The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1900-05-18
MINING NOTES.

the great lakes has opened with stock:
or ore at all Lake Erie ports pract
icslily cleaned up. On all the dock:
there is just 1,720,656 gross tons o
ore, which is Il small item. rs much Of
it Is probably of an inferior kind that
mas been accommodating for years
ms is less ore than the docks have
contained in any spring since 1892
They were well cleaned up a year age
but the surplus is lighter now b,
about 350,000 tons. The reports from
the dock managers, supplemented BY
conservative estimates as to the con-
sumption of ore that went to the
Federal Steel Co. and other interests
on Lake Michigan, also show that the
entire consumption OF the Lake Sup
erior product during the year ended
with the first of the present month
was somewhat in excess of the OUTPUT
OF S,500. 600 tons made by the mines
in the year 1899. Thus another new
year is begun in the ore business with
the product Of the previous year en-
tirely wiped out. Reports from all
the dock managers TO the Marine Re
view show that the stocks on dock
May aggregated only 1,720. $50 tons
gross tons in all cases. against 2,079.-
254 tons on the same date in 1899 and
3, I67, 9l5 tons in 1898. The extent to
which the furnaces have been using
tile ore is best shown by shipments
from Lake Erie docks for the full
year ended May l. which aggregated
-, So, S8I tons. against II. ID, So tons
during tile year ended May l. 1899, l0,-
209, 4SS tons during the year ended
5Iay l. 1898 and 6.7l9, 633 tens during
the year ended May l, 1897. At the
close Of navigation Dec. l, 1899. the
stocks OF Lake Erie amounted co s.
go. 22S3 tons Ii we deduct from this
I.720. 656 tons, the amount now on dock.
we find that shipments to furnaces
from Lake Erie ports during the wiz
ter period dec. l to May II amounted
to. 3, sos. 627 tons, which, added to T.
073. 25i tons. the amount shipped to
furnaces during the season of navi-
gatien in 1899, gives ID, So, SSI tons as
the entire consumption OF ore from
Lake Erie docks during the year end
ed sTsy /. 19Go.-Marine Review.
The prediction was made last year,
wiiea 10 looked as If there WAS rrUye
demand than ore TO fill it. that as
soon rs mines got their second wind.
so to speak, they would catch up, and
in the future as in the past. could
easily cope with any possible con-
sumption or transportation. 1t is
now very evident that this is true.
From every range, unless possibly the
Gogebic, more ore can be sent than
can be used. Indeed, the expectat-
ions of mines have been until the
past few days. aud probably are now.
larger than the market at its highest
flood could assimilate. The big three
Of the Marquette range. at Ishpeming.
would do no more than last year, but
new mlues will add, and other parts
of the range. notably, Negaunee. will
make its total much heavier. Around
Iron Mountain, on the Menominee,
the Chaplin will send over LOCO. 900
tons if expectations are not in error.
and some OF the smaller mines will
double their output. AtCrystal Falls
the same condition prevails: while at
the mines of the Penn group it is also
evident. On the Wisconsin side
Florence has more ore in stock than
it shipped all last year. The Mansfield
is doing well and has encountered a
body OF ore that makes the mine
seem larger ana better than 1T any
preceding period.
There is quite Il bearish tinge &c
the ere situation. as it shows at Du
luth. Little new ore is being sold
and prices are being shaded somewhat
in fact ores hove been offered at 81
cents under association price in order
to induce sales. The opinion is that
water freight rates are too high. also
and the wild scale may be lower thar
the contract. That important brancl
OF the lake trade that carries lumbeI
is in a turmoil over the action o.
eastern wholesalers, who have arrang
ed to do all chartering through {
4 Buffalo office. The result has already
been to reduce rates from 81 to S2.115.
An interesting item of information
is the depth of ore found in a propert!
being explored at Hibbing. churI
drill has gone to depth of 400 fee
and is still going in ore. with abou
81 feet of an earth surface on top
The upper part of tile deposit is non
bessemer, but the lower 150 feet are
bessemer. The best assay was al
average from 430 to 40 feet, 81 irol
and .023 phos. Only about six acre
have been explored so far and tn
: measurements are about 1000, 90