The Irish standard., 1910-11-05
OLIVER MINING CO.
Is Spending Millions in Improve
ments on the Iron Range.
Only One of the Many Industries in
Close Proximity to Duluth.

OF the Oliver Mining company the
writer says: When the Oliver Mining
company discovered process where
by the sandy ores of the western Me-
asba district might be handled at
profit, and planned the erection OF
their mammoth washing and concen-
trating plant at Coleraine, a telling
stroke for the development OF Mime
sofa was made. To attempt to make
a. worthless sandy ore available and
subject the western Mesaba district to
the same tremendous development
that had been carried along other
parts of the range, seemed visionary.
There was an enormous tonnage in
that part of the district that was COM
posed of iron or of a sandy character
occurring in the ground as alternate
layers of hard hematite and free sand
with varying quantities of the ore
bearing taconite and paint rock. 1t
was recognized that, if this free sand
and paint rock could be removed &C.
onomically enough, a good grade Of
iron ore could be produced at suffi-
GENTLY low cost to be available for
shipment and reduction. The Oliver
Mining company is now in control Of
all the property they could secure
In the Canisteo district
For over two years the company
has been actively at work there, build
ing railroad lines, stripping vast
amounts of rock and rock overbur-
den from no less than three mines,
building towns with all modern con-
veniences, and carrying along the
most extensive experiments in the
concentration of ores ever attempted.
The concentrating plant on the
shores Of Trout lake, in the heart of
the Canisteo district, is we'll under
way. The concentrator building itself
is of steel throughout, 255 feet long
by 1872 feet wide, and 80 feet from the
level Of the floor to the tracks, on
which the crude ore is brought from
the mines. Some 1000 feet distant,
on the lake shore, is the power plant,
consisting of two buildings, also of
boiler house, 120x53 feet, and gener.
ator and pump house, 132xS2 feet
These buildings required 1000 tons
Of steel and the erection is being
carried on under contract by the
American bridge company. The cen
trail steel works of the main building
will be carried outward for 800 feet
to form a tail track for the handling
of railroad cars delivering ore; and
this small machine shop. Concen-
trating equipment for each unit in
cludes one receiving bin and set OF
grizzly bars: one cone screen with 2
inch perforations; one 36-foot picking
belt; two 25-foot log washers; two
chip screens; two 18-foot Oliver tur
bos; six settling tanks; 30 Overstron
concentrating tables and concentrat
ing bins. Crude ore will go into the
mill In varying quantities, running
from about 81 per cent iron. and il
is the present intention that the fina
shipping commentators shall pass ou
carrying a percentage of iron varying
In the neighborhood of 81 per cent
OF course, ore market and blast fur
mace conditions will have their effec
upon this product.
Ore will come from the mill carry
ing from Is to higher percentage o
moisture, and no especial efforts hav,
been made to reduce this other thai
by the natural drainage of the ore IL
the bins and during shipments tt
docks. The elimination of paint rocl
expected to assist materially in tn,
drainage of these ores after they hav,
come from the mill. The boiler hous,
now accommodates an installation O
six 72-inch by 1S-foot tubular boiler
OF the type developed by the Olive
company. Provision is made for tn,
ultimate addition of four boilers in TIL,
house The power house installatio,
consists of one 26 by 52-inch by As
inch cross compound Corliss direc
connected to one 1880 X. w. gene1
ator carrying $500 volts; one 26 b,
So by 4S Prescott cross compoun,
pumping engine with a capacity o
l2,OOO,0O0 gallons per twenty-fou
hours, provision being made for fu
ture extension.
Water supply for the mill is oh
tanned from Trout lake and is pumpe,
through a surface pipe line 80 niche
In diameter and 1000 feet long, Sc
on concrete piers, to 100, 0OO-gallo,
cylindrical tank set on 125-foot stee
superstructure. Transmission of poN
or is at $500 volts and this is steppe
n down to a working voltage of A