Where Our Iron Ore Comes From. [Volume: 8, Issue: 3, 1889, pp. 195-200]

No. 3.1

CHARCOAL IRON WORKERS

195

Messrs. Witherbees, Sherman & Co., are experimenting with
various magnetic separators at their mines, near Port Henry, New
York, and the remodelled mill at the Croton mines, near Brewster, New York, will soon be ready for operation. Plants for
magnetic concentration by the use of the Edison Separator are
also being erected in Eastern Pennsylvania.
Where Our Iron Ore Comes From.
The knowledge concerning certain iron ore deposits which has
become general through the fact that they are located convenient
to some of our prominent iron producing centres, or by reason
of having been worked for many years has led to a misapprehension of the true relations which our prominent sources of iron
ore supply have to each other. To properly present this matter
the editor prepared for the Transactions of the American Instztute
of Mining Engineers a monograph accompanied by a graphic
representation a reproduction of which we herewith present by
the courtesy of the Secretary of the Institute. We believe an
examination of plate XI will be a surprise to many of our readers by demonstrating the relative importance of some of our iron
ore deposits. It is a source of regret that the destruction of
books of record by fire prevents tracing the output of the Lake
Champlain and the Southern Missouri mines through longer
periods, for the plate does not indicate the important position that
has been held by these localities for many years. Some sources
which now produce a small proportion of the ore used, have, in
the aggregate, added very largely to the material wealth of the
country, and have been of great service in the development of
our iron industries.
The estimated production of iron ore throughout the world in
the year 1888 was, in round numbers, 50,000,000 gross tons, of
which the United States contributed about one-fourth. Great
Britain leads this country in production by about fifteen per cent.
but the output of the United States is practically equal to that
of Spain, France, Russia, Austria and Hungary combined. Foreign ore was imported into this country in 1888 to the amount
of 587,470 gross tons. A close approximate of the amount of
iron ore consumed in the United States in 1888 in its blast furnaces, rolling mills, and for other purposes is 12,700,000 gross tons.