The sun. [volume] (Morris, Stevens County, Minn.) 1882-1895, 1890-07-10
cANAoA's NIcKLE MINES.
An InexhaustibIe Supply of the Ore-How
It Is Treated.


Within few weeks past two meet
ings of international importance have
been held in Canada, and both were
followed by excursions of still greater
of the the N. Y. Tribune. The first
excursion was made from Toronto to
Sudbury after the close of the meeting
of the American Association of the Adj
vancement of Science early in Septem-
Der. The second excursion was in
charge of the dominion and two of the
provincial governments of Canada,
those of Ontario and Quebec, and given
to the American Institution of Mining
Engineers, at the conclusion of their
meeting at Ottawa early in October.
The interest felt in the latter meeting
Is evident from the fact that each of
the three governments named paid
81, 900 toward the expenses of the
meeting and the excursioa. The ap-
preparation of the province of Ontario
for the Toronto meeting of the science
association was still more liberal,
though not intended so much to defray
the cost of excursions to examine the
mineral resources of the country. 1t
was thought, however. that the mining
engineers would more thoroughly ap-
preciate the mines of the dominion, and
that it would be most desirable to give
them correct idea of the wonderful
resources of Canada, abopt which so
little is yet known in the United States.
The Sudbury mines, which some of
the mining engineers visited after their
Ottawa meeting, comprise the most ex-
tensive deposits of nickel in the world.
These mines were first worked for cop
per, in which they are very rich. AS
late as the spring of 1887 copper was
the one metal sought for, and the
mines were regarded as marvels of
richness in this respect while nothing
was said or known about nickel. The
discovery of nickel in the matte was ac-
cidental. While some of it was being
reduced to get ont the copper, the
characteristic color of nickel was no.
ticed. This led to a chemical analysis,
and the color indication was confirmed.
Furnaces were then erected at Sud-
bury, and the burning and smelling of
the ore was undertaken on large
scale, under the direction of DR.. Peters.
The capacity of the mines and of the
two furnaces now exceeds by far the
entire worlds consumption of nickel
in 1888, which was less than 1000
tons. The discovery of these mex
of the United States are either failing
or unable to supply nickel cheaply.
The expense of working at Sudbury is
wonderfully small. The ore occurs in
masses elevated above the level of the
surrounding region, so that the process
of getting it is rather one of quarrying
than of mining. A few drill holes filled
with dynamite will throw down i'm
mense quantities at single blast. In
September blast was fired which, it
was estimated threw down 500 tons.
DR.. Peters a month later at Ottawa
said that the amount proved to be $50
tons.
The method of treating the ore is ex-
tremly ingenious and economical, many
of thee. features being original with
DR.: as, -~~3e = deescs:iEsd de.;;,,...t.he the process
fully before the mining engineers at
Otta1 va, and received the highest COM
a1ffeeREdatfon from them. NTnesore Is first
burned, being piled in great heaps in
the burning yard, upon a superstruc-
ture of wood, which is ignited, and
sets fire to the ore. The ore continues
burning for months, the contained sui
phur supplying the fuel. 1t is neces-
sary to regulate this process so that
a proper medium of temperature is
preserved. Too little heat would not
reduce the ore sufficiently; too much
would melt it down into sort of glass.
To insure the proper temperature the
ore is piled in alternate layers of large
pieces and of ore dust. The entire
cost of the fuel used is only that of
wood enough to start the fire-about
2 cents per ton of ore. The burning
heaps are arranged side by side, and
after combustion has gone on for some
weeks the interstices are filled up with
fresh ore, which ignites, and the entire
mass undergoes a uniform combus-
ton.
The burned ore is then smelted in
furnaces with q powerful blast. An
ingenious device of DR.. Peters inven-
ton keeps the melted Stag and metal
drawn off into movable tanks, thus
rendering impossible the formation of
salamanders in the furnace, which are
the bane of blast furnaces generally.
The resulting matte contains 16 or IL
per cent of nickel and about 27 per
cent of copper, besides a very small
amount of platinum. 1t is sent to
Swansea and Philadelphia to be re-
fined.