The evening star and Newark advertiser., 1907-11-18
UNEMPLOYED
IRON ORE IN
NEW JERSEY
Possible Development Is
Quoted by Government to
RefuteSWediSh Statement.
Especial to the Evening start


WASHINGTON, D. c.. Nov, 1s.--1n
an article contained in Mineral Re-
sources Of the United States" pub
lished by the United States Geological
Survey, Edwin c. Eckel. of the govern
ment bureau, disputes a statement
made by the Swedish geological au-
thorities regarding the production of
iron ere in the United States. and in
cidentally suggests that New Jersey
is promising field for the discovery
of magnetic iron ores in greater guam
titles that has been considered possible
heretofore.
The iron mines of New Jersey were
among the first worked in this coun-
try, having supplied material for col
onists in the days of British Sow
ereignty and providing for the Conti-
mental armies in the Revolution. That
there are large possibilities in future
development of the iron industry mas
not been generally realized.
If was about two years ago, in re-
sponse to a request from the Swedisn
parliament, an eminent Swedish geolo-
gist prepared a report on the iron re-
serves of the world. The report itself
attracted little notice in the United
States, even among those directly in
terested in the iron industry. but
summary of the report was forwarded
! by the American consul at Paris, and
the wide circulation given to, the con-
sular reports in America resulted In
drawing considerable attention to the
matter in both the daily and the tech
nical press. The report in the form In
which it reached the American public
said:
ut will surprise great many to learn
that we are likely to run short OF iron
inside of single century II we keep up
the present rate of consumption. AS a
matter of fact we are more likely to In
crease the consumption than we are to
reduce it. The world has only ten billion
tons of iron ore available.
"Of these Germany has twice as many
tons as the United States. Russia and
France have each 400, 100000 tons more than
this country
4 Mr.. Eckel says, as a matter of fact, how
ever, the original Swedish report did not dc
justice to the American iron ore deposits
and in the consular translation the injus-
tice was accentuated rather than lessened
HE also disputes a statement that work
able iron ore beds are known within u
margin of 5 per cent
1.-The Lake Superior district. at present
the leading American producer" says Mr..
Eckel, "has been explored more thoroughly
than any other ore field in the United
States, but estimates as to total tonnage
range within rather wide limits. At pres
ent the totals commonly quoted vary from
800, 100000 to 1000 900, 900 tons. This supply
is being drawn on to meet a constantly in
creasing annual demand, and before 1915
the district will probably be called upon
to ship over 50,OO0.0O0 tons of ore a year.
1T is obvious that at such a rate the
Lake Superior ores can hardly be ex-
pected TO last beyond the year 1885, and ii
is equally obvious that long before that
date the value of good workable deposits
of iron ore, both there and elsewhere In
the United States, will have increased i'm
mensely.
I'm the Rocky Mountain and Pacific
| States 4 few large iron ore deposits are
known, and many others are reported
but any attempt at an estimate of total
tonnage would be, with only our present
knowledge of the subject, merely the Wild
| est sort of guessing.
IA more promising field lies In the
older Eastern States. 1t is probable that
careful exploratory work Will develop
magnetic iron ores in New York. New
Jersey and Pennsylvania In quantities fai
In excess of anything usually considered
possible in those States. Here also close
estimates are impossible"
In Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee and
Virginia he estimates a total reserve fol
red and brown ores of over 2,5000 ,O0t
tons. and says it is probably fair to as
sumo that the total Southern ore reserve
will amount to very nearly 10000 900, ,0Ot
tons. or five times that credited to the
Lake Superior region.
Much of this ore is. of course, unworR-
able at the present day" says Mr. Eckel,
but all OF it should be counted on in any
estimate Of total or reserves.
ITO sum up the matter: In place OF the
/. 100 600 900 tons credited by the Swedish
geologst it is probably safe to say that
the United States has from ten to twenty
times that reserve of iron ore