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The following diagrams illustrate the method: Les cartes ou les planches trop grandes pour dtre reproduites en un seul ciich6 sont filmdes d partir de I'angle sup6rieure gauche, de gauche d droite et de haut en bas, en prenant le nombre d'images ndcessaire. Le diagramme suivant illustre la mdthode : 1 2 3 4 5 6 iji!: OMBXt ?/o: l^ Subject to Revision. [TRANSACTIONS OF THK AMERICAN INSTITUTE OF MINING ENGINEERS.] THE IRON ORES OF PIOTOU COUNTY, NOVA SCOTIA. BY E. GILPIN, JR., A.M., F.O.S., F.B.S.C, INSPECTOR OF MINES, HALIFAX, N. S. (A Communication to the Secretary, read at the Chattanooga Meeting, May, 1885.) The following iices may serve to bring before yonr Institute an idea of the iron-ore resources of Pictou County. Enough work has been done to permit an estimate to be formed of tiieir quality aiid probable extent. As yet the systematic mining and smelting of iron- ore in Nova Scotia is confined to the operations of the Steel C'On;- pany of Canada, in Colchester County. Although the locality I am about to describe appears, in many resj>ects, well adapted to iron smelting, etc., no attempts have yet been made to begin work. Nova Scotian capital is more readily turned to lumbi'ring, fishing, and shipping ventures ; and such an investment ap])ears equally foreign to the rest of the Dominion. I need not, however, go further into this part of the subject, and can only hope that my notes may prove serviceable as indicating a probable field for future development. The accompanying map shows the position of the harbor of Pictou relative to the coal and iron-ore fields, and to the railways which intci'sect them. The branch of the Intercolonial Ilailway, running Irom Truro to Pictou, forms tiie western boundary of the iron-iu'c district, which extends beyond the point where the New (ilasgow and Cai)e Breton Hail way crosses the French River. The iron-ore district may be roughly described as a triangle formed by the ore-outcrops and the two railways, the former making the base, and the latter the sides of the triangle, the apex resting on the coal-field at New Glasgow. The drainage of the country is toward the Gulf of St. I.(awrence, through the Middle, East, Sutherland's, and French rivers; and the surface is undulatory, seldom exceeding two hundred feet above the sea-level, except in the district lying between Glengarry and the uj)p<'r waters of the French and Sutherland's rivers, where a maxi- mum height of about five hundred feet is reached at several points. 1 2 THE IRON ORES OF VICVOU COUNTY, NOVA SCOTIA. i I I Geologief>lly speaking, the district embraces two divisions, the Carboniferous and the Silurian, the hitter resting on strata provi- sionally considered to be of pre-Cambrian age. As no geological sjirvey has yet been made of this (!onnty, except in the coal-field, the boundary lines of the various horizons cannot be indicated with absolute accuracy. From New Glasgow northward to Pictou arc met the measures of the Upper Carboniferous (embracing the upper part of the pro- ductive measures). These strata are considered by geologists to mark the transition from the Carboniferous into the Permian, and the term Permo-Carboniferous has been applied to them. The town of New Glasgow lies on the northern outcrop of the coal -measures, which extend from Sutherland's River to Middle River, and are bounded by heavy faults, bringing the different Carboniferous sub- divisions into close contact with each other. The Millstone-(j}rit occupies an irregular tract of country lying to the south of the coal- field. The sections which have come under my notice do not siiow any clearly defined boundary to this formation, which appears to pass insensibly into the coal-measures above and the Marine lime- stone beneath. The latter formation, which is of interest in this connection, as it holds numerous beds of limestone, iron-ores, etc., is presented in an irregular band, extending from Glengarry to Sutherland's River, and projecting to the south up the P]ast River in a narrow tongue. The lowest division of the Carboniferous, represented elsewhere in the Province by dark-colored bituminous shales or by heavy beds of <'onglomerate, does not appear in this district. The various members of the Carboniferous system rest on two divisions of the Silurian. The upper division has for its western boundary the P^nst River, and occupies the highlands, already re- ferred to, as extending fro;n that point to the eastward. The beds making up this series are gray and olive slates, in places passing into coarse grits and sandstones, and containing a few (;alcareou3 bands. The fossils thev yield are considered by Dr. J. W. Dawson to be the equivalents of those characterizing the Tiower llelderberg of United States geologists. Passing downwards, underlying strata are met, which, in the absence of the Niagara limestone nuiy be re- garded as of Clinton age. These ferriferous strata are now pre- sented in synclinal folds, irregular in shape, and frequently broken by faults, and rest on nacreous and chloritic schists with immense masses of an indurated slaty breccia, rising into protninent hills. THE IRON ORES OP PICTOU COUNTY, NOVA SCOTIA. A On the west side of the east branch of the East River the Car- boniferous rests on strata, composed largely of bhick and gray slates and quartzites, older than any met on the east side of the river, except possibly the hills of indurated breccia. At several points patches of strata, perhaps