The Sun.
London, England, 1857-06-08 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONEON, MONDAY EVENING, JUNE 8, 1857

Naval and Military intelligence.

GOLD WORKS IN ENGLAND.

gold from Welsh quartz by the smelting procesl,
but this soon met the fate which attends all schemes
that go out of the way to be excessively expensive.
It was soon wound up, but its brief peL iod of
working seemed to prove that about three-quarters
of an ounce of gold per ton could be got from Welsh
rock, though, as far as we are aware, it did not
prove that the supply of quartz of even this mode-
rate richness was large or would be constant. That
fair and, perhaps, even rich specimens of auriferous
quartz may now and then be found in Wales we
are well aware, though it has yet to be shown
that it is rich enough to pay the working, or that
enough of any kind exists to keep up a regular
supply. Gold is almost as universally diffused as
iron ; it may even be obtained from the ashes of
plants, therefore Welsh quartz is not likely to be
without it, but th quanity of its yield is open to as
grave doubts as the extent of any auriferous rocks
in Wales at all. This is the problem which the
Frodsham Company propose to solve. Without
being at all sanguine upon the matter, we at least
wish them to do so satisfactorily Their plans are
not badly laid, and will at least have one result—
that of setting at rest for ever the long disputed
question as to the value:of the gold-bearing quartz,
if we may so call it, in the United Kingdom.
The expense of the experiment is not very great,
but the chance of a large return is not great
either. The same company are also about to enter
into arrangements for a supply of Australian quartz.
If this is well done the plan may result in a very
fair profit. The enormous expense of coal and labour
at the Australian diggings makes it unremunerative
to crush gold quartz bearing less than six ounces to
the ton, just as the rule is there not to smelt copper
ore of less than 24 per cent., though here the cop-
per ore of 5 and 6 per cent. commands a good price.
If a regular supply of Australian gold quartz at six
ounces the ton can be procured the Cheshire " dig-
gings" may indeed exult, but the proof of the feasi-
bility of such an arrangement must be well authen-
ticated and beyond dispute.

THE NIAGARA.

