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Show I - tl 4 ' " v , , , ' I . v , r ' ' v - f , jtiy-x -V ...,.v.v.v : . ' : 4y :.::-x . -m vi-ns:tf , L, mnW iwm, -yttj Mf'Sii';;J( ","5rEviJ'-r i-.4Nll; " - Snow Removal By the Mile Utah Copper's Bingham Canyon Mine presents major winter snow removal problem. Winter'a hardest blows must be absorbed to maintain 24 hour a day operation for production of copper. UTAH COPPER REMOVES SNOW, ORE IN STRIDE One of the largest private snow removal jobs in the state was taken in stride this winter at Utah Copper's huge open pit mine at Bingham Canyon, where despite more than 100 inches of snow falling on the levels, the men were on the job day in and day out, moving the ore needed to produce 45,000,000 pounds of copper a month. Ability of the men to keep ore moving around the clock in ail seasons, sea-sons, regardless of rain, snow or sleet, has given rise to the feeling that the United States actually has two "Old Faithfuls," one in Utah, the other in Yellowstone. Lion's share of the credit for keeping production up during the past three snow-laden months goes to the men who kept operations going go-ing on a seven day week schedule. Men at the mine, on ore haulage, at the mills and in the refinery all had special equipment to help them beat the problems jet up by winter, but without determination to stay with the job, it could not have been accomplished. Many a Utahn who had his own personal battle with snow and ice this last winter will understand the job turned in by Utah Copper crews. The mine is located in mountainous moun-tainous country and its top-most level is at an elevation of 7,750 feet. There are 160 miles of standard-gauge railroad track to be kept clear of snow tracks that climb the canyon walls, run across the levels and reach out to areas where the waste is dumped. As soon as word came through that a storm was in the offing,, crews tarted giant snow plows rolling. Bulldozers Bull-dozers were readied to help keep work areas cleared on the mine levels so that strings of cars could be brought in for the ore which had to keep going to the mills. Powder men had layers of the white stuff to clear away before they could set up for drilling operations. opera-tions. The big electric-powered shovels bite up the snow along with the ore but this makes trouble at the mills. It was a usual winter sight at the Magna and Arthur car dumpers to see crews of men with oil torches warming the sides of cars newly arrived from the mine so that the ore would fall out when the cars were turned over for dumping. When a thaw came, the torches were put away but another type of difficulty was encountered. The wet ore gummed up crushers and screens and sometimes had to be flushed on its way with water or blown on its way with compressed air. Handling special winter problems prob-lems is made possible by the equipment, equip-ment, but it takes team work and men determined to maintain production pro-duction of 30 of the nation's new copper to keep equipment functioning, function-ing, and all elements of the giant operation going. Winning the battle against old man winter actually was felt throughout the world. But chances are, if the men who kept "Old Faithful" going were asked for their reaction, they would come up with something as commonplace as "Every day we just kept the ore moving." |