The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1873-06-24

are situated ABOUT three and nail miles
northwest of the village. We found the
Ives mine without any difficulty and gave
it thorough exploration. The graphite
is not put down in continuous veins but
in pockets. These make dip to the
south east of 20 or % degrees. They
have been work back into the mountain
in some instances two hundred feet or
more. They are not worked at the pres
ent time We entered some Of tho re-
cesscs and took specimens from their far
limits. Tho rock in which the
graphite is found is mixture Of horn.
blend apd feldspar, called dcoritc. Gneiss
is also abundant The Author mine, sit
uated hree.lourths Of a mile from the
one NC visited, VIC did not find, but luck
lily came out at the foot Of the mountain
not far from our team, and soon were on
our way to Port Henry. Stopping at
ono o'clock we made our coffee in a beau
tifu grove by the roadside. Here the
natives came out from their habitations
aud brought US some fine specimens of
calc spar and ut the same time informed
us that they couldn't have any fire on
their land" After an hour spent in
remarkably successful raid upon our din
ner baskets and remarkably unsuccessful
attempts at target shooting with our re-
volvers, we again took to our team and
went on. A short thunder shower came
up the most noticeable effect it had up
on the party was to call out perIec;
chorus Of college songs. The harder it
rained the louder we sang, much to the
edi6cation of the people going by the way.
Our Professor did not join the chorus
he is mt singer.
1t was noticeable that some Of the par.
ty made use Of their handkcrchels very
frequently whenever any Of the fair sex
were ovcrtaken or passed on the way it
was probably on account of the very
warm weather. We reached Port Hen
ry at about i o'clock p. m. and spent the
evening in looking over the iron works.
The gentlemany engineer in charge
kindly showed us around and explained
to us the method pursued in the reduc.
ton of the ore, One could but notice the
ingenuity displayed in using every force
available to save expense The carbonic
oxide gas generated in the furnace from
the combustion Of the coal with limited
supply of oxygen was formerly allowed to
escape unused or was used very little !;
now it is conducted from the upper part
Of the furnace to chambers through which
passes the compressed air that makes the
blast of the furnace. Here, supplied
with the oxygen Of the air through CRATES
i'll the sides OF the chambers. it burns and
heats the air.pipes. The utilization OF
this force is saving of great expense in
the .mqpufacture Of iron.
At O'Clock they tapped inc of tn o
furnaces. After watching the stream of
liquid metal run into its moulds and
noticing the ghastly coloring the ilumna
ton gave to our faces and all objects on
which it fell, we were satisfied to 20 to
our hotel and call the days work accom-
nlished. la the morning we were away
for the mines. Through the kindness Of
Mr.. Morrison We were furnished with
tree passes over the Compauy's road to
Mnevilc and soon were wheeling up a
grade Of two hundred feet to the mile at
good speed. Mineville reached, we found
a guide in the courteous superintendent
Mr.. Tiff, and soon we're on our way down
into the darkness of the mine. At the
shaft where we went down the vein has
been mined to the depth of seventy or
eighty feet and there are no prospects OF
finding the bottom.
The plan pursued is to work downward
in the vein during the summer, and out.
ward into the sides during the winter, as
a considerable thickness of ice forms on
the bottom of the mine during tho cold
months of the year.
At other parts Of the mine u much
greater depth has been reached than the
one mentioned
In these mines about thousand work.
men are employed. One can get very
good idea of iron mining from visit tc
that locality. AS he stands upon the
floor Of that dark cavern and looks about
him, he can see the dim outline of the
mighty pillars of ore that have been left
= to support the roof; on every side the
twinkling lights Of the miners are CLEAN.
? ing out in the gloom, the continual ring
of drills beneath the hammer strokes
wake the echoes of this subterraneou.
, world: workmcn are continually passing
and repassing with loads Of ore for the
shaft. AS on, becomes accustomed tc
the darkness the dusky FIRMS OF the miu
r ers grow more distinct aud lose that
strange resemblance to shadows fitting
before the lights that first strike the be
holder. An hour spent in the mines anC
we GO up to the outer world. We visit
:. several shafts, the engine rooms, ge
. specimens Of the ore and the azoc rock.
in which it is found, and we are read,
for our return to Port Henry. There
arrived We takc a look at the whar
where something like eighty or a hundred
; thousand tons Of the ore are ready fol
shipping. We take stroll over tn,
grounds of Mr.. Wotherbce, look at hi
tue park of deer, his trout, his gardens
> and then we are ready for home. w,
cross the lake by ferry boat to Chimney
Point Here We strike the Trenton
\. limestone again and collect some fin,
fossils.
Here We found the Chaetetes Lycop
erdon in abundance, also specimens of tn,
Orthis testudinaricc and portions of thu
Trinucleus concentrcus and others. Ou
ride home was enlivened by plenteou
showers We reached Mddlebury
little past O'Clock in the evening, anC
! although the rain had not been especially
conducive to the interest of plug hats
i, and light colored clothes and we wer'
somewhat wearied with our long ride
we felt amply paid for our trip into TIM
Azoic regions. SENIOR
CIVIL SERvIcE,- Washington June 20
The Cabinet had under consideration