Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1899-05-10
To Letters Sent Out by the
County Attorney.
SEVERAL FEASIBLE PLANS
For Getting Rid Of the Fumes
Suggested--One Company
Fails to Respond.

nuisance prOpOSltlOH at D cloCh tAiS
afternoon. The county attorney. who
was directed ten lays ago to ascertain
from the smelter men what action they
had taken looking to an abatement
of the trouble, read four letters
from nag of the companies and
then said that before proceeding further
with the matter he would await an an
swer from the Montana Ore Purchasing
company. He would then make an order
directing the method by which the coun-
ty attorney should proceed. The four
letters We're from the managers of the
Parrot, Colorado company, Butte Reduc-
ton works and Butte & Boston and were
as follows:
Robert ID. Grant, general manager of
the Parrot company:
Mr.. c. p. Connolly, County Attorney,
Butte:
Dear Sir-I am just in receipt of a let
ter dated May i from Mr.. Kelly, your
chief deputy, in which he states thai the
court has instructed you to ascertain and
report to him within ten days what steps
have been taken at the Parrot smelter
toward the abatement of the smoke
nuisance. Upon my recommendation to
our eastern people when this matter first
came up, some three months age, it was
decided that we complete our new works
at Parrot, Montana, this year and begin
treating our Butte ores at our new works
this fall, thus shutting down our Butte
plant. l wish to say that on April 4, 1893,
we disposed of all of our interests in
Butte and at Parrot to the Amalgamated
Copper company and just what they will
do l am at this time unable to say, but
l rather think it is altogether likely that
the Parort smelter in Butte will not con-
tribute the same amount of fllrnnS ~. any,
thing like it during the coming winter.
r. F. Pearce, assistant general man.
ager for the Colorado company:
I'm answer to your esteemed communi-
cation of the 4th, l will say that We have
made very complete plans, surveys and
estimates for the construction of flues
and high stacks. We have also given
careful thought and consideration to
several chemes for the absorption of our
smoke by water. These plans and sur
veys have been made with great care and
thought on our part and we have them
IN readiness for your inspection should
you desire to see them"
A. H. Wethey's answer
II beg to say that we have made a
series Of tests on the smoke coming from
our stacks to ascertain if it would be
possible to use the sulphur in the smoke
for commercial purposes. An average Of
several determinations showed 1852 per
cent by volume of sulphur dioxide. To
manufacture sulphur it would be neces-
sary to have a minimum of 5 per cent,
and to be profitable it should run be-
tween II and u per cent.
Il have had considerable correspond
ence with a firm in New York. which
states that it has perfected a method for
removing all smoke nuisance, gases,
etc, and saving all the bi-products. 1t
states that it will soon be sending a man
here to look OVer the field and to make a
proposition to us.
1--WE have considered the advisability
Of erecting a large stack, to be bull, Of
steel and about 600 feet high. We find
that such a stack could not be erected in
less than about 10 months from date, and
that the cost of it, with all the necessary
connections. would amount to at least
$150, O0O. 1t would be more advantageous
for us to move our smelter to some other
point, where we could have an abundance
of water and where wages would rule at
the same rate as they do in Anaconda,
which are from 20 to 30 per cent lower
than we are paying at our smelter here.
such times as the smoke is causing
trouble in Butte by reason of the cli-
matte conditions. we would be willing to
shut down all our furnaces until the con-
ditions change. This method seems to
be the simplest and best. If we should
erect a high stack at a great expense We
should have no assurance that it would
remove all the trouble"
| c.. S. Ratterman, assistant Superintend-
ent of the Boston & Montana and Butte
e. Boston companies, sets forth his views
in the matter quite fully. Among other
things he says that the only relief will
consist of carrying the fumes so far into
the air that they will become dissipated
nr SWpnf IN q direction contrary to the
city. He does not consider that any
chemical plan for the consumption of the
fumes and the manufacture thereof into
useful or perhaps useless products, is at
all feasible or worthy of consideration.
The companies, he says, ave considered
different plans. one of which is the erec-
ton of a 600-foot steel stack, lined with
a non-corrosive material. It's erection
alone would cost about $175 900 and con-
sumo a year in preliminary work. The
material could not be secured before Mo-
vember. eve if the order should be given
now. Such a stack is a novelty in the
engineering world, says Mr.. Batterman,
and after searching the United States
over only one firm would guarantee it's
erection.
Mr.. Repath and Mr.. Batterman believe
the erection of such a stack feasible. The
stack alone will cost $3.50, 900.
A second plan considered by the COM
panies consists of the building of a brick
fue to the top of the hill on which is sit
uated the Mountain View hosting works
and connecting it with a 2%O0-foot stack.
This would cost about 1925 900. OF its
| feasibility there can, he says, be no
| doubt. Tt would deliver the smoke at an
elevation of perhaps $50 feet above the
court house. A third scheme, he says,
consists Of building a brick fue from the
smelter to a point near the Great North
ern railroad tunnel. It would cost
about $500 0 exclusive of the right Of