The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1896-11-06

And finally it is dropped to the third
floor which is heated to such degree
that the ore is brought to almost a
white heat. The object of all this
roasting is to drive off the ulphur and
other impurities, and the results can
be seen in the clouds of blue smoke
that are floating away from the two
chimney stacks at the north end of
the building. 1t is these sulphur
fumes that are injurious to vegetation
for some distance around.
From the calcining kiln the ore is
taken to the mixing mouse" a small
building just west of the north end of
the main building, where it is mixed,
about half and halfin bulk, with coke,
or dead coal or some other form of
carbon, enough water being used to
make the mixture adhere together in
sort of muddy mass. This mixture
is then loaded into "charging cars"
which travel on little rail road to
the west end of the furnace wing
where they are turned on a turn
table and run on an iron track down
either side of the furnace. Workmen
then take long handled shOvels with
the sides of the blade turned up so as
to make kind of trough, and "charge"
the retOrts with the mixture of ore
and carbon in the charging car.
These retorts are simply great jars
made out of fire clay, about four feet
long and twelve inches ia diameter,
with one end closed and one end open.
They are fitted into holes that have
been left for them in the sides of the
furnace, the open end out and flush
with the outside wall of the furnace.
When furnace is just getting into
operation the fire must be turned on
very slowly as the sudden application
of heat would crack these retorts and
render them useless. But when the
furnace is in full blast the retorts
come to the whitest of white heat. In
that condition they are charged, as
before described, the wet ore and car
bon being thrown in with such force
as to form compact mass. When
thus charged, condenser" sort of
funnel shaped jar made out of fire
clay and open at both ends, is set
with the larger end just entering the
open end of the retort. When the
metal zinc finally yields to the fierce
heat it is driven off in the form of a
heavy vapOr, and this gradually forms
in drops like dew on the inside of the
funnel chapel condenser, from which
it is taken by the wOrkmen with long
spoons, the liquid metal being emptied
into travelling kettle from which it
is poured into mOulds about 9x19x14
inches, forming plate which weighs !
about fifty pounds, and which is the
"spelter" of commerce. Every plate |
of this spelter sent out from here will !
be branded, Robert LANNON'S Sons |
Co., lola, Kansas" When the charge
in the retort has yielded up its spelter
there remains, of course, a consider
able quantity of waste and this is
out by a stream of water
which is converted into steam so
quickly by the intense heat that it be-
comes blast, perfectly cleaning the
retort and leaving it ready for another
charge.
AS the life of a retort is only about
eight weeks. and as 1920 of them are
use, their manufacture is
} very considerable item. Hence the
fire clay department" Ofthe.works is
a very important part of the plant
In this department the fire clay is
irst ground into fine dust, then
passed through a machine that mixes