The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1923-08-17

from which the resultant concen-
trates would produce over 1900
tons of sinter per day-more prob
ably around 1000 tons per day.
This extended program would re-
quire only duplication of the present
intermediate crushing plant and fine
grinding plants and the provision of
two or three sintering machines in
addition to the second one it is pro-
posed to install Immediately.
Operation of the present milling
facilities began in limited way with
the coarse and intermediate crush
ing plants in May, 1922, but the sin
tering unit was not ready for use
until July when defects were dis
covered in its design and construc-
tion. These, together with other
alterations found necessary in the
fine grinding and separating depart
ment, required several months for
adjustment. In the meantime, un-
usually severe winter weather set in
and interfered with operations to
such an extent that an output of
200 tons of sinter per day was
not reached until the month Of
March, 1923. At the time this is
written June 23), the output of
sinter is averaging over $50 tons
per day and is being increased to
rated capacity of 400 tons daily.
"Since operations began, total
of about 10000 tons of sinter has
been produced of an average grade
of between 62 per cent and 63 per
cent iron, this being somewhat lower
than our adopted standard because
of the irregular operating conditions
which have prevailed for reasons
stated. Nevertheless, the product has
all been sold on a ready market at
premium prices.
SIN the process of reduction, ap-
proXimately one-third of the mag
netite bearing rock as mined is dis
carded in the form of coarsely
crushed stone of low iron content
and of a character ideal for use in
concrete mixture for road building
and other general construction pur-
poses. This material has found a
ready market at prices which yield
a net profit corresponding to ap-
proximately zoe per ton of sinter
concurrently produced. The demand
for this material is so great that at
least three times the present rate of
production could be currently sold.
"The intermittent and limited
character of operations up to date
have resulted in low tonnage and
correspondingly high costs of pro-
duction, but in all those departments
of both mining and milling where
it has been possible to demonstrate
or facility capacities, |
indications are that the unit costs
will prove lower than those used in |!
estimates upon which the creation of
this industry was founded. This is |
true with respect to drilling, blast
ing, steam-shovel loading, coarse and
crushing, power con-
sumption of the various departments,
and in requirements of wearing
parts of machinery.
"The character and value of the |
final product has fulfilled expecta-
tons in all respects, and, further
more, wide and undoubtedly per-
manent demand has been demons
trated for the crushed rock by
product which adds substantially to
earnings in a way that was not
taken into account in b asing
estimates.
According to original calcula-
tions, profitable operations could
not be expected at less capacity
than would correspond to an output
of from 500 to 1000 tons of sin
ter per day. In accordance, how
ever, with costs and other operating
factors which have been demons
trated, an output of about 400 tons
per day will bring returns sufficient
to meet all operating expenditures,
and any production above that
amount will be increasingly profit
able in company with existing prices
for labor and supplies and present
value for product. The profit on a
production of 500 tons of sinter per
day, as contemplated in plans for
the immediate future will not be
large, but on twice that output they
will be quite substantial in total
and as great per ton of sinter as
were indicated by preliminary es-
Inmates at much higher capacity.
"The cost of construction and i'm
provements necessary to double out
put after a capacity of 500 tons of
sinter is attained will be small as
compared to that of reaching an
output Of 800 tons, because many
of the most expensive facilities
such, for instance, as TOWNSHIP, water