Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1904-03-09
UNITED STATES SHELTER.
Thomas J. Reed Describes Some OF the
Workings Of Bingham Plant.

Pyrite smelling at Bingham is the
title to comprehensive article which
appeared in the current issue OF the
Engineering and Mining Journal The
writer Is Thomas r. Reed. Of Laramie,
Wyoming, and the plant more par
ticularly referred to Is that OF the
United States Smelling company, which
Is treating an average Of 700 tons Of
ore daily,
The ore. which Mr.. Reed describes as
being OF two classes, averages about
2 per cent copper with nearly equal
values In silver and gold.
The furnaces are FIVE in number -four
in blasO, ~ In. by $50 in, water jacket
ed, with round brick settlers. Appar-
emily the width Is little too great
under the crcumstances-that is, with Il
charge containing a good deal of fines
and highly slicious slag-for II rem
ders necessary a high blast pressure
go OIL which, in conjunction with the
makes an excessive quantity OF aue-
dust, 50 much indeed that II Is difficult
to handle. Having TO put all this back
through the furnaces, after brquetting,
tends to increase the trouble. The fines
and high blast-pressure cause unequal
distribution OF the heat and the not
infrequent harrington Of the walls Is n
necessary consequence. With such a
high blast-pressure the end tuyeres on
the sides would cause chill II allowed
to remain open, and are therefore kept
plugged.
The heat Of combustion Of the sulphur
allows the coke 10 be to or per cent
\ hot blast has been used on two OF
the furnaces with apparent success,
but the hot-bast stove has required
closing down for repairs so often that
no results that are really conclusive
have SO far been obtained. No attempt
is made to utilize the heat Of the flue-
gases. The fue Is constructed of brick,
with sheet steel down.takes. These lat
ter were at first made Of 8 feet dame
ter, but being the cause of a very
gassy charging floor, were replaced by
others feet IN diameter with a
marked Improvement
The first matte from three Of the fur
naces averages about Is per cent cop
per and Is cast In the usual way, II
then goes back to the fourth furnace.
together with nearly equal percentage
of ore. The matte from this furnace
runs from 90 to 30 per cent copper and
goes directly TO the convcrters, where
It IL blown up to blister copper, This
Is then cast into pigs and shipped to
an eastern refinery. The casting OF
anode plates Is not practised at any
plant In the district.
a large economy In the handling OF
the Stag is effected by graduating H.
The graduated Stag Is led into two
settling tanks, alternating from one to
the other, so that while the Stag Is be-
ing removed from one tank the other Is
filling. These tanks are fitted with
hopper bottoms so that the Stag larry
can be brought beneath and filled d.
rectly. The Stag IL then trammed to
the southern end Of the property and
dumped there. There is sufficient fall
to allow OF wasting the Stag directly
from the end OF the hume. bit the fear
Of allowing II to enter the Jorden river
has so far prevented this. The water
for the granulation of the Stag and the
general supply Of the plant Is obtained
from a ditch taken out OF the river
some distance upstream. AS the for
nation Of anchor ice In winter and lr-
rigaton In summer are likely to dimIn-
lsh this supply a pumping system has
been installed which Is capable OF sup
plying the entire plant from the Jordan
river directly opposite the plant In
addition there are three artesian wells
which are pumped by the Poehle sys-
tenn into elevated tanks to supply water
under pressure where It Is needed and
for fire protection,
The matte is tapped directly from the
settlers into lotion pots which
are handled by an electric
crane, The first matte IL cast
IN mOulds on casting track, the
second is delivered directly to the con-
Verters, of which there are two, Of the
cylindrical or trough shape. These
hold one potful Of matte and have a hy-
draulic fitting device which Is actuat-
ed by n small Worthington pump, Sill
cious ore Ii ground In n pug.mll with
Just enough clay TO give It the right
consistency. and IL then used for the
converter lining 1t II rammed into
place by an ~ inch lngersol rock.dnll
which IL fitted with tamping iron In
place Of the drill bit The drill Is sus-
pended from a small ilb.crane allowing
ready adjustment to the work. The
converter shells are handled by the
electric crane and only about ten min
utes Is required to remove a shell from
the chairs and substitute another Tor IT,
The Stag IL poured at intervals dur
ing the blow. which lasts about two
hours. the progress OF the Swimming
being watched by dipping nm iron pad
die into the issuing stream az frequent
intervals, and noting when spots OF
matte appear on IT, The termination OF
the blow is known by the appearance
and sound Of the Issuing flame Is In
the bessemerizlng OF steel. The small
amount Of Stag remaining on the SUR
face AT this stage ia kept back by
throwing some Of the rough fragments
OF copper from the previous casting IN
TO the mouth Of the converter In this
way clean pigs are obtained, Naturally
with such n low-grade matte great
deal Of patching Of the lining is re-.
auired and the lining has 10 be IRE.
auently renewed 50 that gang of men
are kept constantly busy preparing and
applying con 'ertor lining. a blast pres
sura Of 70 pounds furnished by piston