The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1896-05-27

From the New York Sun.
The existence of one of the greatest
known deposits of iron ore and the
fact that the large portion of the Lob
radore peninsula is in reality an island
are among the latest discoveries Of A.
=. Low of the dominion geological
survey. The government has kept back
the details of his latest explorations
until placing them officially before par
lament this week in the summary re-
port of the geological survey depart
ment These explorations were made
in June, July, August and September.
1895, in that part of central Labrador
I'm which the rivers Peribonsa, Ontarde.
Maniconagan and the big river of Hud-
son bay take their rise. The journey
was a perilous one, and in one of the
rapids of the Maniconagan one of Mr..
Lows canoemen was drowned and
neither the canoe nor the body of the
Indian was seen again.
The Maniconagan river was assembled
for 200 miles from its mouth to Lake
Monchalagan. Thence il was found i'm
possible for a long distance to follow
the stream, on account of its rapid
character and the high, rocky banks,
which preclude portaging. For over
six miles the river descends between
almost vertical walls i'm a continuous
heavy rapid. The first portage of a
mile and a half has a rise of over 600
feet The expedition discovered that
the main stream of the Maniconagan
is the southerly discharge of Summit
lake. which lies almost on the fifty
third degree of north latitude. Its
northern discharge, which is of about
the same volume. enters into the first
of a number of long. narrow lakes that
are finally drained into Lake Caniaps>
COW, and so reach the kotsoak or I'm
gava river. that discharges into Ungavo
bay. and that. together with the Mani
conagan and its connecting waters.
cuts off the whole northwest part of
Labrador and the northwest territory
and forms into an island containing
upward of 10000 square miles. In the
center watershed. where the Mani
conagan, the Caniapscow. the Ontarde,
Peribonca and the Big river take their
sources. the hills rise above the tree
line and the country is a barren waste.
In the Maniconagan river valley. on the
other hand below lake Monchalagan,
many large trees of white spruce are
found, which would make excellent
timber.
Lake Monchalagan is over forty miles
long and Is remarkable for its great
depth of water Some soundings of $50
feet have been taken i'm II. making il al
least 200 feet deeper than any previous
known lake i'm Labrador. Below this
lake the Maniconagan river flows in a
deep. ancient valley from a quarter of
a mile to two miles wide. with steep,
rocky walls rising from 500 to 1900 feet
above the water and usually thanked
with high terraces of subtratified sands
gravel and clay Toward its mouth the
river is broken by a number of falls
and chutes. where the channel narrows
greatly and the large volume of wateF
pours in a swtrling mass downward be-
tween perpendicular rocky banks. Mr..
Low reports. however. that none of its
canyons compare with those of the
Kotsoak and Hamilton rivers. The de-
post of iron ore reported by Mr.. Low
is between the headwaters of the on
tarde and Maniconagan rivers The
ore occurs in gneiss composed of
quartz. feldspar and magnetic and ac-
cording TO the proportion OF magnetic
present grades from ferruginous gneiss
into an almost pure iron ore Of high
grade. This bed. in great thickness.
can be traced along the strike Of the
rocks for 80 miles. and there is an i'm
mense mountain Of almost pure metal.
called by the Indians the shining
mountain" because of the glistening
Of the ore faces in the sun. when they
present a most dazzling appearance
The provincial government Is expected
at once 10 send mining experts 10 re-
port upon the deposit. but little can be
done toward developing il until a rail
way is built TO il.
\ London physician complains that a
manufacture whose weekly pay roll is
s. 5u0 claimed medical attendance as an
Odd Fellow Tor 81 a year.