The Colorado statesman., 1913-01-25
METALS IN COLORADO
cHAS. w. HENDERSON COMPLIES
FIGURES ON 1912 PRODUCTION.
Large Increase in Zinc, Lead and Silver
Output, But Decreases in Copper
and Gold.
western Newspaper Union News Service.

western Newspaper Union News Service.
Washington.-The output of Colora-
DO mines for eleven months of 1912
IND an estimate for December, accord
ing to preliminary figures by Charles
w. Henderson, Of the United States
Geological Survey. shows a decrease
of 100000 for gold, an increase of
100000 ounces for silver, decrease of
100000 pounds for copper, an in
crease of 100000 pounds for lead, and
an increase of 100000 pounds for
an increase of 27,000.000 pounds
for zinc. With increased mar
ket prices for silver, copper, and zinc,
the value of the output in 1912 was
over $4,000.000 greater than in 1911-
SO, 000, 900 in zinc and s1.000,00O in sill
yer, the increased value for lead and
copper about balancing the decrease
for gold The output for 1912 is there
fore estimated at approximately $751;
100000 in gold, S,0SO,O0O fine ounces of
silver, 7,025,000 pounds OF copper, IA
| 6S0,000 pounds of lead, and 12l, 100000
pounds of zinc, valued in all at nearly
S36,500,000.
The tonnage treated by the Globe.
Leadville. Pueblo, Durango, and Sail
da smelters showed an increase for
| the year. Ore was also shipped to the
Murray, Garfield and Midyale plants
in Utah An increased tonnage of com
pex zinc ore and concentrates from
Colorado and other Western states
was treated at the United States Zinc
Co.'s plant at Pueblo.
The output of Cripple Creek showed
an increase of 100000 In gold. Early
in 1912 the drainage by the Roosevelt
tunnel had lowered the water in many
of the large properties Except the
Golden Cycle and Vindicator mines)
SO than an additional 100 feet in depth
could be worked, and an increased ton
mage was mined during the year.
Despite the closing of the Standard
custom chlorination plant at the end
OF the year 1911, leaving in the Gus
totn-milling field at. Colorado Springs
only the Golden Cycle and Portland
mills, the total yield from the gold
mills showed an increase for the year.
The Portland plant during 1911-12 had
been gradually transformed to cyan
ide mill; thus cyanidation In 1912 had
completely superseded the use OF
chlorination in the treatment of Grip
pie Creek ores. The Colorado cyanide
plant at Colorado Springs and the I'm
ion plant at Florence continued opera
! ffnfo d,
Independence cyanide-concentration
mill and the Portland cyanide-cincen
tration plant, both at Victor, continued
to treat from 10000 to 1900 tons a
month each of dump and low-grade
mine ore. The Ajax cyanide plant, us
ing the Clancy process, was operated
part of the year Several of the small
er cyanide plants in the Cripple Greek
district were operated with an in
creased output from this source. An
increased tonnage of the highergrade
ores was shipped direct to smelters.
The tonnage shipped from Lake
county (chiefly Leadville) showed an
increase, with gains in output of all
the metals except copper. The output
of zinc was approximately 99,00000O
pounds, representing an increase OF
27,000,000 pounds in quantity and 81,
100000 in value. The output of zinc
carbonate was $4,000 tons of approx.
imately 80 per cent zinc, against 49,
9O5 tons of 81 per cent zinc in 1911
The zinc sulphide shipped decreased
somewhat from the 1886 tons of 2S3
per cent. ore shipped in 1911. How
ever, the Empire Zinc Co.'s magnetic
separation plant with an increased
capacity, at Canon City, and the