MINERA~1 Record

MINERAL INVENTORY FILE NO.

860

______________________________________________________________________________________________________

PRODUCT

Lignite

NTS AREA

62F1SW

REF.

COL 1

______________________________________________________________________________________________________

NAME OF PROPERTY

Hainsworth Farm
McArthur Mine, Muir Farm

OWNER OF OPERATOR ADDRESS

__________________________

OBJECT LOCATED

____________

MINING DIVISION

__________

Latitude

49°06'

Longitude

100°27'

Uncertainty (m)

___

UTM Zone

_____

Easting

_______

Northing

_______

L.S./Quarter Section

Section

Township

Range

23 WPM

DESCRIPTION OF DEPOSIT

Coal of the Tertiary Turtle Mountain Formation was formerly mined at McArthur's Mine to be used as a local source of fuel for homesteads. According to Dowling (1906) a long ravine running from the mountain in sec. 1-2-23 W, passing through sec. 11, 14 and 15, is cut down through about 12.1 m of the rocks, but the exposures along the sides are concealed by surface deposits. A small exposure of sandstone can, however, be found on sec. 15. The coal seams evidently should crop out on the sides of this ravine, as they have been found by boring in the centre of sec. 11 at the bottom of the ravine near Mr. Duncan McArthur's house. Here three seams were found with thin clay partings and the two upper ones are thick enough to work. Subsequently, a shaft was sunk from higher ground and for several years a small quantity of coal was taken out during the winter months.
Chemical Properties: Analysis yields: 38.7% moisture, 24.89% volatile matter, 29.56% fixed carbon, 6.88% ash, and 0.21% sulphur.
Physical Properties: B.T.Y. per lb 6,464 (as received).
Use: As a source of fuel for homesteads.

ASSOCIATED MINERALS OR PRODUCTS OF VALUE

N/A

HISTORY OF EXPLORATION AND DEVELOPMENT

The mines are located approximately 5.7 km south of Deloraine on patented land.
According to Bannatyne (1978) the McArthur Mine was operated intermittently between 1893 and 1908. Several shallow pits were operated and then a 15 m shaft was sunk to lignite, 1.5-1.8 m thick, at a depth of 10.5 m. Either one seam, or two seams each 0.7 m thick were present, separated by up to 0.45 m of clay. A third, thin seam was reported a short distance below, but not worked. The seams dip slightly to the north. The mine was re-opened by two Welshmen who were not able to carry on during 1908. The mine was very wet, and some difficulty was encountered with the roof. The location is west of the ravine, on the south side of l.s. 14 (Mineral Resources Division files).
During October 1931, the Deloraine Coal Company Limited was incorporated to develop and operate coal mines on the NW1/4 of Sec. 11-2-23 W (Muir Farm). Development work by the company was started in a ravine adjacent to the old McArthur shaft, almost in the centre of the section. An adit was driven on an incline of 25° from the floor of the ravine into the west bank. The coal (lignite) was intersected 3.0 m to 3.6 m below the floor of the ravine at a distance of 27.3 m from the opening. The coal seams, besides appearing thin and irregular, pitched at a considerable angle (25°) to the northwest.
This first working of the company was also in l.s. 14, 304.8 m north of the McArthur shaft. A small quantity of coal was taken from the upper seam and then the working was abandoned in October.
A second shallow trench also in l.s. 14, was then cut at a point 114.2 m farther south of this first working, but no coal was encountered. Later a shaft, 4.2 m x 4.2 m was sunk at a point 30.4 m south of the old McArthur shaft. Development work proceeded under difficulty owing to caving of the walls to a depth of 13.9 m. This shaft was in turn abandoned and activity transferred to a point 45.6 m northwest of the old McArthur's Shaft, where an incline 2.1 m x 2.1 m was started in a southerly direct to tap the lignite in the vicinity of the old McArthur workings. The elevation of the entrance to the incline was made as an open-cut and then followed an adit, 55.6 m from the entrance of which coal was encountered.
The elevation was 11.5 m below that of the entrance. At a point 19.7 m from the adit entrance the direction changed to the southwest and at 41.0 m was another turn with the heading of 257°. Here the coal occurs in two seams pitching 14°N and 7°W. The seams vary in thickness, the lower 60 to 103 cm, the upper 25.4 to 30.4 cm and are usually separated by 30.4 cm to 45.7 cm of sand and clay though in places the seams come together giving a continuous thickness of 1.1 m of lignite.
In an endeavour to indicate a favourable area for mining the lignite two drill holes were put down in the vicinity of the shaft, the first, located 22.8 m southeast from the shaft cut a 0.6 m seam of lignite coal at a depth of 38.9 m. The second hole, put down at a point 109.6 m west of the first, failed to intersect any coal in 37.9 m of drilling. Operations were carried on until the end of 1931, and 544 tonnes of lignite were produced during the year.
Work was resumed at the Muir Farm (sec. 11-2-23W) on March 12, 1932, and was continued, except for a period of 3 weeks in May until October. The Deloraine Coal Company operated the property until August 8 with a crew of about 12 men. Work was confined to driving two inclined drifts to the north from the main entry in an endeavour to locate the main McArthur seam.
On August 8, J.E. Carruthers took charge and the name was changed to Turtle Mountain coal Mines. A Lidgerwood double-drum hoist, steam driven, was installed to haul cars from the mine. Two seams each 0.8 m thick separated by about 0.9 m of sand and clay, were worked for a while and about 54 tonnes of coal produced. But according to the arrangement of the workings it was only possible to work down the seams which pitched at a high angle to the northwest and operations were not successful. The property was abandoned in October.
According to the Annual Report (1932) J.E. Carruthers moved his equipment from the Muir Farm to the Hainsworth Farm L.S. 4-14-2-23W, in October. An inclined drift on a 1 to 3 slope was started on October 24, 1932 from the floor of the ravine in a southwesterly direction in an effort to locate a coal seam. Work continued until the end of the year. No coal was mined.
After 1932 there has been no activity at the Hainsworth Farm Quarry

