I56 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



the discovery, which is reported to have been made in 1826, a 

 tract of land comprising the deposits was secured from the State 

 by Mr A. Mclntyre and associates who soon after began active 

 work. The investigations of Professor Emmons in connection with 

 the Geological Survey of New York then in progress no doubt gave a 

 stimulus to the undertaking. Professor Emmons published in his 

 reports an extended account of the ore bodies which he recognized 

 to be of enormous size and regarded as eminently adapted to utiliza- 

 tion. He recommended the location of iron-manufacturing enter- 

 prises in the vicinity. Soon after the publication of his first report, 

 or about 1840, a blast furnace of three or four tons daily capacity 

 was built and placed in operation. This was afterward remodelled 

 so as to enlarge its capacity, and a second furnace of 12 to 15 tons 

 was put in blast in 1854. Drawings of the large stack which 

 remains to the present day with all its essential features have been 

 made by Mr Rossi and published in the article already referred to. 

 The installation included also puddling furnaces and the necessary 

 equipment for making bar iron. The works were closed down in 

 1856, after which they were not again operated for any length of 

 time. The product of the furnaces was hauled over a difficult 

 mountain road to Crown Point for shipment, and the expense of 

 transportation must have been a heavy tax upon the enterprise. 



There seems to be little doubt, judging from all accounts, that 

 the iron turned out in the early days was of good quality ; in fact 

 it was specially commended by Emmons and others; nor does it 

 appear that the sudden termination of iron making was due to 

 metallurgical difficulties in reducing the ore, though it is probable 

 that the operators, at least in the early years, were unaware of the 

 titaniferous character of the material. From considerations based 

 on an analysis of slag which was taken from the dump near the old 

 furnace, Mr Rossi has expressed the opinion that the furnace 

 charges were made up on somewhat different lines than usually 

 practised, in that a proportion of the country rock (anorthosite) 

 was added to the limestone for flux. It may be noted, however, 

 that the crude ore, such as was employed in the operations, contains 

 more or less of admixed rock, so that the presence of the latter may 

 have been accidental rather than intentional. 



After lying idle for 50 years the property was taken over in 1907 

 by a new organization, the Tahawus Iron Ore Co., with a view to 

 the exploitation of the ores. This company has conducted a 

 thorough investigation and intends to enter upon active mining in 

 the near future. The construction of a railroad is a requisite before 

 •commercial shipments can be made. 



