The Western news. [volume] (Stevensville, Mont.) 1890-1977, 1903-07-01
WHILE NEW FLUES ARE REIN0
FINISHED.
OVER one THOUSAND MEN idle
Two Thousand Butte Timers Out of
Work-Shut Down to Last
nonth.

Anaconda, Mont, June 27.-Orders
were received from President Scallou
this afternoon con firming the rumor
that the great plant Of the Washoe
smelter is to be closed down until the
new fiues now in construction are fin.
ished. The orders were to the effect
that on July the concentration mill
and also the smelling department shall
be closed until everything is in readi-
ness FOR the smoke to 60 up throug h
the new 3OO-foot stack which was com
pleted to-day.
The Washoe company has had large
and costly damage suits in the courts
OF this and other counties for the past
two years, brought by the ranchers of
Deer Lodge county for crops DESTROYED
and horses and cattle alleged to have
been poisoned by the smoke settling
down over the pasture lands, and the
company has settled with all the
ranchers from Durant to Garrison up
to the first of July. The shutdown
will be for the purpose of stoppinp
these law suits, for when the new flues
"a large portion Of which are finished
are completed the danger from the
poisonous gases will be eliminated
and there will be nothing but pure
smoke to arise from the new. 500 foot
stack. Ingenious devices have been
arrang in the flues which will save
all the arsenic. and sulphur which at
the present time escapes, and they
will be put to commercial uses.
The shutdown will last from the
first day of July to the middle of
August and possibly to the first of
September, but no longer.
At the present there are between
900 and 700 men at work on the flues,
This mum ber will be largely increased
until the work is finished, and in the
meantime the consentrator, engine
rooms and all of the furnaces will be
overhauled and put in firstclass shane
tor a steady run when everything
starts up again. At the present time
there are about $500 men who find EN-
ploynent at the big works, and during
the shutdown about one-llalf this num-
Der will be laid off.
1t is unders TODD that the office force
will be increased during the shutdown
SO as to allow thiags to be brought up
to date in this department.. During
the time between the first of the month
and the middle of August there will
be no smoke of any kind except that
from some of the boilers, which will
be kept steamed up for fire protection
and for all other practical purposes.
It is estimated that in the furnace
room of this great smelter that it will
tike nearly month for the furnaces
g cool off before they can be handled
oy the workingmen SO that the proper
can be made with the new
aues.
wow IT WILL AFFECT BUTTE.
Butte, June 27.-Nothwithstand
umors have been in circulation for
everal days that the Washoe smelter
t Anaconda would be closed tenn.
'orarily, news of President Scallon's
rider Game as mild surprise. Dis
ussion was rife in Butte last nipht
S to the probable effect the shutdown
Vould have locally.
superintendent John Gillie is II
nthority for the statement that OPERA i
IONS will practically cease in the Ana E
oada and Washoe company mines, so
ar as producing ore is concerned, dur. :
ng the time the smelter IS closed.
While there will be more or less de.
eioPn1ent work done in the various
'ines no ore will be shipped from
hem.
For the month or six weeks that al
,rations are being made al the
nelter fully 1000 men will be thrown I
ut OF employment in Butte.
The shutdown will not, however, af-
ct the other rAmalgamated mines here,
hey will continue to turn out ore, \
the Colorado, Butte and
oston and the big smelter at Great