Smelting Operations of the Tecoma Mining and Smelting Com-pany,
of Utah and Nevada.
By JAMES P. CARSON, E. M., in the American Chemist.
THE following paper is interesting to mining men on account of the detailed costs given for working expenses, etc. The campaign here referred to is, we think, one made under the supervision of Mr. A. WARTENWEILER, over a year ago.—ED. E. AND'M. J.]
The mines of this Company are located in Lucin Mining District, six miles south of Tecoma Station, on the C. P. R. R., and the dividing line between Utah and Nevada passes through the property.
The ores are chiefly ferruginous carbonates of lead.
They are arbitrarily divided into two classes.
The first-class ores are the gray and black carbonates, assaying 45 per cent, to 70 per cent, lead and 10 ounces to 40 ounces silver ; and also a fine ochreous ore, assaying 20 per cent lead and 60 ounces to 90 ounces silver; it will vary by measure per ton from 12¼ cubic feet to 17¾ cubic feet. It is self-fluxing, and, when free from molybdate of lead, it is very easily smelted with ordinary care. The second-class ores are those poor in both silver and lead. They are very calcareous and ferruginous, containing some zinc, and as much as 30 per cent, oxide of iron. They are too basic to smelt alone, but with the addition of silica or two-thirds of first-class ore can be worked with profit. 20 cubic feet weigh one ton.
The smelter was three-quarters of a mile from the mines, and was leased from Buel & Baltimore, at $400 per month rent. It was represented to be in perfect repair, and fully equipped with tools, etc.
The tools consisted of two grindstones, a forge, six slag pots, and a few old shovels and picks.
To repair the furnace, engine, water-pipes, building, etc., and the purchase of the necessary tools, cost over $1,200.
The furnace was of the Piltz pattern, with a movable tap ; hexagonal outside, with iron plates at the base, and the usual iron bands around the sides ; section at tuyeres 30 X 36 inches ; 5 tuyeres with 2½ inch nozzles; tuyeres 10" above the dam plate ; height above tuyeres, 10 feet; section at top, 36" X 36"—siphon tap.
The blast was supplied by a No. 9 Sturtevant blower, put in motion by a 10-horse portable threshing engine, which also worked a small pump, the waste water from the tuyeres being pumped back into the receiving tank.
The fuel used was Connelsville coke and charcoal. The coke cost at the works $44.08 per ton, but the waste and short weight amounted to 9.3 per cent., which made it cost $48.18.
The charcoal was of the finest description, made from nut, pine, and mountain mahogany and weighed 19 pounds per bushel. It was delivered at the works at 23 cents per bushel, all passing through an inch fork, and all brands were re-jected, so that there was no appreciable waste.
It was very much regretted that charcoal could not be exclusively used, but a constant supply could not be depended on ; it had to be burned during very se-vere winter weather, and from contracts let for 30,000 bushels, only 7000 were delivered in time. At the close of work, by great good luck, the only material on hand was 400 bushels of charcoal.
Unlike the ores near Salt Lake, a siliceous flux was needed, but the only avail-able silica in any quantity was obtained near the railroad at $3 per ton. It was in fine sand, and was found to contain nearly as much lime as silica, and in working it increased the loss of metal by carrying off particles in the blast, and frequently rolled to the bottom of the furnace without combining with the charge, so that its use was soon abandoned.
A small quantity of quartz, containing 11 ounces of silver, from one of the ad-jecent mines, was obtained at $8 per ton. It worked extremely well for our pur-poses, but on account of the difficulty of mining and transportation, and the own-ers considering that it was a valuable silver ore, it was delivered only in small lots of 700 pounds or 800 pounds, as a personal favor. It served as a dose for the furnace when in trouble rather than as a flux—close watching, and varying the proportions of the first and second-class ores, had to be relied on for success-ful working, and of the latter as much was used as the furnace would stand, generally about one-third. The slags were sub-basic, and contained Pb=4 per cent, to 11 per cent, and Ag= o—I’2 ounce. One piece specially selected on ac-count of its iron, with a view of selling it as an iron flux at Salt Lake, contained 18 per cent, silica and 65 per cent. iron.
