The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-09-19
WORK At THE NEVERSWEAT
The Companion of the Anaconda
in Full Operation.
HUGE AIR COMPRESSORS
The Greatest Machinery OF the Butte
Distriot-The Giant "Modoc" and
Its Ten-Ton Skips-Im-
provements.

| !" nat Is known as the Anaconda
group consists of three mines, the ST.
Lawrence, the Anaconda and the Never
Sweat. They extend from east to west
along the crest of what is commonly
known as Anaconda Hill, the st. Law
renee being at the easterly end, the
Never Sweat at the westerly, with the
Anaconda directly between.
The three mines are connected by I'M
foreground workings and are virtually
one mine under the immediate super
vision of John O'Neill. Each, however,
has its separate hoist, and the st. Law
conda and the Never Sweat use the
same dump in common, although the
ores are kept separate. The st. Law
renee does the pumping for the three
the Anaconda furnishes the electricity
ana does most of the machine work,
! while the Never Sweat supplies the en-
tire group with compressed air.
1t is of the last named mine that
mention will now be specially made.
western brow of the ridge, where it
descends abruptly to the Ramsdell Par
rot and its near neighbor. the Colusa
Parrot Standing upon the dump Of
the Never Sweat the view is very fine.
The elvation, while not great, is suffi-
cient to carry the line of vision well
over the solid business portion of Butte
and far off across Silver Bow valley to
the south and west.
This dump, as intimated, receives
the ore from the Anaconda mine
also, being brought from the 40
foot level of that mine in five
ton cars hauled by compressed
air locomotive. The track of the Butte,
Anaconda & Pacific railroad runs under
the chutes of the dump, whence the
cars are loaded for the Anaconda
smelters. At this point an average of
some so cars a day are loaded, repre-
senting an aggregate Of about 1,400 tons
of ore. OF this the two mines produce
each approximately one-half.
AT the Never Sweat may be seen the
giant engine "Modoc" the counterpart
of the Aztec" the hoisting engine of
the Mountain Consolidated. These were
made at the Union Iron works of San
Francisco, and are the most powerful
hosting engines in the Butte district
probably on the Pacific coast, and per-
haps in the world, although 1t Is posi-
BILE that they may be surpassed in the
Michigan copper belt. Be that as it
may, the power of this engine is such
that a lotion skip full of ore and two
cages beneath loaded with men, are
brought from the depths with scarcely
more apparent effort than when they
are running light. This means clear
uplift of some 10 or IA tons, carried
steadily and easily from depth of 1900
feet to the surface.
The mine has not yet been provided
with steel gallows frame, although
it is said that this is within the pos
sibilities of the near future. The pres
ent working force consists of $50 men,
with j. P. Kennedy as timekeeper. 1t
is a somewhat interesting coincidence
that Messrs. Riley of the Parrot, Burke
of the Mountain Consolidated group
and Kennedy of the Never Sweat, three
timekeepers, are all from the Com
stock-some having been born in that
famous camp. The working force of the
Anaconda Is 600 men. AS the output of
the two mines Is about the same, it ap-
pears that the effective force of a mans
labor is greater in the Never Sweat
than in the Anaconda. This probably
is owing to underground conditions,
and in part to the greater hosting
capacity at the Never Sweat.
1t is said that there has never been
an accident or mishap of any moment
at this hoist in connection with the
work of the engine since it was in
stalled. owing partly to the superior
excellence of the machinery and the ex-
IRENE care of the engineers. who, as
safeguard are only required to work
sx-hour shifts. The engine house Is
absolutely fireproof, being built of cor
rugated iron, with cast iron floor.
Some notion of the extent of the un-
derground workings of this mine may
be gathered from the fact that there is
a consumption of 10000 feet of timbers
daily, and at times in the past 1t has
reached 100000 month.
The mine Is equipped with seven Ber-
ry boilers of $50 horse power each. They
are upright. with a revolving case of
heavy sheet iron. The case Is provided
with doors, which can be opened for the
purpose of cleaning the tubes, which
cross the boilers horizontally. Six Of
these boilers are constantly in use and
the consumption of coal Is 1000 tons
per month.
The air comprising plant is very
powerful one and will soon be more so.
There are now two immense Ingersoll
and Sergeant compressors, each, 1t is
claimed. capable of generating more
than $500 horse power. new one of
the same capacity is about to be in
stalled. the building and foundation for
it being already well under way. The
building is of brick, with q steel frame
and very much larger than is required
for the compressor. 1t is understood
that the remainder of 1t will be used
as a machine shop.
AS at the Anaconda, the improve
ments in progress here are of most
important and extensive character. The
massiveness of the machinery. the
enormous hosting engine. the huge
skips and the great air compressors,
all catch the eye Of the visitor and i'm
press him with the Importance of the
mine and the Vastness of its operations.
Interest also focuses strongly upon this
mine at the present time because of the
litigation pending between the Ana
conda and the Colusa Parrot compan-
les. it being part of the Never Sweat
lode that is in controversy.