FERGUSSON SMELTING COMPANY.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2505, 19 May 1909, Page 3

FERGUSSON SMELTING COMPANY.

NEW WORKS STARTED

The formal starting of tho Eerguson fining and Smelting Company's smelting works took place last Wednesday. The directors and a number of shareholders journeyed down from Auckland bv steamer to take part in the proeeedin"s and a short function ivas held at the works to celebrate the successful starting of the smelter. The works are now under the management of Mr \\. Cock, and he was highly complimented on the success attending the lunction. This is the inauguration of a now industry on the goldfields, and it will ho watched ivith considerable interest by all who arc in any way interested in mining, as it is a well-known fact that there are a number of ore bodies throughout the field which are of such a complex nature that they are not amenable to the present battery tieatment, and can only be successful U treated bv a smelting ivories. Although several attempts have been made m the'mist to introduce smelting works, tliov have invariably proved failures. chiefly for want o\ the necessary fluxes. J his uifficviltv appears to have now been overcome by the Ferguson Company alter the expenditure of a consulcrab.e amount of trouble and money, the plaint is a very complete one, ami of the latest and, most approved- pattern, the furnace, is one of the Colorado Company’s improved water-jacket furnaces, imported from America, and the blast is produced by a powerlul Hoot s. blower driven by steam. All the appurtenances and connections are oi an up-to-date nature. A series of large lioppeis have been erected above the feeding floor, capable of holding L»(M) tons of ore and these are connected AVit-U tJK main road by a ground tramway. An engine is used to convey the oie In the road, and it is then tipped into the hoppers, from which it ls f° ( l in te t "'tlii‘ quartz on -which the furnace is

working now" was obtained from the Monowai mine, in the vicinity, and over which tho company have had an option. Tho fiuxqs used are limestone, shells, and ironstone. Every care appears to have been taken by the manager to secure the success of the trial run, and the different ores are weighed before being tipped into the furnace, so as to preserve the proper proportions. Throughout the day a regular stream of slag continued to flow from the discharge, which is collected in iron trucks and tipped over the bank, as it contains no values. The whole of the metals contained in the ore is retained by the matte in the bottom of the furnace. It is ca’culated that the furnace was working throughout the day at the rate of about 150 tons of ore in the 24 hours, and the manager states that if it was fed with sulphide ore it would reduce up to 250 tons in the 24 hours, which is about equal to tho work of a 150stamp battery. There arc, of course, several points which have yet to be decided by practical experience before the undertaking can be declared a complete success, viz.,- the percentage of gold and silver which can be saved, and the cost of treatment. These, of course, can only he proved bv actual working.—N.Z. “Herald.”