REPORT.

It affords me pleasure in presenting this, the ninth annual report, on all mines other than coal mines, to point to a very material increase in the production of both lead and zinc ores as compared with the year 1894.

The tonnage production of lead increased 9615 tons, and this, in spite of a very marked decrease in price ($7.42 per ton.)

This fall in the price has caused the money total for this product to be $97,168 less than that of last year. It has also been the cause of several large producers shutting down their mines, as they say that they cannot produce lead at the present prices and prefer to close their mines rather than exhaust them without profit to themselves. This speaks all the better for the production of the plants that have remained in operation.

The tonnage of zinc ores was increased 12,144 tons, and I am glad to state that the case of this product, with reference to price, is the reverse of that of its sister-metal, lead, as its price increased $1.86 per ton.

This increased price was experienced toward the latter end of our fiscal year, and has caused a marked increase in the development of the mines. Many of those shut down on account of low prices have been re-opened and are now producing ore, and many new mines have also been opened lately and have become good producers.

In Jasper county many new discoveries have been made lately, those east and west of Joplin being probable the most noted of the recently opened mines. However, some of the new mines north promise very well, and around Webb City and Carterville are also found many new prospects that ought to develop into good paying mines. There are several other places in the county where good zinc and lead ores have been found recently, and only require development to turn them into good producers. In all these places new shafts are being sunk and the churn drill used to find the ore preparatory to sinking more. In this manner a large area in Jasper county is being developed, and if

I may judge from the amount of drilling and the large number of shafts being sunk in what may be termed new territory, the probability of an increased production for several years to come turns to an assured fact. There were also many new plants for dressing ore put up this year, many of which have improvements connected with them that are very much superior to the old methods in general use in the district. Considering the low prices of ore and the great financial depression that existed throughout the whole of last year, this county, I think, has done remarkably well, in increasing her tonnage of zinc ore over 13 cent and lead tonage over 18 per cent, and making an increased value of these products over last year of more than 8 per cent.

Another section of this district which has shown marked increase in her production is that portion lying around Aurora, in Lawrence. county. Here, as in Jasper county, many new shafts are being sunk, which promise a fine production of ore for many years to come. The developments here are well up to the average in other parts of the district, and the future of the camp looks bright as a producer. only requires some capital and the energy of some of our western miners to make it a booming camp.

It

The amount of money realized by the zinc miners this year is $369,755.04 in excess of that of last year.

The grand total of money from lead and zinc is $3,560,066.24, which is $272,587.32 greater than last year's total.

We also find 292 more men engaged in producing these metals than in the preceding year.

In Southeast Missouri, and especially in St. Francois county, where is found the enormous deposits of disseminated lead ores, gigantic strides have been made in late years in its development, and in the application of machinery to reduce the cost of mining and milling these very large bodies of low-grade lead ores. How well it has been done we can judge by the production of some of the mines, the largest (St. Joseph Lead Co.) producing over 20,000 tons of dressed ore ready for the furnace, this year.

Very large and costly machinery must be used here on account of the depth at which they are mining, (the deepest is that done by the Doe Run Lead Co., as its shaft at Flat river is 450 feet deep) and the great amount of water encountered necessarily requiring the very best pumps. The large amount of machinery required for dressing the ore forces them to get the best engines, boilers, etc. All this adds materially to the cost of producing the ore, most of which is very low grade and intimately mixed with hard limestone. Hence, every eco

nomical appliance of machinery is being used, so as to bring the cost of production below the present low prices of lead.

In this connection I give below a short description of one of these mines and its mill, accompanied by explanatory cuts, with the hope that some of the improved methods found to work so satisfactorily here, may be adopted by other mill men and thereby not only save more ore, but do so more economically than they are now doing.

For this purpose I selected the "Central Lead Co.'s" plant, situated near Flat river, in St. Francois county, on account of its being the last plant erected in that district, and hence would naturally have the latest improvements.

The ore body of the Central Lead Co.'s mine is situated at a depth of 370 feet, and is from 6 to 35 feet in thickness. The mining is done with sypher drills, driven by compressed air. Only one shaft has been sunk, out the cores obtained by prospecting with diamond drills indicate an ore body extending some 3000 feet in length and at a uniform depth, making the mining economical.

Considerable water is encountered, the present flow in the mine being about 300 gallons per minute; which, however, is easily handled by a Worthington compound condensing pump of the pressure pattern, set over the "sump," near the bottom of the shaft, into which sump all the water of the mine drains. The steam cylinders are 12′′ by 20", and the water cylinder 73", with a 15′′ stroke. Great care was

exercised in setting the pump and in obtaining a free discharge with easy curves. Its steam-pipes are carefully covered to prevent loss from condensation, and a separator is placed near the pump, while steam and vacuum gauges maintain proper control.

The mine cars, which are made in the machine-shops of the company, are light, cheap, durable and admirably adapted for the purpose. They are built of steel sheets joined with angle iron, and are so constructed that when put on the "cradle " the end and sides open auto matically and empty the load.

