The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-04-01
UNDER GROUND
RAILWAY PLANT
ARAGON's THE BEST OF THE
KIND IN THE NORTH.
Haulage System Of Oliver Iron Mining
Air-New Machinery Will Furnish
Pressure of 1900 Pounds to the
Square Inch-Escanaba Crushing
Plant Will Be Delayed. 1854. ..s.-.....
Special to The Journal.

Special to The Journal.
Duluth, Mimi, April. AT its Aragon
mine, at Iron Mountain, the Oliver Iron
Mining company is putting In the finest
pneumatic railway plant ever Installed in
Lake Superior mine. The entire under
ground haulage system will be by COM
pressed air. A great, compressor, to
press air to a pressure Of 1900 pounds to
the square inchi is going in, together with
other new machinery on large scale.
Aragon mine has been steadily improving
in size and Importance and Is one. OF the
really great mines of the Lake Superior
region. 1t was not considered of SO much
Importance when purchased a few years
ago by the late Henry w. Oliver. : u
The large and costly ore crushing plant
to be built by the Oliver Iron Mining
company at Escanaba will not be COM
pleted this. year. ~ This is designed to
crush all hard ores from any mines that
ship to Fscanaba docks from the Memo
minee or Marquette ranges. It will be the
largest plant Of the kind ever built, and
Chief Engineer Drake, Of the Oliver COM
pany at Duluth, has been working over
the details Of constructions and mainten-
ance for more than year. -: ;
Mary Charlotte Mine Development.
The Mary Charlotte mine near Negaunee
is getting to be an important mine, and
the developments of the coming season
are expected to- show it of great value. II
product. The same men own the Breitung
nenatite, and it Is nothing so far but
a rather dismal-looking prospect It's ore
punches are small and rather lean and
It is far from mine yet. These proper
ties are on land that was under lease to
the Pioneer Iron company for ninety-nine
years, and on which the Cleveland Cliffs
company, successor to the Pioneer, eX-
plored and found the Mary Charlotte. But
courts overturned the lease and the lands
went back to the heirs of the original
lessons.
At the Zenith mine, Vermillion range, a
deep vertical shaft is going down. 1t will
be about 900 feet deep, and will be fire.
proof and surmounted by a .shafthouse
that will cost more than 100000. 1t will
be one Of the largest plants Of it's kind
In the world and will have an enormous
annual capacity. The Zenith Is a large
mine, but has had checkered career,
having bankrupted several rich men who
attempted to make mine out Of it. FL
nally it was taken by the United States
Steel and opened. The result is a mine
worth many millions Of dollars f~''
The Old Minnesota 49,, 49,
While pumping has been continued al
the hold hard ore mine of the Minnesota
Iron company on the Vermillion range, II
Is current opinion among mining men thai
it will be long time before the property
is reopened, perhaps it may not be mined
for years. InlS was the original IRON mine
In Minnesota and commenced shipment:
In 1884. Since then it has produced 1928,
900 gross tons.
Opened as a high grade. Pessemer mine
it's product has gradually deteriorated UNI
til of late years the bessemer portion o.
it's shipments has been infinitesimal. Thi!
mine has made a rule to grade its ore tt
very close lines, and for years graded
down to seven classes; none Of which wa:
more than few points either of iron o.
phosphorus different from the nearest
The grading of such ores Is a triumph O
judgment on the part of miners. most o
whom are uneducated and illiterate men