Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1852-10-16
NATIONAL INTELLlGENCER.
FROM AN OCCASIONAL CORRESPONDENT
New York, OCTOBER 9, 1852


the American Institutes fair for this season. for tire
years past, though they less numerous by far thar
heretofore for time has demonstrated the sheer hum
buggey of many of Them and the rremediable defects
others Two years ago appeared as though the ngen
tive genius Of our country dedicated almost wholly
the production Of articles to supply the fanced
the ii Dorado This state of things has already passed
away as If 1t were dream; leaving however as its me.
ehaniea results here and there invention or improve
nent destined to confer great benefit the community
Among the California contrvances shown last year
fifteen twenty varieties of quartz crushers all of
which have been duly tested in the land of promise for
1T is believed among the machinsts Of New York that
quite million of dollars have been even so early sunk in
California in experimenting with quartz crushers and
amalgamators. have myself known many different
ces 10 be sent from this port for such purposes,
costing near twenty thousand dollars each before ship
ment Yet strange to tell so far, there is not ANAL
gamator in use the California mines which takes up
secures TO the miner much than fifty per centum Of
the gold actually in the rock which is on the machine
The passes off with the ground
quartz, impurities water &c.-and is kept, far as
possible on hand by the miners under the name of
"tailings" in the hope that time may bring them ma
chine by which the gold remaining in this residuum may
be made available to them.
II may place commence IN the Judgment OF the men
of science and practical experience in such matters who
are to be found daily the Fair young Western me-
chanic H. BERDAS of Chicago Illinois, has at length
meded the difficulty gentleman from the SAME city,
oognzan of the details of his experiments and efforts
perfect this machine has informed of facts satisfying
far his invention is concerned of the soundness
of opinion in this connection long since formed viz
that the world is indebted patient investigation rather
than to impnlsive genius for well nigh all the important
inventions which have marked its progress the and
sciences. According to his account this Mr. BERpAN,
having previously realized handsomely from patent for
sefcleanng threshing machine, invented by him. which
is in general at the North dispatched two wel-n
formed scientific and practical mechanics TO California
Immediately after the discovery of gold there the
operations Of the miners and the difficulties they might be
forced encounter with instructions to procure for him.
far possible, their of the obstacles
standing in the path of their success Accordingly they
brought home quite volume of manuscripts from the
various mines the writer's universally concurring in at
triputng the difficulties in their way almost altogether to
the apparent impossibity of getting perfect amalga-
mator that Is which would separate and preserve
the gold completely though done under the chemi-
cal analysis Of assayer Shrewdyankee like this in
ventor bethought him Of first principles" and con-
trived machine to remedy the difficulty which for SIM
is almost laughabe, though perfectly triumphant He
has applied produce his grinder and amalgamatOr for
The most part only the Old paa the house painters p
prentice in grinding Lis masters coors Both you and
have often seen the apprentice puverzing paints in
.sFpgng kettle by rolling ball in it, the paint
being previously introduced in Jumps This forms lead
ing feature Of Mr. Berdan machine the other being the
inclination given basins holding the iron balls and ORE
which, in their motion in direction compel the balls
to reyolve in contrary direction, and at the time
lead the quicksilver seek position just around the bot
by the ball. that being the lowest spot in the basin
Heretofore in al machines designed for the pur.
pose the crusher and the have been entirely
independent Of each other after crushing the quartz
fine possible it has been passed body Of quick
silver which having affinity for the gold in it, absorb
ed combined with such Of it (the god) FIRE,
enough from the quartz be attracted by the amaga
mator But the oxide Of iron, greasy matters, &c
which ali quartz contains greater less degree hay,
quite great affinity for quicksilver the -four
dust Of gold and equally separated in the crushing
process all such substances adhered to the amagamator
and formed upon It's surface coat scum proving
imperyious 70 the precious metal to render il mposs
bic by this process Of amalgamaon thar
half the gold actually in any quartz rock yet mined in
California Mr. Berdan has obviated this difficulty by
fitting his basins or, in other words by giving them
such inclination that the grinding balls always
working in fluid quicksilver six inches deep
by which means the instant the gold is broken loose from
its stony anities il in contact with the quicksi
yer first and Of course amalgamates with it. The go
and quicksilver being heavier than any thing else in tn
basinsthan the water quartz PARTICLES oxides, &c.
seek the bottom lowest part Of the basin, where tn
motion Of the grinding revolving ball, caused smp
BY the contrary motion Of the BASIN naturally force
a.. - - - r..
the other materials forming the rock in actual contac
with the quicksilver As il is utterly impossible for
Of the gold thus free escape actual contact with tn
amalganator if there be truth in the fundamental law
graytaon, impossible for the miner using this sim
pie continuance fail all his freed gold, sure
as though the operation had been performed wholly by
assayer.
Mr.. BERDAS exhibits working model at the Fair mad
on scale Of inch the foot and at the NOVELTY
Works, where his machines manufactured, there i
in operation upon quartz rock from the Virginia go
Mines which is always surrounded with nquring visit
ers. The New Jersey Zinc Company also work his ma
chine to free their valuable from its rocky anities
As exhibited OF the Fair this invention which represent
machine capable Of crushing and grinding twenty ton
Of quartz per diem consists Of six stamper each weigh
ing 500 lbs, which lift consecutvely eighteen inche
high, and four revolving tilted inclined basins eac
containing hollow ball OF iron, weighing 1900 lbs I
be filed at the mines with black sand. These contr
rancSs are worked or driven by hfteen.horse pows
,sasngne which lifts the hammers one after the ohe
and causes the basins to revolve The quartz is place
under the hammers it comes from the mines and the
puverze il into pieces ranging from the size Of br