The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1902-11-14
Prof. Van Hise on the Mesaba.

Van Hise says the geological success
sion in the district, the unusual size,
shape and structure of the ore bodies,
their manner of development, and the
peculiar and rapid methods of exploit
tation of the ore, all present features
of unusual scientific and economic in
terest. This monograph is one of the
series planned to treat the iron bearing
districts of the Lake Superior region.
Monographs on the Penokee-G ogebic,
the Marquette and the Crystal Falls
districts have been published in the
therefore is fourth. The last two of the
series are those on the Vermilion and
the Menominee districts.
The Mesabi iron district lies in that
part of Minnesota which is northwest
of Lake Superior 1t extends from
Grand Rapids, on the Mississippi Riv-
err, northeasterly to Birch Lake, a dis
lance of about eighty-ffve miles, with
width varying from two to ten miles
Its area is about four hundred square
miles. The main topographic feature
of the district is a ridge known as the
Mesabi, or Giants Range, Mesabi be.
ing the Chippewa-India name foi
giant. The Mesabi Range, for the most
part, forms a divide whose drainage
is apportioned among three of the
great river systems Of the country
the Mississippi, the st. Lawrence, and
the Nelson. Three railways, all with
terminals on Lake Superior, touch the
lrange-the Duluth & Iron Range, Mes
abb & Northern Railway and the East
ern Railway of Minnesota (the Great
Northern).
The development of this district has
been marvellous. In November, 1890,
iron ore was found just north of what
is now known as the Mountain Iron
Mines; in 1892, 4,245 long tons of iron
ore were shipped; in 1901, 9,O04,S9O tons
were shipped, and the total shipments
Of ore during the ten years have been
&C, 404,967 long tons.
The iron ore deposits of the Mesaoi
district are confined to the part of the
Biwabik iron bearing formation lying
in the central and western portions of
the district, and of the area of iron
the formation in this portion Of the
district they occupy about 4 per cent.
They lie near the surface and seldom
reach a depth greater than three hum
dred feet. Commonly the depth is less
than $50 feet. They lie in shallow, ir
regular basins. The widths of the de-
post seldom exceed a quarter Of a mile
and the lengths are not uncommonly
half mile or more The ores are, for
the most part, slightly hydrated hema-
titles. Only two deposits on the range
are known to contain sulphur in injur-
T., I'M
in texture from large crystalline mass.
es requiring the use of crusher, as at
the Biwabik, to fine, soft dirt which
runs like sand between the fingers.
The looseness of the ore as it lies In
the deposit is shown by the fact that
| in computing the tonnage of Mesabi
ores, from II 1-2 to Is cubic feet are
allowed per long ton, whereas in the
hard ore deposits of other ranges the
common figures are and cubic feet
per long ton. Because of the bedded
and iointed structure of the ore depos-
| its water is able to pass through them
freely. The ore deposits are at present
in part above water level and in part
below it. A good instance of this
appears at Virginia, where the Column
vast quantity of water, while the mines
on the higher ground adjacent are COM
paratively dry.
The report discusses at some length
the disposition of the iron ore in the
Mesabi district. Because of the soft
character of the Mesabi ores and
their occurrence in shallow de-
posits, much ore is loaded direct
ly by steam sthovels on railway
cars in open cuts. The Mesabi iron
ores are transported to Lake Superior
by rail, and thence by the lakes to the
terminal lake ports. In density of traf-
fic and in freight earnings mile of
track, there are but half a dozen roads
in the United States which compare
with the three railroads carrying the
ore from the Mesabi mines to Lake
Superior, a fact brought out in the
famous "ore rate" case, in which the
State of Minnesota made an unsuc-
cessful attempt to have the rate on
freight reduced. The rate from the
Mesabi range to Lake Superior is uni
formly 80 cents a ton.
In 1891 the district had not been open
ed up. In 1895 the Mesabi district be-
came the largest producer in the Lake
Superior region, passing in that year
the Marquette district, which since 1854
had held first place. In 1901 the total
production of the Mesabi district was
A per cent of that of the Lake Superior
region, and two and one-half times as
much as it's nearest competitor, the Me-
nominee, which in 1901, for the first
time surpassed the Marquette district
Fin production. Largely on account of
the Mesabt production, the State of
Minnesota in 1901 passed the State of
Michigan as the largest iron producer
in the United States. In total ship,
ments the Mesabi district is still be-
hind the Marquette district At the
close of 1901 the Mesabi district had
shipped total of 40,404, 1867 long tons,
and the Marquette district, open since
1854, had shipped 62,S47, 473 tons. At the
present rate of production the Mesabi
total will pass that of the Marquette
district in about four years. The total
amount of high grade ore-that is, con-
tanning above perhaps So or SO per cent
of metallic iron-at present in sight on
the MeSabi Range has been eStima fed