The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1892-08-04
EDISON'S iron MINE.
Marvellous Application Of
Electricity at Ogdens-
burg, Sussex Co.
SEPARATING THE ORE.
The Best Bessemer Material Pro-
duced Economically-EeW
Works Constructed.
Special to the JERSEY clty Mstos.

Special to the Jersey CITY NetSs.
BERLIN. N. j., Aug. 4, 1892.-For more
than century the development Of
the iron deposits in the conn-
ties of Morris, Sussex and Warren
has constituted the leading feature
| of enterprise in that section Of
| the State. and, during that period, nail~
| lions of capital have been invested. fur
nishing employment for thousands of
men; and while it has supplied the many
| furnaces of New Jersey with the richest
ore found east of the Alleghenies. 1t has
also been the chief source of supply for
those In Eastern Pennsylvania. During
this period more than two hundred mines
have been opened and developed to a
| greater or less extent, and so heavy and
protracted has been the drain, that most of
the deposits of rich ore have been ex-
hausted. save few veins that lie buried
| SO deep in the earth as to be regarded as
| Improbable mining. In view of the rich
deposits found lying so near the surface
| in some of the Southern States many had
begun to fear that the production of ir on
| in this state would shortly have to be
| abandoned. Not that the upply was ex-
hausted. for there is almost an unlimited
supply of lean ore, yielding an average of
| twenty per cent, but that the great er adj
vantages of the Southern manufacture RS
would destroy Northern competition.
These fears, however, were only the fore
runner of transition period that was to
l introduce most wonderful revolution in
the method of producing iron.
EDISON AT WORK.
About three years ago the genius of an
| Edison came to the rescue. This great
| prince OF electricians gazed upon the
| rocks and in obedience to his magical
| power the iron came forth Invested of its
| rocky garments and in condition ready
to challenge comparison with that found
1 in the marketable pig.
Being at OgGensburg few days since,
and having heard much concerning the
| extensive works of Mr.. Thos. A. Edison,
| at tt Ogden mine, Sussex county. the
| writer ventured on making a visit for pez-
sonal inspection. After two miles jour
ney up steep mountain way there sud-
denly came into view a cluster of large
| buildings, q pile of ore, surmounted by a
machine for hoisting by means Of q hinge
iron bucket that was moved back and
forth over a heavy wire cable con
nected with the quarry, soma threa'
or four hundred feet distant. To those
who might desire to know something OF
the methods pursued and rhe principles
involved in this great enterprise, brief
outline of the leading features might
prove an item of more than common in
terest. The writer would acknowledge
his indebtedness to Mr. o. j. Comfy for
his courtesy in conducting him through
the premises and for the Information so
kindly extended. Beginning at the
quarry (for the ore is being QuarFied
rather than mined, he learned that two
thousand tons per day were being raised
and emptied into the shute, and which
passed through powerful crusher that
reduced it to sizes four inches in diameter
and less.
MARVELLOUS SYSTEM.
This was conveyed by belts to four
other machines consisting OF rollers that
reduced it to the consistency OF sand. It
was then conveyed to the top of uum-,,
ber of separators some ten or twelve feet
in height. These sepRrators We're oblong
closets, near the top of which were placed
horizontally a powerful magnet several
feet in length and watch was kept charg-
ed by wires connected with q dynamo,
and regulated by machines called re-
gister. This fine mixture OF crushed ore
and rock on reaching the top of the
separator fell after the manner Of
at the base. wi4h a board partition
dividing the opening. The rocky portion
fell perpendicular into the aperature on
the left of the partition, while the iron.
being attracted by the magnet, fell In q
line slantinG to the right sufficiently to
fall on the right side OF the partition.
from whence both products were con-
veyed away by belts. the rocky portion to
the waste heap of sand and the iren to a
room for storage, and from thence was
loaded by belts on waiting trains of cars.
This ore, averaging enly twenty per cent.
when taken from the quArrieS, after pass
ing through the separator, would yield
sixty-eight per cen5.-almost equal to pigs
iron.
FOR MAKING STEEL.
A machine was being erected by which
this refined ore was to be mixed with
some adhesive compound, and then to be
pressed into briguettes, being much in
the shape of half a brick. and weighing
II 1-2 pounds. This will add greatly to
the economy of fuel in smelling, by al
lowing the heat to penetrate more readily
the interior as we'll as the outside OF the
charge. This is Bessemer ore. and is
chiefly used for making steel.
This plant has capital of $780, 900; en-
| ploys $50 men. and as it has been, it will
continue to De conducted as school for
experiment, Mr.. Edison spends about
two weeks of each mouth there, and hes
men thoroughly and practically drilled IN
every department requisite, viz, areki-
tects, draughtsmen, machlnists, etc. AL
ready five other plants have been organ
iZed, and the success of the enterprise is
an established fact, Mr.. Edison is as in-
defatigable as ever in his search for new
conquests in science, and the world is
waiting TO learn the result-Wondering
what will come next.
'T would ike to sound the praise of HoodHs
Sarsapa rilla over the entire universe, /" write
| To larC of Union D0QOgft. Penn