The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-10-31
At THE LEONARD SHAFT
A Noted Boston & Montana Prop
erty at Meaderville.
ITS SPLENDID EQUIPMENT
Furnishes Steam, Electricity and Air for
Many Mines-Engine Power-New
Gallows Frame and Other
Improvements.

Some time ago the Standard min
ing department, in a general sketch
of the Boston & Montana properties,
briefly mentioned the Leonard shaft
and the fine plant there established.
The character and Importance of these
works, however, are such as to entitle
them to more specific and detailed
mention. The great Importance of this
plant lies in the fact that it is the
seat of steam, electrical and air power
for nearly the whole of the Boston &
Montana's system of mines, besides a
number of the Butte e. Boston prop
critics.
The hosting engine is an E. P. Allis
of about 600 horse power, the cylip
ders being 19x4S. This seems small
by comparison with some of the giants
of the Anaconda company, but in this
connection it should be remembered
that while the depths of the princi
pal Anaconda mines range from 1900
to 1900 feet, the Leonard is down but
1000. Hence the engine is equal to
every requirement, and will be for
some time to come.
The boiler plant at these works is
Olle. II COHSlSlS VI
seven locomotive boilers of $50 horse
power each. They are covered with
asbestos, and connected by aue with
a single steel stack seven feet in
diameter and more than $50 feet high.
These boilers are snugly and securely
housed in fine brick building, which,
in its comfort and convenience leaves
almost nothing to be desired. A fea-
ture worthy of mention is the manner
of 1iGnnSinr nf thp aches ThaSa
raked out on the floor and down
through trap doors into cars below.
The cars are run out to the end of
the building, hoisted by elevator to
the surface and then run off to the
ash dump, where the load is deposited.
The most notable feature of these
works is the great engine plant for
air COMPRISING, generating electricity
and miscellaneous work. The main
compressor is a three-stage Nordberg
of from $50 to 600 horse power. The
three steam cylinders are respectively
Is, 2S and AZ inches in diameter by AZ
inch stroke, while the air cylinders
are 10, II and 80 inches in diameter
with the same AZ inch stroke. At the
first stage the air is compressed from
the normal atmospheric density, which
at this elevation is said to be a trile
over II pounds to the square inch,
to Is pounds: the second stage of COM
preston raises it to 40 pounds and the
third gives it the maximum of 80
pounds. The normal speed of this en-
CINE is rs revolutions per minute.
There is also a very fine Risdon en-
CINE of about 200 horse power that is
kept in reserve most of the time for
use when for any reason the big
Nordberg has to stop The air when
compressed to 80 pounds passes into
receivers outside the building. whence
it is distributed to the various mines.
In the same building is Ball en-
CINE. This is small, but runs at the
high speed of 240 revolutions a minute,
and is said to be capable of develop
ing about $50 horse power. 1t is used
for operating the electric cranes at the
Butte & Boston smelter, fans etc.
There is another e. P. Alis corliss
engine of nearly 100 horse power used
for running the dynamoes that furnish
the electric lights. A small circulat-
ing engine completes this splendid
power plant. The circulating engine
has a capacity of $50 gallons of water
per minute.
There are also two pumps of $50
horse power each, the water being
raised from the mine through a 10
inch column.
At this mine the heavy machine and
blacksmith work is done for the en-
chine and blacksmith shops are upon
an ample scale and thoroughly equip
ped A shop for the building and re-
pair of ore cars is connected with the
blacksmith shop.
1t has been intimated heretofore in
these pages that the Leonard is to be
equipped with a steel gallows frame,
and preparations are now well advance
ed toward it's erection. A new ore bin
has been built near the mouth of the
shaft, and as soon as the gallows
frame is up the ore will be hcisted "a
feet higher than at present and run
off into this bin.
The bin is about 60 feet in length
and at regular intervals it is provid-
ed with chutes through which the ore
will be loaded into horse cars and car
ried to the main railroad dump, dis
tant some three or four hundred feet
This runway or track is now nearly
completed 1t win be securely housed
in the entire distance, the lumber sid
ing and roofing being covered with cor
rugated iron as precaution against
fire.
The frame building over the shaft
will, of course. be torn down to make
room for, the steel gallows frame,
which will be something over 80 feet
high. The engine will then be shell
tered in substantial brick structure,
as will also the carpenter shop, which
is now in portion of the main wood
en- building over the hoist. The work
of putting up this brick building has
already begun.
At the Leonard is one of the best
dry" houses in the whole Butte dis
trict The reader WILL Of course I'M
derstand that a dry" house is one
in which the miners change their cloth
ing and dry that which is wet. The
building is provided with steam heat
and is both commodious and comfort
able. In the basement are the shops
for electrical repairs and for the set
ting of the diamonds into the drills.
Fully the usual quantities of ore
are being hoisted at this shaft, and
there are now about 240 men on the
pay roll. For the purposes of repair
ing and timbering the underground
workings Of this mine some 100000 feet
of timbers are used each month. This
is less than the consumption at the
leading Anacondas. for the reason that