The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-10-24
ANOTHER FINE PLANT
A Complete Overhauling of the
Diamond Works.
WILL HAVE NO SUPERIOR
e Splendid Corless Engine In Place.
A One Hundred Foot Steel Gal
lows Frame-Four New
Marine Boilers ."

Probably none of the great Anaconda
properties is being more completely
and thoroughly overhauled than the
Diamond. This mine is operated in
close connection with the Bell, both
being under the immediate superin-
tendency of James Higgins.
Mr.. Higgins is certainly to be con-
graduated upon the splendid improve
ments being made at those mines, the
works of which are only couple or
hundred feet apart. The most i'm
portant changes are at the Diamond.
The shaft of this mine is scarcely
stones throw from the works of the
Grayrock. which were described in
these pages a short time ago.
The old wooden building that former
ly covered the shaft and housed the
engine of the Diamond has been COM
pletely torn away, and a new steel gal
lows frame is now in course of cree
ton. This is well advanced and will
probably be completed in about two
weeks. 1t will be of the same height
as that at the High Ore, namely, 100
feet, and it will contain about $50 tons
of metal.
The shaft is to be fitted with two s.
ton skips. These will dump automati-
cally into bins that will be ready in the
course Of a week or two. The bins will
each hold lis tons of ore. From the
bins the ore will be hauled in 5-ton
cars to the ore bins Of the Butte, Ana
conda & Pacific railroad. For this
work an air locomotive will be used.
The distance is about 200 feet These
skips and cars will handle both the
ore and the waste.
In full keeping with this great i'm
provement is the change that has been,
or perhaps it should be said, is being
made in the engine. The old one IS a
double 20x60 Poppet valve. new one
has been installed that is capable of
developing fully double the power of the
with cylinders 30x72, and of the same
nominal capacity as those at the Ana
Conda and st. Lawrence. to-Wit: $500
horsepower. 1t was built at the Ris-
den Iron works, and is said to be one
of the very best now in use. This fine
engine is now ready to run new
building of brick and steel is being
erected over it and will be finished next
week.
The steam for the Diamond hoist is
furnished by the Bell. The large addi-
ton to the engine power will make
more steam necessary The old boiler
plant at the Bell represented about 900
horsepower all told. and consisted of
II boilers. This will now be reinforced
by four new marine boilers, each of 140
hOrse-power-the same as those at the
High Ore. This will make a total of
nearly 1900 horsepower, according to
the nominal rating. But there will be
more of a proportfonate addition to the
actual power than the nominal rating
Sir1o &c for la hr,t1a I,
run at a considerably higher pressure
than the old ones. They are expected
to carry about 125 pounds of steam.
To accommodate these new boilers the
boiler house was temporarily extended
to the north. but it is very likely that a
new steel building for the entire boiler
plant will be erected in the spring.
The Diamond is one of the heavy pro-
ducers of the Syndicate or Mountain
consolidated group. 1t must net be
supposed that there has, been idleness
below ground while all these changes
have been going on above. The old
engine has has been al work all the
time hosting ore. But it has not been
brought to the surface at the Diamond
shaft. 1t has been raised to the 40
foot level. whence it has been run by
hand cars to the Bell ore bins for ship
ment
It is believed by those we'll qualified
to judge that the new Diamond hoist
ing plant, taken all in all, will in point
of efficiency be second to none in the
Butte district The engine is easily
capable of hosting with the skips from
a depth of 5000 feet, and everything
about the plant is thoroughly in keep
ing and completely up to date. AS
soon as all is ready for the new engine
to run the old one will be torn out and
probabl0y transferred to some smaller
mine.
The reader who has followed with any
care the mining pages of the Standard,
must ere this have something of an
idea of the extent and character of the
Anaconda cCmpany's properties These,
of course. it must be understood have
been acquired piecemeal. and some
of them came into the company's
possession rather indfferently equip
ped. To thoroughly overhaul them
and bring them up to date is a vast
undertaking, but it is being rapidly ac-
complished. Much has already been
done. and the next year will no doubt
witness many other changes as import
ant as any thai have been made in the
recent past