468 THE CANADIAN NATURALIST. [DeC. 



behind both the silicious and titanic portions. For the bloomery 

 fire it is true such a degree of purification is not necessary, but 

 for some of the newly proposed processes of direct conversion, or 

 for the manufacture of malleable iron from pig metal by the 

 Ellershausen process, and generally for ore intended for exportation, 

 it is deemed desirable to get as high a per-ceutage of iron as 

 possible, or in other words, to obtain pure magnetic iron ore. 

 This, in the case of these titaniferous iron sands, can only be 

 attained by the use of magnets. Dr. Larue, professor of 

 chemistry at the Laval University, Quebec, has contrived for this 

 purpose a simple and ingenious machine, which appears to be 

 entirely novel in its arrangements, and is very efficient and rapid 

 in its action. One of these I have seen in operation at Quebec, 

 and of another put in operation at Clifton, New York, I have been 

 furnished with an account by Dr. Larue. This machine, which 

 is fitted with batteries of permanent magnets, occupies a space 

 about six feet by five, and is four feet high. From three tons of 

 sand, holding one-third of magnetic ore, it will separate in an hour 

 one ton containing over ninety-nine per cent, of magnetic iron — or 

 twenty-four tons in twenty-four hours. The wear and tear, and 

 the motive power required are very small, and two men can, it is 

 said, tend ten machines. 



It was estimated at Clifton that the cost of purifying such iron 

 sand would not exceed three cents per ton. Of course, if applied 

 to massive ores, the cost of crushing and sifting would be added. 

 By proper adjustment, this machine may be adapted to the prepa- 

 ration ot lean massive ores for the bloomery fire, or for other direct 

 methods of conversion into iron or steel. Meanwhile the deposits 

 of iron sand which may be utilized by means of this machine, on 

 the north shore of the St. Lawrence, from the Saguenay to 

 Newfoundland, are practically inexhaustible. Dr. Larue informs 

 us that inasmuch as a rich sand may be passed through the 

 machine as rapidly as a poor one, the yield of the machine varies 

 directly with the proportion of magnetite present ; so that a sand 

 containing say nine per cent, would yield six tons in twenty-four 

 hours. Even the poorer sands may thus be used with advantage. 



It is not, however, to the lower St. Lawrence that these sands 

 are confined ; they are met with in considerable quantities at 

 Batiscan, between Quebec and Montreal, and a large accumula- 

 tion of black iron sand at the mouth of Lake Huron attracted 

 attention some years since. Similar deposits have been observed 



