The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1858-08-24
Smelling copper Mt pittsburg.

The editor of the Chicago Press. on a
visit to pittsburg, gives the following ac-
co'sa't of the large copper smelling mill, for
reducing immense masses of ore from the
famous cliff mines on Lake Superior
| visited the immense copper mill off. G.
lluSScy Il Co., and learned some interesting
facts relative TO copper. Some ten years
since a body ofmcn formed Il company, call
ed the Boston and Pittsburg Mining Com
pany, and commenced exploring the copper
regions OF Lake Superior. They soon
"struck lead" the result of which has
been the establishing of immense smelling
works here, as they could obtain coal at the
low rate of,50 cents per ton Think of
this, We chicagoans, who have to pay from
81 to- 81 per toni
These smelling works are a curiosity
There are only about fifteen men ut the fur
mace the Invention of the late VIM. Johns,
brother of the present manager, VI. Henry
Johns, of Scotland. But for this great fur
mace the abundance of the huge masses of
copper rock from the Cliff Mine might
have fallen dead upon the hands of the com
pany. In fact, the company seemed to
doubt success until the problem of smelt-
ing single masses of several tons weight
was solved.
In the building by the side of this inn
menSc furnace, lies the copper rock which
is to supply it. At the present time there
are some $50 pieces of copper in one large
pile, just us it was taken from the mine,
varying from 400 lbs. to more than five
tons. The average weight of these immense
masses of copper is about two tonS-thc
Whole of which gives some 400 tons of cop
per. now waiting the smelling process, val
7 ued as raw material, at $4,000! Here
| may be seen the largest mass of copper
! ever taken from the bosom of mother earth.
It's weight is l0,4O0 ibs-upwards of fee
tons. Another mass has just been hoiSted
from a canal boat, at the landing, weighing
$500 lbs, and another S,440. The great
furnace, when i saw it, was :. charged, y
and contained single piece weighing s,s45
lbs which il requires IL hours to smelt and
refine ready for market. This furnace is
some 20 feet square, and has n cover which
can he withdrawn by mechanical power
An immense crane is then used TO raise
from the ground and lower into the refining
flame the mass to be smelted. All tn,
masses saw contained, as | am informed
so per cent, of pure copper. After tht
molten metal has been drawn off from the
furnace, at the first smelling. a sla. is lef
composed of the melted rock and refuse 0
the coal This is then taken and submitted
. to an intense heat, by which second process
fair per centage of copper is obtained from
the waste of the first process. .'- Nd
obtained some rare geological specimen
. snowy fragments of ''spar," ETC., som
, nodules tipped with pure silver, fragment
. equally mixed with silver and copper, cut
tings from the pure copper mass, and othe
curiosities too numerous to mention.
The Cliff Mine is the principal contribute
To this great piie of mineral, and ventur
!. TO say that il is safe to call il the most SUE
: ccssful copper mine in the world. Its worl
# men make the population of the village
Z The masses of copper taken from its unsunne
: depths are almost Incredibly large and NJ
merous, and the largest masses that ha,
= ever been taken mp or that can be,
: am informed, are but mere fragments c'
eft from immense deposits of vast extel
$. and weight. \ new shaft is now bei-
sunk, and the indication is that all it h
v hitherto yielded will be meagre indeed cor
I pared with what is to follow. The stock
E. the Boston and Pittsburg Mining Compal
lS more 10 De UeSlreu, ana Is much SOuS
J. after as if it were gold mine; and its pr
r ducts more advantageous than that of al
= gold in the country, for the simple reas
=. that il requires great skill as well as labor
transmute copper into gold. This is one
d the places which stranger should visit, a
: a place where men of intelligence and COZ
y mon curiosity may be grati6ed by exa
ining-