Wilmington daily gazette., 1873-05-13
Chester County Corundum.
VALUABLE DISCOVERY ALONG THE LINE on
THR WILMINGTON AND READING RAILROAD.

VALUABLE DISCOVERY ALONG THE LINE on
TIN WILMINGTON AND READING RAILROAD.
Some days sgo we announced that COrundum
had been discovered in Chester county. The
READING EAGLE publishes q better descriptive
OF the mine VIII ich we give below,
COrundum is substance 10 some ex tent Tossm-
bling emery, but much harder than that sub.
| stance, and once used almost exclusively for
grinding glass. IN 1895 il was discovered in
Chester county, and a tcm Of English plate
/ manufacturers sent a scientific man 10 inVesli-
gate the discovery. At the suggestion Of this
gentleman, Mr. l.. White Williams, a miner
alogist, Of West Chester, bought q properly in
NeWlin township containing a deposit which he
worked until about fifty tons had been shipped
to England when the supply was apparently
leXhausted. The land passed through several
hands subsequently, until it was puschased by
Samuel Pusey, Spencer Chandler and George
Ball. A correspondent writes:
On Tuesday last we visited the work inHs at
The new discovery which we found on a bleak
and barrsn-lOoking hill, where the land seems
too poor 10 raise even an excitement, near Oak
Hill School House. in Newlin township, about
mile and half from Glen Hall Station, on
the Wilmington and Reading Railroad. Here
Il We found George Ball, Esq, who with the at
most urbanIty gave US all the Information In
his power in regard to corundum and the pro-
cess Of mining it.
The attention Of these gentlemen was first
called to the value ofthe mineral by j. Morton
Poole, ESD prominent machinist Of Will
mington, who saw il used on polishing wheels
at machine shop in Providence, Rhode Island,
and found that 1t was purchased from Mr.
: Doughsrty, of Philadelphia, who claimed that
it came from somewhere in Delaware county.
for be it known that at this time the utmost
, secrecy was observed in regard to the places
where it was to be found. Diligent inquiry
disclosed the present locality, which was
purchased, and prospecting resumed upon n
large scale and kept up for soma time, but
4 without paying results.
{ The land was then leased 10 New York COM
e pany, who did great amount Of digging, bnt
/ falling to satisfy the expectations Of the stock
y holders, was given up. The then, dur.
' of John ii. Smedley, Of Delaware county, g
mineralogist Of experience, who came to the
I conclusion that the scattered bOulders found up.
= = on the surface indicated a vein Of the mineral
q in the immediate neighbOrhOOd, and proceeding
4 patiently upon this theory, his perseverance, was
( rewarded iR September last by the finding Of thu
@ large vein at present worked.
q The first indication Of the vein was found
q about one foot bSneAth the surface in the lorm
> Of nodnlea, which continued to grow larger Al
they decended, until at ten feet down the veiI
presents a suriace Of i've feet in width, while O
its length and depth II Is impossible TO say any
y thing definite. The vein has been cleared tel
ls feet or more in length 10 depth Of ABOUT lhiri
n feet, and shows increasing dimensOns al thu
y way, with no indications Of running out vsrtica
10 ". Its directions is nearly east and west, an
As It decends with slight inclination to the south
90 1t comes out in bOuldsn weighing from fev
pounds to a few tons, and is broken gradual
with sledgss then grOuRd between the rollers Of
~ ~, powerful crushing mill until reduced fine enouR
to be applied to the samA uses n emery, Whic
n it entirely Erpasses, and is destined to entrel
ic suparsede among manufacturers which requiI
NJ a rapid and lasting cutting material Of III
OF kind.
1t Thatit is mine Of untold wealth to its owne
III may be seen when it is stated thatit finds
ready market at $500 per ton in the rock, d,
livered at the railroad station, or $500 per 4
W when crushed. The present owners are rapid
Periecting machinery for crushing il at Il
works, and as soon as this can be done the
hA 6nal success il assured, as there is no limit
nut the demand, and apparently none tothS suPpI
it Large quantities are being shipped TO Franz
he England and other countries, besides what iin
sg a market at home.
ty, This is the only mine Of cornndum known
as exist in the world, and Chester county has I
A. ~ honor of being the only locality where it
m. found in paying quantities.
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