El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1915-05-15
MIAMI SHELTER
BEING OPERATED
Plant WillNot Make Copper
Until May %, but Pre-
liminary Work Starts.

Miami Ariz., May 15.-The Interna-
tiOnal smelter at Miami, probably to-
days last word in mechanical ingenuity
in its line, is virtually in operation
now, although there will be no copper
made until May p. The preparations
are going forward busily in the way Of
drying out converters, fusing the lin
ing of reveroeratory furnaces, bedding
ore and fluXes ana testing the Tari-
Gus parts of what is considered one OF
the greatest and simplest smelling
plants in the world.
Cost S2,2OO,OOO.
Originally estimated at a cost Of
$4,000, 600, additional work and altera-
ton OF the details necessitated by the
never .ceasing evolution Of the science
of metallurgy, has brought the entire
outlay for its construction, including
cost Of real estate and overhead ex-
pense, TO a total Of about $1,000, 600
Its full capacity VIII be about $50 tons
Of copper daily, although the produc-
ton Of copper from the Inspiration and
Miami Concentrates, which it was built
primarily to handle, for a time will be
about $50 tons per day, an amount
that manager L. r. Wallace expects the
plant will be producing sometime
that such an estimate must perfOrce be
quite indefinite because Of the uncer-
tainty of the exact amount Of ore In
SEPARATION will hoist in the beginning,
the dEAAaA REALEAAAdEE u AAAG % e ~ AAANAA
may vary from Is to II percent IN
copper. and the many unforeseen devel-
opments that are inevitable in the
gradual rounding INTO full operation Of
q plant so large as the International
To smelt Custom Ores.
Outside its primary object Of hand
ling the Inspiration and Miami con-
centrates the feature Of the big plants
starting most interesting to the peo-
pie OF this district is the matter Of
handling custom ores, for its conuguity
to the scores of copper prospects in the
great mineralized area contained in the
triangle between Miami, Ray and Su-
perlOr, makes this phase OF the smelter
a very vital one 10 many owners Of
mining claims and thus indirectly to
the whole community. While not pre-
pared in the beginning TO handle ship
ments Of less than carload lots this
matter will be adjusted as the ship
ments become heavy by preparing
platform near the smelter where wagons
may unload ore until each shipper
has stored thereon sufficient tonnage
to be run Ore viii be paid for, copper
according to the average closing quo
tations in the Engineering and Mining
Journal for the week previous TO date
Of sampling each lot at shelter; silver
according 10 quotations as furnished
by Handy & Harmon
Interesting Roasting Plant.
One of the most interesting features
OF the shelters equipment is the roast
ing plant used for drying the ores and
interesting not only for
its ingenious construction, but for the
further fact that its very erection in
stead Of that Of a mere drying plant
shows the contemplation Of possible
Of sulphuric acid in the
future for teaching, the ultimate goal
Of the metallurgist.
Although IL is a rooster only enough Z
heat is being applied Thoroughly to dry 4
The material for smelling. The ore o
IS it enters the rooster is carried to the
Op one of five roasting surfaces over
which II is passed during its progress
through this department OF the smelter.
revolving perpendicular shaft having
Icrapers so adjusted 10 its arms that (
he set on one floor" gradually scrape
he ore along the heated surface to-
wards its periphery, where it falls to
mother surface below to be moved
" another set Of scrapers on the same
hiatt towards the center Of the plate,
o drop to another surface, where the !
Erection Of the ore movement across
he heated area is reversed again, and
o on until its treatment is finished.
OIL Fuel Is Used.
The rooster is heated by oil burners,