Volume 06-07 (1862-1863) (510 pages)

cron” t A JOURNAL OF MINING, MANUFACTURES, SCIENCE, ART, CHEMISTRY, INVENTIONS, ETC. . pieblleere VOL. VL SAN FRANCISCO, MONDAY EVENING, APRIL 20. 1863. . NOEs. QUARTZ REDUCTION AND GOLD AMALGAMATING MACHINERY. _ At no period in the history of mining has there been such xu intelligent and practical application of inventive Hgenius to mechanical contrivances for the reduction of quartz and the amalgamation of the precious metals as at the present time. An experience of twelve years in this /branch of industry on a scale of magnitude without a parallel in either time or place has advanced Californians to the front rank of experimental miners; and at this time the mis ers of the old world—even the veterans of Cornwall and ales are looking to California for the latest and most apad machinery in our peculiar speciality of extracting d from its matrix. One of the most successful opators in the new gold fields in Wales, is a gentleman ose taost important practical experience was obtained in the mines of California and Washoe. In machinery for reducing quartz, we are fast narrowing down toa point. The numerous contrivances of mammoth “Impingement” wheels, of ponderous rollers, cylinders, balls, €tc., have all been castaside forever, and there is every reagon to believe that the few experiments which are now in progress will soon result in the adoption of a principle which, by common consent, will be recognised as the most economical and effective application of machinery to this purpose. If stamps are to be used, with the “wet process” intursting pans must come into invariable use, in connection ®) with them. The experiments of the past two or three years have fully satisfied all practical miners that no “wet process,” except grinding, will pulverise quartz to a sufficient degree “of fineness to liberate anything like the entire amount of old contained in the quartz, and every miner is also fully &ware that any such process, by any machinery yet devised must necessarily be exceedingly slow. Efforts are now being made to reach the required fine‘tess by a direct process, and as to accomplish this the quartz ‘must be reduced dry, a class of machinery has been intro. duced similar in its general construction to the “Smut Mills” in use iu the wheat growing counties of the Hestern States, Which admit of an upward discharge, that can be so regulated that none but the finest floating particles of dust can ‘e&cape. One of these machines, the “Pond Crusher,” man. ufactured at the Miners’ Foundry, was recently illustrated in this paper. Another,now in use at the Pike’s Peak . mines, where itisknown as the “Young America Quartz Crusher,” instead of using revolving hammers, accomplish@s the reduction by the simple velocity of its motion, the . particles of quartz being struck are reduced to powder by “beaters,” while suspended in the atmosphere. To accomplish this the beaters are made to move with a speed of from 12 to 15 hundred revolutions a minute. This latter ) machine has been constructed in this city-by Goddard & €o., at whose foundry patterns of the same can be seen. Ji is claimed that by these machines the quartz may be crushed so fine as to need but very little reduction in the pars, which, indeed, need only be used as amalgamators. Both these machines are about to be submitted to practical ests on 2 large scale, the results of which will probably fully develop their power, capacity and economy. Thus oi their use hus been mainly experimental, but with results which give much reason to hope for the eventual success of the principle. Of course we shall not fail to note auy re-! sults for the benefit of our readers, as soon as they shall transpire. Much progress has also been made in improving the “stamps.” Probably the best stamp battery which has yet been constructed is that made in this city by Goddard & Co. It is made of wrought iron, durable, light, effective, and easily kept in order. The Ophir Company, at Washoe, has) thoroughly tested the value and economy of this battery by working it in connection with the ordinary wooden. stamps, and have decided to adop it to the exclusion of the wooden ones. Tt discharges upon all sides, an arrangement which adds greatly to its effectiveness. This battery may be seen and examined at Goddard & Co's Foundry, on First Street in this city. OUR MECHANICAL INTERESTS. The late extraordinary mineral developments on the Hastern Slope, the increased attention paid to the quartz mining interest, everywhcre, throughout the State, and the renewed attention now being given tothe mines of Sonora and Lower California, are adding vastly to the business of the Foundries ‘and Machine Shops of this city, and to mechanical industry generally. The continuous demand for machinery for new mines, and for increase and renewal of machinery on old ones are compelling our foundries, in many cases to enlarge their area of business, and to add many additional hands and much machinery to their mechanical forces. Go where you may about the great work shops of this city, you will find evidences of most unparalleled prosperity meeting you upon every baud. ‘The air of Front street and the lower portion of market, in particular, is resonant with the noisy din of the hammer and chisel of lath and anvil, while the sinews of iron and steel, moved by the untiring energy of steam, are constantly being brought into requisition as adjunets to human labor. Thanks to the energy and enterprise of San Francisco mechanics and capitalists, our State is now fully redeemed from the thraldom of foreign dependence, and our miners and others are supplied with better machinery than could he obtained from the East, inasmuch as our mechanics and inventors have carefully studied and fully understand the peculiar necessities of the country. A more intelligent and energetic class of mechanics cannot be found in the world than are now concentrated in this city. Being desirous to gain some idea of what is being done by our foundrymen and boiler makers, and make brief mention of the same in the columns of the Press, we took a hurried walk, a few days since through some of the principal shops, and were nota little astonished to note the magnitude to which this business had arrived within the last two or three years. Therecent mining operations and undertakings on the Southern Coast have added vastly to the demands for machinery from our foundries and machine shops. -No better idea of the magnitude and extent of this new direction which is being given to our mining industry, cun be formed, than by passing through six or eight of our principal foundries and noting the immense amount of machinery now being prepared for these mines. These developments, though outside of the limits of the United States, are nevertheless as much condusive to the advancement and prosperity of this city as though the mines were located within the bounderies