(Prom the Times.)
People who know only of gold in nuggets, and
who are accustomed weekly to read of the arrival
of half-a-million in ounces from Australia, may be
surprised to hear of works for the crushing of gold
quartz being established in England. Neverthe-
less, such is the fact, and in a remote corner of Che-
shire—pregnable only to firm railway tourists—an
establishment exists, not only for the convers'on of
American quartz into ounces and ingots of the pre-
cious metal, but which purposes to extend its auri-
ferous researches among the mountains and quar-
ries of England. The Chancellorsville Company,
as it is called, has been at work now only for a short
period, though long enough to found a tolerably
extensive factory, if we may so term it, where all
the various processes necessary to the production
of the circulating medium from exceedingly dirty
looking stones goes on daily. The material upon
which up to the present they have [tested their
powers has been Virginian quartz from a gold-bear-
ing district in the United States ; but they intend
to venture upon experiments with the English
rocks, which, if successful, may lead to important
results. To prove the facility and cheapness with
which gold might be extracted from the American
quartz a number of scientific gentlemen and others
interested in the result of the scheme were invited
down to the works on Saturday, with a view
to a public exhibition of the whole modus operandi,
and of course a display of its anticipated profits.
Frodsham, as some of our readers may know, is
rather an out-of-the-way place, a long, lazy-
looking town, with no particular interest in itself,
or apparently in anything else either. A third
crew would be a source of excitement, and, of
course, under such eircumstances the new gold-
works are by no means over-looked, but form the
staple of comment and conversation throughout the
little town. The visit of a large party of gentle-
men especially to inspect them and their results on
Saturday will by no means tend to allay this grow-
ing interest, which seems fast leading to the belief
that Frodsham is to be at once the Bendigo and
California of the Old World. In order that our
readers may not be led into so grievous an error,
we shall at once inform them of the processes now
going forward at Frodsham, their present results,
and (on the part of the company) future intentions
and anticipations. The works are now solely en-
gaged in crushing American quartz, or perhaps, we
may say ore, in which the gold is found. To those
troubled with vague ideas as to gold being always
picked up, and realised with little labour and no
capital, this account of its "manufacture" from
quartz will at least be new, if not interesting.
The ore on which the Cbancellorsville Company
work is quarried from an extensive mine belonging
to the company in Orange County, Virginia, a
short distance from Frederieksburgh, and which is
brought over to this country as ballast. When de-
livered on the wharf of the works at Frodsham its
cost is nearly 308. per ton. It is a coarse amor-
phous quartz, not unlike rock salt in appearance,
but largely intermixed with auriferous and argen-
tiferous pyrites. This is first calcined in an ordi-
nary kiln to partially free it from sulphur, and as-
sist the process of crushing, which it subsequently
undergoes from the stampers, after being broken
into smaller pieces. The stampers used at Frodsham
are ordinary Cornish ones, of the most primitive
form, and such as have been inuse throughout Corn-
wall and Devon for many years. It is said that
these do the work better than either Jones's, Ber-
, dan's, or Britten's quartz-crushing machines, which
certainly seems singular; but what, perhaps, is more
remarkable is that ordinary mill-stones,—in fact, a
common flour-mill will, it is alleged, crush it better
than any. Close to the Frodsham works stands an
extensive flour-mill, at which 12 tons of the quartz
have been ground finer than anything done by the
stampers and crushing machines in the same period
of time. The stones 1113 e d were the ordinary chert
or millstone grit, as it is called, and the millers
aver that this work wore them less than even grind-
ing Indian corn. It must be remembered, however,
that the quartz is calcined before it reaches the mill,
though, even making this allowance, it seems
rather a snub to our mechanical progress to have
in the 19th century to revert to a practice as old as
mankind itself. The machine used at Frodsham has
twelve 7 cwt. stunpers, which crush the quartz to
the consistency of a coarse sand at the rate of rather
more than a ton per hour, or about 20 tons per
day. There is; however, already sufficient steam
power on the premises to crush 50 tons daily if the
supply is forthccming. From the stampers the
crushed quartz flows with a stream of water into a
series of " slime pits," labyrinths of narrow pipes
at the entrance of which the particles of gold sink
according to their specific gravity. From these it
is shovelled up -with the other mattar with which it
is mixed and placed on the " shaking table," a long
platform of wood fixed under a small stream of
water, and which by an alternate rise and fall allows
the greater part of the extraneous substances to be
washed away. Only a dark coloured sand, contain-
ing particles of quartz, gold, silver, copper, and
iron, remains on the table, whence it is removed to
undergo the process of fine grinding, which reduces
it to an impalpable powder as soft as flour, and not
unlike it, save that it glitters with minute specks
of metal. It is again calcinced in a reverberatory
furnace (to drive off the remains of sulphur), which
is so constructed as to prevent the metallic particles
of gold and silver passing up with the draught.
Shafts are attached to the .furnaces in which the
sulphur and any metals that may have volatilised
are deposited, and the yield from the former appears
to be large. As the ore thus roasted a second time
is found
thrown
when tocont all a i proportion of other metals, it
is
heated into a bath of mineral acids,
by which the copper, &c., is dissolved, and
afterwards precipitated in the usual manner. For
reasons of economy muriatic acid is used, though
the saving is rather in appearance than in fact, as
the chlorine in the acid must naturally dissolve a
portion of the gold also, and to that extent diminish
the yield per ton. The auriferous powder which
remains is finally passed through a stream of water
under a wheel containing 550 magnets, which re-
volves at the rate of 15 times a-minute. This frees
it from much iron, yet, as it is done to prevent the
iron entering with the gold and interfering with
amalgamation, it is simply ridiculous, as the merest
tyro in chemistry ought to know that between iron
and mercury there can be no combination. The
magnets are, however, useful for a duty which they
were never intended to perform—namely, pressing
out the arsenuret of iron. What remains flows
into an amalgator, in which the mercury and ore
are agitated together, the activity of the former be-
ing quickened occasionally by jets of steam passed
through it. After a given time the mercury is re •
moved and placed in a retort, where it is distilled
into water, leaving only a gold button containing a
little silver behind. On Saturday nearly the whole
of this process was gone through on a small scale at
Frodsbam. A ton of the quartz was crushed, cal-
cined fine, ground, magnetised, and amalgamated,
and the yield was 1 ounce 7 pennyweights 7 grains
of puregodl, or very nearly an ounce and a half per
ton.

