The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-01-22

Cents Per Ton
The paper os Fred webb 81 Mines ard
Mining and Merha6s % Working the Lake
Superior Copper and Iron Deposits" read
before The lsst meeting q ire Seattle
Mining Bureau. f. as follows.
s.Mr President, Gentlemen. A. your re-
quest FOR dissertation on mines and min
ing and methods q working the Lake SUI
psrsor coppe- and ir0a deposits. ] have
prepared the following. Allow ne 20
preface these remarks ~ stating that
VIII he Unable % touch upon tas iron
Industry Of the Lake Superior district
ard do justice 70 both parts Of the suo-
.sct IN hand. I shat be able 70 but
briefly describe some few Of the large
copper mines now IL operation there. You
VIII perhaps recall that Michigan nas for
It's northern boundary Lake Superior.
You may also remember that peninsula
extends out into the lake about sixty
miles. and Is known as keweenaw point.
This L. the great copper producing dis
frict which I win describe as thoroughly
es ths tine VIII permit The copper ne
poslfs are located on two distinctly dIf-
fsrent formations known as the eongloIn-
crate and the anygdalois-
TIE auygdaso!d on which the Atlantic.
Quincy and Franklin mines are located.
s. a dne-grsined. reddish. hasaltlc rock
filled with cavities. occupied BY agates.
ouzrtz. calcits aad zsolIfes. This anyg-
dalosd contained between walls o. trap.
f. IL veins or seams dipping 10 the east
about 81 degrees. f. u varying thickness
from ak 0. eight feet or the surface 10
nifty and sixty feet finally narrowing ~
about $3.50 feet depth 10 five and six feet.
Copper and silver are found native or
free and their presence may be thus &C.
4e44 la@fr
was doubtless a sulphide. which being
oxidszed 20 a suipaate. was eiectrolyticaliy
deposited as nearly pure metallic copper
81 rnasscs very IrTegalarly shaped, and
varying in weight from a few grains 10
over Go tons. Silver was doubtless de-
posted n ths same manner, although in
very much smaller quantities. Masses OF
fen pounds Ia weight have rarely been
nd. The larger part Of the silver 3
n smelling. and never has much be-
Er1 $1,000 in any enc year been rscov-
d TIE miners. however. carry OF
ge quantities. sometimes as high as
50 Ii a month.
IL might appear az first that copper in
masses % SO great a weight as GO tons
e3Hld BE- very probably handled. bat the
reverse IA often true. In the case where
a mass of copper found in 1891 or 1892.
nine feet through and weighing about $50
tons. six gangs OF three men each worked
continuously twelve months 70 disioage
and cut II IN pieces OF convenient size for
handing AZ cost % over $1,000 which
exceeded tho value o. the copper by A
triae. Blasting Of copper is not expedi-
ent az q chambers under the influence Of
an explosive. Three men. one 10 hold the
chlsel and two 10 strike with nine pound
hammers. only chip out about rs cubic
inches per day. The bulk % the copper
IL distributed quite evenly throughout the
gaF g. -
and smelted. the latter operation costing
81 per ton. The Atlantic Manufacturing
Company treats the lowest grade copper
rock In Michigan During 1894 their aver
age percentage was .6S Of / per cent. by
weight OF copper per ton Of rock. They
treat about l,eao tons every twenty-four
hours With SIX steam stamps, with
capacity Of about 80 tons each per day.
They have IN operation three shafts. the
deepest Of which Is : 49, feet. following
ths laciiaatl0n OF the vein.
$500 Tons in Tsxenty-four Hours.
The Quincy Mining Company operates
three double compartment shafts. and IS
now working az depth % 400 feet.
Taey have a higher grade OF copper rock.
- 10 ~ per cent. and at one time had
&ie Der cent. copper 70 the ton Every
tweuty-four hours about 1850 tons are
hossted and treated and their monthly
output ia about so tons Of refined copper
sua a few hundred ounces OF silver. The
HOSTS are douhly connected sinEle-expan-
sion engines 81 about 100 horsepower.
with two cylinders aixty Inches in diam
cter and about seven feet stroke. optrat-
ing drums q to - feet IN diameter NJ a
perlpherA speed o. s.0o0 feet per minute
Steel cables ~ inches in diameter. wound
IN opposite directions on the drums. en-
abio the empty car 20 descend while the
loaded oas ascends- From - to Ice cars
% from 20 s tons capacity are holsted
each shift o. nine hours. and delivered
20 twelve steam stamps - 20 tons ca
racity each twenty-feur hours.
Ordinary miners receive s. per day. OK
Cept on contracts. whom shaft sinSers re-
ceivs about SIS per foot. drsfters $50 per
foot. muckers Si55 trammers n9s. truck
men ti.s5.
''rho ventilation Is perfect two shafts
taking in air and ore dlscharEing All
tram cars. excepting IN the iron mines.
are operated by man power. three men
70 each ear % tive tons weight and load
OF three tons. Each gang ~ trammers Is
expected 70 deliver az the shaft from
Il % Is cars ~ rock each shift % nine
hours This Is the most IaSoriouS work
IN connection with their mining. as IL Is
not unc0mmon for rock - be trammed
soo feet from the shaft Copper costs this
company about SIS 20 Ga cents net per
pound
The Franklin Mining Company adfolns
she Quincy snd operates on tae same vein.
They operate only two accompaniment
shafts. having antiguated holsting ma
ehinery and equipments A the mine has
been in constant operation far over thirty
wears. ana the limits ~ their boundary
Hires have been reached. the mine VIII
clase m less than a year. Copper costs
this company about - ceats per pound
net.
In treating this amy Elatoidlcai rock
a great difference IN hardness can be
noted between 70 and the conrl0nerate.
THO most notable example is IN the l!te Il
the Afl-pouad stamp shoes. A stamp shoe
which lssts five weeks en- amyRaaloia
lasts hat ten DAYS tn conR3os0erate. Zach
stamp STRIKES blow o seven tons sixty
tine Per mlnuto.
The ConEiomeratc Rock.
~ win row lesvc this locality And 90
about twelve miles Further no-th. where
copper = found in Tire core1onarate
4 cor ,orae-ste. es ths name Indicates Is
composed ~ fragments ~ ~oek ceaien.ed