12^ NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



PYRITE 



The commercial prodtiction of pyrite is at present confined to St 

 Lawrence county, where mining has been carried on intermittently 

 for several years. The deposits are associated with crystalline 

 limestones and schists of the Grenville series. They apparently 

 represent impregnated zones in the schist, or fahlbands, though 

 subject to local enrichment which may take the form of lenses and 

 shoots like those encounteretl in the Adirondack magnetite deposits. 

 The zones have a northeasterly strike conformable to the wall rock. 

 The more important are found in a belt extending from near 

 Gouverneur northeast to High Falls in the town of Canton. 



The Stella mine, i mile northeast of Hermon, was the first 

 opened in the district. It has been operated at various times, and 

 was last closed down in 1900. It is now owned by the St Lawrence 

 Pyrite Co. There are five parallel deposits on the property, of 

 which two have been developed.^ The western ore body, which 

 has been the main producer, is opened by an incline 700 feet deep 

 driven at an angle of 30°. The ore is removed by extending drifts 

 at intervals of 30 to 50 feet along the incline, leaving pillars to sup- 

 port the roof. An average thickness of 12 feet is shown in the 

 slopes, while the length of the workings is about 200 feet. An 

 extension of the ore body to the south has been found by recent 

 exploration. The company mined a considerable quantity of ore 

 during the past year, and awaits the construction of a mill before 

 making shipments. A mill of 500 tons daily capacity is now under 

 way. 



The High Falls mine is situated south of Canton near the Grass 

 river. It is opened by two slopes, sunk on different shoots, the 

 latter being separated by a mass of gangue and pyrrhotite. The 

 walls have a westerly dip, while the shoots pitch to the north. The 

 first slope driven on the southern shoot has been used in removing 

 the ore from the upper levels. The second slope on the northern 

 shoot was put down to avoid opening long drifts. The mine was 

 worked for some time by the High Falls Pyrite Co. It has recently 

 been taken over by the National Pyrites Co., who started operations 

 late in 1905. The mill has a daily capacity of 50 tons crude ore. 



The Cole mine, 4 miles north of Gouverneur, has been the largest 

 producer in the last few years.- It was first opened as a pit on the 

 outcrop and later by an incline which was put down 150 feet at an 

 angle of 30°. The workings are about 100 feet on the strike and 



iPor a detailed description of the pyrite mines of St Lawrence county, reference, §hGui4 be 

 made to the article by R. B. Brinsmade, Eng. & Mjn. Jour. Oct. 28, 1905. \ "*' - " 



