THE MINING AND QUARRY INDUSTRY I907 37 



probably the largest on record, and was considerably in excess 

 of that reported for any recent year. A total of about 750,000 

 tons was hoisted from the mines of Witherbee, Sherman & Co., 

 and the Port Henry Iron Ore Co. The so called Old Bed mine 

 group which includes the " 21," Joker and Bonanza workings 

 furnished the greater part of the output, but the Harmony shafts 

 of Witherbee, Sherman & Co. contributed a considerable share 

 The expansion of mining has been made possible by the addition 

 of the power facilities from the new electric station on the lake 

 side at Port Henry. This plant supplying 800 kw. was placed 

 in operation during the past year. 



The Port Henry Iron Ore Co., has been engaged in sinking its 

 new shaft on the " 21 " property east of the Bonanza shaft. It 

 will have a vertical depth of 500 feet, with crosscuts at intervals 

 of 80 feet extending into the ore body. It is divided into three 

 compartments of which two are for hoisting and will have a 

 capacity of 1500 tons a day. This will more than double the 

 former output of the mine, bringing the total hoisting capacity 

 of the two companies up to fully 1,000,000 tons annually. 



Mining is to be resumed on the Barton hill group which has 

 lain idle for several years. The group comprises a number of 

 openings made at intervals along a practically continuous bed 

 that lies to the west of the Old Bed mines and extends 3500 feet 

 in a northerly direction over the shoulder of Barton hill. An adit 

 starting from the Arch pit near the middle of the bed is under 

 construction and will give an outlet to the surface for the ore 

 in the northern section where recent exploration has disclosed 

 the existence of bodies hitherto unworked. 



Benson mines. This property belonging to the Magnetic 

 Iron Ore Co. has been taken over by the Benson Mines Co., and 

 was again placed in operation in the fall of 1907 after making 

 improvements in the mining and milling equipment. Altogether 

 about $150,000 was expended in bringing the installation up to 

 date. 



The deposits are low grade, averaging about 35 per cent iron, 

 but they rank among the largest in the Adirondacks. In their 

 general character they resemble those at Lyon Mountain ; they 

 consist of bands of the country gneiss carrying magnetite in 

 disseminated grains more or less evenly distributed through the 

 mass of the rock. A width of over 200 feet is shown in the old 

 workings, while the ore can 1)c traced by outcrops of magnetic 

 attraction for a distance of over 2 miles along the strike. 



