Rogue River courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 1886-1927, 1912-07-19
WILL "BLOW-IN' AT BIG NINE
NEXT WEDNESDAY.
MANY IMPROVEMENTS CONE
Assistant Manager Wickham Tells of
Plans for the Future
Operations.

The hot blast furnace hood for the
Almeda smelter is being installed.
coke shipments have commenced and
the furnace will be blown in on next
Wednesday, the oath inst.
1t is certain that with the prepar-
ations and Improvements made by
the company during the past three
months that it will be possible to
operate to much better advantage
and greater profit.
A carload of hydraulic pipe for
the new water supply is now being
taken to the property, and the pipe
line, to be laid at once, will furnish
the plant with all necessary water.
This improvement is of great ad
vantage as the scarcity of water dur
ing the dry season has been a draw
back and has made operations much
more difficult and expensive.
Assistant Manager P B. Wick
ham states that with pre-heated blast
now to be used 1t will be possible to
smelt on a small percentage of coke,
bringing the furnace up to its great
est capacity with a probable concen-
tration of 80 tons into one, which
will give an excellent grade of matte,
the pre-heated blast at the same
time will undoubtedly make possible
the use of slags batter adapted to
the Almeda ores. Under these con-
ditions of low percentage of coke
and high concentration the total ton
mage of freight should not exceed ten
tons per day.
Speaking of the situation in gen.
eral at the big property Mr.. Wick
ham says:
1--WE have never before had our
concern in such excellent shape. The
mine, smelter, machinery and every
thing in and about the property, is
in good condition. and with the re-
arrangement and additional equip.
ment economic operation has be-
come possible. The additional coke
bins and subdivision of the ore bins
has given a greater storage capac
ity and has made the handling o.
material much easier and cheaper.
I'VE have more smelling ore ex
posed in the mine than ever before
and it will be easily possible to pro
vide for the present capacity witt
material taken from development
There are still a few improvement
to be made which should be accomp
lished within ninety days, afte
which operations can be carried oil
to the greatest possible advantag
under the present capacity and ia
cilities of transportation. Since tn
success of our method Of extraction
has become assured IT has been tn
total aim of our company to provid
such facilities as would make pos
slble the cheapest and most judiciou
pursuance of the process, but wit
exception of the few improvement
before referred to, 1t will be impos
sible to further cheaper operation
until the 200-ton concentrating plan
contracted for is installed. and 4
my opinion the other most importan
undertaking before the company
the completion of their own roa
from the mine to Leland. Thi
should effect a saving of from So t
IS per ton on freight handled be
tween the mine and railroad whic
in turn will greatly lessen the cos
of power and will make continuou
operation possible, whereas the roa
now in use becomes impossible a
times during the wet season. Tn
greatest advantage Of the new roaC
however, being the possibility OF OF
Grating larger furnaces with tn
consequent greater capacity les
costs and greater returns"
The unlimited ore bodies OF Il
Almeda are a we'll known fact to a