PLANT OF SMELTER F. 683 



Tlie (.'Liuiney of the furuace A is coDuected by meaus of the augular sheet-irou 

 flue F' F", wbicL projects above the roof Fof the buildiDg, with the lozeuge-shaped 

 sheet-irou chamber jl/. The fumes strike agaiust the sheetirou aprou J, hiuged to the 

 upper part of the chamber, wliich may be also used to regulate the draft by meaus of 

 a chain which passes through the wall of the chamber. After leaviug the chamber M, 

 Fig. 1, the fumes circulate through the sheet-irou flue 0, aud then escai)e through the 

 sheet-irou stack F. 



lu close ijroximity to the wall of the furuace, the flue F' is provided with a 

 sheet-iron branch, C, through which the flue-dust falls iuto the wooden box i>, from 

 which it is extracted at the door d. Flues F', F" are provided with sliding doors, not 

 seen in the sketch, for clearing them of their dust. The chamber M has also a large 

 sliding door, D. This chamber, as well as the horizontal flue aud the stack F, are 

 cleared of their dust through the branches C, provided with slidiug valves t. The 

 principle of ascending flues is in itself excellent, and the smoke which comes out at 

 tlie stack is remarkably free from lead fumes. About teu tons of flue-dust is collected 

 monthly in each of these chambers. The dust is mixed with milk of lime, the mixture 

 spread over ore-beds, aud then resmelted. 



Smelter F is the only one in Leadville where a little metallic iron (old horse- 

 shoes) is added to the usual smeltiug charges when they contain more than a certain 

 percentage of galena. The smelting camiiaigus have an average length of nine weeks. 

 The furnaces are provided, as usual, with large hoods iu front, above the slag-gutter. 



Disposition of works — This important smelter is situated on the northern bauk of 

 California gulch, aud, like all the smelters situated on this gulch, is divided iuto several 

 levels communicating with the upper and lower roads. One of the main features at 

 these works is that the fuel storage, which is placed at the back of the works, is nearly 

 on a level with the upper part of the stacks of the furnace and is connected with the 

 furuaces bj' au elevated trestle-work having two branches, the oue leading to the 

 furnaces the other to the boiler-room. The fuel is transported iu light sheet-iron 

 mine cars, running on a light iron tramway, and dumjjed into chutes adjoining the 

 feed-holes of the furnaces and the boiler. In the boiler-room a saving of 50 per cent, 

 of the wood burned is efl'ected by using the screenings of the fuel, which are usually 

 wasted. A great saving of labor also results, since two fuel men are sufficient to sup- 

 ply all the fuel u.^'^ded. In principle this arrangement is similar to the one adopted 

 at smelter A. The charcoal sheds hdve an area of 30 by 325 feet and 35 by 100 

 feet, respectively, and hold about two hundred thousand bushels of charcoal. Coke 

 is stored in sheds aud bins of 500 tons cai)acity. The main smeltiug building is 

 300 by 110 feet, aud the ore-room, placed ou oue side of the main building, is CO 

 by wlO feet. The storage capacity of this room, through wiiich a wagon-road runs, is 

 7,000 tons of ore. The large dimensions of this room allow the preparation of numer- 

 ous ore-beds, which insures great regularity iu smeltiug. The officer, laboratory, Fair- 

 banks scales, stafl'-liouses, aud 22 dwelling-houses for the workmen aud their families, 

 are distributed around the works. Particuhxr attention is paid to the welfare of work- 

 men, who are entitled to free medical attendance at the hospital, and for whom a bath- 

 room aud a reading and recreation room have been constructed. 



