| Ottawa Journal 23 May 1887, Buckingham - A tram way, some 4,600
feet long, is almost complete leading from the Lievre's banks at the
Little Rapide, up the side of the mountain to the Allan (phosphate)
mine. The grade is necessarily heavy but it is proposed to run cars by
a locomotive of peculiar construction.-- more Ottawa Journal 16 July 1887, Buckingham - The new tramway at Mr. W.A. Allan's boss mine, the Little Rapids, is now in complete working order. On Saturday 60 tons of phosphate were sent down from the mine, a distance of 6,000 feet and safely loaded on a scow in a few hours. The engine designed by Mr. Geo. Smith, the manager, is found equal to the somewhat heavy grades. Ottawa Journal 12 August 1887. Accident to a member of the Geological Survey and party. Visited Little Rock mine, above Buckingham in the morning, and returned in the afternoon on a tram car, which was loaded with phosphate. About half a mile above Buckingham the track is steeply grades, the brake refused to work and the car jumped the track.-- Ottawa Citizen 29 May 1889 All the phosphate mines are working with a full complement of men, the High Rock. The Emerald, Central Lake, Little Rapids and Canadian Phosphate Mines doing an especially satisfactory amount of work. At the above mines an average between 170 and 200 men are employed. The various steamers carrying the phosphate to Buckingham are busily employed, and owing to the increasing traffic, the C.P.R. has provided extra facilities for the transshipment of ore.-- Ottawa Free Press 5 October 1889 Account of a visit by the American Mining Engineers.-- At about 11.30 the party arrived at Little Rapids (by steamer)-- A steep tramway led from the landing place up the mountain side, and the ladies were taken up in a one horse car, whilst the gentlemen toiled behind-- Canadian Mining Manual 1890--91 The Little Rapids Mining Company is the owner of the Little Rapids Phosphate mines situate on the left bank of the Lievre River, in the first range Portland East, Ottawa county, Quebec. Tramway 7/8 of a mile from mines to wharf, narrow gauge steel rails. |
Updated March 2015