The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-10-31
WORK PROCEEDS APACE
What Is Being Done Down at
the Big Concentrator.
NEW MONTGOMERY MILL
Enlargement OF the Whitley Plant-What
a Wilfey Is-Twelve Double Sets
OF New Jigs Nearly Rsady
to Run.

| AT the lower concentrator there ls
not much to report this week except
| the rapid advance of some of the i'm
| provements heretofore noticed in this
department of the Standard.
Upon the lower floor, where the Will
| fey tables are placed, the change eff
fected during the last three weeks is
very marked. The old complement of
Wilfeys consisted Of 81 tables. Ten
new ones are now in place, although
| not yet running. This makes 81 of
these tables altogether, and some more
are yet to be installed, although it can
| not be definitely stated just how many
| Some of the Standards outside read
| ers may be interested in knowing ex-
Eactly what a Whitley table is and what
| it is for The Whitley does the last
work of concentration. 1t is table
about 16 feet long and six feet wide
| at the upper end, narrowing to about
four feet at the lower. The surface
of the table slopes from the head to the
| foot and also little to one side.
Lengthwise of the table rifles are
placed at intervals Of perhaps three
| inches This table is moved by ma
chinery, having jerky motion In two
directions, lengthwise and sidewise, the
latter being very slight. AT the head
| of the table a stream of water carry
ing the sluices is turned on. The
lighter worthless material works off
at the sides into sluices arranged to
waste. The heavier and richer concen-
trates cling more closely to the surface
of the table and are prevented from
washing over the side by the rifles.
Instead of doing so they pass down
the whole length of the table between
the rifles and off at the lower end,
whence they are carried through sluices
to the tank house and are saved for
smelling.
In a concentration every successive
step is intended to work off some of
the lighter portions of the crushed
rock which carry little or no value in
metals. The aim is, of course, to get
rid of that which is entirely worthless.
saving all the values. This point,
though, has never been reached in any
concentration, owing to the fact that
no machinery has yet been invented
that is absolutely perfect. But it is
being improved all the time. The great
Anaconda works are being made bet
ter and more effective every day, and
the Whitley table is considered to be
one of the best appliances yet invented
for the final saving of values.
Above these tables are two rows Of
settling tanks. The shines coming
down from the jigs enter the upper
row of tanks, where they are partly
settled the very lightest of the mater
ia floating off as waste, while the re-
mainder passes into the lower tanks.
where the same process takes place and
finally the residue is turned over the
tables as described.
The jigs so frequently referred to
operate upon much the same principle
as the Wilfeys and are designed for
the same purpose: but they receive the
material at an earlier stage when 1t is
coarser. Much of it Is saved directly
from the jigs and sent to the smelter.
1t is only the very fine material. which
| might otherwise float away as waste,
carrying minute particles of the min
eral value with it, that goes to the
Wilheys Quite a number of new set
Ting tanks have also been built as
auxiliary to the new Wilf1eys.
In the jig department an immense
amount of work is being done. AT first
glance it seems as if the whole place
was being dismantled but it isn't. Ex-
cept a few, that are being overhauled.
the old jigs are all in operation with
. new ones being set up here and there
where there is space for them. Twelve
double sets of new two-step jigs have
been built and are in place upon the
lower jig floor. That Is, the frames
have been set up but the shakers are
yet to be put in and connections made
with the power.
Among the late improvements is the
installing of the Montgomery grinding
mill that was mentioned some weeks
ago. The purpose of this mill is to
take material that has passed through
the jigs above it and grind it finer,
after which it is again put through
other jigs below 1t must be under
stood that in the process of concen-
trating the ore some parts need finer
grinding than others If piece is
sufficiently rich already it needs no
e concentrating at all, no matter how
coarse it may be. But if a piece is
the size of pea and contains minute
particles of copper, silver and gold, in
: order to save them and at the same
time get rid of a part Of the worthless
stuff which holds them, the piece mus;
be made finer. The grinding of such
q material is the work of the Montgon-
!, cry mill. For this purpose it is pro
: vided with three huge ball rollers
which revolve within a pan inclosine
S the tailings. The sides of the pan are
r perforated like a screen, and as the
material is fed to the mill in a stream
of water. when it is ground sufficient
ly fine the swirl of water carries il
through the screen. The mill has MOI
been in use at the works very long
but, SO far as tested, it is said to have
tod ticfa ctn