THE MINING AND QUARRY INDUSTRY 



935 



endless belt type, perfected at Mineville, has been installed in 

 place of the machines formerly used, and has been found to be well 

 adapted for treating the highly phosphoric ore from the Old Bed. 

 The arrangement of the magnets in series of alternating polarities, 

 which characterizes this separator, imparts a constant vibratory 

 motion to the particles of ore as they pass from one magnet to 

 another and gives the entangled gangue matter opportunity to free 

 itself. With its use the Old Bed ore, which carries about 60% 

 iron and often 1.5 or 2% phosphorus, is concentrated to a product 

 assaying over 65% iron and from .5 to .7% phosphorus. The 

 tailings made in the process are re-treated in Wetherill separators, 

 which recover a further portion of the magnetite that goes into 

 the first concentrates. They also take out the hornblende as a 

 middlings product. The other components of the original ore 

 consist mostly of apatite and quartz and constitute the tailings 

 from the Wetherill machines. The tailings analyze about 12% 

 phosphorus, or 60% tricalcium phosphate; they form a valuable 

 by-product which is sold to fertilizer manufacturers. The horn- 

 blende tailings also contain phosphorus to the extent of 7 or 8%, 

 but they are mostly held in reserve at present. 



A feature of interest in connection with these mines is the exten- 

 sive use of electric power for driving the various plants, as well as 

 for lighting, pumping and hoisting in the mines. A large central 

 power house erected in 1903 furnishes most of the electric current 

 that is required. The generator is of alternating type, 750 kw 

 capacity, and is directly connected with a 1000 h.p. Nordberg-Corliss 

 engine. A second power house containing a 200 h.p. engine and 

 150 kw generator supplies current to the old mill. The company 

 has also an electric generating station at Wadhams Mills on the 

 Bouquet river, the power from which is transmitted to the mines 

 and used to supplement the regular supply. 



The Mineville ore, though mostly of non-Bessemer character, 

 finds a ready market in the Eastern States. The blast furnaces in 

 this section use it as a basis for mixture with the hematite ores 

 from Lake Superior or local mines in making foundry irons. The 

 concentrates shipped from Mineville are unusually high in content 

 of iron and can be utilized to advantage with leaner ores. The 

 more phosphoric magnetite from the Old Bed workings is in de- 

 mand by makers of basic Bessemer iron; a large quantity of this 

 ore was exported last year to Germany. 



The Northern Iron Co. blew in its furnace at Port Henry late in 

 1904, after making extensive repairs. The output is about 200 