HISTORY OF PRODUCTION

1893 to 1908: Intermittent production of coal occurred on l.s. 6 of sec. 11-2-23W during these years. Work consisted of the sinking of several shallow pits and one - 15 m shaft. Production records are unavailable.
1931: The Deloraine Coal Company, Limited was incorporated during the year to develop coal from the NW 1/4 of sec. 11-2-23W. The company sank an adit into the side of a ravine located on the property. A small quantity of coal was removed from the upper seam and the workings were abandoned in October. Following some trenching in the ravine, a 4.2 m x 4.2 m shaft was sunk south of the McArthur shaft but not production was recorded. In an attempt to outline favourable areas of coal mining the company put down two drill holes near the mine shaft. Operations were carried out until the end of 1931, and 544 tonnes of coal were produced during the year.
1932: Work was resumed on March 12, 1932 and was continued, except for a period of 3 weeks until August 8. Work was confined to driving 2 inclined drifts to the north from the main entry. On August 8, J.E. Carruthers took charge of the operation and the company name changed to Turtle Mountain Coal Mines. Two seams, each 0.8 m thick separated by about 0.9 m of sand and clay, were worked for awhile and about 54 tonnes of coal produced.
J.E. Carruthers moved the operation from the Muir Farm to the Hainsworth Farm in October 1932. No lignite was mined.
1932 - 1996: There has been no production at this quarry during this time.
Shipping Point: McArthur Mine
Material Shipped: Coal
Carrier: Truck
Destination: Local market

REFERENCES

Annual Reports:
4th, pp. 13, 14, 17, 18, 19, 28-30; 5th, pp. 12, 14, 16, 17 23.
Bannatyne, B.B.
1978: Summary of available data on lignite deposits, Turtle Mountain, Manitoba; Manitoba Mineral Resources Division pp. 5, 6; Economic Geology Report 77-1.
Cameron, E.L.
1949: Coal (Lignite) in Manitoba; unpublished report, Manitoba Mines Branch.
Doerksen, A.D.
1971: The Saga of Turtle Mountain Coal; 129 p., D.W. Friesen and Sons Ltd., Altona, pp. 40-44, 110-122.
Dowling, D.B.
1906: Notes to accompany a contoured plan of the lower slope of Turtle Mountain; Geological Survey of Canada Annual Report 1902, Part A, pp. 192-203. Industrial Minerals Geologist's Files, Manitoba Mineral Resources Division.
Selwyn, A.R.C.
1893: Notes on Turtle Mountain Coal Fields, Manitoba; Geological Survey of Canada, Annual Report 1890, Part A, pp. 11, 12.
Wallace, R.C. and Greer, L.
1927: The Non-Metallic Mineral Resources of Manitoba; Industrial Development Board of Manitoba, p. 64.

MAP REFERENCES

Map 62 F/1, Deloraine, (Topography), Sc. 1:50,000, Survey & Mapping Branch, Ottawa.
Map 12, Industrial Minerals Producers (Index), Sc. 1: 1 000 000, Manitoba Mineral Resources Division.
Fig. 2 c, Location of former lignite operations at Turtle Mountain, Sc. 1:42 240; in Bannatyne, 1978, p. 5.
Mineral Map of Manitoba (1980), Sc. 1:1 000 000, Manitoba Mineral Resources Division.

URL

N/A

REMARKS

The Deloraine Coal Company Limited moved the operation from the Muir Farm to the Hainsworth Farm in October 1932. An inclined drift was sunk, but no production occurred.

NOTES

N/A

Compiled/Revised by:

CWJ KH

Date

08-79 06-96