Eureka daily sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1871-1887, 1878-12-06

The Buildings, Furnaces. Machine
cry, Etc.

A short description Of the building, fur
naces. machinery and general arrange
mont Of the apparatus for handling and
smelling the ores from the Richmcnd
mine, on Ruby Hill, will be interesting to
our readers, and illustrate, TO some extent,
the admirable plan adopted in rebuilding
these works. They are situated at the
south end Of Eureka "A position selected
because Of tue advantages presented for the
delivery OF ore, coal and other materials,
and the convenient discharge Of Stag from
the furnaces.
MAIN BUILDING.
The main building is 40 feet long by 81
feet wide, over all. The furnace, or
ground floor under roof, is 81 feet wide,
and is on a level with the Stag dump. A
wall OF masonry, on the back side Of the
ground-fioor aud extending the entire
length Of the building, comes up three feet
above the feed-loor, which is Is feet above
the ground-fioor. The top of this wall is
flush with the yard, on which the car
tracks are laid for the delivery OF ores,
which are dumped from the cars upon the
feed-ioor at the fced-holes Of the furnaces
on either side Of the tracks. The feed
floor is 2l feet wide, and the yard. which
is three feet above this, is covered for q
width Of 81 feet over its entire length. 1t
is IS feet from the feed-Hoor to the dust
arrester; 43 feet from the gronnd-ioor to
the plate Of the building, and 40 feet to
the ridge. The frame work is wood and
Of the most substantial character; the roof
and sides are Of corrugated rolled iron.
THE FURNACES.
There are two 70-ton furnaces completed,
having been built on same scale and plan,
and a foundation is laid for q third; also, a
Acton water-jacket furnace, which was
formerly in use, is ready for work; these
all stand in line. The foundation of the
lotion furnace (one description will apply
to the others) is six feet deep, over this is
laid q cast-iron plate one and q half inches
thick, which prevents any bullion from
leaking into the foundation. On this plate
one course OF fire rock Is laid. The inside
measurement Of the furnace is eight by five
feet, with a depth of six feet six inches from
the bottom of the lead well to the top Of
the rock work. which cncloses the smelt-
ing zone. The corners On the interior Of
the furnace are square,, on the outside they
are rounded of. Cast-iron plates, three
feet high and two inches thick, resting
uDOI Tic " YlatG III IN VI tAtS
masonry, are firmly screwed together and
secured by heavy iron straps. These plates
secure the base Of the furnace, and give
great strength to the structure. Upon the
stone work courses Of fire brick are laid for
a height OF nine and a half feet, the cor
ners, 10Th on the interior aud exterior OF
the brick work, are rounded, and the whole
il firmly encased in . sheeting Of thick
~wrought-iron. From tho bottom Of the lead
well to the feed hole is sixteen feet. and the
inside measurement Of the furnace, at the
feed-holc, is nine feet nin inches by six
feet nine inches. The domes are termi-
mated by stacks leading into the open air
above the roof Of the building, and also by
lateral branches from the stacks, which
open into the hue dust a~rrester, which is
eighteen feet above the fecd-foor. The
wind-chcsts are Of cast-iron, and are sup
ported by pillars Of the same material.
Each furnace is supplied with nine two and
q quarter inch tuyeres, four OF each side
and one in the back, which are connected
with the wind-chcst by canvas sleeves. For
the twelve months previous to the fire, the
ore smelted had averaged l 800 tons to each
furnace; considering the very greatly in
creased capacity Of the new furnaces over
those destroyed, we may expect a record Of
smelling heretofore unprecedented on this
coast.
THE MACHINERY.
The engine il 75-horso power, and Is
supplied with steam from three boilers 16
feet long by four feet in diameter, and one
boiler 16 feet long by five feet in diameter;
these are located on the ground-door. The
engine-r0om is on the same level with the
feed floor, and under the same roof ; it il
AZ feet long by IS feet wide. and has a
pitch Of IS feet. The fy-wheel is IA feet
in diameter, and weighs 1880 pounds.
The band-whcel is IL feet in diameter.
weighs z 1000 pounds, and carries o belt ~
inches wide, which connects with the
main shaft, having a length Of 80 feet, and
is ON the same foor az the ~engine-room.
One No. Z Baker blower, with a capacity
OF go cubic feetper revolution, and making
1902 revolutions per minute; two No. 5
Baker blowers, with a capacity each Of 25
cubic feet per revolution, and making 104
revolutions per minute one Root blower,
with O capacity Of IS cubic feet per revolu-
ton, and making 104 revolutions per min
ute, are driven by q second shaft, 2S feet
long, on The ~ground-ioor. These blowers
are all on the ground-foor, and supply the
furnaces with blast through q single blast
pipe, extended in the rear Of the furnaces.
The engine-room is a pattern Of neatness,
and compact arrangement OF the ma
chinery disposed in it. The wind-gauge,
steam-gauge and time-recorder stand side
by side. A dryer adjusted to the heater
will enable the ores for assay pulp to be
dried with expedition and uniformity.
Two Elake rock-crushers, grinders and
French burr stones prepare the ores for the
furnaces, and also the assay samples. Two
heavy, double-acting pumps, one in the
mn ut, and tho ntbar nm tho nrornI-
floor, with their hose attachments and con-
n~cctions, with the two immense water
tanks on the hill, will insure the rapid ex-
tinguishment Of any fire about the
premises. The arrangement Of the shaft
ing and machinery is such as to create the
least friction, aud reduce to o minimum
the loss Of power by transfer Of motion.
COAL AND ORE BINS.
The bins which receive the ore directly
from the Ruby Hill railroad cars. nave q
capacity of 200 tons; from these the ore
is drawn directly into hand cars and run
to the furnaces, which are c~ighty-four feet
from the bins. Everything going into the
furnaces must pass over scales, and is ac-
c~urately weighed. The coal bins on the
hill have o capacity Of $50. 900 bushels, and
the Goa from these is run in cars along q
t.estle work overhead and dumped into
bins, each having q capacity Of 1900 BUSH
els, stationed beside each furnace. The
object of economy has been the leading
principle in the plan devised and adopted
in arranging and erecting these works. At
every point the observer is struck with the
substantial appearance Of each object.
Durability and symmetry Of proportion
have been equally considered, and dispro-
portion of parts, or in whole, 10 not discov-
cred. The transfer OF bullion from the
furnaces to the refinery. INC its various
processes Of treatment, will be a spectacle
Of pleasing interest to be witnessed, a.
soon as the repairs Of each department. are
completed and the works once more started