VI. RECENT DEVELOPMENTS WITH THE CALYX DRILL IN 

 THE NICTAUX IRON FIELD. BY D'ARCY WEATHERBE, C. E , 

 Mines Dept. of N. 8., A. M. Can. Soc. C. E. 



(Received August 20th, 1901.) 



Introductory : Geological and Historical. 



It would be as well perhaps for the benefit of those 

 unacquainted with this district to preface the following account 

 with a few descriptive remarks on its general geology. The 

 measures which accompany the ferriferous deposits here are 

 generally considered to be of Lower Devonian age: The 

 area with which the operations herein to be described 

 deal, may be said to be bounded as follows : On the north 

 by the Triassic red sandstones which underlie the con- 

 temporaneous trap diorites of the North Mountain range; on 

 the west by a band of granite extending northerly, partly 

 across the valley between the North and South Mountain, and 

 lying about a mile west of the Nictaux River. This latter is 

 not strictly speaking a geological boundary, as the same veins 

 of ore have been followed west of the granite, and are possibly 

 overlain by it. On the south alonsj the summit ridge of the 

 South Mountain begins that enormous mass of granite which 

 extends half way to the Atlantic Ocean, and effectually prevents 

 prospecting in that direction. Towards the east, the boundary, 

 as far as these veins are concerned, may be said at present to be 

 indcfiiite, though they can be traced several miles east of the 

 Nictaux River. 



Until 1891 little practical attention had been devoted to the 

 prospecting of the region, and with the exception of the early 

 attempts at mining and smelting, no development of any import- 

 ance had been undertaken. In that year (1891), the Torbrook 

 Iron Co. commenced operations on a vein of red hematite 



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