Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1906-08-24
AMONG THE MINERS
LATEST NEWS FROM THE TIMING CAMPS OF
EEp0l1S COUNTY AND ELSEWHERE. =

ed that it was operated in a hand to
mouth sort of way, the management
never developing ore reserves ahead.
The result of this policy was that last
year, after the company had been in
poor ore for quite a while, it was
forced TO suspend. Judge Nelson's
visit at this time is in connection with
the company's difficulties, and he
hopes to get them all Strengthened
out in a short time, and is hopeful of
resuming operations.
An attempt is being made by some
of the larger gold mines in the Trans
vaal to reduce the cost of operating
tube mills. Experiments are being
made with blanket (aurferous con-
glomerate) and native pebbles as sub
stitutes for the imported flint pebbles
which cost as high as $40 per ton de-
livered at the mines. The suggestion
has also been made to search for a
substitute for the costly lining of the
tube mills; this is either made of ST
lex blocks imported from Belgium or
blocks of Manganese steel imported
from Great Britain.-Mining World.
Masses of free gold have been found
in almost every gold mining coun-
try. Australia is the banner gold mug
get country. it having produced the
celebrated Welcome nugget from Vic
toria, which weighed 2,l95 ounces, or
1873 pounds troy, and which brought
its finder $4,000. The Blanche Bark
ley nugget. found in South Australia,
weighed 146 pounds. the two next in
size being 1920 and l.105 ounces.
Russia produced a mass of gold weigh
ing SO pounds. The United States is
noted for having turned out some
large nuggets, one in Amador county
California. weighing 100 pounds, but
a considerable amount of gangue on il
impaired it's metal value. The finest
gold nugget ever found was in 1885
near Georgetown, El,lorado county
Cal 1t was crystalized gold an(
worth ten times its metal value as {
specimen.
Anaconda, Mont, Aug. 23.-The larg
est blast furnace in the world wa
blown in this week at the Washo
smeter and the work that it is dom.
far exceeds the expectations Of it
builders. The furnace was designe'
ny L. +. MdtHeWSOu, superintendent
of the smelter, who secured a paten
upon it December 10, 1905. Afte
some months of preliminary work o.
the idea the actual work was con
menced about two months ago by teal
ing out the ends of the two old bias
furnaces which have been in use sine
the plant was first constructed fiv
years ago.
The furnace is eighty-four feet Ion
in the clear. 1t has one hundred an
seventy tuyeres which furnish tn
blast for the molten mass. 1t is abol
five times as large as the ordina1
furnace. 1t includes two furnaces an
forty feet of connections, which maxi
the one great furnace complete.
takes fifty tons of lime rock an hol
as fiux, and in all $500 tons of m
terial day is consumed in the mo
ster fire box. 1t smelts twice as mut
ore as the largest iron furnace in Il
world and nothing has ever been
the same class in the line of copp
furnaces except those which have bu
at the Washoe plant.
The advantage of the large ov
the small furnaces is the reducti
of the number of cold ends. In t
old furnaces when the ends were &C
it was necessary to move the mass
driving bars through it, This trout
is materially lessened in the new fl
mace, which heats more easily. 1t
so effects great saving in coke,
it does not use as much in prop,
,e. ton to the size as the Old blasts.