Plank Mine, Dent County, Missouri, USAi

Regional Level Types
Plank Mine	Mine
Dent County	County
Missouri	State
USA	Country

This mine, located four miles west of Gano, P. 0., is nearly encircled by a low ridge. The principal workings consist of a pit 330 feet long, 210 feet wide and at present 50 feet deep. During the last three years of mining activity, operations were confined entirely to underground work. Two shafts, having a maximum depth of 16o feet and located at the southwest and southeast corners of the pit, communicated with the underground workings. The shafts are connected by a drift which is reported to have encountered ore throughout the entire distance. The shaft at the southeast corner was later sunk to a depth of 26o feet, penetrating cherty cotton rock the greater part of the last 100 feet. Mr. F. L. Nason, who visited the property in 1891, reports that the walls of the pit showed ledges of chert, sandstone, and stratified clay, all dipping towards the tenter. These materials are now exposed only on the west wall, the remainder of the face being covered by detritus.

The sink structure is well defined on the west and north by a rim-rock which occurs at an average distance of 140 feet from the pit. To the east and south, no rim-rock is in evidence and in these directions lie the possibilities of a further extension of the ore body.

The ore consists chiefly of specular and soft, red hematites, although that part of the ore body which occurred near the surface is reported to have consisted of limonite.

This mine was abandoned in 1895 after producing about 65,000 tons of ore.