The farmer and mechanic., 1915-10-19


here the Ore Beds Are-Equal to |
Ike SuperiOr-A Talk With DIR. |
willie Derby. the Famous Geolo- |
et-Passed Upon by the Experts
Our Steel Trust and the KrupDs.
Almonds in Brazil-HOw Mined. |
Dme Rich FindS-Prices of FIRE.
ou. Stones-CarbOns and Topazes.
pyright, 1915, by Frank G. Car
penter)
RIO DE JANEIRO.
IA American syndicate with a cap
Of about one hundred million dol
has been formed to develop the
n deposits of the central part of
mas Geraes."
take this statement from late
kblication authorized by the Brazil
h government. 1t relates to some of
greatest iron beds yet developed
ms Geraes is a great State a short
stance back from the Atlantic ocean.
is separated from the Atlantic by
lie narrow States OF Espirato Santo
hi rio de Janeiro. The country is
igh, and it has many kinds of min
fas including diamonds. 1t has
PEAT beds of iron. In the central
In southern parts Of the State there
kre said to be more than two billion
IONS Of ore in sight, and one block of
ron that contains twenty million tons.
The lated is 80 per cent pure. The
RInsS ores have been analyZed by eX-
perts from the United States Steel
Company and from the Krupps, and
they are known to be very valuable.
s. far fifty-twO out-crops have been
Surveyed by the mining engineers Of
the Brazilian government and their
esfimate is that they contain no less
|than twelve billion tons of high grade
lore. Minas Geraes has one small iron
works that is now smelling six tons Of
IIietal day at a profit of So per ton.
are being made to reduce
|the iron by electricity, and the govern
|lnent has charge of an electric furnace
Ia Ouro Preto which has been re-
|Cently erected at a cost of 10000.
THE great trouble is the lack of good
tier whether any such can be found
IL Erazil.
Iron ore is fond in every Brazilian
State. One of the fields in Minas
which is more than fifty miles long, is
crossed by the Central railroad, and
Fthe LeOpoldino railroad passes by
other great beds. In the State OF
Parana there is a great deposit Of ore
which is only three miles from sea
port, and ore in large quantities i:
known to exist in Sac Paulo and Sants
Catharina.
The iron ores Of Brazil are of tw'
distinct types. The magnetic ores ar
found in several States. They are 0
small importance. occurring only a
scattered deposits. The hematite ore
are found chiefly in Minas Geraes
They occupy the south-central part o
the State and the principal beds ar
within a territory 100 miles long an
sixty miles wide. 1t is in this regio
that the electric furnace is operatin
and 1t Is here that the enormous bed
which / have referred to are found
The iron formation varies In thick
ness. In places 1t measures less tina
fifty feet and in others it Is said
be more than 1000 feet thick. tn
ore seems to be a true sedimentar
formation laid down at the same tim
Is the inclosing rocks. and the rock
and ore have the same dip. Some
the ore layers form the tops OF hill
ridges and there are great cliffs Of OF
T. he seen along the hillsides.
During my stay here I have had
chat with DIR. Orville T. Derby, who
at the head Of the geological survey {
Brazil. and who has been for mar
years the chief geOlOgist Of the couI
try. DR.. Derby is North America
Tie was born in the United States ar
received his education at Cornell Un
versity. 1t was away back In 1S7
forty-five years ago, that he first can
here with one of his professors in col
Dection with the Morgan explOratlt
expedition, sent out from the Unite
States to do geological work in Braz
He returned to complete his COLES
course. after which he became pr
fessor Of geology at Cornell. He n:
served but a short while when Il
Emperor Of Brazil engaged him
come to Rio and take charge Of Il
mineralogy department Of the N
tional Museum. He held this Off
for some years and then left to MAJ
geological survey Of the State
Sac Paulo. Since then he has do
other geological work all over Braz
having been continually employed
that pursuit up to the present. l
Derby for long time has been at t
mead Of the national geological ST.
vey Of this country and he still hol
that poSitiop