The Daily state register. [volume] (Carson City, Nev.) 1870-1872, 1870-12-30

walls, and through the walls innu.
merable leather belts are constantly
moving, while in many of the rooms
machinery and wheels are whirling
noiselessly AZ a top on a marble slab.
The first floor is divided into nine
rooms, and the second into eight. A
0O-horse power Morgan Il Orr engine
moves all the machinery IN the build
ing.
ON THE SECOND FLOOR
Is the Superintendent's, adjusting,
and weighing room of the assaying
| office, with two laboratories adjoining.
and the cabinet room, together with
the refinery or separation room.
REFINING, LIQUEFYINo AND soLIDI-
FLYING.
In the refining room silver NAV be
eel in all the forms it AN be made to
assume, mixed with baser metals and
with gold, in the form and with the
appearance of milk, and in its solid
state, pure. II is first boiled in nitric
acid for two days, which produces nj
trate OF or liquid silver. This process
evaporates all base metals and precip-
itates the gold, and consequently n
perfect separation has been attained.
To return the silver, pure, to its solid
state, II is poured into a tank of 500
gallons capacity, and mixed with salt
water, the salt precipitating the silver
and leaving the salt water and acid on
top. The last named solution ii then
run oil through a filterer, and the
silver is slniced out into a box lined
with cloth, which also acts as a iilterer.
At this stage the silver is perfectly
white, but on exposure TO the atmos-
phcre soon assumes d purple tinge.
In the filtering box, first hot and then
cold water is run over the silver, which
IL called "swcetening,n or removing
the acid and salt. This leaves il in
the chloride state, in which il IS placed
in a vat and saturated with sulphuric
acid. The zinc is mixed with il and
stirred, which brings about %granula-
ton, when hot and cold water are
again applied, and the whole mass
taken to "A hydraulic press in the base
ment. This press is ted by a quarter
inch pipe, and closes in on the silver
with Il pressure of 200 tons, thus re-
moving the water from the porous
mass and reducing il to a solid piece.
This is placed in a furnace to dry, and
from there goes To the melting room.
THE PROCESS"
Metal Is melted four times before
being coined-first, for assaying; Sec
ond, for granulation; third, 10 arrive
its fneness, and, fourth, to prepare
to receive the alloy. II is then run
into m0ulds of the width of coin de-
To be cast. (Our mint has not yet
any five or ten ceut pieces, of
nor 81 80 pieces OF gold-but all
)thcrdenoiniilations have been coined.
The ingots are taken from the moulds
and repeatedly passed through a roll
ng machine, which lengthens them
,ut until they arrive at the desired
hickness-the strip not being widened
~ tho process. The strips (if gold, six
Get long; If silver, four feet are then
put into copper tubes, made air tight,
md placed IN a furnace for a%nnealing.
these they are passed TO another
machine which is more exact,
a pair of scales hard by enables
operator TO ascertain to a nicely
when the strip Of gold or silver is of
he proper thickness for cutting into
;oin sizes. The cutting machine in
he same room next receives the strips
nd as they are passed through IL, il
ONES down alike a thousand of
and clips a twenty, ten or five,
y the ease may be. The metal form
ny the angles of bar aboutthe coin
ize clipped out is returned to the first
is Incorporated with other
metal and goes through all the opera
described. From the cutting ma
hine the shapely pieces are trans
erred 10 the whitening room, where !
hey are thrown into q copper tank
He'd with soap and water, and from
hero thrown into u box lined with
Upper and heated by steam, where
hey are thoroughly dried. They are
hen sent To the coiner, who weighs $
sends them TO the adjusters ia {
ies), whose business IL is to file the A.,
dyes of and bring them 10 the perfect /,
desired, which they are ena- :
led to do by having balances of the :.
iost delicate kind. From the adjust =
rs they are returned to the coiner, q
no mills thcm-that is, stamps them
! blank so as 10 raise the rim around
edge. From these they are again ;
10 the whitening room, and, II Il
old, are put into iron boxes, made air n
ght, placed in a hot furnace and kept i
minutes; If silver. they are q
in the furnace in an open iron 3
an, and kept in the same length OF :
me. While hot they are ali thrown
ITO a large lead-lined tub. flied with I,
bling sulphuric acid, and allowed to :
main for a few minutcs-which is =
rmed whitening. The term is cor :
when applied TO silver, but the =
bling acid restores the gold to its nat .
-al color. This operation also soft
the metal and prepares it the more N
adily to receive the stamp of the die. :
he pieces are then taken to the mill =
z and coming room. ~
CAPACITY FOR COINAGE. k
In this room are three milling ma
ines, one for quarters, halves and d,
tsilver), another for fives, tens (,
d twenties gold, and a third for th
q and ten cent pieces of silver, and h,
80 pieces of gold. The latter has d,
{ yet been used. The press for Civ
: The coin the final stamp, is about
2 finest piece of machinery known. of
ii Is capable of striking OIL eighty IN
sees per minute, or, ii $50 pieces, mn
1000 per hour. The pressure used m
putting OF the eagle bird by
ance' is from 10 To 80 tons. but any
gree OF pressure NAV be obtained ID,