The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-06-27
MINNESOTA
THE LARGEST SHAFT
Chaplin Mine Has It and It Is More
Than Twenty-four Feet
Square.
Typical Of the Methods Of the Great
Steel Corporation and Allied
Companies.
Special to The Journal,

Special to The Journal.
Duluth, Mimi, June 27.-The largest
l shaft ever opened in the iron mining
I country has just started at Chaplin mine
of the Oliver Iron Mining company 1t is
{ more than % feet square and is to be
! sunk to 1000, feet depth 1t will be fire.
proof and will be surmounted by great
fireproof shafthouse. There has never
/ been a time in the history of mining when
: improvements were made on such per-
I manent and elaborate scale as now by
! the constituent companies Of the United
States Steel corporation. Conditions never
, warranted smaller and less powerful COM
! panies in doing what the Steel corpora
tion is doing. and, indeed. should do on
great scale, in order to cheaper its pro-
duction and make 1t perfectly independent,
no far as Independence is possible, of. any
conditions that may arise.
! The great shafts and underground i'm
provements of the Steel corporation at
Ely, its vast Norrie shaft and better
ments, Its work both on surface and I'M,
derground at Aragon, it's vast stripping
jobs on the Mesabi range, not to mention
score of smaller tho important improve
ments, all with the view of cheapening
production and making the output abso-
1utely sure, are the most significant oper-
ations ever carried out by mining COM
pany. The company Is preparing for the
time when profits will be less than now,
and when the money for extensive BETTER
ments will not be readily obtainable;
when, even, it will require these great
Celebrations Of equipment to retain prof
ITS at the present point.
At Aragon mine, Menominee range, an
| extensive. system Of pneunnat tic under
ground haulage Is being installed and
large compressors are already In place.
These will take the place Of hand tram
mirg on two levels now and on others
later.
Breituns Estate Mine.
Work at the Higgins mine, Mesabi
range. has been curtailed and it will not
be put in readiness for q large shipment
this year. -..4..
Stripping contracts have been let at
the Breitung estate mine at Negaunee.
and operations have commenced. Mesabi
range stripping methods are being adopted
more or less experimentally at many old
range mines where conditions seem to
warrant, and will doubtless extend to
many others, when the adaptability Of
the system Is realized. Several proper
ties on both the Menominee and Mar
quette ranges will be stripped Now the
Steel corporation Is stripping heavily at
Moore mine, Marquette range, where a
lean silicious Bessemer exists in great
quantity.
At the Baltic, Menominee range, the
Verona Mining company will strip about
25 feet Of overburden, exposing their
workings. This is In order to- take the
weight from pillars Of ore left under
ground, which are liable to crush and let
the mine fill with sand.
K An option on Austin F. mine has been
given the Buffalo and Susquehanna Iron
company Of Buffalo, and The stockholders
meet July to confirm 1t. There is no
doubt the sale will be made.
The Pewabjc Mining company is un-
watering Beta shaft of Nanaimo mine,
Menominee range, and will explore UNDER
ground before tackling the bigger job OF
taking water from Nanaimo shaft.
Republic mine Is to be equipped on a
more elaborate scale than ever and one
of it's shafts that has been abandoned
many years Is to be reopened and made
an important producer. The mine Is look.
many years.
Shipments Not Overly Brisk.
Aside from the United States steel cor
poration, shippers are inactive and les
ore Is going down from them than las
year. This Is partly due to limited sale
of Bessemer ore, partly to the lack o
vessels on account Of extremely heav!
coal shipments and consequent delays a
coal docks, and partly because there wa
much ore left on hand at eastern fur
naces at the opening of navigation th1
spring. But production goes on, now a.
such pace that vast shipments will hav
to be made later, and the year will max
q good showing.
The flftieth anniversary Of the begin
ming Of mining by the Lake Superior Irol
company most Of whose stock is now hell
by the United States Steel corporation
was held this week at Ishpeming. Tn
company has mined in its period Of ex
istence 11,50O,OO gross tons Of ORE hal
of 1t since 1893. Tho so large a tonnag
has been made. the mine shows no sign
OF exhaustion in it's record Of shipments
as the last year was the largest so fa1
when $4,000 tons were produced an
shipped. ,-,>.v H.
Negotiations are under way for the leas
Of Mary Charlotte mine, Marquette range
to an important consuming company nov
operating in the lake region. If the Bret
tung estate sells this, it will take u
strongly the development of their hema
tite mine and rush it for all it Is worth
It Is supposed to be a promising property
Shipments from the Helen mine, Michi