Wood River times. [volume] (Hailey, Idaho) 1882-1915, 1888-03-03

to the charge. One hundred tons of
galena will need 80 tens of hematite
or other good iron ore for the pur.
pose alone. Then there is the silica
to be taken care of besides; and then,
after the ore is smelted the bullion Is
found to weigh nearly as much as the
original ore, or 70 speak without OK.
aggeration, the ore being . 60 per
cent. concentrate, like that Of Bunker
dill'Sullivan, the bullion will weigh
one-half As much as the original ore,
while it will contain not over 60 ounces
OF silver per ton. The refining charges
and losses are nearly go and 10 per
cent of the lead, leaving very little.
indeed, to pay shipping, concentrat-
ing. mining. etc.
Aside from ore. which Is the most
abundant thing and the cheapest At
Ceur d'Alene, and I may add at Col.
vile and Wood River, there is little
or nothing at hand to aid in smelling.
The only accessible fuel is wood,
which is usually very cheap in the
northern mines, but is only adapted
for reverberatory smelling. 1t fol-
lows, therefore, that this style of re-
ducsion is in so much the most prac.
ticable. In fact it presents such in
ducements that a full explain alton can.
not but prove Of the utmost profit to
the lead-silver mines throughout the
Northwest. For by this means l be-
lieve they will be enabled to extract
the valuable contents of their ores,
setting at defiance the rapacity of the
managers of railways and smelters.
The construction that propose is a
A MODIFIED REvERBERAToRY FUR
MACE,
Somewhat on the style, as far as the
firebox and forehearth are concerned,
of the old Welsh furnace, long used
in England, and still in use to some
extent. An American modification of
1t has been extensively employed in
the Western States in the smelling of
lead, and there is ample evidence
both of its economy aud the ease Of
its management. As used in Mis-.
souri, and elsewhere it often differs
from its English prototype in the form
of the firebox, which is adapted to
burn wood instead of coal. The
Mexican smelters, who are very skill.
full in their art, have adopted another
modification, namely, the addition of
rear-hearth, sloping upwards to-
wards the fore hearth Of the furnace,
the idea being to economic the es-
Gaping heat by causing it to dry and
roast the charge preliminary to NOV
ing it forward upon the hearth,
where the smelling is completed.
The complete furnace which 1 recon
mend is built of brick, the hearths,
the roof nearest the fire and all parts
subject to high temperature, as we'll
as all surface which come in contact
with the charge, to be of fire brick;
the remaining portions, COMPRISING
foundation and outer walls, as we'll as
part Of the arch, may as we'll be of
common brick. The fire. box should
be four feet long, by three wide and
two deep, these being capable of con.
tanning one. fifth of q cord of wood.
The hearth should resemble that of
copper furnace in form, and be nine
feet wide by eleven long, with an area
of about 80 square feet. The charge
may then amount to three tons Of ore
or more if desirable. With easily fus-
ible ores Eve or six tons might easily
be worked at once. The rear, or pre-
paratory hearth, should be 6 feet wide
by 16 long, and slope downward two
feet that distance. The opening con.
Meeting the two hearths should be not
over four feet long, by 10 inches wide,
the passage being perpendicular.
The chimney, At the rear of the sIop-
ing hearth, may be so feet high, but
not less than 40, in order to obtain
the strongest possible draft. The ore
may be fed into the rear hearth by a
hopper placed over the upper portion,
or may be shoveled into a charging
door next to the bottom OF the stack.
The changes that 60 on are similar to
those which take place in any rever-
beratory lead furnace, and may be