Luke Mine, Butler County, Missouri, USAi

Regional Level Types
Luke Mine	Mine
Butler County	County
Missouri	State
USA	Country

This mine, located at Keener, is situated at the north base of a low hill very near the level of Black river. It consists of three irregular cuts from which approximately 6,500 tons of ore have been mined and shipped. The largest opening is 100 feet long by 6o feet wide, with a maximum depth of 35 feet. A smaller cut to the west shows a face of 18 feet, while one on the east is somewhat smaller. All of these openings show ore, the faces in places carrying ore from top to bottom. However, in the large cut there is about 12 feet of barren clay and chert above the ore. There are also several streaks of barren clay extending from the surface to the bottom of the pit and these, in some cases, have not been removed.

Two small pits near the crest of the opposite side of the hill showed similar conditions, and it is not unlikely that the ore body may be found to extend irregularly through the hill.

The ore is secondary limonite very largely of the pipe variety and occurs as boulders and small fragments embedded in a cherty clay. Some of it is nearly solid, but in cross-section shows a stalactitic structure. A portion of the ore carries considerable chert but very little or no sand. Chert fragments, large and small, are commonly mixed wilh the ore-bearing clay.

So large a part of the ore is small that washing is required. It is mined by hand and trammed 300 yards to a one-log washer which is equipped with one cylinder screen and two hand jigs. By this method a wash product, averaging 52.65% iron, 11.6o% silica, 0.08% Phos., 0.11% Mn., and 4.0% moisture, is produced. The grade of the ore could be considerably improved by better equipment.

The washed ore is trammed 150 yards to the Iron Mountain and Southern R'y. at Keener. Water is obtained from the Black river a quarter of a mile to the west.