Report on the Iron Ore Deposits of Nova Scotia(Part 1)
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' CANADA / (eP DEPARTMENT OF MINES o - • MINES BRANCH HON. W. TEMPLEMAN, MINISTER; A. P. Low, LL.D., DEPUTY MINISTER; EUGENE HAANEL, PH. D., DIRECTOR. REPORT ON THE IRON ORE DEPOSITS OF NOVA SCOTIA (PART I) , BY J. E. WOODMAN, A:11I , Sc.D., (HARv.), F.G.S.A., OTTAWA' GOVERNMENT PRINTING BUREAU 1909 No. 20. LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL. DR. EUGENE HAANEL, HALIFAX, NOVA SCOTIA, Director of Mines Branch, September lst, 1907. Dept. of Mines, Ottawa. SIR,—I beg to submit a paper, "Report upon Iron Ores of Nova Scotia, " prepared in accordance with a Letter of Instructions received from you under date of 26th of May, 1906, and subsequent correspondence. This letter is as follows:— "OTTAWA, 26th May, 1906. DEAR SIR,—You are hereby instructed to make as complete investiga- tions as possible of all important iron ore deposits so far discovered in Nova Scotia. It is desirable that deposits which are favorably located as regards transportation be taken first. The information desired is to be of such a character as will aid the de- velopment of the iron industry in Canada. Geological features are to be considered only in so far as they may be necessary for a comprehension of the nature of the ore deposits. It may be advisable at some future date to make magnetic surveys of the more important magnetite deposits and for this purpose it will be necessary that in your report you point out deposits which should be examined by the magnetometric method, stating whether the ore field is fairly level or com- prises a difficult terrain. The following are the points to which attention should be paid:— 1st—Localities of iron ore deposits so far discovered, and names and addresses of owners. 2nd—History of development of mines and companies (if any). 3rd—G eological description. 4th—Analyses of ores. 5th—In case of mines which have been worked, output and statistics. 6th—Transportation facilities. 7th—Limestone in neighborhood of deposits. 8th—State in general terms character of forest in neighborhood, i.e., whether the supply is sufficient for mining purposes and for the production of charcoal in the event of the introduction of electric smelting. 9th—Maps of mines (and drill holes, if any). The report is to furnish as complete a survey of the iron ore deposits of Nova Scotia as the field work planned for the summer will permit. You are further instructed to organize your field party at the earliest .date and proceed to carry out the work as outlined above. Yours truly, (Signed) EUGENE HAANEL, ,PROFESSOR J. E. WOODMAN, Superintendent of Mines." Work began immediately.upon receipt of orders, and continued until stopped by the inclemency of the late autumn. A few points left unfinished were cleared up in the spring of 1907. So far as has been possible, all instructions as to scope and character of work have been carried out to the letter. The general nature of this work and its limitations are discussed in the introduction. As it has been impossible to cover the whole field in . one season, the present report is labelled VOLUME I. I have the honor to be, Sir, Your obedient servant, J. EDMUND WOODMAN' . Geological Laboratories, Dalhousie Uniyersity. TABLE OF CONTENTS. PAGE Letter of transmittal. III Table of contents. V List' of illustrations XIV Introduction. XIX Summary of report • XXI PART I. GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS. CHAPTER I. GEOGRAPHIC RELATIONS OF IRON ORE DEPOSITS. 