The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-01-03
iron ORE REVIEW
Mining and Handling Of Low Grades
Becoming More and More
e a Feature. s
Business Reduced to Science by
the U. S. Steel and Other
i ! Corporations.
Special to The Journal.

Special to The Journal.
Duluth, Mimi. jan 3-Were the iron
ore shipped last year from the famous
mines of Lake Superior to be piled in one
mound it would make a cube nearly
twenty miles long, 100 wide and 1914 feet
high. The carriage of iron ore out Of
* Lake SUPERIOR alone forms about Sc per
cent of the traffic both into and out of
the lake, of such preponderating influence
E Is the ore trade,
Out OF So, 900, 900 tons Of freight passing II
the past year through the canals at the
foot Of Lake Superior 100000 tons were
Gre. To this must be added the 100000
tons more carried from the port of Els
canada on northern Lake Michigan.
Since the beginning of mining operations
in this region, when in 1855 the old jack
son sent down it's first important ship
ment of ore to bloomeries, there have been
taken from the hills and swamps OF the
lake region 22O,000O00 tons of ore. More
than half of this has been in the past six
years.
- At present ore reserves are increasing
more rapidly than shipments, though In
a far less ratio. While exceedingly hard
to estimate accurately the amount Of ore
discovered during the past year 1t is safe
to put it at not less than $4,000, 900 tons.
Practically all of this has been brought
to light upon the Mesaba range, that most
prolific ore carrying formation yet found
in the worlds history. Most of what has
district Immediately around Hibbing,
though careful and consistent work else
where is disclosing good bodies of ore
Low Grade Ores Now Utilized.
A natural result Of the great increase
in demand for ores Of this region has
been lowering Of the percentage OF iron
considered necessary in order that the ore
shall be called merchantable. Merchant
able iron ore was one thing during the
years Of depression following the panic
of ten years ago; it is quite another thing
to-day. Two years ago no Mesaba Gre
that assayed under 60 per cent was con-
sidered fit to sell. and in mining explora-
tons no account was made of the vast
tonnages often found running from SO
per cent to 60 per cent
All this Is changed Millions Of tons of
ore running down to IS per cent have been
shipped from that range this year, to-
gether with large quantities from other
ranges that assay not more than 40 per
cent to As per cent in iron There are
hundreds of millions Of tons of these ores
in the lake region that have not been
looked upon as an asset realizable for
many years that will now come into con-
sumption. not alone, and perhaps not
chiefly, from the probable sometime ex
haustion of rich ores but on account of
certain economics introduced by reason of,
and resulting directly from, the central
ization and concentration Of mining and
+. transportation interests
so great mas DeeI the Saving ny IeCeHL
action on the part Of the United States
Steel corporation and others, that ores
can be utilized now, whose use few
years ago would have bankrupted the con-
sumner. Large quantities of low grades
are now mixed with richer ores at the
mines and shipped east. It is found that
1t is more economical to mine these ores
they come shipping the entire product,
than to attempt to sort grades and leave
the lean ores behind. The increase in
lob lo tony 10
this source is several times as much as
athat resulting from exploration for new
bodies. bat In estimates. Of tonnages in
sight this fact is generally lost sight of.
- Ore "In Sight" ':,'.'
What there may be ''in sight In the
Lake Superior region Is a delicate ques-
ton. The estimates Of the United States
geological survey, giving 500, 100000 tons
for the Mesaba and half as much for all
other ranges combined, is we'll known to
be far too low In one six-mile stretch
of the Mesaba range there is half as
much. Many mine that years ago was
looked upon near It's end. as practically
exhausted, Is now a bigger property than
ever, a larger annual producer and with
more ore in reserve than at any time 1r
It's history. This has SO often been the
fact that except In especially simple form
ations it is a daring thing to predict the
end of an ore body
The United States Steel Corporation ha
the past year mined from its own working
and carried to lower lake ports on It's owl
or chartered ships more than $4,000, 90
gross tons of iron ore. It's own Minnesot
railroads have hauled to Lake Superio
nearly 1000. 900 tons Of this quantity an
it's own ships have moved 100000 tons {
It.
It Is now generally conceded that tn
price at which Lake Superior ores hav
been sold Is lower than it will be in tn
future. Refusal to sell on the open mar
ket and the absorption Of reserves by lare
interests restricting markedly the suppl
for general SALE is forcing this step and
takes no prophet to foretell the change.
Ratio OF Increase Not Expected.
It Is not to be supposed that next year
H. mining will increase in the ratio of 100
or that the shipment Of the coming seasc
will be very much in excess Of that no
past The maintenance of present r.
serves, together with the movement
what ore may be required for furnaces
the twelve months, is looked upon as abo
- the program. Stocks Lake Erie doc]
are now 100000 tons more than a ye
r. ago. and furnace yards are full Of or
The same conditions prevail at Chica
and other lower lake points. '-~
The past year six Lake Superior min
were in the million tom class, one
them closely approaching two million to
in its output. This was the Fayal,
" the Mesaba range. Following it was t
Stevenson. a mine whose first ore W
II, sent down in the fall of 1900, and who
development has practically been crowd
into two seasons Other milion-t
mines last year were the Adams, an u
foreground property, the Mountain a
Mahoning. both steam shovel operation
and the Norrie-Pabst, the chief undt
ground mine Of the Gogebic, range. H
It been considered advisable other mir
might have been put in this class, nota1
the Chaplin, whose product closely q
f., Dwight E. Woodbridge
California, via Tourist, Over the Ro
'-- Island Ry. ?. iga "A
f.. In selecting route to California the 8
zss titude and climate of the country fra