The Niagara, United States screw frigate, Capt.
Hudson, arrived at Spithead. on Saturday morning,
soon after daylight, and anchored. Her appear-
ance from the shore was anything but prepossessing.
On looking aloft, however, the seaman's eye in-
stantly detects the beautifully-stayed masts and
well-squared yards. Her size, and we believe her
tonnage, has been considerably over-rated. Her
length has been stated to be nearly 390 feet, which
would make her longer than the Himalaya ; whereas
the Niagara is 45 feet shorter than the Himalaya,
but has more beam. From fore-part of figurehead
to after-part of taffrail she is 339 feet 6 inches ;
breadth of beam, 56 feet. In outward appearance
she looks like a foreign troop-ship. It is only when
on board that her advantages are perceptible. The
bulwarks on the upper deck are full 7 feet in height,
offering great protection from an enemy's fire. On
this deck 12 monster guns of 11-inch bore are to be
worked, and shutters can be lowered in all direc-
tions so as to get an acute angle.
There can be no doubt, provided accuracy of
range could be obtained, that she would be a most
formidable antagonist ; but we should infinitely
prefer in time of action such frigates as the Impe-
rieuse, Shannon, or Emerald, with their present
armament. Descending to the main deck of the
Niagara, the great space afforded is immediately
perceptible, there being nearly eight feet under the
beams, which are of great strength.
We feel satisfied at the present moment she is a
disguised ship of war, for her fighting quarters on
the main deck, with 68 and long 32 pounders,
would be perfection. Her engine-room is very
beautifully arranged, but the temperature much
above what we had expected. Lieut. Wells is now
doing duty on board the iagara, and visitors will
have the advantage of being courteously received
and introduced to the rest of the officers. The con-
sul, Mr. Vincent Pappalardo, introduced Cap-
tain Hudson to the commander-in-chief, Ad-
miral Sir George Seymour, and other authorities,
naval and military. The ward-room far sur-
passes in size and arrangement that of any ship in
the British service. There are about 30 officers in
all, and a present crew of 450 ; her full complement
would be 700. The mess-tables and berthing-places
of the men are of a first-rate character for comfort.
The Niagara came into harbour before one o'clock
and moored alongside the Rodney, 90, two-decker.
She will be taken into the fitting or steam-basin
to-day, and her alterations immediately commenced
to enable her to receive her portion of the sub-
marine cable. The commander-in-chief paid a visit
to the Niagara after Divine service yesterday.

The Colossus, 80, screw, Capt. Thompson, is still
lying at the basin moorings at Sheerness, landing
all her stores, and stripping with all possible des-
patch. The order is now that she is to be paid off,
and placed in the second-class steam reserve on the
16th of this month.
The Ganges, 84, is fitting for commission at
Sheerness. Report says she is intended to carry
the flag of Rear Admiral R. L. Baynes, and to re-
lieve the Monarch in the Pacific.
The Renown, 91, is still in the basin at Sheer-
ness, fitting her machinery. She will soon take her
trial trip, when she will be placed in the second-
class steam reserve, in charge of Mr. Robert Nicoll,
chief engineer.
The Terror, 14, floating battery, Capt. Frederick
Hutton, is in No. 3, dry dock, Sheerness, fitting as
a battery for Bermuda.
The East India Company's troopships Owen
Glendower and Vernon have arrived at Gravesend,
having on board nearly 500 invalid troops from re-
giments serving in India. The Owen Glendower,
Commander Watson, sailed from Kurrachee on the
11th February last, having on board 235 non-
commissioned officers and men belonging to the Bth
(the King's), 24th, 27th (Enniskillens), 81st, 87th
(Royal Irish Fusiliers), and the Royal Artillery,
with 33 women and children. During the voyage
six men died, and one insane soldier, named Mahon,
belonging to the 24th Regiment, jumped overboard
when the vessel was near St. Helena, and was lost,
although every effort was made to save him.
The Vernon reached St. Helena on the 21st of
April, and arrived in the Thames on Friday, after
a fine passage of three months and twelve days.
A banquet was given by the Grenadier Guards at
the London Tavern on Saturday evening. Covers
were laid for 60. The chair was taken by his Royal
Highness Prince Albert. Among the company
were bis Serene Highness Prince Edward of Saxe
Weimer ; Colonels Wood, Ellison. Wynyard,
Lindsay, Stanhope, Cadogan, &c.
The officers of the 17th Lancers gave their annual
dinner at the Clarendon Hotel on Friday, when
they were honoured with the company of the Duke
of Cambridge.
The Sydney strew steam transport, Captain
Thornhill, arrived at Spithead on Friday night,
from Gibraltar, which she left on the 31st of May,
bringing 12 officers, three ladies, 29 soldiers' wives,
40 children, and 384 men of the 15th Foot, and
four horses. She went into harbour yesterday
to land them.

