The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1904-12-08
The Copper mines of Vermont

Mr.. Walter Harvey Weed, Of the United
States geological survey, made brief re-
connaisance 10 Septembe 1903, Of the cop.
per mines Of Vermont. The salient features
OF the deposits studied by him in this pre-
llminsry vial. are described In psper which
Is Included In the surveys recent bulletin,
entitled Contributions to Economic Geo.
logy, 1908
Copper mining was once one Of the chief
industries Of The state Of Vermont, Prior
to the opening Of the Michigan deposits,
Vermont's most important mine, the Ely,
was the largest copper producer in the
country. The deposits belong to type
that IL well known In many parts Of thu
world, and that includes some OF the most
famous producers. Ia character and cop
per content, the Vermont ores correspond
to the ores found In Duektowp, Tenr,, and
can probably be as chesply mined ard
treated as those OF that locality. They art
also similar to the deposits found In the
province Of Qlebec, Csnads, wish lie al.
most due north Of the Vermont belt.
The Vermont deposits contain vast
amounts Of low grade copper ore, which
only await development through some
cheap method Of treatment to become phen.
omensl producers. The ores present con.
siderable variation In their content OF silica,
but are OF fairly constant mineralogic char
ac,er and are ,ery uniform In their percen.
tage OF copper.
These deposits occur 10 the billy region
that form the eastern part Of the Green
Mountains. The belt contains three die
,ricts, Corintb, Copperlleld and South
STAFFORD, which lie 10 north.south line
from seven TO len miles west Of lbe Conu,e-
lieu. river.
TIE tbicktess Of the ore bodies vsri,s At
different localities. At the y izsbeth mine
the ore WAS az much as 100 feet wide in tn,
open-out workings, and on the 22j foo
level Ii 10 IS feet between walls. The ore
has maximum width Of Ia feet al tb,
v uIVh abu NJ ~ astht fibf'i4t's "a wi |
NTH township, and OF 20 feet al tie Cop
peiheld property. The depth to which |
these deposits extend Il not known. Al
he Ely mice the relined shaft Ia 3,4c0 fee |
long. ard lis. bottom ID below sea ltye |
The ore body consists Of several lenses, &c
Ina, one lens may Iineh GU; but in the
Union and EIf mines The ore continues, In |
overlapping Lenses to The aresiest depth |
attained. The GRE bodies are remarkably
free from water. AT depth CT 800 feet
IN the DIP, or 800 feet vertically, The Ely
pre- body il very dry, tie water Of the min,
Seing coElaed to q few hundred feet Of up.
per workings. Toe ore ard IrcAting rocl
are very solid in Ill the mines. ard prscti
ssly no timberine Is asef.
MI. Weed gives interesting details about
he history, ,qali inert sad present deyel
lpmeui o. niaes L. The thee disiricis q
be bsit The EaEsheih mine, near souu
staorc, was open,d as esrly 40 1913, ard
"a msgrdis pyriie Was used for The man
aisclure 81 copperAs. The great Ely min,
sai discovered 10 l-2l. sad has been sue
sesfuliy worked meet Il lie time tine'
he's. Bad mAnsgenent AID litigation hAu
several llmes csnsei tbe mires 20 be cioser
sown or 10 charge hanlt, bot whenever
nlrlfg operations have tten cOalrusd -
LAS welded large output OF copper.