The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1939-09-21
Concern Ships
63 Carloads
In August
Vermiculite Products Find
Growing Market in Far
Parts of World.
BUILDS LOADING
BINS IN LIBBY

BINS IN LIBBY
All citizens know but few realize
that the present Universal Zonolite
Insulation company is the second
largest industry in this section of
the state. Nor do they realize that
the mines here supply the greater
portion of this fine insulating ma
terial for world consumption. It is
true there are other deposits
throughout the United States. How
and only one is being worked at
the present time. Many of the 9TH
er deposits are not as pure as this
one. Here one may find almost
pure veins of vermiculite. At pres
ent the company is working the
old Zonolite mine. In mining the
ore the top soil is first scrapped off
with bulldozer 1t is then load
ed on trucks by power shovel and
hauled to the former Universal
mill where it is separated from the
worthless debris, dried, graded and
prepared for shipping 1t is then
lowered by cable car to the loading
bins where the trucks pick it up
and take it to the new storage bin
and loading docks north of the
Great Northern tracks here in
Libby
New Building Completed
The storage bin, completed last
week, is capable of holding 1900
&c II
erected which will be capable of
holding 1000 tons. The purpose of
these new bins is to provide suit
able spot in which to store the YER
miculite to be used during the win
ter when the mine and mill are shut
down
Three trucks, owned by Billy
Blew, are being operated at the
present time to haul the ore to
Libby. Saturday the first ore was
put in the bins. The truck backs to
conveyor where the load IS
dumped Two men are engaged in
keeping the material poked into a
hole under which is found a short
belt. The belt travels to the con-
veyor proper on which buckets are
located on continuous chain which
travels to the roof where the YER
miculite is dumped. The same con-
veyance Is used for the emptying
of the bins. This process takes
place from the bottom of the bins.
There are five cupolas on the roof
where the ore is poured in The
exits" at the bottom are num-
bered to eight. The building is con-
structed this way so it may be. load
ed and emptied with greater ease.
The conveyor is mounted on wheels
and track and may be moved to any
portion of the front of the building.
II is possible to empty 125 tons
of vermiculite into the bins per day,
if the men concentrate all Of their
efforts on the one thing. Four rail
road cars day may be loaded from
the adjacent loading dock.
John Myers, local superintendent,
announced August to be the great
est month, SO far as shipments are
concerned, the company has en-
loved since the beginning. He
said So freight carloads of vermicu-
lite had been shipped from Libby
to points all over the world. This
is more ore than was ever shipped
by either of the former companies
or together.
Many Plants I'm United States
At the present there are a greai
number of plants in the United
States. The distributor in Califor
MIA, Gladding- Mclean of Los An
geles, recently completed a plan
for the manufacturing of pipe Gov
erings, using vermiculite as thu
principal base. Mr.. Myers said hi
company. was laying plans for tht
erection of a number of other plant
in this country within the next year
He said there is a decided trent
toward more distribution points.
Approximately one month agt
the company made contract will
the Masonite Corporation whereof,
they are to act as distributors cas-
of the Mississippi. They recent,
put $50 statesmen on the project 0
marketing house insulation, insul
ating concrete and other industria
products made from vermiculite
They have contracted for substan
t1dl LOIlIldBG% VI LilG iiidlElldl oil
Mr.. Myers said it would be neces
sary for mine and mill to increas
the output to keep up with thi
huge selling program.
Shipped All Over World
Other plants and especially fol
eign plants are enjoying yer
active business. Foreign plants al
located at the following point
Maracaibo, Venezuela; Rangoon, Ii
dia; Ponce, P. r.; Calcutta, Indi;
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Sydney, Au!
tralia and Singapore, Asia.
The milling of this ore presente
peculiar situation for those WI
owned and wanted to mine it. 4
it was new product there was T
machinery made which could |
purchased for the mill 1t w;
necessary to start from the grour
up" and build almost every piet
OF machinery to their individu
specifications. AT the present Il
visitor at the mill will find on