were discovered many years ago, and
about the time of the Revolutionary war we're
worked for copper, but were soon abandoned,
the crude machinery of that period being i'll
adapted to working them pro6tably.
Two generations had passed away, and the
circumstance had been forgotten, when about
fifteen years ago the mines we're reopened by a
company of capitalists from Philadelphia since
which they have been steadily worked They
were reopened with the view of obtaining COP
per, but the ore was soon discovered to be
richer in nickel, more valuable mineral; and
since then they have been worked for that
metal exclusively. The introduction of nickel
cents by the Government, and the war, which
rendered small change 80 scarce gave great I'M
petus to these works.