Fergus County argus., 1888-03-15
GREAT FALLS SMELLING PLANT.


\ special to the Helena Herald from
Great Falls, March 5th, says: Work
was formally begun to-day on the re-
ductiOn works which the Montana
Smelling company are about to build
near the Great Spring. midway he
tween the Black Eagle and Rainbow
Falls. The first earth was dug by
Paris Gibson, and Hugh Kirkendall.
Of Helena. discharged someexplosives.
thereby lOOsening n large mass of
gravel and making way for the founda-
ton. Many leading citizens witnessed
the formal commencement, which has
excited general public interest. The
Herald correspondent has received
accurate details OF these works. which
will be on a scale OF great magnitude
The main building will be 200 feet long
and $50 wide. 1t will embrace de-
partment for EACH branch Of the bust
ness. The sampling works will occupy
an area of so feet square. The blast
furnace section will be S6 BY 100 feet +.
and will contain five 65-tOn water
jacket furnaces. Back of this will he
bins occupying n large part of the
building. The roasting section will
contain twenty rOasters, cOnnecte ed
with the roast stack. which will he 2S
feet square at the base and l2J feet
high. The main stack will be so feet
high and 32 feet square at the base.
There will be twelve railroad tracks
throughout the building or leading
thereto.
The works will have daily capacity
Of 225 tons and are only the first sec-
ton OF an immense industrial estab-
lishment. Among the other buildings
will he boarding and bunk house,
which will each accommodate 300
men. There will also be building for
the cOmpany's Offices and residences
for the staff and workmen. Water
power will he used throughout the
works, which will also have ten steam
engines of $50 horse power. The
entire property will he lighted 10y
electricity and there will he extensive
water works. An immense quantity
Of material will be used in reconstruction
Six million brick will be required, of
which five million have been bought
here and in Helena. The other ma
terials include 1 200, 900 feet of lum-
Der for frames and the like; 10000
bushels OF lime; 5000 tons oi sand
and 6OO,WO firebrick, the latter OF
which is coming from Cleveland, Ohio.
The sampling works will be completed
by June, when the company will be
ready to receive and pay cash for ores
The entire works are to be finished in
August. The officers of the company
are Anton EiIers, president; Edward
Cooper, vice president; W. $. Gurnee,
treasurer, and II. W. Child. general
manager. Tine staff includes Val I.au-
benheimer, accountant; WV. Stewart,
chief clerk; &. q. Griffith, engineer;
Robert Stichl. OF Pueblo, Colorado,
metallurgist.
The only stockholders are Mayor
Hewitt, Edward Cooper, W. :. Gurnee,
all of New York; Anton Eilers, OfColO-
RADIO, and II. w. Child, of Helena.
Montana materials will receive the
preference in building this immense
establishment, which will be built in
such a manner as to keep the money
in circulation ut home. The contract
for hauling the material from the rail-
road to the works has been let to
Hugh kirkendall, who has Oh the spot
some of the finest teams ever seen
here. keefe & Larson have taken the
contract for the excavation and grad
ing at the works.