The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-11-28
Important Reduction Works in
Meaderville.
MAKING BLISTER COPPER
This Capacity and Equipment OF the
Plant-Nsw Herreshoff Roasters.
Blast Furnaces to Be Built.
q. Moro Converters.


| Ore Purchasing company Is also the
| owner Of a reduction plant, consisting
of a concertrator and smelter. rms
plant is located in Meaderville. imme-
| diately below the Rarus mine and just
| east of the Butte & Boston reduction
works. 1t is popularity known as the
''Heinze smelter.'
The location of these works involves
some disadvantages in the matter OF
| water supply, and in the fact that the
concentrator had to be built below the
smelter. The first makes 1t necessary
to economic the use of water by ueiaz-
ing it over and over, while the sseoEad
adds somewhat to the difficulty OF get
ting the concentrates TOT the smelling
| furnaces. If the concertrator We've
above the smelter, they could be Carried
| down by gravity, while as it is they
| must be carried up by artificial power.
| This is done by means of an electric
| tram.
| The concentration has a capacity OF
from 600 to 700 tons or ore day. which,
in the process of concentration, is prob
ably reduced to 200 upon an average,
differing with the character of the ore.
The crushing machinery consists of two
Blake crushers and two sets of Cornish
rolls. The main crusher is down below
the Jig floor, where 1t is fed directly
from the ore dump. The crushed ma
terial is then carried by belt eleVa-
tor to the upper floor. where It is pass
ed through coarse trommel or screen.
Upon this floor is placed the second
crusher, which recrushes the coarsest Of
| the ore. 1t then passes successfully
through rolls and trommels of various
meshes until it is ready for the jigs.
The works are equipped with Hart 5igs
of two, three and four steps each, and
the shines are saved on F'rue vanners,
of which there are 49,
The capacity of the smelter is some
what in excess Of that Of the concen-
traitor, as a result of which it is able
to handle considerable quantities Of GUS
tom ore. 1t is provided with As Here
shoff pyritic roasters. These are up
right and cylindrical in form, 11x11 feet
in size and each is provided with FIVE
separate floors. The ore is fed from the
top and passes successfully down from
floor to floor until the bottom is reach
ed, when the roasting is done. Each
floor Is provided with two revolving
plows which keep i,the material well
stirred and at the same time gradually
work it down through apertures to the
floor below. ~
These furnaces have a capclty of from
five to six tons each per day. and the
roasting is pyritiG; that is to say. after
the fire is once Started and the neces-
sary heat generated, it is not NECESSARY
to add any fuel, the sulphur in the ore
answering the purpose. This is becom-
ing a very important feature Of the
smelling of sulphide ores. These roast
ers seem to be quite similar in charac-
Il. l.
put in at Great Falls. There are also
two two-deck O'Hara furnaces, each
of so tons a day capacity. Besides this,
Is new Herreshoffs are to added iInme-
diately, the foundations for some Of
them being already built.
There are at present five matte fur
naces in operation. The full equipment
make way for a new one, for which a
fine new brick stack has already been
built
There are four converter stands in
use, capable Of producing about so tons
of blister copper per day. These are
likewise to be reinforced by the addition
of two new ones. Two blast furnaces
will also be at once set UP. These will
have a capacity of 200 tons a day each,
and will produce matte of about so per
cent fineness for the converters to turn
into blister copper or perhaps SO per
cent fine.
These improvements will practically
double the capacity of the smelter This
indicates that the company contem-
plates considerable enlargement of its
mining and reduction operations. The
additions referred to with the ex-
ception of the single matte furnace
| will all be made at the eastern end Of
| the smelter, where the building will be
| extended SO as to accommodate them.
| Work upon this extension has been be-
| gun and must Of the timber is now upon
| the ground. Yr.
Among the improvements being made
| must be mentioned also an immense
brick dust chamber that has been con
structed at the upper end of the ex-
tension referred to. Also a very large
ore bin, over which the cars will pass
directly into the works. carrying coal,
coke and other material, the ore, bin
serving as trestle. ,,5,eh ~.
| The power of the plant is all at the
smelter, being applied 1T TIE concen-
traitor by what is called tTope trans
mission" That is to say, forigg e f6pes
are used instead of belts, which for s1ich
a distance would be impractfcahle
There are several engines and air COM
pressors Of different types and the boil
err plant consists of six l00-horse power
boilers, two or so each ond one of 40
making 500 in all.
The equipment of the works also in
| cludeS a travelling crane for handling
the converters. These are let down into
pits, bringing them below the vents OF
the matte furnaces, which discharge
the molten matte directly into the con
verters. This avoids the necessity OF
remelting, and the work of converting
is done without the consumption of any
fuel other than the sulphur contained
in the matte.
Including those engaged upon the
changes and improvements, there are
something over 200 men employed a
the works, which are under the imme
date superintendency of Mr.. A. Brown
incidentally it may be stated that ex
periments are being made with a smoke
consumer, but the Standards represen
tative did not learn much Of the prog
ress being made or how successful it il
likely to prove. That will be demon
started later.
The changes being made here empha
size what the Standard has heretofor,
stated with reference to the NANTES
purpose of all the important mimi!
companies of Butte keeping full,
abreast of the times in regard to reduc
ton methods 1t is evident that III