THE AGE OF STEEL 



pecting by u test pit" men is as important an industry 

 as ever. 



When an available open-pit mine of sufficient extent 

 has been located the gigantic task of " stripping" or re- 

 moving the overlying layer of earth begins. Immense 

 areas of land have been thus stripped in some of these 

 undertakings, no difficulties being considered insur- 

 mountable. If a small river-bed lies in an unfavorable 

 position, the course of the river is changed regardless 

 of expense. Farms and farm houses are purchased 

 and literally carted away, neither land nor houses 

 representing values worth considering when compared 

 with the stratum of ore beneath them. The single 

 contract for stripping one area in the Lake Superior 

 region was let for a sum amounting to half a million 

 dollars. 



As soon as a sufficiently large area has been stripped, 

 railroads are constructed into the pit, steam shovels 

 are run into place, and the actual work of mining 

 begins. Five shovels full make a car-load, and under 

 ordinary circumstances the five loads may be delivered 

 in as many minutes. 



The number of men required to manipulate one of 

 these steam shovels is from ten to twelve. The ore 

 itself is frequently so hard that the scoop of the shovel 

 could not penetrate it until loosened and broken up, 

 and it is the business of the gang of workmen to do 

 this and slide the ore down within easy working dis- 

 tance of the shovel. This is mostly done by blasting 

 with dynamite and powder, little of the actual labor 

 being performed by hand. In blasting, a deep hole 



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