Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1865-05-05
Essay ON the Importance ETA Knowl.
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Nothing more clearly proves the igno-
rance of our forefathers in metallurgical
and chemical operations, and the very
limited knowledge they possessed Of the
constituents of the minerals from which
they obtained their metals, than the residu-
ums of their operations in the form of
slags or scoria, and the remains of the
rudely constructed furnaces in which
these operations were conducted, and it
is only within the present century that
works of this nature seem to have been
conducted on anything aPproximating to
scientific principles. The same remarks
may be applied to the extraordinary back
wardness of the art of matchmaking at
the present day, when we find residuums
in the tailings, lost to the miner and the
world in general, of the value of $50 and
upwards per ton. While the art OF smelt-
ing has been brought to such perfection
that we can obtain copper from its ore
within one-half per cent. of its assay val
ue, we are losing about 80 per cent. of the
more valuable metal, silver, by the ANAL
gamating process, as admitted by all our
large mining companies, and l have yet to
learn that in obtaining the maximum pro-
portion of silver from its ore, the mills Of
Washoe are in advance of the Patio of
Mexico, or the Tina, Trapiche and Arastre
of Peru and Chile, although 1t must be
acknowledged that much has been achieved
in the way of saving time.
1t is true that when abundance of ma
terial exists, there is apt to be great waste.
and this may, in some measure, account
for the richness. in metal, OF some OF the
ancient slags and also the tailings OF the
present day but it is evident that had the
former smelters or the present amalgama-
tors been properly acquainted with their
business, they would have succeeded in
extracting the full produce of their min
erals, or, at all events, something approx
mating to their assay value.
From the enormous quantity OF slags in
various parts Of England, and also in the
lead districts of Missouri, on this CONT
nent, it is evident the operators could not
have properly prepared the ore for smelt-
ing, as, had the ore been dressed Tor con-
centrated), to high produce. there could
have been but little scoria formed, while
on the Mendip Hills we find these slags
existing in some places to a depth OF
thirty feet, and covering an area of ground
more than mile in length and nearly the
whole width of the valley, assaying from
Is to IS per cent. Of lead, and in Mis-.
souri,, where the scoria often contains up
wards of 80 per cent. Of the same metal,
even in Washoe, nearly one-half the con-
tents of its rich argentiferous galena is
found in its slaSs in large semi-metallic
SlobuIes.
Had assaying been understood at the
time these ores were worked by the an
rient British, or properly appreciated by
the modern Americans, these operators
would have discovered that some Of their
slags contained more metal than some par
GELS of ore subjected to their rough treat
ment. The same may be stated with re-
spect to the valuable tailings now running
to waste from the mills Of Gold Hill, Vir-
ginia and other silver producing districts
in the State of Nevada. But in order to
arrest this enormous loss. let US see how
far the knowledge of assaying and analy-
sis is useful. I would suggest that. in re-
gard to the former, the books of every
well regulated establishment should prove
its utility BY showing that the produce Of
metal (within certain limits) should cor
respond with that shown by the assay to
exist in the mineral operated upon.
Should it be proved that such gross pro-
duce. on the working scale, does not equal.
(within certain limits as aforesaid) the
amount as shown by assay, it is evident
there exists some defect in the operation /;
and to remove this, knowledge of the
constituents of the mineral as well as the
scoria or tailings is necessary, land the
knowledge is only to be obtained by an
alysiS) as the method of obtaining metal
from its ore, whether by smelling or ANAL.
gamation, must be determined by the
state of naturalization in which it exists,
and the nature of the earthly matter which
accompanies it.
Thus, when in q Stag or tailings, we
find metal existing in the state of oxide,
we know that carbon, in some form or
other, is required to produce 1t in the me-
talic state. When sulphur is found by
analysis to exist, it suggests the necessity
of adding some substance for its removal,
(such as lime or from, which have a
greater affinity for this substance than
the metal to be reduced. If arsenic is
present, calcination is necessary before
proceeding to smelling or amalgamating
In fact, the whole catalogue of metals
might be gone through, IN order to show
what would be the mischievous effects
produced in smelling and amalgamating
operations, by ignorance of the other me-
tallic constituents, and the state of min.
eralization in which they exist, and as /
before stated, this very necessary and i'm.
portant information can only be obtained
by analysis.
So well do our English iron-masters
appreciate the importance of this fact,
that they are in the habit of having not
only their ironstone, but also the limestone
and coke, used as fux and fuel, thor
oughly analysed, in order to determine
the amount of sulphur or phosphorus
there may be present in these substances
before they are introduced into the blast
furnace, well knowing that one-half per
cent. of sulphur will make iron "eold
Short" and, however pure NAV be the
ore, bad iron will result from the use Of
Auxes or fuel containing either of these
mischievous constituents.
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