The weekly tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1891-1894, 1892-06-11
BOsTON &
a, the Boston & Montana Consolida-
ted silver aud Copper Mining
Company at Great
+ American Wool Reporterl.

tensive plant OF the ahdcohud
:. Anaconda, the magnificent new works
3 tbe Boston & Montana Consolidated
silver and Copper Mining company, at
,bc Black Eagle falls, opposite this city,
NOR lust being put into active operation,
ar, the largest general copper smelling
plant in this country.
For the reason that many readers of
Eve Reporter are interested in the stock
n this corporation, which for some time
has been AN active and favorite specula-
| tive share on the Boston market, and be-
cause the Reporter has always taken so
lively an interest in the promotion of
American enterprises, I concluded a
| close inspection of these great works for
,be treatment and reduction of ores and
an article descriptive of the results of my
| observations might prove interesting
and at the same time assist in promoting
an enterprise worthy of much encourage
ment. The results of my observations |
will briefly relate.
Approaching the fact that the close
proyimity of water power and cheap coal,
| combined with the near and ineyhaust-
ible supplies of silver, copper and lead
/ deposits made Great Falls a location not
TO be equaled anywhere in this country
fer the concentration and smelling of
ores at the lowest possible cost, the Bos-
ton a Montana Consolidated Silver &
Copper Mining company decided, in
1890, to remove their plant from Butte
TO this point. Since that decisio O was
arrived at, work has been actively push
ed. until today, May ID, there stands
here completed, and in operation, one of
the most extensive copper reduction
works in the wOrld-an establishment
supplied with all the latest and most
approved machinery, and as perfect in
its construction as the highest engineer
ing skill can make it.
That an idea may be at once gained of
the enormity of these works, allow me to
present some figures of dimensions,
capacity and power. The plant consists
first of a brick power house. two stories
in height, 10Ox135 feet. In this building
900 horse power is devel oped from the
machinery now in position, but il is built
Of sufficient size so that with the addition
Of another set of wheels, 1.3OO additional
horse power can be easily added. The
pumping capacity Of this power house is
nearly 100000 gallons of water per
twenty four hours. The concentration is
an immense frame structure, 136x29O
feet, containing machinery capable Of
handling 800 tons Of ore every twenty
four hours. The building was con
structed with a view of increasing this
capacity, and it is quite probable this
will soon be undertaken. Power is
sufficient and with very little expense
other than the addition of some ma
chinery, the facilities for handling could
be increased fifty per cent.
II GREAT SHELTER.
The smelter proper is 45Jx22J feet Of
iron, and absolutely fire proof. 1t covers
% acres, and is equipped with all ap-
%pliances necessary for the treatment of
N tons of ore per "A hours. AS the con-
entrator is increased in capacity, the
shelter will be increased proportionate-
Connected with these works is a
louble t1ue 10 feet in diameter aud 1.GOO
leet long, the hue connecting with a
stack lJO feet high, located at a point
dearly 800 feet above the river.
a novel feature of these works and
one not found elsewhere in the west, on
50 extensive a scale. is the arrangement
Tor the transmission of power. The
power house is equipped with the widely
Known Stillwell a. Bierce water wheels.
from which power is transmitted to "a
large, upright shaft outside the build
lllg, and from thence. by means
Oh MANILA ropes. a distance of l,4OO feet
ana thence at a right angle of 300 feet.
Nlhe concentration and smelter. This
coaiparatively cheap power is AN impor-
'aht factor IN the operation Of these
sIea' works. Not a ton of coal will be
.eeaed to generate mott re power. Water
Is abundant, and as d result of the saw
ing III fuel and machinery necessary to
produce power. ! believe it will be dem
ohstrated here that the mines of this
STATE can La e their ores treated more
lsasonably at Great Falls than at any
othpr point in this country. | believe.
also' that this demonstration will soon
result In the construction here of add.
uohal reduction plants,
ms new smelter has now been ia OPP
eiation less than four weeks. most of
Which time has been employed IN testing
'se machinery. and solving the problem
Of generating
GAS FROM SAND COULEE COAL,
Du' within six weeks the works will be
ignalng their full capacity, and about
Ln tons of coal will be- absorbed per u
hours IN the reduction of ores, all of
which are shipped from Butte and
vicinity. One of the %princiDal reasons