Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-05-19
OWNED BY AMERICANS
Some of the Big Mines of Brit
ish Columbia.
GREAT COPPER DEPOSITS
Phoenix Properties and the CRANKY
Shelters.
THE Ko0TENAY COUNTRY
Rich in Gold and Silver ore-A
Mighty Inland Island-Munici-
pal Ownership in the West.
Copyright, 1906. by Frank C. carpenter.)

Copyright 1906, by Frank G. Carpenter)
GRAND FORKS. British Columbia.
I am in British Columbia within stone S
throw of the international boundary This
town of Grand Forks is just over the way
from the state of Washington, and about
five hours by rail from Spokane. 1t lies
here in the heart of the Rockies. Ragged
brown hills rise high above it, and the Ket-
tie river crosses It's principal street. The
place Is only a few years old. but 1t has
now about 2,00o people, with building lots
sufficient for city of twenty times that
size. 1t is a mining town. supported by a
smelter owned by Americans, which turns
out more copper than any other in the
dominion of Canada.
The Phoenix Copper Mines.
This whole region is great treasure
house with gold, silver, iron and coal
scattered here and there through It,
Only an hours ride away are the
Phoenix mines, which are said to be
working in one Of the biggest copper beds
of the world. The ore is taken out with
steam shovels. 1t lies in great body two
hundred feet wide and more than half a
mile long. The deposit is in fact wider
than Pennsylvania avenue; and If it could
be planked down in Washington beginning
at the Treasury Department 1t would
reach just half way to the Capitol. No one
knows how far down the ore extends Dia-
mond drills have been sunk into 1t for
LOCO feet, and one of the shafts is now
taking up copper from levels 400 feet below
the surface
Mining With Steam Shovels.
The output Of these mines Is now 5000
tons per day, and up to the beginning of
last year something like 100000 tons of
ore had been shipped. The machinery Is
altogether modern. The copper is loaded
with steam shovels, each Of which will pick
up ton at bite; and 1t comes to the
surface in electric cars. The drills ara
worked by Westinghouse motors, and cleo
tricity moves the crushers. The economies
are such that the ore is hardly touched by
man from the TINA the dynamite blasts
1t out until 1t is ready for shipment In
great bars about as thick as a loaf of
bread and as long ais mans arm. These
bars are almost pure, each containing 80
per cent of copper, silver and gold.
A Big Shelter Owned by Americans.
The biggest copper smelter in British
America Is situated here at Grand Forks
It il known as the CRANKY, and 1t is fed
by these great Phoenix mines 1t lies right
on the banks Of the Kettle river. Swallowed
by mighty mountains and washed by that
stream. The smelling works are high above
tifc tANSA uAAo ody allQ hight, SUNDAYS and
week days. all the year round, the smoke
rises from their mighty stacks and the
golden Stag of their furnaces rolls down
into the waters.
These smelters have no superiors in size,
anywhere except lnose at Butte City Nom
tana. and no superiors at all in their treat
ment OF ore. They are now producing
millions of pounds OF copper per annum,
and their smelling output last year
amounted to about 100000 pounds OF
copper. and In addition silver and gold to
the value OF a million and q quarter dollars.
From Rock to Copper.
wish could take you through this
mighty establishment. It surpasses any
have seen In the elimination OF human la
Dor and the substitution therefor of econom-
ical machinery. The railroad runs high up
on the sides OF the mountain, and the ore
IL dropped from the cars into great bins
through chutes SO arranged that just the
right proportion OF ore can be dropped into
other cars farther down before It goes to
the smeiters. Each car carries one charge
to the furnace, and this charge, made OF
coke and coal, ID Allied automatically. It
Is carried to the furnace by an electric troll
ley, and It shoots in right over the fires
and there drops It's load
The furnaces themselves are worth seq
ing. They are enormous steel reservoirs,
with double walls. In which cold water Is
always flowing to keep the Inner wall from
melting They are supplied with air by
blasts from smokestacks 30 large that the