P a g e 6 ovens,” being a combination of rock and brick, with the lower portion built of fire rock, while the crowns were constructed of fire brick, shipped from Pennsylvania for that purpose. G h o s t T o w n s a n d H i s t o r y o f M o n t a n a N e w s l e t t e r The first series of operations consisted of twenty ovens at the base of the mountains, just above the present site of Horr. Owing to the increasing demand for coke an addition of twenty ovens was made soon after, thus demonstrating the successful coking character of the coal. Mammoth Hot Springs In August, 1889, the management of the company was bestowed upon J. H. Conrad, who was now the heaviest shareholder. Under his administration additional ovens were erected and improved machinery introduced. Butte, East Helena, Great Falls and Anaconda were the main shipping points for the coke, while they also supplied the demand upon the company for fuel coal. The mines of the company are situated some distance back from the ovens and are developed by over a mile of tunnels through the coal, exposing an apparently inexhaustible supply. At first the coal was delivered to the bunkers by cars drawn by mules, but this method becoming inadequate a large stationary engine and hoist were put in position to furnish the motive power. The coal bunkers are situated near the mines and have a capacity of many hundred tons. From these bunkers the coal used in the ovens was conveyed by means of a tramway to the bunkers in use at that point, while another tramway furnished transportation to the railroad for the fuel coal, delivering it directly into the cars. By the mule and tramway method the cost of transporting the coal to the ovens was from twenty five to thirty cents per ton, while the additional incidental expense made it practically impossible to reap a dividend on capital invested. In 1892 J. J. Howell, George Welcome and J. J. Rhoads proposed and constructed a flume from the mines to the oven vats, said flume being 10x12 inches and carrying a full head of water on an incline of four inches in eight feet. The chutes were so arranged at the mines that the coal entered this flume and was carried to the vats at the ovens by a current of water, and at the same time subjected to a thorough washing, thus performing this double office at the average cost of three cents per ton. –Read more in next month’s issue! Accessed via: https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/
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