The copper era and Morenci leader., 1914-04-17

Superintendent of Construction Cole and the officials of the Arizona Copper company, have decided to so change the plans of the renovation, already in progress for about eighteen months, of the magnificent concentrator of the company here that the mill upon com pletion will have a capacity of four thousand tons per day, rather than three thousand tons as were consid- cred in the original plans of renova- ton. This renovation really means that the company will have here a concentrator that is to all practical purposes new, and one that is without a peer in the state of Arizona.
 At the beginning of operations of complete renovation by MT. Cole, the concentration had a capacity of fifteen hundred tons per day, and his plans were to build mill of double the capacity. Work with this end in view began, and was prosecuted for many months with a system that enabled the original portions of the mill and the portions of the renovation con- pleted, to be used daily, not shifts time being lost in the reduction of ores. After progressing to a nearing stage of completion, the builders saw the feasibility of so increasing floor space and introducing more efficient machinery that an additional thousand tons per day of concentration could be accomplished. Accordingly, decision was reached to take advant- age of the possible increase, and operations are now with that end in view.
 At present the mill has a capacity, in operation, of more than two thOuS- and tons per day, and this is being gradually increased as the campaign of renovation approaches completion. After the renovation is finished the repairing will begin on the portions of the mill which have been left in- tact, and this work will require sev- eral months. However, this feature will not alter or affect the capacity or operation of the concentrator.
 Briefly the increase in capacity has been accomplished through the increase of floor space, this only by extending the flooring, all of cement, over spaces that originally were not utilized, by the introduction of equip ment of the most modern construc- tion and design in place of equipment of older forms, thus giving equal ca pacity in far smaller space; and by the placing of the roughing department in sections formerly utilized for other work, thus enabling the placing of machinery of more advanced Oper- ations in the space formerly taken by this department. Hancock jigs have been displaced in the favor of the installation of those of the Wood bury manufacture All steam en- zines have been removed, and power is now obtained from the power plant of the new smelter at Clifton. This removal alone accomplished the addi- tion of a large quantity of space which is utilized for the introduction of machinery.
 The many extensive renovationS will soon be completed, probably about June 1 at which time the con- pany will have here a concentrator that is to all practical purposes new, the work being so followed that all that will be retained of the old con- centrator will be the roof and portions of the wall, this denoting the exhaus- tive studies of the plans of the build CTS.
 The new concentrator is entirely of cement and steel, no wood being in any portion. Beginning at the apex of the mountain overlooking tHe Mo renci canyon, and eXtending to the levels hundreds Of feet beneath, this building is of such eytent that it is distinctively credit to any mining community. In practical phases con- corning the production of copper, and