The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1894-04-03

COLORADO SMELLING AND MINING MILL.
power Corliss engine, "Genevieve
for a dainty blue eyed baby girl-which
runs the blowers which supply the blast to
the furnaces. The crushers and samplers
are equipped with a hundred horsepower
engine. Sc much for machinery. in which
Colorado Is as up to date as she is ia every
thing else.
The smelter crowns a lofty cliff overhang-
ing the Rio de Las Animas Perditas (the
River Of Lost SOULS, and az night, when the
Stag from the furnaces is rushed down to
the dump and emptied-a sparkling, far
ing glowing stream-into the black chasm
and plunges Kissing into the trembling
waters. 90 seems almost human and the
rivers name fairly appropriate. Ny guides
on this nocturnal visit TO the kingdom II
fire were Clayton Nichols, one of the best
known mining engineers in the La Plata
country; W. ID. lee, superintendent of the
Rio Grange Southern, whose track fairly
bristles with mines, and George Kishing-
bury, editor Of the mining paper, The Daily
Southwest, and an expert on mines and
mining. In the darkness. lighted only by
the Internal CLEAN Of the furnaces, we
picked orr way across the river and up the
ciid, climbing until we reached the top floor
stood freighted with the orc brought that
day from the mountains.
The ore is first weighed and then thrown
into the crushers A crtlsher is like two
great iron hands which tear and pulverize
tho rock until it resembles sand, with
shining grains here and there which tell
their own precious story. From these
crushers the ore drops through huge fun
nels TO the floor below. The next step is TO
roast IL. ] was fascinated by the mon
strous rotary rooster, the invention of Col
oradO man The ore Is sl0veled In at the
top of this machine, and IL takes four hours
for IL 20 move round. IL Is like great
wheel, bordered by broad compartments
with sliding doors, through which you can
look and sse iron cylinders filed with hot
air and having huge teeth like those Of
giants rake. These teeth comb through
tile ore a. clcauly and deftly as "a comb
passes through wumuu's hair The other
rOasters are worked boy hand AZ the door
of each stand "a man with "a great imple-
menu like a hoe, aud reaching Boo he keeps
the ore pcrpctualy in motion. All this
crushing aud roasting, you must remember,
T. simply preparing the ore for the fur
uaces.
When finally prepared, il Is mixed with
iron, limestone rock. coke and coal, and the
whole mass is then turned into the furnaces
where the angry blue and scarlet flames
leap - seize 30 with avidity You witch 10
disappear on one floor, aud then. going
down 10 the next floor see DO reappcar Ina
another form.
The siX vast furnaces face the Auimas
gorge and spout liquid fire ctemally. Great
pots of various Sizes stand boo rows. one "A
IH "a IrtEs. Hs. 30 bar rr...Ir...
runs into the largest pot, whence DO drips
into The next sized, and So ou until the last
p1t boa tue row is reached. which IS "a a llt-
t.r Two wheeled gg Herrlt is seized by
tir Worknen and carried away Thu. is
the waste or matte, as &c j. termed iu min
Ing language Ih., matte i- cuoIrd Boz great
mulis ANA shipped 10 Omaha. where DO IS
rchard Tine alag or utterly worthless part
D. carried away 90 tie dump and the cata-
ract oi lrc lG soon lost lu the black deutbs
a. the canyon
On the side 81 each furnace is "a square
opening, where the good ore which. being
heavier than the waste. has remained 100 ths
furnace, slowly rises aud bubbles to the
top Close hy on thc ground lie the molds.
long, thick slabs, with deep mdeuriou-
waiting ior tlcir precious burden sud
denly the workman. who has been careful
ly watching THAT -eetliu. bubbung mass.
plluges long Upper into this square open
ing aud draws 30 ont filled GO the brIm with
golded hued liquid, which quickly turns TO
rose tirt as DO is poured into tbe molds.
thcn blacteu- as b. cOols and finally as
sumcs leaden color when cold
Aud tli, y bullion. But before b. IS
coined into Uncle SANS dollar. d. must
undergo refining. For this purpose it is