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Miners are ready to enter the Hibernia Mine circa 1907. |
From the southwest heading northeast, these mines included the Lower Wood,
Glendon, Scott, DeCamp, Upper Wood and Oreland. A consolidation completed
by Joseph Wharton in 1901 essentially created the Hibernia Mine. The rich
deposit of magnetite ore extended for more than a mile, was relatively uniform
in quality with a width varying between 2 and 30 feet. The vein pitched
45 degrees and dipped 80 degrees to the southeast. At the Lower Wood Mine,
the vein was worked through a system of 26 levels and multiple shafts. The
ore was shipped via the Hibernia Mine Railroad created in 1863. At the Oreland
Mine which was the only portion operating after 1907, the mine was worked
through more than 23 levels and reached a depth of about 2800 feet.
An adit driven in 1873 eventually connected the entire complex of workings
whereby the ore was transported out of the mine by rail.
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