The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-12-26
THE MEsABl RANGE.
Tremendous Possibilities of the Grea
New Region.

tremendous Possibilities OF the Grea
New Region.
Now that the measure of the Mesabi
range can be more exactly taken, in the
light of six years of operation, it is
interesting to note that what were once
considered wild guesses are really not
wide of recent estimates of the Mesabi
reserves. Horace V. Winchell, who was
one of the first experts on the range,
said lately in an interview:
There Is no less than $3.50. 600, 900 in
vested in the iron mining industry in
the Lake Superior district. When the
Mesabi range was first discovered, min
ers and merchants of other districts
comforted themselves with the vain
hope that 1t was pockety, that it's shall
low mines would soon be exhausted
that it's ores could be used only in
small quantities in average mixtures,
and so on. But the facts are these:
There is more ore in sight to-day, three
or four times over, than the whole Lake
Superior region has produced in so
years. Its deposits are deeper, larger,
wider and better than those of any
other range. For some years past more
of its ore has been used than from
that of any of the older ranges, and
the disparity seems to become greater
year by year Active exploration there
dates back but four seasons, and yet
there is in sight to-day nearly 400, 000,-
600 tons of ore, better in quality
than the average used in the United
States, and perhaps 200000,000 tons that
will average so per cent. of iron, 06 per
cent. of phosphorus and 10 per cent.
of moisture, and the end is not yet.
do not consider it by any means wild
prediction that the Mesabi range alone
will produce 100000, 600 tons of iron ore
before it is abandoned.
An investigator who recently address,
ed letters of inquiry to the mining
companies on the Mesabi range, got
answers with estimates based on actual
working and careful exploration. These
gave total of 400.000000 tons ahead
on the known properties. 1t is not
surprising, in view of the new plane to
which the iron industry has risen, that
values of Mesabi mines have under
gone a radical REIMBURSEMENT in the past
year. With shipments in the neigh
borhood of 100000 tons this year,
preparations are making for more than
a 1000, 00O-ton output next year, or more
than all the ranges sent down in year
so recently as 1893. The question of
the satisfactory handling of larger
percentages of the Mesabi ores is still
to be worked out: but there is only one
ultimate outcome in that direction. AS
the production of the old range proper
ties grows less and less the Mesabi
range must make up the deficiency;
and with the need of larger percent
ages Of it's ores. ways will be found of
using them. On the Gogebic range
the past season has demonstrated that
some properties cannot longer respond
to increased demand with increased
output New mines may be found to
take the place of the familiar ones
that have seen their best days, but the
discovery of such successors is yet to
be announced. In general the trend
of events is toward an increasing de-
pendence upon the Mesabi range for
the supply of high grade Bessemer
ores. From the present standpoint it
is seen that the new Minnesota supply
came not year too soon. To-day the
announcement Of a store so inconceiv-
ably iarge-an announcement that
once brought panic and paralysis to
the iron mining industry of Lake SUI
perior-is the great steadying and for
tifying fact behind the claims for
American supremacy in steel.-The Iron
Trade Review.