On account of the economy in the first repairs to the works, the mechanical feed was left, but from the difficulty of controlling the working of the furnace, it was removed and replaced by brickwork at the first opportunity. Two of the tuyeres were also removed, with a decided advantage to the lining of the furnace and the smelting of the ore.
Report of smelting operations for seventy-five days is as follows:—
In blast, 52 days; repairing, 18 days ; delayed for ore, 5 days.
CONSUMED.
First- class ore . . . . . . . . . . . . 595 tons.
Second- class ore . . . . . . . . . 296 "
Coke . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115-8 "
Charcoal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9810 bushels.
Sand . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13’5 tons.
Quartz . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-5 tons.
Assay first-class ore. lead . . . 42 per cent.
" " silver . . . 34 ounces.
"second- class ore, lead . . . 25 per cent.
" " " silver . . . 24 ounces.
PRODUCED.
Loss of silver . . . . . . . . . . . . 67 per cent.
Loss of lead . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 per cent.
Bullion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 278 6 tons
Assay of bullion, silver . . . . 91-52 ounces.
Assay of bullion, gold . . . . . 0-41 ounces.
17 tons of ore were smelted in twenty-four hours, though on one occasion 23 tons were run through in the same time—one-quarter to one-half second-class ore was mixed with the first according to circumstances.
When quartz could be obtained, the daily charge was as follows :—
Reducing the coke to its equivalent amount of charcoal, assuming 1 ton coke=200 bushels of charcoal weighing 12 pounds per bushel, then 1 ton coke=126'3 bushels of charcoal weighing 19 pounds per bushel.
Ore . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 tons.
Quartz . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0 4 to 0-5=17-5
Fuel consumed, coke=0.13 TX17=2’21=279’12 bus.
" " charcoal 11X17 187 00
---------- 466 12 bushels.
" “ per ton of charge=26’6 bu.=505’4 lb.=25’27 p. c.
" “ “ore=27’41 " =520’8 "=26’03 "
The daily cost of labor is as follows :—
3 smelters at $4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $12 00
3 feeders at $3.75 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 25
2 helpers at $3.50 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 00
2 coal and ore wheelers at- $3.75 . . . . . . . . . . . 7 50
-------$37 75
To this must be added—
1 foreman at $5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $5 00
1 smith at $4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 00
2 engine drivers at $4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 00
2 Chinamen, breaking ore . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 50
---------20 50
Salary of manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 00
Total, $70 25
Cost per ton of ore $4.13.
The cost of repairs is thus represented—
Labor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $762 50
3000 fire bricks at $120 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 360 00
10 tons fire rock and clay at $30 . . . . . . . . . . . . . 300 00
Rent, 23 days at $400 per month . . . . . . . . . . . . 316 59
Superintendent, etc., at $12 per day . . . . . . . . . . 276 00
----------
$2015 09
Cost repairs per ton ore = $2 26.
Sundry expenses while running—
I’43 cords of wood for engine at $5. . . . . . . . . . . . $7 15
Oil, tallow, and waste for engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Lights and 1 imp- chimneys, etc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 60
Steel, etc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 00
----------
$10 14
17 tons ore smelted per day, cost of sundries, per ton of ore, $0 60.
Cost of smelting one ton ore—
0’13 ton coke at $48.18 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $6 26
11 bushels charcoal at 25 cents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 75
Labor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 13
Repairs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 26
Sundries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
Rent of furnace $13.33/ 17 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
---------
$16 78
From the above figures, and the uncertain supply of quartz, no attempt was made to smelt the second-class ore alone, but it was successfully introduced into the Salt Lake market, as an "iron ore," and 450 tons were sold at a decided profit.
19th Century Mormon Article Newspaper Index
