Lake Champlain Iron Region. [Volume: 8, Issue: 4, 1889, pp. 218-227]

226 UNITED STATES ASSOCIATION OF [VOL. 8,
In our articles upon " Iron-Ore Concentration," we have given
results obtained by separating these ores by magnetism. Owing to the
crystallization of the ore it breaks up readily, especially the " New
Bed Pure," and the " Old Bed 21" ore; as a consequence much of the
ore becomes fine in handling and shipping. The " New Bed Lean"
ore, however, is more difficult to crush, owing to the siliceous
gangue in which the ore crystals are disseminated, but very satisfactory concentrations are made from this ore, while the " Old Bed
21" ore when crushed and separated shows a very large reduction
of phosphorus.
In connection with the Port Henry mines mention should be
made of the Cheever ore-bed, located 2 miles from Port Henry,
near the shore of Lake Champlain, for which the Bay State furnaces
at Port Henry hold the right for ore at 50 cents a ton above the
cost of mining. The strike of this vein is peculiar, in that it first
descended and then rose close to the surface in bow form. This
vein varied from 8 to 15 feet in thickness and is practically worked
out, present exploitations being in an outlying deposit from which
25 to 30 tons are obtained daily, the composition being:
Per cent.
Metallic iron,..... 56to 62
Phosphorus,......... 0.2 to 0.6
In Watson's History of Essex County, the statement is made that
the Cheever ore-bed was utilized as early as 1804, and mention is
made of three other ore-beds near by. The following analyses by
Prof. Hayes, dated 1856, are given:
OLD ANALYSES OF CHEEVER ORE, PORT HENRY, N. Y.
Proto- and peroxide of iron,... 90.54
Phosphate of lime,..... 3.80
Amphibole,*. 2.80
Silicic acid,... 1.60
Pilaniferous iron,........ 1.26
100.00
Metallic iron,... 64.15
Oxygen with it,...24.45
Silex,........... 4.10
Lime and magnesia,.........10
Phosphate of lime,....... 6.20
* Hornblende.
t Pilaniferous intended possibly for titaniferous.