New-York tribune., 1919-01-18
Mine Fires, Started
% Years Ago, Being
SqueIched by Sand
Anaconda Copper Company
Finds Way to Check
Flames Long Smoulder-
ing Despite Flood of Water

crs the engineers OF the copper cor
poration believe they have the first
promise of complete mastery Of under
ground fires which for the last twenty
three years slowly have been shoulder
ing thousands Of feet deep in the cop
per veins Of the Butte district, feeding
on the sulphurous material found in
the ore.
The solution Of the problem OF sue
cessfully combating these subterranean
flames Will form. one of the greatest en-
ginecring achievements OF the Butte
district and will serve TO add materl-
ally to the ore bearing area OF the
Anaconda company. as large stretches
Of mining ground now are cut off from
mining operations by concrete bulk
heads as a measure to isolate the burn
protect the miners. from the danger Of
gas. and to safeguard the property
from a further spread OF the fire.
In the case of the Leonard mine
alone, one of the largest properties Of
the Anaconda, the daily one production
was cut down from ] 700 tons to about
500 or 700 tons because OF the restric-
ton of the ore ground due to fires
burning from the 600-foot level to be
low inc ,2O0-foot level.
Used in Other Mines
1t is at the Leonard mine who're sue
cess has crowned the fire fighting ef-
forts. and where tailings can be had
there appears to be no great reason
why they cannot be pumped to other
burning portions of the camp and en-
ploycd with the same effectiveness as
appears evident at this mine In the
same neighbonhood Of the Leonard
mine the Butte e. Superior Mining
Company is dumping is tailings from
The Black Rock concentratOr into
what is known as a slum pound. and
from this pound the Anaconda has con
structed hume line and is conveying
the stream of tailings down the Reins
shaft thence to the burning areas Of
the Leonard mine, which are reached
by many diamond drilled holes.
through which millions Of tons of sand
are being conveyed. the water being
more than 20 per cent solids.
The mmcnsity OF Tins method OF
fire fighting may be better appreciated
when It is stated that in two Slopes
alone there are more than five miles
Of diamond drill holes. through which
the food Of sand is pouring day and
there are a considerable number Of
slopes on the various levels. the aggrc-
gate holcage reaching up into mum
Der of scores OF miles.
Heretofore, when diamond drill holes
We're pushed into the burning zones
and hose lines started. the water
simply would find course and drain
away with the larger portion Of the
burning ground unleached, and the
fires unchecked. Eut with the sand
choking the lntersticca Of the rocks
and otiectually blocking all the air
passages the smothering of the hrs
seems complete. To date more than
20oo0.0e0 gallons of water with its
20 per cent sand contents have been
poured into the Leonard depths, and
this water in turn is proving Il source
OF revenue TO the Anaconda.
Make Profit From Water
The tailings come from the Black
Rock mill slightly acdulated in con
sequence of the use of sulphuric acid
IN the oil hotation method of concen-
tration of ore, and the presence Of the
acid in the water serves as a solvent
for tho copper ore in the burning
ground. The water when it enters the
diamond drill hole is of a muddy
Wtlttish color but when it energies
at points below the fire zone it is of
a clear emerald color. due to the pres
cnce of the copper in solution and the
deposition of every particle of the sand
IN the burning Slopes. The copper is
recovered from the water by the addi-
ton of metallic iron. which precipi-
tates the former metal in form which
Is known as ''cement' copper.
Adjoining the Leonard mine is the
ramWay, INTO which property the fires
creep from the Leonard and the dc
struction of 20O feet of the Tramwav's
shaft by fire some months ago resulted
IN decision of the Anaconda company
to iireproof its fifty shafts in the Butte
district. which Improvement will cost
IN excess Of $500. 900. The Tramwav
shaft was the first to be fireproofcd bv
attaching to the sides of the shaft a
sort Of lattice work into which is
squlrted cement or concrete from a
cement gum forming, when com
pleted, concrete wall from the sunni
Of the shaft to the collar, or surface
A shaft ahre under non-fireproof CON
ditlons amounts to the same as a blaze
IN wooden chimney, with destruction
so rapid and complete that little chance
IS afforded to stay the progress of the
flames
Fires Long Smouldering
in the region embraced by the Ana
conda, st. Lawrence and High Ore
mines the fires, walled off by concrete.
have been smouldering since the early
days of the Butte camp. 1t is said
that when they first started no real
determined effort was made to extin
gulsh them, as the fire served to en-
rIch the copper water When effort was
linalIy made 70 combat the spread of
the flames the real problem of the com
oany became manifest
The Anaconda has spared no effort
or expense to safeguard the welfare
OF ITS employees and concretinc is re-