of California, All the wealth whch they will create, all the commerce aud industrial interest which they will call into life, will centre in San Francisco, and add direetly or indirectly to the prosperity of each and all its inhabitants. We propo-e to take up each foundry, separately, and endeavor to give our readers in future numbers, some idea of whut is going on in these vast laboratories, where are concentrated the mechanical genius and skill of the Pacific Coast. We regret that the limited extent of our colnnns will not admit of our devoting two or three pages in each issue of the Press, to the benefit of our mechanical interests. But we cannot do so at present. We hope ere long, however, to be able to enlarge the dimensions of oursheet to double its present size, when,.in additition to our mining department, which will continue to form the leading feature of the paper, we propose to make the Press also the exponent of the mechanical interest of the State—in short, we aim to make it the “Scientific American” of the Pacific Coast. This is the plan we have marked out, and to this end we solicit the active co-operation of these two great industrial interests, fully aware that it is only by their aid and favor that we can achieve the success to which our ambition aspires. Thus far our progress has been flattering, and we have been greeted with many acts and words of encouragement. Sanzorn on Coprer.—We are desirous to either purchase, cr obtain the loan, for a few days, of a work entitled “Sanborn on Copper.” Any person having said work will ¢on« fer a great favor by forwarding the same to this office. We are unable to find the work in any of the bookstores or libra. ries of the city. Although several copies have recently been sold by Bancroft & Co. Opair Minine Company.—C. W. Lightner, late Superintendent of the Sacrainento Gas Company, has been elected President of the Ophir Mining Company, vice J. W. White, deceased. The Office of this Company has been removed to Room No. 1, Express Building, Montgomery Street. Our Minine Last is stil] increasing. We shall continue its weekly publication a short time longer, after which we propose to confine its issue to monthly terms. The frequent changes of the Offices and Secretaries of the various Companies render its permanent issue, in pamphlet form, as hag been several times suggested to us,of no practical value. In a short time after its issuance in pamphlet, it would he ag likely to mislead as otherwise. Our readers will find it of much more value in its present shape, corrected at regular: intervals. :

cron” t A JOURNAL OF MINING, MANUFACTURES, SCIENCE, ART, CHEMISTRY, INVENTIONS, ETC. . pieblleere VOL. VL SAN FRANCISCO, MONDAY EVENING, APRIL 20. 1863. . NOEs. QUARTZ REDUCTION AND GOLD AMALGAMATING MACHINERY. _ At no period in the history of mining has there been such xu intelligent and practical application of inventive Hgenius to mechanical contrivances for the reduction of quartz and the amalgamation of the precious metals as at the present time. An experience of twelve years in this /branch of industry on a scale of magnitude without a parallel in either time or place has advanced Californians to the front rank of experimental miners; and at this time the mis ers of the old world—even the veterans of Cornwall and ales are looking to California for the latest and most apad machinery in our peculiar speciality of extracting d from its matrix. One of the most successful opators in the new gold fields in Wales, is a gentleman ose taost important practical experience was obtained in the mines of California and Washoe. In machinery for reducing quartz, we are fast narrowing down toa point. The numerous contrivances of mammoth “Impingement” wheels, of ponderous rollers, cylinders, balls, €tc., have all been castaside forever, and there is every reagon to believe that the few experiments which are now in progress will soon result in the adoption of a principle which, by common consent, will be recognised as the most economical and effective application of machinery to this purpose. If stamps are to be used, with the “wet process” intursting pans must come into invariable use, in connection ®) with them. The experiments of the past two or three years have fully satisfied all practical miners that no “wet process,” except grinding, will pulverise quartz to a sufficient degree “of fineness to liberate anything like the entire amount of old contained in the quartz, and every miner is also fully &ware that any such process, by any machinery yet devised must necessarily be exceedingly slow. Efforts are now being made to reach the required fine‘tess by a direct process, and as to accomplish this the quartz ‘must be reduced dry, a class of machinery has been intro. duced similar in its general construction to the “Smut Mills” in use iu the wheat growing counties of the Hestern States, Which admit of an upward discharge, that can be so regulated that none but the finest floating particles of dust can ‘e&cape. One of these machines, the “Pond Crusher,” man. ufactured at the Miners’ Foundry, was recently illustrated in this paper. Another,now in use at the Pike’s Peak . mines, where itisknown as the “Young America Quartz Crusher,” instead of using revolving hammers, accomplish@s the reduction by the simple velocity of its motion, the . particles of quartz being struck are reduced to powder by “beaters,” while suspended in the atmosphere. To accomplish this the beaters are made to move with a speed of from 12 to 15 hundred revolutions a minute. This latter ) machine has been constructed in this city-by Goddard & €o., at whose foundry patterns of the same can be seen. Ji is claimed that by these machines the quartz may be crushed so fine as to need but very little reduction in the pars, which, indeed, need only be used as amalgamators. Both these machines are about to be submitted to practical ests on 2 large scale, the results of which will probably fully develop their power, capacity and economy. Thus oi their use hus been mainly experimental, but with results which give much reason to hope for the eventual success of the principle. Of course we shall not fail to note auy re-! sults for the benefit of our readers, as soon as they shall transpire. Much progress has also been made in improving the “stamps.” Probably the best stamp battery which has yet been constructed is that made in this city by Goddard & Co. It is made of wrought iron, durable, light, effective, and easily kept in order. The Ophir Company, at Washoe, has) thoroughly tested the value and economy of this battery by working it in connection with the ordinary wooden. stamps, and have decided to adop it to the exclusion of the wooden ones. Tt discharges upon all sides, an arrangement which adds greatly to its effectiveness. This battery may be seen and examined at Goddard & Co's Foundry, on First Street in this city. OUR MECHANICAL INTERESTS.

