Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1865-12-29
New A~malEamator.

Yesterday We had the pleasure OF IN
specting the i~nitiatory working Of Mr.. j..
B. Atwater's new amalgamator, now be.
ing tested, on o small scale at Nevada.
For the basis of his process, Mr.. Aawa-,
ter has taken the well known strong at-
traction OF melted lead for gold and silver,
an attraction hardly equaled by that of
mercury for gold. and claims that by its
use desulphurization is rendered unneces-
sary. The minute Of his process are as
follows: The ore being finely pulverized
is heated, to prevent 1t chilling the lead;
this is done in a revolving cylinder over a
slow FIRE. Is gg.gy.ET gNr .IkTsua
The heated ore is then, by the apparatus
described below, passed through melted
lead, which Is so combined with chemicals
that it is capable of being heated to a red
heat, the chemicals used preventing the
lead from being oxydized. The machine
for forcing the ore through the melted lead
is simple in its construction. Let our
readers imagine an ordinary water wheel
revolving horizontally in a part OF q cylin-
der which two thirds surrounds it, the
whole being immersed in q U-shaped
trough filled with molten lead. The floats
of this supposed water wheel are made
movable on their centers, like the arm OF o
pair of scissors. The cylinder, or as we
have supposed, water wheel to which
these floats are attached being set in mo-
ton and the ore introduced, the floats
each in turn catch it and pushit under
the lead, continuing to carry it down,
until the float reaches a certain point,
nearly to that where it begins to rise. A
pin attached to the covering cylinder OF
our water wheel then trips it and liberates
the ore, which rises to the surface of the
lead, on the outside of our cylinder, from
whence It is removed by q simple mechan-
ical continuance minus its gold.
The gentleman introducing this new
process, claims for it many advantages, to-
wit the ore need not be de%sulphurlzed
the lead is hot enough to readily take up
all the precious metals and not enough
to decompose any galena, iron or copper
pyrites the ore may contain /; its weight Is
light and the expense small the whole
machine, capable Of passing through 20
tons of ore per day, weighs but 1920 lbs
it occupies but little space, an amalgama-
tor of twenty tons daily capacity, being
but four feet long, two and a half feet
wide. and two deep, and easily packed in
a single wagon; the expense OF running Is
small the chemicals need not cost more
than one dollar per ton of quarz treated.
The lead is capable Of taking up SO pei
cent. of gold and silver before it becomes
too dense for use, consequently need be
but seldom changed, a trough of the ca.
pacity of 8, 900 lbs. of lead absorbing l,O0C
lbs. Of bullion before it is necessary to add
a fresh supply.
The loaded lead may then be either
cupelled and the precious metals thus ex.
tracted, or the lead may be rendered still
more rich by Pattison's process, and IT
that state shipped. East. -.
The experiment has been tried in Chi
cago, we are told, with the most crafty
ing success, and the testimony Of some o
the most eminent assayers Of that city il
not wanting as a guarantee to its scientific
correctness.
1t is not for us TO pronounce on II
merits. 1t is well known that amalgam'
ating is where we have failed. If wha
seems apparent on q preliminary trial o
Atwater's amalgamator shall be borne on
by larger and more extended tests. w
have little doubt that it or something
similar will come into general use in Colo
rado-not only so. but that it will furnish
the deslderatum so long sought in vain:
System in mining, economy Of powe
and labor, is gradually gaining ground
The pulverizing Of the ores is a mechani
cal question Of no inherent difficulty. l
is perhaps a question whether this vii
supercede desulphrizing or not. If i
does, that will be oil that is requisite t
the science and art of gold saving, tn
great problem for the Colorado quart
miner If It does not, why we have de
sulphurization itself pretty far advanced
so far indeed that the end is not doubtful
nor distant.-Biack Hack (CoFo) Journal