The Mauritius and Cleopatra steam transports
are hourly expected at Portsmouth to embark troops
for China.

The .4.ustralian steam transport, Captain Castle,
from Gibraltar, arrived at Spithead yesterday, with
12 officers, 17 sergeants, 14 drummers, 308 rank
and file, 35 women, and 41 children of the 15th
Foot

On Friday two Russian steam yachts—the Veha
and the Bakan—built by Messrs. Samuda, with
machinery by Ravenhill and Miller, passed down
the river under steam and canvas, to test their
capabilities before leaving for Cronstadt on Tuesday.
Count Lacendorf, Lieutenant Peschowroff, Lieu-
tenant Skariateen, of the Russian navy, and a
large party of gentlemen accompanied the yachts
in their trial trip. These vessels are intended for
the same purposes as our Trinity yachts, attending
the lighthouses, and beacons of the coast, for which
use they are specially designed. The results were
most satisfactory, and when under steam the boats
of each steamer (light cutters), fitted on Clifford's
plan for lowering, were several times manned and
let down quite free of the ships in a few seconds,
without at all slackening the speed, the Count La-
cendorf and Lieutenant Skariateen being in one
boat and Mr. Samuda in the other.

The party of riggers and smiths, upwards of 50,
employed since the arrival of the Agamemnon at
Greenwich on Friday, in riveting the mooring
chains and making her snug, were engaged inces-
santly throughout Friday night up to midday on
Saturday, when they returned to Woolwich. The
shipment of the submarine wire is to commence to-
morrow or. Wednesday.
The steam troopship Dutchman, Jas. Kavanagh
master, having landed her cargo of shot aid shell
from Gibraltar at Woolwich/ is discharged the Go-
vernment service. She is compactly fitted with con-
veniences as a troopship, and is provided with a
couple of steam craues fitted to the quarter deck,
by means of which 1,200 tons of cargo are removed
in the course of 24 hours.

The military-store screw steamship Balaklava,
Capt. Wm. Petlatt, and the sailing transporc, Somer-
set, laden with returned stores fram Portsmouth,
were yesterday morning moored off Woolwich
Arsenal to discharge their cargoes.
In consequence of the recommendation of the
authorities of the storekeeper's department, Royal
Arsenal, Lord Panmure has issued an order for
several of the chief foremen of the department
named to be discharged, with liberal pensions for
long and faithful services.

