Arizona weekly enterprise., 1882-02-18
OiI EueI for Smelling.

utilization of petroleum as fuel, 1t has never yet been employed to any extent for the various heating processes required in the reduction of ores in mining opera tions in the West. There where fuel is often costly and difficult to obtain, the crude might be profitably employed, could suitable burning arrangements be devised and if the freight was not too high. Mir. R, A. Brown, assayer and su- perintendent of the Specie Paying Gold and Silver Mining Company of Pinal Co, Arizona, arrived in town yesterday on his way to New York, where he is sent by his company for the purpose of inves- tigating the Durgee process of reducing ore by petroleum flame.
 Practical metallurgists, said MT. Brown, "have learned by long experience not to place much reliance in the new methods for treating ore which are sub- mitted to them every year. Not one in thousand proves a success Therefore, until they see the practical working of petroleum fuel and have an idea of the relative cost compared to wood or coal they will be slow to pin their faith to it The Durgee system Is simply the prirrci- pie of the common blow-pipe applied on large scale. In brief, it consists of cylinder, perhaps forty feet long, charged with ore. At one end IS burning jet, kept supplied by reservoir of crude, and the flame is forced by powerful draught through the cylinder, the products of the combustion escaping at the other end up lofty smoke-stack. Air is admitted in such proportions that the cylinder is con verted into a huge blowpipe, and the heat is of the most intense quality. I do not understand how the chamber will be lined, in order to prevent the destruction by blast that is expected to melt ore into slag in few minutes This process is said to require no Aux, an important consideration, for We at present are obliged to add the proper proportion of materials in order. to smelt the mass"
 ''Is there a furnace fed by petroleum in operation in any part of the West!"
 "One such as have described is being erected at Silver Cliff, Colorado. It is to have capacity of one hundred tons of ore per day. It is an experiment on a large scale and will be watched with in terest
 ''What else is claimed for petroleum fuel in reducing ores?"
 ''That it will enable us to utilize low grade ores such as cannot at present be worked proftably. If the process is a success in this one particular, it's intro duction will well repay mine owners There are immense quantities of low grade ores now lying useless for want of cheap method of working them. It is said pc troleum can be successfully used in mak- ing iron and steel. If so, don't see why it cannot be used in our business While in Chicago a short time ago, saw in an assayer's laboratory a petroleum blow pipe in successful operation. It consisted of long chamber in which were set the crucibles containing the ore, while the flames from the oil passed around them
 In about twelve minutes the ore was con- verted into slag. In the apparatus that have spoken of previously, the molten metal is drawn off by means of suitable apertures and the furnaces can be charged rapidly"
 "What kind of fuel do you use?"
 "Wood, with which the country 1T
 Southern Arizona is pretty well supplied
 There are coal beds, at present undevel
 oped. Great quantities are consumed tc
 run tho engines for the stamps, the roast
 CTS, the furnaces for burning off sulphur
 and the bullion furnaces in the mills al
 Pinal City. If petroleum can be used
 for any of these purposes it can be useC
 for all"
 "Would it not cost too much to trans port the oil to such long distance iron
 this regionl"
 ''I think not. Since the completion O
 railroad lines to Arizona, giving us direc } communication east and west and the ben eft of competition, freight rates have be
 come quite reasonable. Besides, tn claim that petroleum fuel will enable u to work low grade ore if proven, must b. taken into consideration with the ques tion of cost If it reclaims what is nov . unpro6table, we can afford to pay some l thing for petroleum fuel. Arizona nov 3 stands only second to Colorado in tn ) value of its yearly dividends on minin
 stock, as you will see by the notice fror ] the San Francisco Bulletin, and the rail T roads are tending to open up the countr while new mines are constantly being de e veloped. Therefore you see what an i'm : portant question fuel becomes in milling {. Much interest is exhibited in this petrc f leum burning project, particularly by tn - stockholders of the company I represent T most of whom reside in Laporte, Ind T They have been discussing the feasibilit + of the scheme for some time and have ir | structed me to examine it thoroughly. e will start for New York in day or two t = look into the merits of the invention fo ! burning oil, and if necessary go to Silve V Cliff and see the practical working of tn e experimental furnaces and make repol F to the company. The thing appears to n practicable on it's face, but of course ol