The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1932-01-01
1881 HISTORY
RANGE MINES
Skilling's Mining Review Gives
Resume of Years Mining
Activities.

-
Vermilion and Guyana Ranges in 1881, =
Sdlling's Mining Review, among other
interesting statistics and comments on
individual properties had the following
to say of affairs related to iron ore
and the Vermilion range in particular
It said:
"Curtailment characterized mining
operations on the Minnesota iron ranges
as well as those on the other ranges
of Lake Superior and mining of other
metals throughout the world. A pre-
liminary estimate of iron ore shipped
from Minnesota indicates total OF
II, 420, 10l gross tons, railroad weight
compared with 34,881, O10 tons in the
preceding year or about 500 decrease
OF the amount shipped in 1881 the
Mesabi range is credited with 1887, $3.50
tons against 81, OCT ,292 tons in 1890, the
Vermilion range with 1,140,586 tons
against 1884, 500 tons in 1880 and the
Guyana range with COG, 635 tons in 1881
against 1928, 189 tons in 1890.
Shipments by boat down the lakes,
exclusive of all-ral shipments to des-
tination, are officially given by the
Lake Superior Iron Ore Association as
17,155, 780 gross tons, bill of lading
weights, for Minnesota mines. Of this
amount 15,219,155 tons is credited to
Mesabi range mines, 1929, 189 tons to
Vermilion range mines and 807, 436 tons
to Guyana range mines. Bill of lading
weights are about 1@o under railroad
weights as general rule. In 1880 boat
borne tonnage from the Minnesota
ranges aggregated 34,118,507 gross tons
of which 30,607,75 tons was shipped
from the Mesabi range, 1922 ,0O2 tons
from the Guyana range. These figures
for 1880 do not include any all-rail
tonnages.
1.-The Vermilion range is the farthest
north of the three Minnesota ranges.
1t is district of underground mining
and its output varies less from year to
year than does that of the other Lake
Superior ranges.
The Mesabi range is the largest of
all of the Lake Superior ranges, both
in the number and size of mines OPP
Grated. 1t produces principally from
open pits from which the ore is mined
with power shovels and loaded directly
into cars for transportation to the docks
and furnaces. Some of the deeper por-
lions of the iron ore deposits on this
range are operated by underground
methods and SO worked all the year
round but winter is a time of restricted
production from the great pits and
repair and maintenance work is per-
formed by the mine forces during the
winter months. Also a certain amount
of stripping the over-burden is done
during the time when there are NO
ore shipments.
ITO the south of the Mesabi lies the
Guyana range where the mining is
partly open pit and partly underground
The mining companies on all three
ranges are making every effort to keep
as many men employed as possible this
winter, staggering the working time
operating some mines part time that
ordinarily, under present condition OF
of iron ore consumption, would remain
idle during the winter and increasing
the amount of ore to be stockpiled dur
the closed season.
Personnel Changes.
There have been some changes in
executive personnel of the mining COM
panies during the past year. John Nc
Dowen, superintendent of the Morris
mine of the Oliver Iron Mining Co.
at Hibbing, on the Mesabi range, retired
after 80 years service in Mesabi range
iron mines. Charles Trezona, general
superintendent of the vermilion range
iron mines of the Oliver Iron Mining
Co., died and was succeeded by Bruce
o. Strachan. At the end of the current
year o. w. tombstone, ore traffic au-
thority with the 500 Line, retires be-
cause of the age limit. Emerson D
Mcneil, in the employ of Corrigan, Nc
Kinney Steel Co., since 1893, and gen.
eral superintendent for the company
for many years, resigned his position
this summer. William F. Pellenz, for
merly assistant general superintendent
was made general superintendent OF
the Virginia. veleth district for the
Oliver Iron Mining Co. He succeeded
Fred r. Mott, deceased
Because of the diminished demand
for Lake Superior iron ore in 1881 the
shipping season opened later and closed
earlier than navigation conditions
would warrant. Some of the mines had