124 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



hole referred to is located in a swampy tract 200 feet northwest of 

 the apparent outcrop. It is bottomed at 469 feet. Ore was cut 

 at 185 feet from the surface with a thickness of 167 feet. As the 

 hole is vertical allowance must be made for the dip of the ore 

 body which is not accurately known though it is supposed to be 

 about 40 n. w. 



Production of the Lyon Mountain district. The output of the 

 district since the beginning of active work in 187 1 may be placed 

 approximately at 3,500,000 long tons. This estimate is based on 

 incomplete records, but it is believed to be not far from the actual 

 total. In the period from 1881 to 1889 inclusive the shipments 

 amounted to 1,539,520 long tons. There are no statistics on record 

 for the period from 1890 to 1900, but in the six years following 

 1900 the shipments have aggregated 606,573 tons. During the 

 early years the output included a proportion, varying from year 

 to year, of selected ore which was shipped in its crude state and 

 which carried from 45 to 50 per cent iron. This practice was dis- 

 continued later on, and the more recent shipments have consisted 

 solely of concentrates, assaying from 60 to 66 per cent iron. 



MINES IN THE SARANAC VALLEY 

 In the towns of Saranac, Black Brook and Dannemora, along 

 the Saranac valley, there are old mines that were once operated 

 in connection with local iron works. During the middle of the 

 last century when the bloomery process of making iron was gener- 

 ally used this section supported one of the largest industries of 

 this kind anywhere in the State, its importance having been due 

 to the great timber tracts which afforded a plentiful supply of 

 charcoal for fuel and to the abundant water power on the- Saranac 

 river, one of the principal Adirondack streams. Forges were built 

 along the river at Clayburg, Redford, Russia and Saranac. The 

 ore was drawn not only from the local deposits but from Lyon 

 Mountain and other points many miles distant. The industry 

 was discontinued about 1880 and brought about a cessation of 

 mining in the region, though one or two deposits were worked 

 some time after that date. 



Geologic features. The gneiss series is most extensive. In it are 

 represented varieties more or less distinct in their mineralogy and 

 appearance, but of which the augite gneiss described as the ore- 

 bearing formation at Lyon Mountain and the granitic gneisses 

 have the largest areal development. They are characteristic mem- 

 bers of Cushing's Saranac formation, indeed the latter takes its 



