Show the th e independent smelter of ogden BY WILL C HIGGINS while the smelting smelling sm elting situation in utah has been in rather an unsatisfactory condit condition on for some time past there is one plant at least which is working up to its capacity and with most gratifying results this is the plant owned by the independent smelt ing company of ogden and while this is handling ore and concentrates on a small scale when compared with the larger works of salt lake valley yet the returns are all that could be desired or asked for and the smelter management is so well pleased with results that additions to the plant are already under consideration T the h e inde independent pende nt smelting smelling Sm elting company of ogden operating a mile and a half west of hot springs and about nine miles north of ogden utah is the successor of the utah smelting smelling Sm elting company whose chos e close down after a short period of ope operation ration was chronicled to in these columns less than two years ago second furnace will doubtless be added in the near future while one or more lead furnaces are in contemplation the plant of the independent smelting smelling Sm elting company is reached by a spur from the main track of the oregon short line railroad company which branches off from hot springs and ores and concentrates for treatment are being daily received from regards smelter smoke and fumes equipment of the plant the smelter proper consists of a blast copper matting smelter 42 inches at the tu yeres with a maximum daily capacity of over tons the furnace was furnished by the colorado iron works of denver the blast is furnished by a sixty seven vw r I 1 rt 7 jor 1911 7 i A view of independent smelter from aror the east sampler to left blower house to right phoil h h 7 will lym ff iggins under the new management the smelter vas avas again placed in commission during the e latter part of july of the present year and is now in successful operation this plant t was designed and built for the treatment nal ut of gold silver and copper carbonate and sulphide ores at present the equip alent eni braces but one furnace but the wails Ds call H for three more units and a mining camps in utah nevada montana idaho colorado and wyoming the location of the plant being selected because of the fact that this site is centrally situated for the quick and economic delivery of all northern and western ores and for the further fact that this section is barren and unproductive agri agriculturally culturally and therefore virtually free from possible litigation as f cubic foot conners ville blower operated by a 75 horsepower general electric motor the equipment 0 of th the e ton sampling plant was furnished by the allis chalmers company the bri plant has a capacity of bricks per hour and the machinery for the same came from the works of chisholm boyd wh white ite this plant Is used in bri concentrates rates flue dust and other othe r fines and enables enami e s the company p any in smelter operations to make a higher saving of val ties in the smelting smelling sm elting of concentrates flue dust and fine products the power utilized in the operation of all the departments of I 1 the independent is obtained from the wires of the brigham city power light company this power enters the transformer house at volts and from there is distributed to the works as a 60 cycle three phase volt current put rent the plant is operated entirely by hectric i lee trie power with the exception of the th e removal of the slag for which work horses are employed but electric haulage is to be installed at an early date in this department also and three 0 30 cuble cubic foot slag pots have bave been purchased from the salt lake engineering 0 works company tor for this purpose all of the motors are of bullock manufacture with the exception of thre the general electric now in use in the blower house water for all requirements is obtained from artesian wells and this is pumped into a gallon tank which ies the furnace jackets and ather requirements the plant can boast of a finely equipped assay office and laboratory while a nicely furnished club house is an attraction enjoyed by the smelter staff and visitors at the present time the company is giving employment to a force of from to men and this will be increased as additions are made to the capacity of the plant the bins and floors at the smelter already show quite an accumulation of ores ore concentrates lime rock fluxes and bri quetter qu ettes and this is being rapidly added to as the consignments consign ments from minin mining g companies companie 3 and mine owners arrive for unloading from crude ore to high grade matte it is extremely interesting to watch the flow of ore and concentrates from the time they are unloaded from the cars until they are transformed into matte from the sampling mill the ores and concentrates go to different bins and beds where they are tagged 0 and labeled the tags showing the lot number and to tonnage anage and referring to the records for assay value and analysis from these records the superintendent makes up his charges and combinations the charge sheet is given the foreman who personally superintends super intends the weighing in of each charge consisting for instance of so many pounds of coke carbonate ores sulphide ores lime rock and fluxes these th ese charges on charge barrows are then placed on the skip and elevated by ale LEI a ore bins and En queuing yard independent smelter photo ly hj will C higgins electric power to the charge floor in the second story of the smelter building where they are fed into the furnace in regular order according to the requirements of the charge in the furnace a minimum temperature of about 2000 degrees F is maintained although it is sometimes higher the effort always being to keep the smelting smelling sm elting zone as low in the furnace as possible the furnace is charged every few minutes and correspondingly but a few minutes are required to transform the charge into molten metal ready for delivery into the settler from a spout from the bottom and located at the front end of the fhe smelter this seething fiery mass is discharged into a large settler or the ld slag which is lighter than the matte runs off into a slag pot manufactured at the i silver bros iron works of salt lake where if any matte escapes the lar large 9 e settler it is recovered from the small pot the slag conveyed by another spout is delivered into the big 30 cubic foot pot pat fitted 1 with truck and wheels when en this is full it is hauled off to the slag dump and another pot takes its place by far the most interesting and important feature of smelting smelling sm elting operation however is the recovery of the matte on this the success of the enterprise depends for this one result the expenditure of thousands of dollars has been made if the extraction of values is perfect and it if 11 but little of the mineral contents of tha th a ores treated escape with the slag the j smelting smelling sm elting company is on the high road to success and the dividend paying period is not far removed keen interest is always j in evidence therefore when the settler is tapped for its matte contents when the molten matte matt in the settler has reached a certain amount the settler is tapped and the matte is run off into casting molds the color and consistency of the flowing metal reveals its grade to the experienced eyes of the superintendent and foreman and at the time of the visit of the writer to the plant of the company L a 2 am 7 J ip W view of sampling mill from the west photo by bj frill fill C hilli higgini a feeling of exultation and satisfaction was noticeable in the force from the superintendent down to the helper when sufficiently cooled the small bars baraj of matte are removed from the molds and are ready for shipment the matte is 11 grade and is consigned to 0 of f hi hish ta S I 1 eastern astern refineries for further treatment separation of the different metals it for the contains of benefit to mining industry the independent smelter is all that its name implies it is independent and therefore is in competition with other plants purchase of ores it is a custom in the smelter kaelter ra elter and the company is on the market for the classes and grades of ores it requires while the capacity of th ek ri plant is not large at the present time it will be v 4 A 71 Q al 4 aw V 4 41 A ak J birdseye view of independent smelter from the south added to until in due time it is destined to take rank as one of the important concerns of the west that its operation means much for ogden and the mining industry at large none can deny another important factor connected with its operation and existence lies in the fact that it is 18 not a stock jobbing affair for the enterprise is in the hands of men of excellent reputation men of heavy means and men aho 0 vho o have h ave the welfare of ogden and this intermountain region at heart it cannot toe be closed down because of financial em barras and its success is assured from a metallurgical standpoint owing to the fact that ahe the operating department is in the hands of experienced and skillful men who are determined that this plant shall be a model of success with the steady advancement noticeable in the metal market with the general improvements prove ments mentIn in mining conditions and with the tha th a e steadily increasing demand for the metals in different forms in eastern centers there is scarcely any doubt but that the independent smelter has begun opera photo bj y will C higgins eions at a most auspicious moment and that its success is assured official I 1 directory M S browning of ogden is president of the independent smelting smelling Sm elting company leroy eccles of the same place is vice president joel nibley is secretary and treasurer J B jenson is manager and R H vail formerly with the united states smelting smelling Sm elting company is superintendent in charge of the plant al mitchell is mill foreman and martin L lee is assayer |