The copper era., 1908-04-09
DR.. RICKETTS, REPORT ON
MINES AT CANANEA.
Comprehensive Statement of Conditions,
Old and NeW--.Future Production
will be Much Cheaper.


General Manager L. d. Ricketts,, of
the Cananea Copper company, in a
report to the directors and stock
holders, says great deal of improve
ment work is being done at Cananea
and when work is resumed mining
and smelling can be carried on at
less cost than previously and the cost
of labor will also be cheaper. He
says in his report:
Charles F. Shelby took charge of
the smelter in July, 1906. He found
the reduction works had grown by
piecemeal, as is usually the case with
first works on new mines. As con-
sequence they were congested as to
location and facilities tor handling
material, and they lacked proportion
throughout. This necessarily caused
excessive labor costs, power costs,
and fuel costs, and there were large
losses in fine dust and great leakage
of furnace gases, making the atmos-
phere in the works almost unbear-
able. He also found the eight fur
naces, of which there were seven
different types, completely worn out,
as also were the five stands of con-
verters. A careful study of condi-
tions has been made since that time
and most extensive improvements
have been completed or are under
way. The problem has been exceed
ingly difficult because the construc-
ton had to be carried on in con-
gested area, in very bad air, and dur
ing a continuous operation of the
plant and it was made more difficult
by the need of attacking the various
improvements as necessity required
rather than in logical sequence.
Most of this work has been charged
to operation although the capacity
of the plant has been largely in
creased by the work done. The work
has all been undertaken on the basis
that the saving in labor, power, fuel
and repairs, will pay for it in a year,
The work, approximately in the order
it has been carried out, is as follows:
The eight old furnaces have been
pulled out and scrapped, one at a
time. Eight new furnaces have been
purchased and seven are completely
installed; the eighth is on the ground
and will be completed in few weeks.
These furnaces are completely new,
from the foundation to the hoods and
fiue connections. They are feet by
feet inches at the tuyeres, the
largest size we could put into the
building. They have 20 per cent.
more hearth area than the old
furnaces and are capable of smelling
80 per cent. more charge.
Two new stands of converters with
eight shells were authorized in 1906,
and have been installed and operated
to our great satisfaction. They are
OF the barrel type and of most
modern design and were built on
plans carefully revised by Mr.. Shell
by. They have solid steel heads aud
riding rings cast in one piece. They
are feet by IL feet 6 inches, with
extra noses to prevent splashing
over. They are electrically operated
and can be turned through the com
plete circle. The three additional
stands, with twelve more shells, are
under order and will shortly be in
stalled. The converter building has
been reinforced, braced and strength
ened throughout, the crane runaways
and the cranes thoroughly
oyerhauled ard rebuilt. Tamping
machines of an improved design have
been put in for lining the converter
shells.
The bullion tracks and turntables
have been torn out and a new bullion
dock and track system, without turn
tables, to be operated by trolley,
have been installed.
The seven small settlers have been
scrapped and replaced by four very
large settlers of improved design,
each serving two of the new furnaces.
The Stag track system has been torn
out and rebuilt, and the old Stag cars
replaced by cars of better design and
double the capacity. This change
has demonstrated that with half the
crew employed when we we're smelt-
ing $4,000 tons of gross charge, we
can easily do the work when smelling
twice as much.
The blowing capacity for the
furnaces has been increased by the
installation of a blower of a capacity
of 10000 cubic feet per minute driven
by direct connect tandem compound
engines. The two 42-inch blast pipes
that led from the powerhouse to the
blast furnaces were crooked, in the
way of other improvements, and
showed loss of 160-h.p. in friction.
These two blast pipes have been torn
out and replaced by straighter pipe
6 feet in diameter, with connections
new and complete from the top of
the blower to the furnate hustle
pipes.
Two additional goosenecks feet 6
inches in diameter are being put in