representing the lower beds exposed on the east side of the river, intervene between the Carboniferous and the older stnita. These slates and quartzites are considered to be the eastward extension of the axial measures of the Cobequid Mountains, which they strongly resemble, and have been termed Siluro-Cambrian. As yet, however, the work of mapping out these horizons has been incidental to the exploratory work on the various iron-ore deposits, and much remains to be done. Although the presence of a few of the iron-ore beds about to be described had been known for many years, no attempts were made to prove their value until 187;J. In this year Dr. Dawson, assisted by his son Mr. George Dawson, determined the position and extent of some of the more important deposits, and their work was con- tinued by the writer for several seasons over a district embracing three hundred square miles. Taking the ores in ascending geological order, they occur as follows: (Ijimbro-Siliirian. Specuhir in:igiietite. Upper Silurian. Red iieiiiatiie. Marine liineHtone. Spathic ore. Red iieinatite. .«~ Millstone grit. Nodular clay ironstone. c O Coal measures Olay- ironstone. Hlaekhand. Upper coal measures. C!lay-ironstone. Recent. Rog-ore. The iron-ore district of the Cambro-Silurian series begins about six miles to the northwest of Glengarry station, where there are several veins of specular ore in Gairlock. These veins, as exposed naturally near the farm of James McKay, of Mill Brook, vary in thickness up to 2 feet, but no work has been done to test their extent. About two miles west of Glengarry a large vein crosses the railway, and is composed chiefly of ankerite with sidcroplesite, and a little calcspar, and carries several veins of specular ore. One of these has b(K)n opened by a short drift and shows 3 feet of excellent ore. From this point eastward to Drug Brook on the west branch of the East River traces of specular ore are frequently met, but no veins have been observed. Here a natural exposure shows three beds of limonite, the thickest being about JU) in(!lies in width. It is not known with certainty that these ores represent the speitular THP: iron ores op PICTOU OOUNTY, nova SCOTIA. already referred to, and they have been considered to belong to a second ore-range, lying to the south of the specular. From this point, surface-signs of specular ore mark the passage of the vein for about three miles, to an opening made by Mr. Watson on a vein of specular ore 7 feet wide. A few yards from this is a bed of a dark-colored magnetic ore, about 18 inches wide; but no details arc known as to its extent and value. The specular vein has been traced about four miles further to the east, and shafts have been sunk on it at several points. On the Weaver property, enough work has been done to show that the vein is about 100 feet wide, and carries several bodies of specular ore from 1 to 15 feet thick. About one-half a mile east of the Weaver property, where the vein begins to skirt the river-valley, it appears to be associated with limonite. The vein has not yet been searched for in the wooded district lying east of the river. This vein is, strictly speaking, a stratum-vein, and maintains a course very closely agreeing with that of the slates, and a nearly vertical dip. During a great part of its course, as sketched above, it runs on elevated ground, which would facilitate mining. There are indications of a similar parallel vein lying further to the south, but hitherto it has not recfcived attention. The alternation of s[)ecular and limonite ores in these veins has also been observed at I>ondon- derry, Colchester County, where the earlier workings at several points yielded considerable quantities of the former ore, while at greater depths limonite alone is found. The ore is compact and foliated, and its quality is shown by the following analyses : Composition. Iron oxides, . . . Miingjinese oxide, . AIninina, . . . . Linif carbonate, . . Magnesia carltonale, IMiosphoric acid, . . l*lu)s|»iioni8, . . . Sidpluir, . . . . Titanic acid, . . . Silica, MoiHtnre, .... Metallic iron, . . . Specular Ore. I. Weaver. 92.01 2.16 .21 1.27 .43 .08 trace. :{.68 04.4 1' II. Weaver. t>7.52 none, trace. 3.20 V)8..'}3 III. Watson. 93.80 trace. " ".68 3.40 (15.00 Limonite. IV. Drug Brook. 81902 .0(18 1.019 .313 .052 .431 .04(5 0.350 9.462 57.718 I. Dr. Stevenson Macadam. II. Dr. T. E. Ti - ne. III. E. G., Jr. IV. Geol. Sur., Canada. THE lUON ORES OF PICTOU (JOUNTV, NOVA SCOTIA. 5 The Upper Silurian district is marked by the occurrence of beds of red hematite, some of which reach large dimensions. Allusion has already been made to the basin-shaped synclinals presented by these strata. One of these synclinals in Jilanchard settlement has a width of one and a half miles, and a length of about three and a half miles. Owing to the wooded character of mucii of the ground at this point, tin; exact thi(!kness of tiie bjisin cannot be given. Its western apex rests on a mass of the indurated slaty breccia, already alluded to, an4 trace. 2.14 4.(1 1 62.24 II. 93.09 1.10 none. .04 4.S0 "(55.26 HI. 81.19 .20 .15 traces. ' 4.