The weekly tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1891-1894, 1892-05-14
brick and will be 1OS feet wide by ia
feet long. It will be furnished with 2SS

watts for refining copper by the electro
latte process. 1t is in this building that
the great work Of the refinery will be
carried on night and day, but so silently
and easily that thirty men only will be
necessary to keep it moving smoothly.
Beyond the electrolytic house and a
little nearer the river will be located the
copper refinery. This building will be
constructed of stone and its dimensions
will be S0Xl2O feet. In this building
will be placed two reyerberatory fur
naces for converting the output of the
electlolytic process into copper ingots.
Just south of the boiler house will be
placed
II SILVER REFINERY.
a brick building 3Ox7O feet. In this will
be placed three cupel furnaces and a
blast furnace for refining the silver and
gold contained in this copper. Between
the silver refinery and the copper re-
tinery will be i wooden structure .30X40
feet in dimensions which will be used
for the manufacture of sulphate of cop
per used in the elcctrolytic process.
The electricity for the process will be
furnished by three Thomson-H Houston
multipolar separately excited dynamos
placed in the power house at the dam.
Only W of these will be in use at once.
the other being held in reserve. The
current will be conveyed to the electro
lytic house, LOGO feet distant. by twelve
half inch copper wires.
II ELECTROLYTIC EoCEsS
Is a little too complicated for a layman
IN nffpn,nt u, rivn "a 1nfn;l,l I..iti,
of the methods used. The process is.
however, substantially as follows: The
copper as it from the converter at
the smelter is about % per cent pure
copper. AS it is run from the converter
it is cast into plates, which in the electro.
lytic process are known as anodes. They
are taken to the electrolytic house and
suspended in the watts. In the vat with
each anodc is suspended a thin sheet OF
pure copper previously prepared known
as a cathode. The watts are filed with /;
solution Of sulphate of copper and Other
acids. The connection being made. the
electric current passes from the anodes
and
DErosITING II CoPrER
contained therein on the cathode which
gradually grows thicker as the copper il
deposited. The process goes on To-
about tw%enty-four days when the catho
DIES have attained a weight of abont Ia
pounds. They are then taken out, con.
veyed to the copper refinery whre the,
are melted down and run into ingots fol
shipment. These ingots are absolutel,
pure copper, whereas under ordinary
methods of refining, the copper is at bes'
only about 81 per cent pure.
The anodes. as has been stated, are
about 80 per cent pure-the balance be
ing made up of silver, lead, gold, etc
During the process of decomposition by
the electric current. a large portion o.
these metals drop down into the bottom
of the watts, forming what are known al
the ''slimes.' Every four days. too, the
anodes are washed off for the purpose OF
removing these alleged metals in order
to hasten the decomposition of the plate
These shines are taken to
THE SILVER REFINERY
and treate | in the cupel furnaces ant
by sulrhuric acid in order to obtain tn,
silver, gold and lead contained therein
This is an innovation in copper refining
making it possible for the company tt
save all the silver and gold contained il
their ores. AS it is the intention of the
refinery to handle the copper product OF
the Sante Fe smelter. which contains
considerable gold, this feature of the
plant is a valuable one.
WORK WILL BEGIN AT ONCE.
The work on new buildings will begir
Of opoo Tho rrnnpl y,;u bo ,t,l,~J ~
in a day or two and bids will be received
for the construction of the buildings
Mr.. Caultield expects to see the wOrl
well under way before he leavcs-twt
weeks hence. AS he is also superin
tending the construction of similar
works in Rhode Island he is obliged t.
return to the east for the present ant
will divide his time between the two
works. 1t is expected that the works
here will be in operation by Nov. |.
INGoTs.
The new refinery will cost s3,OOO.U
when complete.
The refinery will turn out l.25O.OO(
pounds of pure copper every month.
In carrying the current from the dyna
nos in the power house to the electro
lytic house $4,000 pounds of copper wir,
will be used. In addition $4,000 pound,
of wire are used in carrying the currcn'
along the tanks. and $1,000 for tn,
smaller connections.
Twelve thousand pieces of porcelain
insulatQrs will be used in the new plan
for insulating the wires.
The tanks are lined with lead. ant
| fif lln n,,pI, ~ .Iant ln,l ,,.n l., 900
for that purpose.
Does the location of the refinery on
the hill mean that a copper wire mill is
to be built on the river bank: 1t would
seem so.
The refinery will employ abont sixty
! n,,,, ,,,Ln, -, f,,ll ,,,,,;,, ,r,u,