Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1907-07-11
PROJECT ABANDONED.
a b X Diverting Equipment, Or.
dered from san Bruno To l,Iy

we nave reason to believe that til,
plans or the Guggenheims to build a
Dig smelter close 10 San Francisco have
nlscairled say the Mining & Scientific
l,fess. Work is being stopped at San
bIuho. A large part of the machinery
intended for this plant has been Divert
Cd 10 ELY and 10 other shelters CONTROL
led by the American Smelling g. Re
ming company. In their decision to
drop the project it Is probable that two
factors were responsible; the first be-
ing the failure of the Dairy Farm mine
In Placer county, Cal, from which e
large supply Of copper ore was expsct-
ed. At 500 feet the ore body became
lean and II is now quite evident that
TINS mine cannot do what was expected
OF II. The other reason for stopping
work at san Bruno was the strong pro-
test and organized opposition of the cit
liens of San Mateo who claimed that
the sulphurous and arsenical fumes
would Kill Vegetation and cattle This
was based largely on error and pref
udice, assisted by professor of chem
lstry who was an expert witness
against the Anaconda company; II
seemed TO US that the position OF the
smelter people was strong, for they
were entitled to complete their plant
and to prove that, with the sulphurlc
acid annex, they could mitigate any
possible nuisance caused by obnoxious
fumes. However. that problem will
not he tested, 1t appears now, and the
people of San Mateo will be able to buy
the smelter site and erect upon It a
chemical brewery, an oil refinery, q tan
merry, or some other sweetly smelling
manufa Glory, Most of the grading, re-
tainins walls, and foundations, besides
railroad tracks, have been completed.
so that the shelter company has done
a good deal Of work that will be useful
to others. The episode is regrettable
\ large smelter near San Francisco
would have stimulated local industry
and emphasized the Importance OF the
city as a. technical center. In the op-
position TO the project the Guggen-
helms suffered from their own exag-
gerated talk OF the tonnage TO be treat
ed, 1000 tons per day being mentioned
at one time. although the plant was TO
begin with capacity Of 1000 tons dal-
~. This had the effect of warning
possible competitors such as schwab
and others, TO keep off the field, but II
excited the owners of villas and or
chards at San Mateo and Burlngame.
In the meanwhile the flasco of the Dali
ny arm mine was probably the most
decisive factor and II goes 10 prove that
smelters dependent on single mines arc
in q precarious condition unless ample
precautions are taken TO prove the ore
reserves. The decisions In the smelter-
smoke cases Mt Salt Lake were given
after the San Bruno project had been
started, as also the Judgment obtained
by tho state of Georgia against the
Tennessee smelters. These afford un-
pleasant precedents. In this matter the
smelling companies have suffered from
matchmaking and ignorance, as much
as from their own aoings. hut back
OF II all is their carelessness and lack
OF consideration for tho rest OF tho
nj al In H.
middle Of distlnctlively agricultural
region like that OF the Salt Lake val
ley was TO invite trouble. There Is
plenty OF desert land In the same state
where fumes could inJure only sage
brush and rabbits. or the San Bruno
enterprise there was much better eX-
cuse; the projectors of It wanted 10 be
at tide-water and near a large distrib-
uting center. They chose a site least
likely TO Interfere with others and they
purpOsed TO employ every known de-
vice 10 mitigate Injury from the smoke.
They have suffered from the reckless
action OF the smelter managers else
whore. II Is time for metallurgsts to
tackle this subject earnestly. All OF |
us thar are interested In the welfare OF !
the mining industry appreciate the inn |
pOrtanoe OF the smelling department: |
II tho ameters arc driven out OF busl- |
ness. the mines and miners win suffer |
that tho skill of the chemist and metal |
lurgist IA beaten. we expect to see the /
invention and application of devices |
perfectly able 20 prevent the desiruc- |
tive escape ~ noxious fumes. The |
OF sulphuric acid ~ one OF /
them; Il can be used for making SUI
which II valuable fer /
tilizer, more marketable. however. on |
the Atlantic coast than here Next.
sites must be chosen where the ineffec-
two smothering OF smoke will ntt ren-
der the sinelter liable 10 blackmAil aud |
II Is argued that n a
amelter makes q desert within a radius
VI ~ miles, the owners OF such an es-
tahlishment ought 20 buy tract %
desert land OF equal dimensions and
erect their plant there. where none will
modest them and they win molest none.
This Ia the last resort SHELTERS need
water and fuel, besides labor aud sup
plies These are moro expensive In /
deserts than In fruitful valleys. That
there IL injustice on the part OF the |
and oarelessness ON the side
" the smeter people IN proved by such
exceptions as the Tacoma smeleir, next
door 10 a beautiful mark by tho lhrea