The diamond drill., 1920-12-04
MAKES ITS APPEARANCE AT the
BALKAN MINE AT ALPHA
IT IS, TRUE DIXIE MATERIAL
Biologists and Mining Men Are
Watching With Interest the De-
velppments at the Property

biologists and mining engineers OF
Iron county are much interested in
the dixie that has made It's appearan-
ce in the Balkan mine at Alpha. The
material Is diabase a true dixie
material, similar TO the material in
the dikes OF the Gogebic range. Ii
Is OF volcanic orogin and is supposed
to have penetrated as molten metal
the crevices made by the cracking OF
the strata when the earths surface
moved during the very early ages of
the formation OF the present sur
face OF the earth.
Dixie Cuts Out Ore Completely
The dixie at the Balkan cuts out
the ore completely. II seems to cut
across the vein at an angle from
foot 10 hanging, sts thickest part
seeminly being at the center OF the
hanging side. II takes much the shape
OF palm leaf fan with the thick
part when the handle connects.
The ,dike pitches towards the foot
wall at about a go degree angle form
ing a trough in which the ore lies.
Operations have been prosecuted, so
far, on the top OF this dixie and there
Is but comparatively little ore left
above this. intrusive rock.
We understand that but one hole
has been drilled through the dyke
and that after penetrating about 70
feet OF the dixie material ore was
met with beneath.
Interest centers In what lies bel
ow this dixie, in fact the entire fut-
ure of the property depends upon
what lies below and II is the operat-
ions to detirmine what exists there
that Is anxiously awaited by all OBJ
servers OF mining conditions in the
county.
The experience on the Gogebic
range has been that the big con
centrations lie below these dikes and
1t was not until the real nature OF
the dikes was thoroughly understood
that the Gogeblc rhnge became a
very important iron ore Producer
VIII history repeat itself at some |
of the Menominee range propertiesg
Other Dixie In Evidences
While the Balkan Is the first mine |
In Iron county in which a dixie has
been met with in mining operations,
1t is not the only place at which |
dikes have been encountered In the |
Judson mine, which is located on the |
next forty south OF the Balkan some |
dixie material has been found but the
dixie at this property has not cut ac-
ross the ore. The operators rather
expect that as depth is attained at
the Judson, some such. an instrusion |!
as was met with at the sister prop 1
erty to the north may be encounter
ed.
In the old Ravenna and at the Bris-
tol We understand dixie material was
met with in some OF the openings In
the rocks adjacent 90 the ore but not
the ore body We are told
that dixie material was met with In
the drainage drift at the Rogers
In Bates township but other
than these cases no dixie material
has been met with and in only one
case has II constituted an interfer-
ence with the ore deposit i,
A new influence has been unear-
Ihed. though. and while there isn't
any indication a similar Interfer-
snoces at other properties, geologists
IRE wondering II. when greater dep
n Is attained in our properties. the II
like will not be met with regularly k
"a Is the case on the Gogebic and I
hus the continuance OF this section I
Is an ore producuer be materially IA
hanged thereby. K
Expect TO Get More Ore
All who have given the conditions ,
Il the Balkan mine much study ex-
,ect that there will be ore In volume
encountered under the dixie. This
'elief Is strengthened by the know
edge that ore has been found In the
IoIe that was bored through II. How
ver. the policy pursued by our min '
ng operators OF restricting openings
head due 10 the tax methods OF the I
dicbigan STATE Tax Commission. Is 4
etarding the development of this 4
cry important work and II win prob v
bly, be some time before the exact In
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