The shaft is provided with cage-way and ladders from top to bottom. The cage is built of steel and Norway iron and is provided with strong safety catches. The catch is of the cam pattern, placed on a two-inch steel shaft and held together by one-inch Norway iron plates. The center of the bottom of the cage is arranged to drop about three inches when the cage lifted off the landing, thus locking the car automatically and preventing any danger from the car slipping while hoisting and lowering. The lauding timbers at the top are arranged on an arc, so that when they fall into place they are supported directly on the gallows frame and not on the legs. A counter weight, running in

guides, is connected directly with the drum of the hoist, and so arranged as to balance the weight of the cage and empty car. This not · only relieves the engines, but prevents accidents from over-winding of the cable, as, when the counter-weight reaches the bottom so much additional work is thrown on the hoist that it stops under any ordinary head of steam. Steam is turned on in lowering to start the cage, and in hoisting steam is shut off some 50 feet before reaching the top, the acquired velocity carrying the cage to the top. This makes safe hoisting, for the reason that the velocity of the cage is decreasing when nearing the top and bottom of shaft.

The gallows frame is built of white oak. The sill timbers are 12"x12", bolted to masonry foundations, and the uprights are 10"x10". The height is 60 feet. There are 6 perpendicular timbers at the shaft, and 4 set at angles from the top; 2 leading to the sides, and 2 toward the hoist. The whole is strongly braced, and bolted with over 800 bolts; no pin joints being used. (See cut No. 1.)

The cars are landed about 35 feet above the ground and dumped by means of a cradle on an inclined "grizzley," the fine material passing directly through the "grizzley" into a mill-car, while the coarser material slides into the crushers, of which there are three, so arranged that one may be stopped without interfering with the others.

From the crushers, the broken ore falls into the mill-car. No attempt has been made to determine the capacity of the crushers, owing to the difficulty of ascertaining the quantity of fine material which passes through the "grizzlies," but 10 tons per hour usually pass through each crusher and "grizzley," and with new jaws and toggleplates on crusher, special run of 12 tons in 22 minutes has been made. By the arrangement of grizzlies and crushers, but 3 men are required on top to handle 200 tons in 10 hours; that is to land, crush and deposit the ore in mill-cars, one man landing the cars and two feeding. (See cut No. 1.)

The engine-house adjoins the gallows-frame, and is covered by a truss roof, so that there are no posts in the way. The equipment consists of Lidgerwood reversible friction hoist, two Norwalk air compressors and a 50-horse power engine for crushers.

The boiler-house adjoins the engine-house, and contains four 50horse power 6-inch flue boilers, Hoppe's live-steam purifier and Hoppe's open heater.

In a separate building near the shaft is the dry and changing house, the only one of its kind that I know of in the State. The use to which this building is put is unique, and the purpose very commendable, being solely for the comfort and convenience of employees.

The dimensions are 71 feet by 18 feet, and it contains a bathing pool 16 by 8 feet, and 6 feet deep; the water being heated by steam and continually renewed from the pumps. On the sides of the interior are capacious closets, in which the miners keep their working clothes when not in use, each having his individual closet and key. The whole building is heated by steam coil-pipes used by the miners for drying their wet clothes. The company furnishes the building but requires the men to keep it clean, there being no other rules or regulations for its use. The constant use of the bath and building by all the men shows how it is appreciated, and it certainly is an outlay for the health and comfort of the men, well worthy of imitation by all companies engaged in mining. (See cut No. 3.)

The machine shop is situated near the mine, and is equipped with a Cincinnati Universal milling machine, a 24" by 14 Lodge & Shipley lathe, a 10x16 Fay & Scott lathe, an 18" Smith & Silk shaper, a 20′′ Lodge & Davis drill press, Universal tool-grinder, pipe-cutter, punch, shears, etc., and a full line of small tools. This equipment enables repairs to be made without delay, and saves the expense of shutting down to send to the city for them. Many of the machines and repair parts are made here cheaper than they can be bought, with the exception of the castings, trucks, pulleys, etc. The cars, jigs, round tables, centrifugal pumps, tripods, columns and cages are all made here, while repair parts for all machines are constantly being made and kept on hand.

Near the machine shop are situtated the saw-mill and patternmakers' shop. The pattern shop is fitted with a wood lathe for preparing patterns for castings required, while the oak timber on the company's land furnishes the necessary lumber.

The site of the mill is an excellent one, being on a hill-side, and adjacent to the water supply. The large tonage of low grade ore they have here, and the immense quantity of water required for its concentration, make small economies in the handling of each ton aggregate a large amount in a year, as 9000 tons of water pass through this mill in 24 hours. The mill is 1500 feet distant from the shaft, a site having been obtained on the side of a hill above Flat river, having a slope of about 20 feet and a fall of 70 feet to the river. It is built in terraces on the solid rock, so that the material to be concentrated passes by gravity through the successive operations without any expense of elevating or handling. The bottom of the mill is 30 feet above the river, and below the mill is an area sufficient in extent for the wastage of tailings for many years. A canal, on which the mill-pump is located,