1 General Distribution of Ore. 1 Relation to Fuel 2 Relation to Fluxes 2 Possible Smelting Centers. 3 Relation to Ore and Metal Markets. 3 CHAPTER II. THE IRON MINERALS. 4 Sources of Metallic Iron 4 Magnetite. 5 Hematite. 5 Limonite . • 6 Siderite. 7 Ankerite. 7 impurities. 8 Common Accessories. 8 Silica. 8 Alumina. 10 Lime and Magnesia. 10 Ma,nganese. 10 Moisture and Combined Water. 11 Titanium. 11 Phosphorus. 11 Sulphur 12 Summary of Chemical Conditions. 13 Ores elsewhere than in Nova Scotia. 13 Ores of the Triassic. 13 Clementsport Basin. 14 Nictaux-Torbrook Field 14 vi PAGE. Brookfield. 15 Londonderry 15 Arisaig. 15 Whycocomagh 16 Barachois 16 CHAPTER III. GENERAL GEOLOGY OF IRON DEPOSITS. 17 Factors Influencing Iron Ore Distribution. 17 Purpose of Chapter 17 Comparative Shallowness of Iron Ores. '18 Limiting Conditions of Deposition. 18 Characteristic Indications. 19 Exploration and Development.. 20 Surface Continuity. 20 Underground Development. 20 Use of Core Drills. 21 Analyses. 21 Geology of- the Deposits 22 Rock Series Represented. 22 Pre-Cambrian. 22 Ordovician. 23 Silurian. 23 Devonian 23 Lower Carboniferous and Triassic 24 CHAPTER IV. MINING POLICY. 25 Cost of Labor. 25 Capitalization. 26 Smelting Centres. 26 CHAPTER V. BOUNTIES 'UPON NATIVE IRON ORE PRODUCTION. 28 Methods of Direct Aid. • 28 Conditions Affecting Ore Production 29 Present Aid to Manufacture of Pig Iron. 29 Effects of Present System. 30 Attitude of Steel Companies. 30 Proposed Remedy for Inactivity. 31 Method of Application. 31 Automatic Operation. 32 vii PAGE Criticisms 32 Need for a New System of Aid 32 Special Advantages. 32 CHAPTER VI. TITLES TO IRON ORE 33 Systems of Holdings 33 Two Systems. 33 Earlier Grants 33 Acts of 1858 34 Cape Breton Island. 34 Records. 34 Ownership and Promotion. 34 Leasing from the Crown. 35 Licenses to Search. 35 Conversion to leases. 35 Lapsing of Licenses. 36 Costs and Tenure. 36 PART II. DETAILS OF IRON DISTRICTS. CHAPTER I. THE CLEMENTSPORT BASIN. 38 Location and Extent • 38 History of Clementsport Workings. 40 Description of Openings. 40 Potter Trench 40 Milner Openings. 42 Milbury Opening. 43 Structure of Basin. 43 Restriction of Silurian 43 Number of Iron Beds 43 Extension of Iron Beds on Strike. 44 Permanence of the Deposits. 44 Development of the District. 44 Value of the Field 44 Prospecting. 45 Timber and Power 45 CHAPTER II. THE NICTAUX-TORBROOK BASIN. 48 Introduction 50 viii PAGE. Location, Extent and Ownership. 50 Topography and General Features. 50 Transportation 51 Water Power and Wood. 52 Adaptability to Magnetic Surveying. 52 Local Smelting. 53 History of Previous Operations 55 Early Endeavors 55 Page and Stearns. 55 Leckie Mine. 56 Annapolis him Company. 56 - Output 56 General Lithology. 57 Series Represented. 57 Inglesville District. 57 Eastern Areas • 57 Sediments of the Basin. 58 Eruptives. 58 Metamorphism. 59 Ore Beds. -59 Struèture. 60 Previous Studies: Simple Folding. 60 Recent Studies: Multiple Folding 60 Hypothesis of Pitching Synclinorium 62 Consequences of Hypothesis. 64 Catalogue of Iron Occurrences. 