The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1920-08-20

State Fair, Twin Cities, Sept. to
site of Babbitt, and on the land of the
Mesabi Iron company. Naturally the
oldtrail winds around rocks and many
are actually in the trail. To make the
new road passable for loaded teams
many of these boulders must be re-
moved. This is where. the portable
compressor covers itself with glory.
A boulder that cannot be easily pried
out and rolled to one side merely
gives the compressor a little delay.
and it passes to the next. Men with
axes widen the right of way of trees
and brush, and the compressor and
the men with the drill and explosives
cause the boulders to disappear. This
road is now in an advanced stage of
completion and will be completed in
another 80 days. The portable COM
pressor is the natural friend of the
boulder strewn areas of the Eastern
Mesabi at the present time.
The magnetic ore is quarried and
loaded by steam shovel into cars and
delivered to crushers at the upper
end of the mill. The ore passes thru
the crushers to conveyor belt
which delivers it to the roll. plant,
From there it passes to the ball mill
plant, thence to the magnetic sep
arating plant. Product in process
then arrives at the sintering plant in
the form of 100 mesh, and comes a
finished product from it, in the shape
of the clinker heretofore described.
1t is established that by this process
product running up to, 72.4 per
cent may be produced, and the per-
centage may be regulated downward
as desired. A product of uniform
percentage of iron, with so little
phosphorus as to be negligible, with
no moisture, and one calculated to
cut down fuel requirements in melt
ing, and increase furnace capacity,
naturally commands premium. But
it is understood that the company
expects to be prepared to stand on
its own in the market for ores de-
signed for either Bessemer or open
hearth practice. A company treat
ing mine product that runs nor
mally 80 to 35 per ent iron of
course must enjoy some advantages,
and these are the advantages which
the Mesabi Iron Company enjoys
IN its new enterprise at Rabbit:
No stripping, no timbering, no pump
ing, no selective mining, high grade
product, no moisture and extremely
low phosphorus, together with such
product further reducing fuel con-
sumption and increasing capacity
of the furnace.
Then there is the byproduct of
crushed rock which comes from
the mill, after the ore is separated
from it. This crushed rock, it is
expected will find a ready market.
1t is said to be well suited for the
making of concrete. The Importance
OF the crushed rock as an asset re-
mains to be seen. There is no quest
ION that it is desirable and valuable.
1t is a question of TRANSPORTATION
and distribution. This waste rock
may even be shipped in cargo lots
from Two Harbors, just like iron ore.
The local demand in st. Louis county
and vicinity is prospectiveiy large,
for road building and for building.
There is great depth to this mag
netic ore in places that have been
drilled on the property of the Mesabi
Iron Company. 1t has been proved
20 extend to depth of 500 feet, in
some of the drill holes. There will
be engineering problems presented
N the quarrying of ore at consid-
'rable depths, but the engineering
problem is ever present.
Just now w. G. Swart, general
manager, and his corps are engaged
With the problems of water and sew
'ge. Water for the village will be |
'iped from well which affords an
bundance of excellent water. about |
alf mile distant. Water for the mill
nipple for the needs of the first unit.
vii be provided by the development
4 an artificial lake short distance
'outh of the plant. This water will
ave to be lifted only 40 feet for
elivery at the mill. Another. and
reater source of water supply to
,eet increasing requirements, will
e made available at q further dis
ance from the plant, and increasing
he lift to about 100 feet. The pres
Mt power plant is temporary. Ell
,trical power win be generated by
cam but water power is available
that section for the generation
the powerin tls future. i
The townsite Of Rabbit is located
the ore and M 80 -. IL. In