The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-09-06
Bingham Company's Plant Will Be
First Of Kind in Utah.
SITE IS YET A SECRET
LOCATION DECIDED ON, BUT THE
GROUND NOT BOUGHT.
Expected That the Smelter Will Be
Completed In Seventy-five Days
Mine Able to Keep 1t Running
Night and Day-New Mammoth
Saving-Galena King In Water.

Either tonight or tomorrow Colonel
o. p. Posey will depart for Boston ~
confer with the directors of the Bling
ham Copper & Gold Mining company
relative to the details connected with
the erection of the proposed smelling
plant. The site has been practically
determined upon, and Colonel II. G..
Heffron said last evening that on the
approval of the directorate he would
undoubtedly be advised by Mr.. Posey to
make the purchase and break ground
for the plant. AS no option has been
secured on any of the sites examined,
MIR. Heffron said it would be impolitic
at this time to state the point selected,
though he said there could be no harm
in stating that it would be close to the
railroads in this valley.
In talking over the plans of the COM
pany and the character of the new
plant, Colonel Hebron said the smeiter
would consist of one stack only, but
that would have a capacity of hand
ling at least 125 tons of the mines sui
phide copper ores and to treat that
amount something like forty tons of
silicious ore would also be used. The
capacity of the plant can be increased
at the pleasure of the company by SIM
ply erecting new stacks, as that is all
the process amounts to. There will be
practically no machinery in or around
the Bingham company's works. the ore
not even requiring to be crushed. In
fact, Mr.. Hef1ron declares the coarser
the ore can be mined the better will the
smelter handle it.
A Pyritic Smelter.
The projected plant will be what is
termed a pyritic smelter, and nothing
of its kind has yet been introduced
ir,rO Utah fhO1rOb Souara1 of tbar1o q 70
in operation in Colorado and elsewhere.
1t consists of a stack, built to hold a
certain amount of ore, and is so con-
structed that the sulphur contained in
the rock to be treated is, through the
aid of a strong blast, made to supply
the heat necessary to melt the ore.
First, the suiphide copper ore is put
through by itself and then the silicate
ore is added, and the whole mass is
again melted. This method does not
produce pig copper. The product is
base ir character and only about 80 per
cent metal. but practically all the
values in the ore are thus saved and
shipped in the form of matte.
No smelter tests have yet been made
on the Bingham company's ores, but
the same class of ores in Colorado arc
being successfully treated all the time,
and no fear is felt for the success of
the plant to be erected here.
Colonel Heffron stated that tests were
being made on silicious ores from the
Grand Central and other Utah mines,
and while no contracts had yet been
made TO secure them, he felt quite
sure that no difficulty would be exper-
fenced in obtaining all they would be
able to handle The mine, he said, was
fast being put in condition to meet the
output which the smelter would re-
ouire, and in seventy-five days from
now, if the plant is ready to start-and
he thought it would be-the mine would
be III shape to furnish all the ore neces-
sary to keep it going night and day.
Asked as to how the ores would be
transported from the mine to the rail-
arrangements would be made to use the
surface tramway running up Bingham
canyon. To do that would require the
building of a spur some 5000 feet in
length at an expense of 81 per foot,
and possibly little more for some
shedding which might have to be done.
A proposition. he said, had also been
received from Mr.. Lamson to transport
the company's ores over an aerial
tramway similar to that in operation
at the Highland Boy, but what would
become of it ne really could not say.
Mr.. Posey had informed Mr.. Lamson
that his offer would be accepted, pro-
viding he would put up bond guar
anteeing to do the work at the price
he had offered. Anyway, the smelter
is to be built at once. and inside of ten
days work upon it will most likely have
been commenced.