Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1906-05-19

(copyrlsht, 1906 Frank G CarpcutcrJ
- RAND FORKS. British Column
I bia,--I am in British Columbia
~ within stones throw of the In
tcrnatlona, boundary This
town u Grand Forks is just over the
way from the state of Washington.
and about five hours by rail- from sp9-
kane. 1t lies here iu the heart Of the
Rockies Ragged brown hills rise high
above il, ana the Kettle river crosses It's
principal street The place is only
few years old, but u has now about 1000
people. with building lots sufficient for
city Of 20 times that size, Il IS min
ing town, supported by smelter own
cd by Americans which turns out more
copper than any other IN the Dominion
Of Canada.
THE PHoENIN COPPER MINES.
This whole region IS great treasure
house with gold silver, iron and coal
scattered here and thcro through ID.
only an hours ride nWay are the Phoo-
nix mines, which are said 10 be- work.
ing IN one of the biggest copper beds
u the world. The ore is taken out vita
steam shoyols, II Hes I'm great body
200 feet Wide and moro than half 4
mile long The deposit "a. in fact, wh.
than Pennsylvania avenue: ana n Il
could be planlSed down In Wash iugton
beginning AZ the treasury department
II would reach Just half way to tho
capitol No one knows huiV far down
the ore extends, Diamond drills have
nCN1 |
Of the shafts IS now taking mp copper
from levels 400 feet bclVN The surface.
MINING WITH STEAM SHOVELS.
The output of these mines is now
5000 tons per day ana NJ 10 the 'e-
ginning of last year something Ike
100000 tons Of ore had boon Skinned
The machinery is altogether modern.
The copper is loaded with steam shoy-
els, each of which viii pick up "A ION
at bite and 1t comes 20 the surface
IN electric cars, The drills are worked
by Westinghouse motors. aud electric
ity moves the crushers Tho economics
are such that the ore Is hardly touched
by man from the time the dynamite
blasts II out until It Is ready for shin
ment In great bars about as thick az a
loaf Of bread and as long as a mans
arm. These bars are almost pure Zach
containing 80 per cent OF copper, silver
and gold
\ BIG SHELTER OWNED by AMER
ICANs.
The biggest copper smelter IN British
America is situated here at Grand
Forks. II Is known as the GRANNY
and is fed by these great Phocniy
mines. II lies right ON the banks of
the Kettle river, Swallowed by mighty
mountains and washed by that stream.
The smelling works are high above the
river and day ar. night. Sunday and
week days, all the wear round thu
smoke rises from their mighty stacks
and the golden Stag of their furnaces
rolls down into the waters.
These shelters have no superIors I'm
size anywhere. except those at Butte
city, Mont, and no superOrs AT All ~
their treatment OF ore They are now
producing millions of pounds of copper
per annum, and their smelling outnut
last year amounted to about A. 600 600
pounds OF copper and In addition silver
and gold to the value Of 81 100000
FROM ROCK TO COPPER.
| wish | could take you through this
mighty establishment. IL sllrpasscs
any ] have seen In the elimination ~
human labor and the substitution there
for of economical machinery. Tho
railroad runs high up on the sides az
the mountain. and the ore IL dropp,d
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 IL GOES
~ the smeltors, Each ear carries one
charge TO the furnace. and this charge.
made OF coke and coal. is filed auto
lnatically 1t is carried TO the furnace
by an electric trolley. and Il shoots I'm
right over the fires and drops is
load.
The furnaces themselves are worth
seeing. They are enormous steel reser-
voirs. with double walls, in which cold
water Is always flowing to keep the in
ner wall from melting They are sun
piled With air by blasts from smokes
stacks 80 large that the average city
parlor would be lost inside them and so
high that their tops kiss the sky nj
the level OF the taller Broadway roofs.
During my stay I looked into the fur
naoes. The air blows through like a
rushing wind turning the vast pits TO
blazing he'll of birthstone and molten
gold. out Of which roll the fumes OF
yellow sulphur. The sulphur was so
strong that ! wore rubber mask con-
tainng n sponge over my nose ana
mouth to Withstand it. My cheeks