It is but fair to state that the experiment
was tried upon one ton of quartz which had been
shovelled up hap-hazard from a mass upon the
premises. The average yield of the Virginian ore
is stated to be 14 ounces per ton. It is very rarely
less than this, and sometimes more. Half an ounce
per ton, if worked upon the spot where the quarsz
is found, would pay all expenses, and even with the
works at Cheshire and the mine in America lioz.,
if the supply is continuous and the works well
managed, should give a fair remuneration. Twenty
tons per diem are now reduced at the Frodsham
works, at a cost in coals for amalgamation, loss of
mercury, labour, sundries, and wear and tear of
machinery, of 17s. per ton, which, with the origi-
nal price of the ore, raises it to 21. 7s. The local
facilities afforded at Frodsham aia very great ; la-
bour is cheap, there is water, carriage by the river
Weaver to the very door of the works, and coals
can be had at 6s. per ton delivered. Under these
circumstances there can be no doubt that crushing
auriferous quartz which yields 11oz. per ton ought
to give a profit. It must, however, be shown posi-
tively that the supply of ore from Virginia can be
reckoned upon as regular and large in quantity.
But this remains to be proved. The company,
however, have two strings to their bow, and do not
intend to confine their quartz-crushiug to Virginian
ores solely, but will also try the auriferous quartz
which is found!about Dolgelly, and generallyround
the base of Snowdon. A few small specimens of
these quartz were shown at Frodsham, which are
as rich as they are rare, and which if found in large
quantities would yield, it is calculated, 1,500 OM.
per ton. But, of course, these pieces are only curi-
osities for the cabinet of the mineralogist. Never-
theless it is thought that auriferous quartz may be
found in North Wales at least as rich, if not richer
than the ore from Virginia, which, of course, could
be brought to the works at Frodsham at less than
the price now paid for that from America.
This is by no means the first time that attempts
have been made to extract gold from the Welsh
quartz, though whether from mismanagement or
the intrinsic
poverty of the matrix, not one of
the schemes has as yet proved remunerative.
No doubts whatever exists as to the auriferous
nature of the soil and rocks of Wicklow, and
for some time the Government mining energy
was directed into that channel. The result
was gold certainly, but gold at the rate of
51. and 6/. per oz. It must, however, be recol-
lected that at that time steam machinery was un-
known, and that at no time was our Government
over celebrated for the skill or economy with which
they could compete against private speculation.
About two years ago a company started to produce

PARK-CRESCENT GARDENS.—In these beautiful gar-
dens a fancy fair, for the sale of useful and ornamental
work, will be held to-morrow and on Wednesday. From
the list of patronesses, and the laudable object of their
zeal, there is no doubt the fair will be very fully and
fashionably attended.
fADVERVISSMANT.]—SIGIIT AND HEARING. SPECTACLES.- -
POWERFUL TELESCOPES.—OPERA, RACE, AND PERSPECTIVE
GLASSES.—Messrs. S. and B. Solomon, opticians, 39, Albe-
marle-street, Piccadilly. Observe—opposite the York Hotel,
W.—By her Majesty's Royal Letters Patent for valuable and
extraordinary improvements iu the most powerful and bril-
liant Telescopes, Camp, Racecourse, Opera, and Perspective
Glasses, to know the distances. These telescopes posse,s
such extraordinary power that some, three and a-half inches,
with an extra eye-plece will show distinctly Jupiter's moons,
Saturn's ring, and the double stars ; with the same telescope
can be seen a poison's countenance three-and-a-half mile, dis-
tant, and an object from 16 to 20 miles. For the waistcoat
pocket, ant are of larger, and all sizes, with inc. easing
Po Wets accordingly. The Royal Exhibition, 1851.—A valu-
able newly-inVeuto l very small powerful Waistcoat Pocket
Glass, the size of a walnut, by which a person can be seen
and known one and a half mile distant. They an4wer every
purpose on the race-course, and at the Opera Houses.
Country scenery, and ships are clearly seen at 12 to 14 miles.
limy are invaluable for shooting, deer-stalkinc, yachting,
to sportsmen, gentlemen, gamekeepers, and ton lets, Opera,
Camp, Perspective, and Racecoursa Classes, with wonderful
pow, rs. —lnvaluable preserving Spectacle Lenses of the
greatest transparent power, The great advantage derived
from this invention is, that vision impaired becomes pre-
:served and strengthened,' and very aged persons aro enabled
to employ their sight at the most minute occupation—
can see with these lenses of a much less magnifying power
—and they do not require the frequent changes to the
dangerous effects of further powerful assistance. Persons
can be suited at the moat remote part of the world by send-
inz one of the glasses out of their spectacles in a letter, and
stating the distance from the eye they can read small print
with ir, and those who have not made use of spectacles by
statiry, their ago. Deafness.—New Discovery.—The Or-
ganic °Vibrator, an extraordinarily powerful, small newly-
invented instrument for deafness, entirely different from all
others, surpasses anything of the kind that leas been, or pro-
bably ever can be produced. Being of the same colour as
tae skin, is not perceptible. It enables deaf persons to heap
distinctly at church and at public assemblies; the unpleasant
sensation of singing noises in the ears is entirely removed,
and it affords all the assistance that possibly could bo desired.
—39, Alt,einarle-street, Piccadilly.--Observe—opposite the
York Hotel. W.