Bisbee daily review., 1908-07-17
NEW METHODS
Of HANDLING
ORE TONNAGE
Changes Being Made by the
Copper Queen Company In
volve Great Outlay and viii
Facilitate Work at Mines.
CBy George II. AIlen.l


An immense amount of construc-
ton work has been in the process OF
changing the present method of gen.
Grating power and handling ore from
slopes to railroad cars in the mines
of the Copper Queen Consolidated
Mining company, at Bisbee. At pres
ent each working shaft has its own
boiler plant, from which hoists,
pumps, saw mills and other macnl-
merry are operated The changes
which are being made have involved
the construction of a central power
plant, from which all power used on
the properties will be distributed; the
installation of underground electric
trolleys for carrying ore from the
Slopes TO the main hosting shaft tthe
Sacramento), and the hoisting of this
ore, by means of skiPs, to a belt
conveyer distributing plant on the
surface At the power-house, air is
compressed (for use by power drills,
and. in some places. for hoisting), and
electricity is generated both in the
form Of alternating and direct cur
rents, the former being used generally
for power and lighting, and tne lat
ter for operating trolleys under
ground.
The power-house is now completed
and in operation, although only a
small load has as yet been transferred
TO it from the other plants. There are
four Stirling boilers, of large capacity,
using oil for fuel; three Ingerson-
Rand compressors, with total dis
placement of $500 cubic feet of free
air per minute: three Curtis steam
turbine generating sets of 500 XIV.
each. and rotary cOnverters for chang
ing alternating to direct current. The
auxiliary equipment is unusually com
plete. The boilers are equipped with
Green economizers and Foster super
heaters. The feed water is pumped
by 3-throw Gould electric pumps, OF
which there are two for safety.
There is also supplied a steam
pump, in case of accident to the cleo
trical machinery. The condensers are
of the baTometric type, separate ones
being used for each engine, and this
condensing water is pumped to cool
ing tower by rotary pumps supplied
by the P. II. & T. NJ. Roots company.
These are also operated by direct
current electric motors, of variable
speed type, so that their speed is au-
tomatically regulated by a float in the
hot well. The cooling tower is To-
Gated high enough so that cold water
flows by gravity to the condensers.
From the power-house, electric
transmission lines are run to all
shafts for lighting purposes and to
supply the necessary power to operate
pumps, saw mills, etc. The power
so distributed is very completely me
tered to detect losses and inefficient
use. After the change is made to
hosting at the Sacramento shaft, the
Lowell, Spray and HOlbToOk engines
will be operated by compressed air.
The Gar engine will be geared to an
electric motor. and the Gardner and
Sacramento shafts, being compare
lively near the power-hOuse, will be
operated by steam generated at that
plant. Tie transferring Of practically
all the hosting of ore to the Sacra-
mento shaft has cut down the power
consumed at the present shafts suffi-
GENTLY to make it economical to oper-
ate in this manner, using the steam
engines now in place for compressed
air.
The amount Of water pumped is uol
large. and will be handled by electric
the Allentown rolling mills, there be
ing three pumps of 300 gallons ca
paeity eacTl. located at the Gar SHAFT,
two of 100 gallons each at the Hol-
brook. two Of 50 gallons at the Spray
and two of 100 gallons at the Lowell
These pumps are made in duplicate.
so that in case of accident, there viii
always be a spare unit ready TO be
how
ever. geared considerably lower than
fine customary speed for such pumps
in order to avoid accidents as Tar as
possible.
Ae most of the water pumped car
rses considerable sulphGric acid ant
suIphate of copper, the pump col
umns are all lined with wood. as this
has been found to resist acid watei
eaectuaIIv The present pumps 10
cattd at the same shafts viii be main
tanned in working order, so that il
casa Of unusual floods they may be
used to keep the mine dry
the electric underground hauling
system will be installed on the 400
foot sOO-foot, 1.000-foot and 1,20O
foot levels. and again on the l,i0o-ioo
level when that is opened up. II ha
been necessary u VI lhC hlNtL-s
to use for this purpose, and they nav
been located in solid ground TO oh
yiate repairs and delays due TO ba'
ground. This work has been finlshe'
and track and wires laid. The motor
are made by the Goodman Manufac'
u-ing company. The motor car
nsed are Of the gable-bottom, slide
dumping type. and may be dumDe'
and tbe doors relocked automatically
Chute leaders will fill cars and max
them up into trains at eonVenlen
noints for transportation to the sac
Tamento shaft There they viii o.
dumped into small storage bins VIM
being drawn across them and re
turned for other loads. From tnes'
bins AT the Sacramento shaft the OF
will be loaded into 3-ton skips. wnlc
DUNN automatically on TO 0elt cor
vevor. manufactured by the Stephen
Adamson Manufacturing company !.
which will carry Il down the nj
about $50 feet 70 the railroad uacf
There are located at this point iou
tracks. accommodating 36 cars, noiO
ing 800 tons of ore. They VIII :. -
loaded from two belts running iehst-
wise between the four tracks. an
the ore win be dropped into tAe car
by the dumping carriages whlcl
move continually back and fortn' IN