The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1905-07-07

from civilization and in the heart Of
an unconquered section, but develop
ment was exceedingly rapid, and in
November, 1892, the first ore was
hauled out by railway. Two cargoes
of this ore, brought down in the fall
of 1902, were shipped by the Cleveland
firm OF Oglebay. Norton and Company
which was agent for these trial ship
ments. The ore WAS divided among
four concerns: The Carnegie Steel
company, the Thomas furnace COM
pany, the Isabella Furnace company,
limited, and the Oliver Iron & Steel
company. These cargoes went out
late in the season, the ore froze in the
dock pockets, and the whole opera
ton was attempted with the utmost
difficulty and encouragement; but
since then there has been a constant
and steady growth, until last year
this range shipped 52.8 per cent of all
ore sent forward from Lake Superior.
These pioneer cargoes were of the
grade known as Mountain Iron.
They were shipped in two boats be-
longing to the American Steel Barge
company, and the total was 4. 1O4 tons.
1t may be noted that all the compan-
les which received the shipment are
now owned by the United Steel cor
poration.
When the Mesaba was first opened
it was generally considered that but
a small percentage Of its ores could
be used in the blast furnace charge,
on account of the fact that these ores,
instead of being hard and granular,
like those of the other regions, were
fine and in some cases almost like
dust. They packed In the furnaces
and there were occasionally dangerous
and even fatal explosions. But, under
stimulus of low costs for these ores,
the difficulties have been overcome,
and their use was rapidly extended,
until today more than half the steel
made in the great centers of Pennsyl-
yania, New York and Ohio Is from
ores mined upon the Mesaba range.
1t was only after strenuous campaigns
tof education, of costly experiment,
through serious financial difficulty,
and at the risk of worse, that the
steel makers of the iron centers of
America were induced to favor the
new district. and the struggle of those
early days are little appreciated by
any not intimately associated with
them.
Had it not been for the Mesaba
range, no such expansion in the Amer
lean trade as has taken place in the
past few years would have been prac-
ticable. Indeed, were it possible to
conceive this mining district now
eliminated from the map, no more
material calamity could befall the
United States, which would at once
retire her position in the steel trade
OF the world. Without the Mesaba
there could not have been produced
the amount of high grade ore neces-
sary to meet the requirements of
America, and though these might
have been met without tile Mesaba,
ii could only have been by the use of
far leaner ores than now have been
utilized. These would have so far
increased costs that the people of the
United States could never have
reached their record-breaking con-
sumption of the past few years.
The Mesaba is not only the largest
producer, but it contains the biggest
mines to be found. 1t has several
that are limited in their annual ca
pacity only by the demands of the
steel trade and the ability of railways
to take away What they mine. Mines
on the Mesaba have produced as much
as 900 tons days for weeks at a
time, and might maintain this extra
ordinary production for seasons could
railways, ships and receiving docks
care for the avalanche of tonnage. In
1908 there were fifteen mines on Lake
Superior that produced more than
500, 900 tons each. Up to 1894 there
HAD never been a mine in the world
that had produced as much as 100000
tons in IL single year.-Dwight E.
| Woodbridge.