The weekly Arizona miner., 1871-01-07
Thr > Miner.
The stetefeldt Furnace --- Its Construe
 tion and Use.


 A great deal has been heard in this State, lately, about the Stetefcldt Furnace, says the White Pine Ntrs of November 2lst, and some persons have an idea that it is used for smelting ores but as this is not the case, we give below description of its construction and use
 The furnace was invented by Charles 4. Stetefeldt, of Austin, in this State, and IS intended for roasting, or rather chloridizing ore. after it has passed through the battery of a mill. It is a shaft furnace in which the pulp is not roasted by stirring, as in the old Fashioned reyerberstogy furnaces, but by fall ing through tue flame. The shaft is about thirty feet high; on the top of 1t is tue feed ing machine, consisting of cast iron water frame, which supports punched screen, closely over which moves a wire cloth, cut ting the pulp and forcing 1t through the screen. An elevator hoists the pulp into this feeding machine. which delivers it in the form of ine rain to the shaft. Thus each particle falls by itself, exposed to the chlor- idizing agencies in the shaft. The roasted pulp collects at the bottom of the shaft, from whence 1t is drawn out as needed. The heat (flame) necessary for the process is created in two lateral gas generators, which admit the flame three feet above the bottom uf the 
 the top of the furnace Connected with the furnace proper is a system of dust chambers, compelling the draft to form a zig-zag line before reaching the smoke stack. The con- nectioB between the shaft and the dust cham bers Is effected by vertical hue passing down one side of the shaft. This ;sae is pro- vided with third gas generatur, the pug pose of which Is to roast that pulp which, In consequence of it's fneness, is carried away bS the draft and thus prevented from falling through the flame and getting roasted The gas generators are constructed for using char coal The percentage of salt to be used ranges from five to ten per cent. but it is expected that in many cases the percentage may be reduced to even less than five per cent. The first experimental furnace vas built by Mr. Stetefeldt, in 0phr Canyon, at the Twin River Company's mill; after which he built one for the Auburn mill, Reno, which worked finely. Other companies entered into nego- tiations with Mir Stetefeldt, and the Manhat- tan Company purchased the parent right for Reese River District for large sum. They are perfectly satisfied with its workings, and many other mills have since had like furnaces built, among others the Monte Cristo mill, in this district, which was constructed under tue superintendeBee of Mr Max Meller, Mr Stetefeldts representative. The furnace works well, and reduces the expense of roasting from about SIS to s4 and s per ton, .; compared with the working in the old reyer beratory furnaces. But not this alone; ore: can now be worked closer as higher per eeutage of the pulp is chlondized than by the old process. We learn that some of tn, Austin ores were chloridized to 96 per cent and over. The invention has certainly beer of the greatest benefit to Eastern Nevada where ores that had to be roasted, and whict formerly could not be worked, can now bt reduced, leaving handsome profit to tho owners. Mir. stetefeldt only charges royalty for the use of his patent right, except in case: where companies desire to purchase the excu siVe right for whole district.