EDISON ASA MOUNTAIN CRUSHER.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CVI, Issue 12588, 24 August 1901, Page 4

EDISON ASA MOUNTAIN CRUSHER.

Mr Edison’s marvellous system of mining iron ore, Avhich has lately toeen much discussed, is fully described and illustrated iu an interesting article, by Mr Turner Morton, in the- June number of “Pearsons Magazine.” How Edison blasts away the sides of a mountain, pulverises the rocks to powder, separates the iron ore from the mountain sand by his system of magnetic separators, and finally consolidates the iron dust into neat briquettes, is clearly set forth. Describing the little mining town, called Edison, the writer says: “ Edison, the place, Avhere Edison, man, has wrought these marvellous things, is a little town away up on the Muscoretcong Mountains. Not everyone is allowed to enter there —a trained eye might discern trade secrets worth fabulous fortunes. The, air, the place, the workmen are white—white with, the fine suffocating dust of the sand that has been separated from the iron. Everyone u cars a ‘snout’ designed by Edison, to keep the dust from the lungs—a little muzzle that fits over nose and mouth, coming cut from the face to a point like a pig s nozz e. Houses of all shapes and sizes, builo regardless of achitecture, are connected by long “ conveyers ” ; three or four lines of narrow-gauge railway track run around the property and in between the houses ; overhead wires carry their electric currents from the dynamos; machinery roars, and_ in the distance giant cranes rear their heads,. ®”r monster excavators may be heard a tearing .the mountain to pieces. Following along the lines of the railway tracks, one finds that tey _ where these excavators, or ?team are at their work ; very anima - sters, snorting and grunting, . P grubbing for roots, as their noaes ? ® into the hillside, and their s V . filled with ore. These giant , stcam s h weigh upwards of 100 tons apiece, minute from the vein. 3011 ’ which can be worked -by a takes the place of two hundred Isomer.. As the capacity of the plw* lS “ m f’ crush, and concentrate 4000 tons - twenty-four hours-* prodigious quanUy in view of the handling capac . plants than Edison’s-the steam shovels may take their work easj.”