The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1897-12-31
ANOTHER SHELTER.
The VI. & j. LanyOn Shelter Begins
Operations.
START WITH15OEMPLOYES
This Is The second Zinc Smelter to LO-
cate in lola on Account of Our
Natural Gas-And still
We Grow.

The REGISTER has informed the
public from time to time of the pro-
gress made at the new w. & J. Lam
yon smelter, located on the Santa Fe
and Missouri Pacific tracks about 600
feet north of the old smelter. Every
thing is now in readiness to begin
active smelling operations and brit
d escriptiOn of the new plant may
prove not uninteresting. The present
description is necessarily incomplete
from lack of space and from the fact
that the present condition of the plant
as not a just criterion of its real i'm
pOrtance and possibilities.
In June Of this year William and
Josiah LanyOn, well known smelter
men of Pittsburg, Kansas, came
TO lola and were so favOrably im-
pressed with the progress made by
their nephews here, that they decided
to locate plant here also. After the
usual delays in choosing a site getting
switches and railroad rates and hav-
ing the material made, work was be-
gun and now, the middle OF Decem-
Der, shows one of the handsOmest
smelling works in the country.
Everything has been bullion the most
approved, up-tO-dste, plan and the
smelter is in a great many ways a
model of its kind. Six large buildings
have been erected and arranged in a
way to economic both time and
labor.
Power is furnished by two large
Chandler-TaylOr engines of 10 horse
power. These are located in the main
building, a fine two story brick
structure about so feet square. In this
building are also the rooms where the
ratorts are moulded and dried. Ad-
joining this one on the east is frame
building containing the crushers.
The ore is dumped from the cars
directly at the door of the crusher !
room and after leaving the Grushers is
raised by an elevated track. This !
track takes the ore to the two large |
roast ovens. After being roasted the |
ore is carried in other cars to the mix |
room. All the tracks are so laid |
that the work of pushing the cars is
materially aided by gravity. Eleva-
tors in the mix room again raise the |
mixed ore to the other cars which .
carry it on elevated tracks to the .
furnaces, two of which, containing
800 retOrts each, built in large airy
buildings are now almost completed.
Here the smelling proper is done.
One of the furnaces, containing 600 re-
tOrts is now in operation and works
perfectly. A large pipe conducts air
from huge fans in the engine room and
furnishes blast for the furnace and
also patent device to get rid of the
ashes. When the ashes are cleared
out of the retorts they fall down shafts
and are caught by this powerful air
blast and are carried out of the build
ing and thrown upon a screen. In
this way the necessity of wheeling
out the ashes and of screening them is
done away with, and a handsome
saving is thus realized.
An abundance of water is furnished
by wells sunk on the grounds and a
track connecting the Missouri Pacific
and Santa Fe railroads, furnishes
ample switching facilities. There are
numerous acres of level unOccupied
land adjoining over which the works
may spread, and the two gentlemen
in control have both the mORey and !
the expressed inclination to make this
one of the largest and best works of !
its kind in the world. Their long eX-
perience in the business, their mining
interests in the zinc country and the :
inexhaustible supply at hand of the
finest aud cheapest fuel on earth fer
the purpose, all point to successful
business career here. Starting with
about $50 men on the pay roll the
force will he increased steadily as the
works are extended and within a
year, Judging by the excellent pre- I
eedent already esta blished 500 or more i
men will be drawing good wages at 7
this plant
And in the meantime, it will be +
money in your pocket to keep one eye @
constantly and unwaveringly on lola. Z
She is a winner. o
A :