The late extraordinary mineral developments on the Hastern Slope, the increased attention paid to the quartz mining interest, everywhcre, throughout the State, and the renewed attention now being given tothe mines of Sonora and Lower California, are adding vastly to the business of the Foundries ‘and Machine Shops of this city, and to mechanical industry generally. The continuous demand for machinery for new mines, and for increase and renewal of machinery on old ones are compelling our foundries, in many cases to enlarge their area of business, and to add many additional hands and much machinery to their mechanical forces. Go where you may about the great work shops of this city, you will find evidences of most unparalleled prosperity meeting you upon every baud. ‘The air of Front street and the lower portion of market, in particular, is resonant with the noisy din of the hammer and chisel of lath and anvil, while the sinews of iron and steel, moved by the untiring energy of steam, are constantly being brought into requisition as adjunets to human labor. Thanks to the energy and enterprise of San Francisco mechanics and capitalists, our State is now fully redeemed from the thraldom of foreign dependence, and our miners and others are supplied with better machinery than could he obtained from the East, inasmuch as our mechanics and inventors have carefully studied and fully understand the peculiar necessities of the country. A more intelligent and energetic class of mechanics cannot be found in the world than are now concentrated in this city. Being desirous to gain some idea of what is being done by our foundrymen and boiler makers, and make brief mention of the same in the columns of the Press, we took a hurried walk, a few days since through some of the principal shops, and were nota little astonished to note the magnitude to which this business had arrived within the last two or three years. Therecent mining operations and undertakings on the Southern Coast have added vastly to the demands for machinery from our foundries and machine shops. -No better idea of the magnitude and extent of this new direction which is being given to our mining industry, cun be formed, than by passing through six or eight of our principal foundries and noting the immense amount of machinery now being prepared for these mines. These developments, though outside of the limits of the United States, are nevertheless as much condusive to the advancement and prosperity of this city as though the mines were located within the bounderies of California, All the wealth whch they will create, all the commerce aud industrial interest which they will call into life, will centre in San Francisco, and add direetly or indirectly to the prosperity of each and all its inhabitants. We propo-e to take up each foundry, separately, and endeavor to give our readers in future numbers, some idea of whut is going on in these vast laboratories, where are concentrated the mechanical genius and skill of the Pacific Coast. We regret that the limited extent of our colnnns will not admit of our devoting two or three pages in each issue of the Press, to the benefit of our mechanical interests. But we cannot do so at present. We hope ere long, however, to be able to enlarge the dimensions of oursheet to double its present size, when,.in additition to our mining department, which will continue to form the leading feature of the paper, we propose to make the Press also the exponent of the mechanical interest of the State—in short, we aim to make it the “Scientific American” of the Pacific Coast. This is the plan we have marked out, and to this end we solicit the active co-operation of these two great industrial interests, fully aware that it is only by their aid and favor that we can achieve the success to which our ambition aspires. Thus far our progress has been flattering, and we have been greeted with many acts and words of encouragement. Sanzorn on Coprer.—We are desirous to either purchase, cr obtain the loan, for a few days, of a work entitled “Sanborn on Copper.” Any person having said work will ¢on« fer a great favor by forwarding the same to this office. We are unable to find the work in any of the bookstores or libra. ries of the city. Although several copies have recently been sold by Bancroft & Co. Opair Minine Company.—C. W. Lightner, late Superintendent of the Sacrainento Gas Company, has been elected President of the Ophir Mining Company, vice J. W. White, deceased. The Office of this Company has been removed to Room No. 1, Express Building, Montgomery Street. Our Minine Last is stil] increasing. We shall continue its weekly publication a short time longer, after which we propose to confine its issue to monthly terms. The frequent changes of the Offices and Secretaries of the various Companies render its permanent issue, in pamphlet form, as hag been several times suggested to us,of no practical value. In a short time after its issuance in pamphlet, it would he ag likely to mislead as otherwise. Our readers will find it of much more value in its present shape, corrected at regular: intervals. :