Wood River times. [volume] (Hailey, Idaho) 1882-1915, 1888-03-05
THE QUESTION OF ORES.
A STRONG PROPOSITION TO SMELT
THEN AT THE MINES.
Disposal Of the Shipping New Form
OF Treatment - Valid Reasons for
Using the Reverbera,ory Furnace.

The cost Of furnace of the above
construction may be gathered from
the following data. The materials
include friedrich, 5000 at least cost
ing in Portland about $40 per
thousand; red brick, about $4,000,
cost IS; Gre.clay, sand, etc., nom.
inal sum; with labor, the necessary
iron work and other iucidentals, the
cost of a well-bult furnace Of the
size mentioned, with chimney-stack,
would reach about $500. No blow
er or steam engines are necessary,
but an expense of $500 for tools.
moulds, etc, must be met in the case
OF parties owning their own mines
and working only their own ores, and
consequently not desiring to purchase
OF others. The total expense of a
plant sufficient for handling twenty
tons daily need not be above s5OOO
For the most advantageous work
ing the charge should consist of 40
90 per cent lead, some Of which, but
not all, should be in the form of
galena. The impurities of the ore
would be silica Gas most of the lead
ores of the northern fields have a
sil'ceous gangUe) and oxide of iron,
and possibly oxide Of manganese.
The effect of melting would be to
convert the most Of the lead into
siIicate, if desired, while the remain
der would be converted into the
metallic state, and as it would collect
the silver, it would constitute the
ordinary lead bullion, or base bullion,
so called, which would be rich in the
inverse ratio to the amount of lead
reduced. In order to make rich
bullion the reduction of lead would
not extend far, the object being to
leave the greater proportion in the
Stag, to decrease the expenses. first of
shipment, and second Of refining.
The cost Of melting, which depends
directly upon the fusihiity Of the
slags, would be decreased by allowing
a larger proportion Of lead oxide to
pass into the slags, whereby they be.
come more fusible. The quantity of
ore which can be handled consequent.
ly increases, and the cost Of smelling
becomes very low. Given a charge
Of the approximate constitution Of 80
per cent. silica, GO per cent. of lead
compounds, and 10 per cent. oxides
of iron and manganese and alumina,
Of which the melting point ought not
to be above 1900 degrees Fahrenheit,
the cost of melting could not, under
rational management, exceed S. per
ton.
ATTENDANT ADVANTAGES.
| wish to mention great incident
al advantage of reveroeratory smelt
ing. The sulphur Of galena and vitra
sui phides is oxidzed and removed
largely during the treatment in the
rear hearth, and what is retained OK
lists either as ulphate Of lead or as
unchanged sulphde. But when the
higher temperature OF the front
hearth begins to act the remainder is
driven off in one or both these ways
There is reaction between the sui
phide and oxide, and also between
the free silica and the oxide and sui
pha,e, whereby whatever suphate
there may be is decomposed and
sulphuric acid driven off. If the eff
fects of reverberatory furnacing were
only the expulsion of the sulphur i,
would still be worth doing as is shown
by the result of work at these large
smelters where all the galena is roast
ed upon going into the blast furnaces.
SMELLING vs.. SHIPPING.
From the foregoing it will be easily
understood that the proposition is to
smelt the ores which otherwise would
be shipped at sacrifice. The prod
uct of smelling will be a bullion of
any desired grade, the quality being
under the control of the smelter. If
railroad rates continue very high, the
smelter would naturally leave much
lead unreauced, the effect being to
enrich that portion thrown down. To
render this more clear let us suppose
that there are on hand 100 tons of |
galena concentrates carrying thirty |
ounces OF silver and SO per cent. lead.
Designating losses, this will make, il |