STORY OF ZINC,MINED AND MOULDED,A Part 2
Description
The original catalog description provided by the Ford Motor Company reads as follows: “100931 Approved by the Ohio Board of Censors.” “Zinc was the last of the 7 common metals to come into commercial use, being first made in the U.S. in 1838.” “The Oklahoma, Kansas, and Missouri district is the greatest zinc mining section in the United States.” Map of Kansas, Missouri, Arkansas, and Oklahoma showing locations of zinc mines - panoramic view of mining town and mine buildings. “The New Jersey district is the oldest zinc district. It was here that Samuel Wetherill invented his process in 1851.” Map of New York, Connecticut, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, West Virginia, Virginia, Delaware, and North Carolina showing mine locations - panorama of mine and buildings - mine cars moving up ramp of tipple from mine opening, damping - ore on conveyor, workers sorting ore from conveyor - ore moving down chute into hopper - ore on conveyor, dropping into railroad car - view of lump and ground ore in railroad cars - row of buildings, ore and dirt in piles underneath. “A drop in the bucket.” Mine bucket coming up, worker taking smaller bucket out, four miners getting into bucket, being lowered into mine. “The ore is mined at a level of about 225 feet, averaging 6% mineral. Drilling a hole preparatory to shooting. Probably a ‘miner’ operation.” Two miners operating drill in mine - miner shoveling ore into large bucket. “Hauling cars of cans to shaft. This donkey was from Missouri and had to be shown.” Miner riding mule-drawn mine car in shaft. “Going up! Round trip 40 seconds.” Miners with buckets in mine, buckets being hauled up. “Open air mining loading mineralized ‘dirt’ with steam shovel.” View of steam shovel in open pit mine - steam shovel loading small railroad cars - engine pulling cars, entering tunnel. “Drawing off mineral and shoveling into cars. From 60 to 75 tons are handled daily hence the name Jig Room, for it keeps the boys on the Jump.” Workers shoveling ore into hand cars, pushing cars outside, dumping them. “Recovering mineral. The gold miner’s pan did almost the same thing.” Worker shoveling ore into trough. “Brought to the top in a froth and carried off by paddles. The mineral is then separated on shaker.” Paddles going around in trough - close-up of shaker in operation. “Smelting zinc ore. A process originally discovered by Dony, a Belgian. Panoramic view of smelting plant. “The Mix House. Here roasted ore and fine anthracite coal screenings are mixed to form furnace charge.” View of workers dumping ore from carts. “Then taken to furnace building and dumped.” Worker shoveling mixture. “Charging of zinc furnace which consists of changing retorts, breaking down condensers and scraping out residuum, recharging retorts and scraping off excess from shelf plate, setting, luting and stuffing.” Workers performing above process. “Zinc is distilled from ore by a chemical reaction of the ore and carbon in a heat of 1,800° to 2,500° Fahrenheit. 24 hours is required for this operation.” Worker tending and stoking fire. “Drawing zinc, a fellow doing this work probably wrote: ‘There’ll be a Hot Time in the Old Town Tonight.’” Worker drawing zinc into bucket - scraping waste off top of bucket. “Casting into a slab.” Metal being poured from bucket into molds - harden slabs being removed by worker - trainload of slabs moving from plant. “And now let’s think, what becomes of zinc.” [1919]
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