The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1892-05-25
The GREAT ANACONDA.
An Eve Witness Tslls What He
Learned IN tho Big Snsl-
tor City.
Tho Prooess Used Ia Mxtraoting
the Red Metal Conoisely
Described.
= Model city. with All ths ModsFn Com
veaisness-Ths ( whs Ceatrois
the Great Plant.

x0b00tANlVN d SQ0 AA0ntenA MINING Aoyl0W
has Just bees permitted 70 inspect thsss
~ r.n., .,... ~ soiIo-,na $500. :.
49,. 49, 80 aoon6 sooouns 81
Waas = NV snstss
The situation q Anaconda Il decidedly
pleasant and attractive. Nestled In I anuc
corner 81 ths Der Lodue ysllsv II ~ .
sssl az "sss've mounts'n ~ ~ rear, Gov
cred with perpetual snow. while . lower
range Of Rrass-covered hills, reminding one
of those Of Switzerland. come down Is ths
v~alla,,. .ac. ~;viro so.r. ~ ~. - !
sc.ns M & 49, .;th .r.a.,.So ~.
observer. The neat passenger station u
near the hears oil the town and only ! abort
walk from tho Montara hotel. the larOest
.rd ar..1 II m. ...t. n ". - ~.
49, a1e,' y 49, 49,. = a. uos ~
but is ! city hotel Of simple brick and NOR
Tar, In every way suitable for 4 oity Of 1OO.-
600 inhabitants. and sltopsther Wonderful
In 4 town Of 6,OOO, most 81 whom are labor-
ing men having their own homes,
On the right a. you enter the town You
sse the great reduction works Of Tie Ana
conda company extending for upwards OF
two miles sionR the hillside; and on the
crest Of the ridge above them rise the hnoe
brick chimnsys which carry Of ths smcfe
ana fumes from the amslters and other
W0fk0. Two lmmAn00 UUnlA0 RIM 0IOnUk ho
hillside, q on "a lower. the other on III
uppsr level, TO supply every branch Of the
colossal plsn1 WITH the oisarsinc liouidI.
Water plays an Important Dart. a "a shali
see, in all il proossses. and 81 ~ provided
and distributed in . vory skillfuI VA.
permit. ana reoulsr asntries muss be nasssaa
1t ali salient points. The NON 81 old
works oonaist q Z iaYUa ~concsntrator And
smelters Nos, / and q. the lover or nov
worka az i larcaat and most comnl.ta
.melter and c~onosntrator in Anerias.
these works. and ali sre a busy a hsss.
one-half working by day and the other hsifi
81 MONT. Resides %hess e%eotiona ~ m
plant, the alectrolytio refining process. o.
c~upyina thrse large buildings, Ii now IN op-
eonv .or, - 1 whioh l a.. ta Id'sery so 81 h sortnnes
out Of the alag thrown away bv former I'M
perfect systems. With the proosssea
now il uae there "a "A obiect in
Keeping the alag for further treat-
ment; therefore. when Il ia drawn
Of from the furnaces Il is run into a iat Of
vster driven Il hioh nrassure' vhich .rsru-
lates the slaa nd earrisa Il Tar avay
fbrourh the waste alnioes In tina form ~
coarse sand or dust faxes. This n an I'M.
mense ssyino Of tina and labor Il HANG
sstimatsd that az leset 200 mors men would
vas ~introduoed bv M. Staimann. ons Of
M. Daly's rioht-hand men.
For the heneHt Of TIE Law raader a hriaf
account ID oiyen 81 the process from the
ore 70 the mercantile commodity.
When II comes from tbs mine most Of
much Of il having the mixed motal run.
ming in streaks through il. The trains Of
the Montana Union are now takinO dawn
about LOCO tonn a day. The works ara
approached by tracks along the hilIside for
the upper and lower levels. and the ore ia
delivered into the bins OF the conoentra-
tors on the upper line. These bins have a
storage capacity Of rs. 900 tons. 40 That AMI
hcient may ALWAYS be on hand for several
days work, From the bins the ore nassos
through the c%oncentrator. which bealns by
devices carries aWay the nou-metsl por-
tionp. reducing The bulk 40 that only tha
mineral goes back to the smeiter. From
stage to stage bv gravity the oonoentrataa
descend until they are finally carried Of bv
a force of water into the settling rooms.
and the concentrates, in the form Of
fine sand, are hauled back to the smelter
on ton of the hill to have the metals melted
ont Of them. This hauling 10 done over a
trestlswork tramway with Z regular hoist
ing engine. The cars are wheeled on iron
tracks and e,nptied first into huoe revolv.
ing ron cylinders, which destroy a greater
part of the sulphur. Then tho red-hot
mass 10 discharged into the furnace. whore
II ia reduced to liquid and drawn off into
molds. The metal 90 drawn ia known az
matte, and contains not only the precious
metals but q percentage of iron and other
base metals. It has been the custom to
ship it in this shape to Wales, Germany
and elsewhere for separation and refine.
ment, lut Mr.. DAILY lately became con-
WINGED that all this could be successfullv
done in Anaconda. and the seuuel ahows
that he was right.
He is at present p~roduoino in his ~a,actro-
lytio works the copper in nnra inoots and
saving the silver and cold from ths matta
II ia now sinnly n Hueation NJ tinn ana
poIiov whether tho more aYtensiva vorLa
for this PROCESS shall ha srectoi in Ana
conda or At acme other noints Rn;it thev
are sure to be. and tbat. nrohablv. within
another vear. ~
With a nnyroll of over s1A0 nm n veor ord
the expense Of 100 tons az coal and 1sO cords
If wood each twsntv-fonr honrs - 10 r.sa;In
understood what an enormona nrodnct thar
must be even If no acoonnt were tnken Of
the milIiona invested in the nIant IL a.
t1mated that tho eiectroivtic worku whar
completed. will emnloy ahont M mnnv msn
as nre now workinr in the nrasant rlnnt an
that there ia q r,oSoh;lity ~ hr.,auIn No.
inc ahoni donhlsd in nonulotion witb;n ,
wear or two "
10 sav that Anaconda, ia North ooo;n,
would ia a mare comn,nrnioca 'I,ba pa-
view goes farther and sava thnt a,srx Mn
tanian who faila - Sc Il !. 'Aas o.".s - ~.
dntv No . nntr;a.;. n;.;.as TL. n.9