*2lnir, none .10 l'iio.H[i!iorns, none nime Metallic iron, 42.07 39.64 I. Dr. T. S. Hunt. II. .1. II. Iluxlev. Indications of spathic ore have been found on Sutherland's River, McLellan's Brook, etc., under similar conditions, and this ore may prove a widespread and important addition to the ores of the county. Still further east on French River, at a horizon apparently several hundred feet higher, and considered to represent the upj)er |)art of the Marine limestone formation, there are several beds of a nodular red hematite, varying in thickness up to 4 feet. These bods have been recognized as extending lor .several miles. They appear to be the weathered outcrops of carbonate ores, hut they have only been examined superficially. Samples taken from the outcrop of a 4-fbot bed on French River yielded 35 per cent, of metallic iron. In the })roductive coal-measures, clay-ironstones and black-band ore have been noticed at several horizons. It may be questioned if any of the ores hitherto casually exposed in shafts and stone tunnels are present in quantities large enough to warrant the expectation of independent workings, although in .some cases they could be worked in connection with the coal-beds. The horizon yielding these ores most abundantly api)ears to be that embraced between the Albion main seam and the McGregor seam. Old records show several beds included in these strata which contain layers of ironstone up to 8 feet in thickness, and on further examination they may [)rove of economic value. The following analy.ses by the writer will serve to show the quality of some of these ores : THK rrtON ORKfi OF PIOTOU (X)UNTY, NOVA SCOTIA. M'al the •5 T. 11. Ciay-ironstone. Black-hand. Moisture 2.132 Sulphur 612 .214 Phosphoric acid, trace .586 Mangune.'se oxide 4.450 Lime, trace 3.780 Magnesiii 1.655 .783 Alumina, ........ 16.962 3.180 Silica, 780 16.546 Carbonic acid 27.589 Iron protoxide 45.361 36.000 Metallic iron, 35.000 28.000 Altlioiigjh no attempts have yet been made to find iron-ore in the coal-districts, the indications observed up to the present date may fairly be considered to show the probable presence of a large and cheap supply of ore. In the Upper Carboniferous measures lying to the north of New Glasgow there are several thin layers of clay-ironstone, not aj^pa- rently of economic value. ^ the surface-drift there have been beds of bog iron-ore observed at numerous points. These deposits have nowhere been observed of large dimensions, but would probably be utilized for furnace purposes in the vicinity of the iron-ore districts more particularly alluded to above. River John, French and East rivers may be mentioned as localities yielding this ore; and the following analysis is of ore from a small bed exposed in a cutting of the Glasgow and Cape Breton Railway in Merigomish, near French River: Moisture, . . . . . . . . . . 5.500 Water of composition, 6.100 Sulphur 208 Phosphoric acid, 384 Manganese oxide 5.886 Lime, trace Magnesia, trace Alumina, 3.106 Silica, 12.325 Iron peroxide, • 66.510 Metallic iron 46.557 These notes may .«erve to give a general idea of the iron ores of l*ictou County, and considering the wooded condition of nearly all the Silurian and Cambro-Silurian districts, and the little inducement that has as yet existed to stimulate search, it must be admitted that the discoveries hitherto made, almost exclusively of natural 2 10 THE IRON ORES OF PICTOU COUNTY, NOVA SCOTIA. exposures, are of good promise. It is anticipated that the work of the Canadian Geological Survey will shortly be extended into this county, and their mapping of the divisions of the pre-Carboniferous rocks will undoubtedly facilitate the prospector's work. In this connection a brief reference to the two important accesso- ries to iron smelting — fuel and fluxes — may not be out of place. The coal of Pictou County may be described as bituminous and free-burning. Several of the seams now worked have not bee" found to yield a good coke, but answer well in the furnace when used with about twice their weight of coke. Other seams, however, yield a coke which makes a good furnace-article, and has been suc- cessfully used at Londonderry. The coke is cellular, and extremely resistant, resembling in appearance that from the north of England. The following average of several analyses, made some years ago by the writer, will serve to show its character : Moisture, 96 Carl)on, 83.85 Sulphur 52 Phosphoric acid, 01 Ash, 14.50 Limestone is abundant in the county, and forms an irregular band between the iron-ores and the coal-field. On the East River, and on its western branch, it is at several places close to the iron-ore. The lowest beds hitherto found rest on the pre-Carboniferous rocks, and are generally highly ferriferous and manganiferous. They form a horizon which I have described in a paper read before the last meet- ing of the Royal Society of Canada as presenting itself at the base of the Marine limestone formation in Nova Scotia, and at many points yielding ores of manganese, iron, and lead. The higher beds are frequently very pure and uniform in quality. They vary in tiiickness up to 75 feet, and are often continuous for long distances. The following analysis will show the character of one of the better-known beds : Carbonate of lime 93.90 Carbonate of magnesia, 2.45 Peroxide of iron 59 Peroxide of manganese, . 56 Alumina, 12 Sulphur, 03 , Phosplioric acid, . . , 03 Silica, , . . . 2.10 Moisture, 18 rs. .^ NE' I / 1/ O er. / / rs. Yol.'XIV, eilLFIM. f ' ^ TraesactioMS of ttlke Am©ricaM iMstitnate of MiMimg Emgliei Mliiraiig Emgimeers. Yol, XIV, eiLFiM. SKETCH MAP SHOWINQ PICTOU IRON ORES SCALE or MILEE 12 3 4 Railroad omnn 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 n i m Boundary of Carboniferous »» n Coal Field — » — • — .— n » Millstone Grit o — o — o— Iron Ore Outcrops — — SUNNY BRAE Uruok •T;::X^TlAraonUe Ores