64 Properties showing Iron Ore. 64 South Mountain Pits. 66 Messenger Vein: Pit No. 1. 66 Pit No. 2. 66 Messenger Pit (No. 3). 66 Status of Messenger Ore. 68 Pit No. 4 68 South Mountain Vein: Pits 5 to 14. 69 Scattered South Mountain Openings. 76 Character of South Mountain Vein. 77 Cleveland Pits. 77 Heatley Ore. • 77 Stearns Ore. 78 Leckie Vein 79 • Leckie Mine. 79 Pits toward Wheelock Mine 80 Borehole Sections 84 ix PAGE. Wheelock Mine 84 Western Pits on Leckie Vein. 86 Lean Hematite Vein 87 Leckie Mine. 87 Boreholes. 88 Allen Pit 88 Shell Vein. 90 Leckie Mine. 90 Eastern Pits 90 Hoffman Shaft. 92 Boreholes. 93 Wheelock Mine 94 Western Openings 94 Ward Pits. 100 Scattered Western Openings. 102 Eastern Ore Occurrences. 102 Spicer Pits. 102 Spinney Pits. 103 Scattered Openings 103 Leckie Mine. 104 Location and History 104 Underground DevelopMent. 105 Details of Levels. 106 Structural Conditions 108 Physical and Chemical Character of Ore. 109 Continuity .of Ore Body. 112 Wheelock Mine 112 Location and Characteristics. 112 Shaft Section. 112 No. 1 level: west. 114 No. 1 level: east. 116 No. 2 level: west 116 No. 2 level: east. 116 Chemistry of the Ore. 117 Boreholes. 118 No. 1: Sam. McConnell Property... 118 No. 2: Fletcher Wheelock Property. 120 No. 3: Josephine Wheelock Estate. 121 No. 4: Josephine Wheelock Estate. 121 No. 5: Page and Stearns Estate... 121 No. 6: Melville Hoffman Property.. 122 No. 7: E. M. Barteaux Property.... 122 No. 8: E. M. Barteaux Property.... 122 PAGE. No. 9: E. M. Barteaux Property 123 No. 10: Leckie Mine. 123 No. 11: Leckie Mine. 124 No. 12: Leckie Mine. • 125 No. 13: Leckie Mine. 125 • No. 14: Leckie Mine. 126 Interpretation of Structural Conditions. 127 Leckie Mine: Cross-Cuts 127 Relation of Syncline to Leckie Ore Body. 127 • Horizon of Shell Vein. 128 Downward Limit of Leckie Ore. 128 CHAPTER III. IRON OF THE TRIASSIC TRAP. • • 130 Distribution and Character. 130 Summary. 131 CHAPTER IV. DEVONIAN DEPOSITS OF HANTS AND COLCHESTER COUNTIES. .. 134 Situation and General Character 134 Avon River to Tennycape. 135 Lantz and Tomlinson Openings. 135 Goshen Mine. 135 Analyses 135 Scattered Occurrences 136 Summary. 136 Selma. 136 Location. 136 Sweeney and Ells Openings. 138 Surnmary. 139 Clifton • 139 Situation. 139 Ore 139 Brookfield. 141 Situation 141 • Location of Deposit 142 The Chambers Mine. 142 Analyses from Londonderry. 142 Analyses from Nova Scotia Steel. and Coal Co. 144 • Recent Openings 145 CHAPTER V. • ORES OF THE WESTERN COBEQUIDS. 146 • The Cobequid Mountains 147 Distribution and General Composition 147 Accessibility of Iron-bearing Zone.. 147 xi PAGE. Transportation. 147 Power. 148 Timber 148 The Iron. 148 Distribution and Classification 148 Scattered Occurrences within the Devonian 149 Iron near Carboniferous Contact 149 The Londonderry Range—(1) to Portapique River . 149 Distribution and Cross-Section 149 Zone of Devonian Strata 149 Outcrops of Ore 150 The Range—(2) Londonderry Iron and Mining Company Pro- perty . 151 Portapique River to West Mines 151 Cumberland Brook to East Mines 152 Association of the Ores 152 History of Acadia Mines 153 Early History 153 Londonderry Iron and 3/1ining Company . 153 Mixture of Ores 154 Output 154 Description of Mines 154 Cumberland or West Mine; West Side 155 Cumberland: East .