The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1916-03-02
Anaconda--St of Growth of Greatest
Mining Company in the World

properties and plants at the highes
possible state of efficiency. 1t oper
ates on the theory that the best O
everything, including labor, Is tn,
cheapest in the end. The company de
ponds, then, upon system and improv.
ed methods of operation to effect those
economies that are necessary in tn,
successful conduct of great industrial
operations.
| Chief of these economies in the case
of the Anaconda Copper Mining COM
pany may be mentioned its application
of electricity to mining and smelling
Although the company began to use
electricity in its mines for power as
far back as 1902, it was not until re-
cent years that the greatest advance
in this direction was made. At pres
ent the company is purchasing of the
Montana Power company, controlling
great plants on the Missouri river near
Helena and Great Falls and elsewhere
in that state, $4,000 horse power, all
used in the operation of its mines
smelters and local transportation
lines.
Electricity Replaces Steam.
Gradually electricity is replacing
steam in all the mining operations of
the company Electric power COM
presses the air with which the great
hosting engines of the district are op-
Grated. Not all of the mines have as
yet been equipped with these air en-
gines, but they will be in time. Elec-
trical power indirectly drives the air
energy. The ore from the mines to
the Anaconda smelter is transported in
trains pulled by electric locomotives.
AT the shelters the copper bearing
rock is crushed by electrical power.
Not alone in it's mining and trans
portation departments is the Amazon.
da company leading. It's shelters are
models of their type. They attract ex-
perts from all over the world, who go
to Montana to study mining and met
allurgical developments. At the Great
Falls plant is located the highest stack
in the world. This chimney is sos feet
high and has an inside diameter of so
feet. Attached to this stack are con-
densing flues constructed for the pur-
pose of eliminating Objectionable dust
and gases. In much the same way the
solid particles from the gases passing
through the furnaces at the Anaconda
plant are controlled. Some of the
Butte ores contain compounds Of ar
senic and department is maintained
at the smelling plant to dispose of 1t
and other obnoxious elements. The
question has received much attention
and nothing has been left undone to
arrive at solution of the smoke
problem European as we'll as Ameri-
can experts have been employed and
elaborate tests and experiments con,
Quoted with the result that the Ana
conda company has the situation well
lnder control. The department refer
red to RECEIVERS daily from one to two
IONS of arsenic from the smelter fumes
which are cleaned and cleared of OBJ
ectionable gases in large part before
through the big stack. The
trsenic recovered by this method is q
commercial product and all of It is
shipped to eastern markets
Saving 5y.Products.
While not small in anything, the
Anaconda company turns to account
products that might easily go to waste.
Cor instance, the water pumped from
he mines Of the company is a weak
of copper sulphate, which is
'ecovered in a novel way. BY permit
ing this water to flow over scrap iron
n suitable sluice boxes, the copper 1t
is precipitated More than g.
100000 pounds of "copper" having
'alue of over million dollars, are re-
covered annually by the Anaconda
company through these methods.
1t is impossible to compass the ro-
nance of Anaconda In a single article
way we look it looms big
md picturesque In Butte alone-not
considering its outside interests-An-
aconda is marvel Of the first magni-
Jude.
Backed by the resources of an en-
pire, the Anaconda Copper Mining