Red Lodge daily news combined with Carbon County news., 1934-11-21

ddyJ liCS Ou1ltu jill Vic ihb
plateau, Is miles southwest of
here, offering a potential source
of immense wealth, a foundation
for an industry rivalling Mon
tana's extensive copper-mining ac-
tivities and an opportunity for
placing this state in competition
with the vast steel manufactures
of the eastern United States.
In the spring of 1888 there was
organized the Montana Chrome,
Inc, for the purpose of developing
the potentialities of the chrome
deposits, for testing and determin-
ing the exact quantity and quality
of the pres and for making produc-
ton of ferro-chrome a reality. The
company has under lease some
so mineral locations from the min
err prospector, M. E. Martin, who
located the deposits, and during
the past summer has carried out a
development program on the
claims. Besides this work, r
samples were given strenuous lab
oratory tests, both in Detroit,
Mich, and Great Falls, Mont, the
experiments being supervised by
E. S. Bardwell, superintendent of
the Anaconda Copper Mining com
pany's Great Falls works.
Development work of the past
summer on the claims in the He'll
roaring area resulted in the loca-
ton of the main ore body and a
partial estimate of the extensive
ness of the deposits. From such
work on IA claims it has been de-
termined that there lies buried
273,180 positive tons, of 48 per
cent chrome ore, 3,227,520 prob
able tons and 8,282,110 possible
tons.
The estimates at their maxi
mum figure are conservative, how
ever, in view of the fact that geol-
ogists and intercollegiate have
traced the deposits over an area
extending some 80 miles through
the Beartooth mountains.
A factor that plays an import
ant part towards the development
and production Of Hellroaring
chrome is the construction of the
federal approach highway to Vel
lowstone National park, extending
60 miles from Red Lodge to Cooke
City and passing through the
heart of the chrome deposits. This
highway is near completion and
already provides an outlet for easy
haulage of chrome ore and concen-
trates from the claims.
The company has acquired a
number of buildings erected by
road contractors near the chrome
sites and is making these the oper-
ating headquarters. The camp has
also been selected as the site for
the erection of a concentration
plant, while plans r afoot to To-
cate electric furnaces for the re-
duction Of the concentrates to fer
ro-chrome at Red Lodge, which is
in close proximity to unlimited re-
sources Of coal, oil, gas and cleo
tricity, besides affording a rail-
road transportation outlet.
With the extensiveness Of the
chrome deposits assured to pro-
vide a source of raw material for
decades to come, the company has
naturally looked into the market
ing possibilities of ferro-chrome,
and has found it unlimited.
The use of chromium was devel-
oped in the United States and to-
day this country is the greatest
consumer of the metal, although
it possesses very few deposits of
the ore, receiving it largely from
Rhodesia, in South Africa, and
New Caledonia, an island near
Australia.
Rhodesia, the largest exporter,
ships chromite ore and concen-
trates to this country some $4,000
miles by sea routes. Tonnage costs
mount high when such transporta-
ton expenses have to be made, a
point in favor of Montana produc-
ton of ferro chrome. Tests of
Hellroaring chrome when compar-
ed with Rhodesian pres also gave
other advantages for the produc-
ton of the former.
The Carbon county ores require
only 1000 k. W. h. of electrical cur
rent for the manufacture of one
ton of ferro chrome, while Rhod-
esian ores consume 5000 k. W. h.
of electrical current. This factor
effects a saving of nearly So a ton
in the production of Montana
chrome. Tests have determined
that a long ton unit, that is ga
pounds in concentrate delivered at
shipping point, of Hellroaring ore
would cost 17.3 cents, as compared
with 46.8 cents, the average cost
a ton unit for Rhodesian r deliv-
cred at the Atlantic seaboard.
1t is also pointed out that a sup
ply of 46 to so per cent chronic OK
ide grade of ore is available in
Carbon county at a cost not ex-
ceeding Sc a long ton, as compar-
ed with the cost of around $25 a
lonc ton of so per cent Rhodesian