Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1908-02-03
SMELL ORE
BY GAS AT
RENO PLAN7
PROJECT OF JOHN HARMON AND
HIS ASSOCIATES
WOULD MEAN MUCH TO NEVADA
MINING MEN
Experts Pronounce Scheme Feasible,
and 100000 Has Been Spent Al
ready in Preparatory Work.
New System

RENO, New. Feb. 2.-John Harmon
and associates, men who made millions
in the mines of Colorado and are now
doing so much toward developing the
mineral resources OF Nevada. are 60
ing to erect a smelter near Reno. Har-
non is negotiating for a suitable site on
the eastern limits of Reno and it is
believed he will secure the site for
merly used by the Electric Shelter
company. II the plans carry work is
to start Immediately, and it is believed
that before the end of the year the
new plant will be in operation. Har-
non has arranged with J. S. Loder for
the building of the plant and gas Is to
be used. The smelter was invented by
Loder has been thoroughly tested, and
by many it is believed that he has
solved one of the most difficult prob
lens in the mining industry.
For several months the Harmon peo-
pie have been investigating the merits
of the plan and have called some of
the best millmen in the country to
their aid. AS a result they have ar
ranged to make an initial expenditure
of 100000 on the enterprise il neces-
sary. The success of the proposed
plant means emancipation from the
power of the smelter trust in Nevada.
What Mr.. Logan Says
C. G.. Logan, for a long time in
charge of the mills of the Tonopah
Nevada Mining company and recog-
nized as an authority on smelling prob
lens, was called to assist in the inves-
tigation. Logan is in no way interested
in the success or failure of the pro-
cess.
II do not believe" he said, that a
better point in the west for a large
smelling plant or a more profitable
point for such an enterprise could be
offered than Reno, providing termi-
nal rate on ores can be secured through
the legislature on railroad lines near
and around Reno
sYou understand that 20 per cent of
the cost of smelling is charged to the
fuel account alone. 80 per cent being
charged for refining. handling and
blending of ores. With our system of
smelling with oxyhydrogen gas 1 do
not believe that the first cost will ex-
coed % per cent.
There are several kinds of coal that
can be used for the purpose of making
gas by crushing the same and utilizing
the Stag from furnaces for the purpose
of generating hydro-carbon gases and
blending with oxygen, producing oxy-
hydrogen gas. This coal as a rule con-
tains too much ash and silica and is
not suitable for cokeing purposes and
only fit for making gas, where a large
amount OF heat is going to waste, as is
the case with smelling operations with
the waste Stag. With our system the
calorics can be utilized in the manu-
facture of gas.
Use of Furnace Stag
''This Stag is introduced by means of
a rotating cylinder and the Stag from
the furnace is utilized for making gas.
In other systems now employed for
that purpose oil is used for heating
the brick work of gas generators which,
in our system, is entirely avoided, for
we use the waste Stag for producing
hydro-carbon gases. This will ma
terially reduce the cost, both in guam
tity of oil used and the production of
gas.
Nevada is greatly in need of smell
ter. Aside from the methods of the
trust there is a great and unnecessary
cost in paying high freight rates for
the transportation of waste rock hun
dreds of miles. The smelter trust, more
over, lacks the capacity for handling
the constantly increasing volume of
Nevada ore. The best evidence of this
is that thousands of tons of ore are
lying dormant, and settlements on
ores being shipped are delayed from
thirty to ninety days. With these con-
ditions existing throughout the mining
districts this evil can only be rene
died by the construction of more smelt-
ing plants"