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(...continued) The first ore encountered was a mass of low grade hemimorphite, 14 feet in width. In July of 1874, a second vein was reached containing franklinite, 70 feet in width. Still intent on reaching the promised zinc ore, Trotter tunnelled farther. After 25 more feet, a third vein of hemimorphite 16 feet in thickness was struck. Trotter continued a short distance past the vein before terminating his tunnel in October of 1876. The adit had reached a total distance of more than 505 feet, but without finding any mass of zincite.
After Trotter had been unable to find a market for the franklinite, the Franklinite Steel and Zinc Company issued a lease to John Silsby to mine it on March of 1877. The franklinite contained a greater proportion of iron to zinc than the northeastern adjoining properties. Thus, the ore was mined for iron and found to be of ideal grade in producing high quality steel.
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