The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1918-01-24
ZINC PRODUCTION, 1917
YEAR WAS PROSPEROUS
LOWER PRICES CUT PROFITS IN
LAST SIX MoNTHs-REDUcE
SMELLING CAPACITY.


price of spelter was below the average
OF the preceding year. During the last
half of the year both the zinc smelters
and the zinc miners were claiming that
their operations were Improbable be-
cause of the high general prices and
the low price of spelter In conse-
quence large part of the smelling ca
pacity Of the country was idle at the
able curtailment Of output during the
last quarter.
| According to the best information
now available, the recoverable zine
content of ore mined in the United
States in 1917 was about 100000 short
tons, compared with 702,610 tons in
1915 and 605,915 tons in 1915.
The Joplin district gained nearly 90
600 tons In output. This gain was
made during the early part of the
year, however. for the increasing cost
of operating in the sheet ground dis
tricts and the declining price of con-
centrates caused practically all those
mines to close and reduced the output
J of sheet ground concentrates from a
weekly average of 5000 tons in 1915 to
an average of about one-third of that
quantity in recent weeks. This loss,
which is permanent, involves net re-
duction of the zinc resources of the
country of over $4,000 tons of recover
able zinc year, as well as of lead
concentrates containing $4,000 tons Of
lead.
New Jersey increased it's output over
10000 tons, the upper Mississippi val
ley district gained 5000 tons, and Ar
kansas made creditable increase
Montana fell off nearly $4,000 TONS tho
loss being due largely to the strike in
the Butte district. Colorado lost 49,
600 tons, Utah 5000 tons, New Mexico
1000 tons. Idaho and California 5000
tons each and Nevada 1000 tons. OF
the total production, the eastern states
contributed $4,000 tons, or 20 per
cent, the central states $4,000 tons, or
43 per cent, and the western states
$4,000 tons, or 35 per cent. In 1916
the corresponding quotas were, east
3S per cent; and western states, AZ per
cent
The following figures have been
compiled without change by c. E. Sic
ha1 Of ha
cal survey, department of the interior,
fro mreports furnished by all active
smelters Of zinc ores, showing their
output for the first II months of the
year and their estimated output for
December. Figures showing the i'm
ports and exports for 10 months were
obtained from the bureau of foreign
and domestic commerce, and to these
figures have been added estimates for
the remainder of the year.
snelter Capacity Greatly Reduced.
Owing to the depression in the spell
ter industry and the necessity of cur
failing production two plants in Kan
sas, one in Chanute. and the other at
IaHarpe, have been dismantled, and
nine more plants In Kansas and Mis-
souri, will be dismantled. Twenty
zinc smelters were not in operation
During the, year SS,99S retorts out
OF 225,6S7, or 40 per cent, were idle.
number of additions to capacity that
were planned early in the year were
abandoned. The only retorts now I'M
der construction are the block of $40
at the Terre Haute. Ind, plant of the
Grasselli Chemical company. The new
smelter of the United States Zinc
Smelling corporation at Moundsville,
w. Va, has two blocks of 1928 retorts
completed, but they have not been OPP
Grated, and no more are under con-
struction. The acid plant however, is
being operated. The smelter and acid
plant of the American Zinc & Chemi
cal company at Langcloth, Pa, is clos
ed indefinitely on account of a strike.
The furnaces and kilns are under re-
pair. Three smelters with acid plants
In Illinois are operating at half capac-
ity on hand-to-m mouth basis on ac-
count of the difficulty of obtaining zinc
concentrates due to the freight con-
gestion.
Production Stationary But the Value
Drops Greatly.
The production of spelter from dom
este ore in 1917 is estimated at 574,-
994 short tons, worth, at the average
ST. Louis spot quotation. about 1902
$4,000, and the production from for
eign ore at 92,757 tons, total of &c.,
ISL tons, worth $11s.s60,000, compared
% total Of 667, 456 tons in 1916 $685.
'61 tons Of domestic origin, and 1O4,OO5
ons Of foreign origin), worth $17S,-
$4,000 at the average ST. Louis SELL
ng price. This indicates practically
he same production as in 1916. but
oss of more than 100000, OOOSin value.
included in the output is 2S,l75 tons Of
lectrolytic spelter, OF which a part
vas refined by electrolysis from prime
Western spelter. This was the product
( five plants. The quantity of zinc :
ust prepared for market was over
900 tons. The output of secondary
pelter redistilled at regular smelters
nd at the smelters with large retorts
as about 1880 tons.