Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1884-03-27
IRoNToN MO-. THURSDAY, MARCH 27. 1854

ing and selling have been had, than il
former yeors, and consequently muci
greater yield has resulted.
? The output in 1881 was 10000 tons
: in 1882, 60. .000 tons; in 1888 10. 900 ton.
a was mined; and at present ore is beins
mined at the rate CT 200, 900 tons Del
year.
: In succeeding years the increase vii
: be still more marked, provided the
state Of the market will Justify it.
Pilot Knob Mountain has an alti.
tude of i've hundred and sixty-seven
/ feet. To the eastern and northeastern
/ side Of the summit, and one hundred
and forty feet below the latter, is found
the outcrop, and it is here that the ore
was first worked. From this point
THE GENERAL DIRECTION OF THE
VEIN
Is ives sterly, or rather sou thwes terIy,
dipping in that direction at an angle
OF twenty degrees The slope of the
hill from the summit, in the same
direction, IL at the same angle; conse-
IQuently the cover boye the vein of ore
lis OF the same thickness from the out
crop tothe lowest point where worked
in Tunnel Number Three.
| The thickness OF the vein varies from
| twelve 10 thirty feet. but the general
average will exceed twenty five feet.
| Immediately above the vein, (which.
| by the way, is called a fissure vein), is
a somewhat loose stratum Of slate.
which varies in thickness from a few
inches 10 several feet: and this covers
| the entire vein, at least so far as work
ed. Still above this comes porphyry,
| which continues TO the surface.
| This slate greatly facilitates matters
| in working the mine. Being not so
difficult 40 drill, and easier gotten out
than the ore, it upon being taken out.
affords opportunity for deeper and
stronger holes being put in the breast,
and consequently a greater quantity
OF ore blasted at shot. This is es-
| pecially the case where the work is
eing done at or near the top Of the vein
OF iron.
There are several tunnels from the
surface, at differen attitudes, entering
the hill from different directions. ali
working in the vein. Tunnels num-
bered One, Two and Three, have all; for
a long time. tapped the deposit, and
are the channels through which the
treasure is brought 10 the surface.
Tunnel Number One enters on the
vein from the west side of the noun
tain, and runs IN an easterly direction.
It's length is six hundred and fifty feet
Tunnel Number Two starts from the
west side. on the vein 100 feet below
No. One, and extends TO the breast,
twelve hundred feet distaat-
Tunnel Number Three is on the
southern side and is one thousand feet
long.
When the breast is reached, the sYs-
tenn Of working the ore IS that known
as the chamber and pillar system |
Of az+r EVo III M
at certain intervals to support the roof |
These pillars are usually twenty by |
thirty feet in size The chamber, or /
place ore Is taken out, is twenty-five 10 |
forty feet in width; the height and |
length the first depending on the |
thickness Of the vein, the second on
the thickness Of vein and sta5e OF rock
These pillars are sometimes
and all might be, being re-
placed by logs laid as in cribbing a
shaft, the space inside being filed with
worthless rock.
The tunnels which have reached the
breast of the vein are connected, one
with another. by cross cuts, and that
connection ventilates the mine The
tunnels entering the mountain from
the south and west, gradually rise as
they run east or north. Those which
enter from the east or north. follow
the formation at an incline. No mat
ter III which direction the current of
cir may be. it sweeps before II all Of
fensive smell from burnt powder and
powder smoke, and brings plentiful
supply OF fresh air for the laborers and
miners.
A shaft twelve by twenty feet has
also been sunk on the southeastern
side OF the mountain, reaching the
vein OF ore at the depth of 148 feet An
immense hosting engine Is located
here. and soon the openings viii bel
in ali directions, giving room
-or many more laborers, and material
) increasing the output of ore; also, IN
future years, this shaft VIII prove Of
great benefit as q means Of yentilating
he lower levels 1
The drilling underground is done, at
present, Dy seventy men at hammer
md drill, and forty-five 3
RAND AIR-DRILLS: IL
;wo men TO each air-dril. The aver |
lge distance drilled for a pair of men i
md air-drill. per day, is from ten to c
weiye feet, varying with the kind of c
ground through which driven.
1t is estimated that an air-driII bores
light times as much as man per day
According to that es5imate. the air = :
lfIiAS III use are equal 10 three nun
ired and sixty men, making four hum
Ired and thirty men drilling To ear
v the speculation further, according :
o the estimate of what a pair of psen
lrilled per day, the whole fore zen
aged ar drilling would put in at Aast {
i've hundred and fifty feet per day. I
he motive power Of the drills is fur !
ished by two
RAND AIR eOsrpR ESSaRS
0cated at the foot of and on the north
rest side of the mountain. A ten-ineh c
ipe Is. the vehicle through which the G
ir is conveyed or forced the distance r
{ over two thousand feet to the tun- 0
els in which the. drills are operated. s
Underground, zIis large pipe Is tap s
ell by smaller ones leading of TO- e
here tsSe drills are stationed, and be-
~ connected with them by rubber s
abe or hose. The nlan running the q
lachine gets il properly in position. il